Life Tips Daily

Over on my personal blog, I have been known to gush about my wonderful friends. I am perhaps overthinking why I have such great friends, instead of being glad for them and hoping they don’t realize they have befriended someone who might not be worth it. Anyway, before they figure that out, I’ve come up with some habits of good friends and perhaps I can put one or two of these into practice sooner rather than later.

Looking for tips on being a better friend? Read on!

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This talk of organizing computer space has me thinking about actual cleaning and disinfection of the computer area.

Keyboard and mouse
If the thought of germs makes you ill, then I advise you to step away from your computer because chances are that your computer keyboard and mouse are crawling with germs. But never fear! You too can make your keyboard a thing of beauty and germ-free goodness if you’re willing to.

What you will need:
A disinfecting cleaner
Paper towels and/or microfibre cloths
Cotton swabs
Air duster

Apply your cleaning solution liberally to some paper towel, and wipe down your keyboard and mouse with the paper towel. You may want to make sure that if your computer is turned on at this time, you’re not working on a thesis, book, blog entry or an email to your boss. In fact, just turn the computer off entirely, since you’ll need to have it off for the final step.

Once you’ve done this preliminary wipe-down, you may want to soak some cotton swabs in solution and run them up and down your rows of keyboard keys, grabbing those hard to reach bits of dust and stains from memorable moments such as the time you sprayed (or spilled) coffee all over the keyboard. Or, that time you accidentally dumped purple nail polish all over your keyboard during an unfortunate multitasking incident. A cotton swab will be very helpful as you try to remedy the situation.

Computer screen
Computer screens are delicate things, so you be sure to check that your cleaning solution is computer screen safe. The last thing you want to do is damage the screen! Be sure also to check what sort of cloth or towel is recommended for wiping the screen. The goal is generally to avoid materials that can scratch, so a microfibre cloth is usually a great choice. Microfibre cloths are actually great because they’ll remove the dust even without the addition of any cleaning solution.

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Today’s computer decluttering tip is a good next step once you’ve cleaned both desktops.

Once your desk is cleared off, you may discover that it’s the actual computer desk is hampering your ability to get organized. Perhaps the desk doesn’t have enough space for you to keep all the essentials (speakers, printer, scanner, fax machine) nearby and easy to reach. Maybe the surface of the desk is only big enough to hold a computer screen, while you need space to prop a notebook or a plate of food in front of the screen. Perhaps it’s drawers or shelves that your desk is missing. Whatever it is, do a good evaluation of your setup and figure out what you need to make your computer station the most useful and organized it can be.

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Please accept my apologies for my disappearance from this here site. I have been having eye issues, in particular my right eye. I am almost 100% so I must get back to providing and learning some life tips from you. Thanks for your patience and I hope you’ve been doing well.

Speaking of apologies, remember this entry early in the year? Well I have an update!

I did not know that this person even read my personal blog anymore and when she came upon my latest entries about house hunting and a 5K race that I will be running/walking, she felt compelled to email me again and wish me luck on both endeavours. That triggered an exchange of emails and we’re planning to meet for a meal in the near future. I think the resulting friendship may even end up being stronger than what it was before because we will have fought for it.

When a fight breaks up a relationship it’s sometimes a lot easier to say “To hell with him or her, I don’t need them”, and maybe you truly believe this, and maybe it’s even true. That is how I felt back when the situation happened. But sometimes you’re given an opportunity to change your original reaction and if you see something worth salvaging, you should take the opportunity and run with it. I’m glad we both have and I look forward to this new friendship.

So after last week, I blinked and the entire week passed by. It was full of work and other necessary but unexciting things.

I am about to start the long, labourious process of house hunting and next week I will be doing some pre-hunting by going to sites where new homes are being built and taking a look at their model homes. I’m sure I’ll want to buy one on the spot, but reality will hit me and I’ll use the day for the purpose it was meant: to get an idea of what I want versus absolutely need in a house. I will report back with some things learned while poking into model homes.

My adventures putting up my hope notes was pretty fun. Two mornings ago I got on the bus headed to work and quickly stuck one in front of me and managed to snap a picture of it before anyone noticed me. I felt very sneaky and covert and even a bit nervous, because I don’t want to be caught or questioned. I guess I shouldn’t feel like that because my explanation “I’m just trying to spread some hope!” really can’t be taken the wrong way by anyone, can it?

The building I work in has five elevators, and I decided to stick my next hope note in the elevator. The problem is there isn’t really anyplace to stick it to so I had to return to the office and grab some tape. Since the building is 19 floors high, you rarely get an elevator to yourself for the whole ride so I felt very rushed to stick up the message and also take a picture. I only managed a blurry picture before the doors opened so I stayed on the elevator to the bottom floor, but on the bottom floor people were waiting to get on so I had to get off so they didn’t wonder whether I was a vagrant elevator rider who spends her days going up and down.

I tried all day to get on that same elevator but I never did and when I checked that elevator the next day (yesterday), my hope note was gone. I hope a couple of people saw it before the very efficient custodial staff cleaned the elevator.

I had received a suggestion to put one in a library book, and I will definitely do that with one of the books I’ll be returning to the library later today. I did manage to stick one on a bookshelf at the library though:

It’s been fun! I have two more hope notes to post, and then I have to find some time to make more. I think keeping a roll of tape with me will also be quite beneficial.

I made the first five hope notes to distribute and I have some great ideas of where to post them. I’m hoping I can do this somewhat covertly because I don’t want to have to explain what I’m doing (and also it would be more exciting if someone didn’t see me hiding a note and then mosey over to read it immediately: there should be an element of secrecy in the whole thing, don’t you think?)

The particular note pictured above is one that resonates quite deeply with me: you are lovely. This is not something I find easy to believe about myself, and I know I am not alone. Most of us have the tendency to see beauty out there: we’re quick to compliment coworkers and friends on their hairstyle, clothing, scent, accessories, and physical fitness. We’re kind to strangers but when it comes to treating ourselves with that loving eye and caring attitude, it doesn’t happen. We concentrate on one aspect of who we are (our flabby bellies, perhaps?) and berate ourselves about that one small part of who we are as people. All of a sudden all we are is the part of ourselves we hate the most. We can’t seem to accept the same compliments that we dole out; we believe the compliment giver must be lying, exaggerating, or saying the words out of a sense of pity.

If you can relate to this and are interested in reading what triggered me to vow to be kinder to myself, please read this entry. Be kind to yourself this week and the next time someone tells you that you’re lovely, accept it. It’s true.

If you’re a female seeking a man to love and think you may be doing something that prevents you from meeting the right sort of partner and entering into relationships that are meaningful and long-lasting, here are three books you should consider reading.

Not Tonight Mr. Right by Kate Taylor
The purpose of this book is to convince the female reader that she doesn’t have to have sex early in a relationship in order to secure it. In fact, the book suggests that not having sex so soon is a good way to ensure that the relationship that develops is based on something other than sexual compatibility (which is important but not the only thing necessary to have a good relationship). According to the book, it’s possible to wait until marriage before having sex (although the book does not make a statement that one should wait that long if they are not inclined to do so). If you’re curious whether it’s possible to have a fulfilling relationship and not introduce sex into the equation so early, this book’s answer is a resounding “Yes!”.

Ever wondered Why Mr. Right Can’t Find You? Maybe you’re not looking in the right places…literally! This book, written from a male perspective (J.M. Kearns) suggests places where women can meet Mr. Right, and also takes the reader carefully through the world of online dating. If you’re ready to put aside your preconceived notions about where people can meet (and yes, bars and the gym are viable locations) and ready to step outside your comfort zone then you will learn a lot from this book.

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While reading the always inspiring blog of Emma, I came across this Hope Revo project and I was instantly inspired. However going from inspiration to action always takes a decade for me (I have severe procrastination issues) so I still haven’t done much more than the brainstorming that I did on the first day that I saw read the site and found out that the idea of the project is to create notes to hide around your city, notes that people will find and hopefully be encouraged and strengthened by. The notes can be short or long, they can be simply written or be a decorated. Here are some of the messages I’ve come up with:

Thanks to my crafty tendencies, I have a whole bunch of supplies that I could use for this project and I can share how the process goes on Getting Crafty. First I need some dedicated time where I turn OFF the computer and refuse to read other blogs and get messy with my scissors, glue and perhaps even glitter.

If you live somewhere where the snow has been coming down nonstop, and more snow is predicted in the coming days, wouldn’t joining this project be a perfect way to brighten the days of neighbours, fellow commuters or others who are probably thinking “will this snow ever end? Will spring ever come?”

Some places where I will be putting my hope notes:

• bus shelters
• in the elevators at work
• in the bathroom at work
• at the self checkout station for library books

Got any more good places I can hide my notes?

After the encouraging you to declutter your desktop, I stumbled across the following article in a local paper: Conquer your clutter, improve your health. It’s not very long so if you have a moment, I strongly encourage you to read it.

I was shocked to discover that “decluttering guru”, Peter Walsh, who you may have seen on Oprah claims that if you have issues with clutter or hoarding, this problem likely shows up in your health too: if you have a lot of clutter in your life, you are likely fat.

I was alarmed to read this because guess what? I am drowning in clutter and I am overweight. I can’t resist a bargain, I hate paying full price for something and have been known to buy things I don’t need simply because the price was too low to resist and because I was sure that I would one day need the item. I always thought my propensity to buy things and save them for the right moment was a good point, something that spoke well of my thriftiness and the fact that I don’t waste money. I take pride in the fact that family members scour my room for gift ideas before going out to buy something.

But could it be the symptoms of a bigger problem?

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If you spend a lot of time on the computer, either at work or at home, you may find that you become stressed and disorganized when you can’t find files or documents that you’re looking for. The naming system you used made sense at the time, as did the location you saved it to, but now, for the life of you, you can’t recall what you were thinking (or what you were drinking!).

Here’s today’s tip to help you feel more in control of your clutter:

Clean both desktops
There is of course the physical desktop, where your computer keyboard and screen sit upon if you have a desktop computer. Some laptop owners sit at a desk at least occasionally, though that is perhaps not the general rule. Either way, make sure the surface on which your computer rests is clean: no post it notes mocking you with things you have to remember, no empty drink bottles, food plates, no stray pens and pencils everywhere. You may have to bring out some surface cleaner to clean your newly discovered (and likely dusty) surface.

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If, like me, you have a feeling that this year is going to be the best year of your life, try this exercise with me and review the past month. By reviewing the first month of the year, you may be able to see where your good intentions (also known as New Year’s resolutions) didn’t quite hold and how you can adjust them so that they will work better. What am I talking about? Well try the following and see if it helps you feel more in control of the new year.

Review your goals
If you made resolutions for the entire year, but find that nothing you did in January really contributed toward those goals, perhaps it’s time to consider making two lists: one of your overall goals for the year, and one that includes a breakdown of what you will do each month to work towards the greater goal. A good example is weight loss: if your goal is to lose 40 pounds by the end of the year, you may feel like it’s ok that you didn’t have much success in the first month because you have 11 more months to get on track. However, you may also discover that if you don’t give yourself a monthly goal related to weight loss, by the time November comes around, you will still have 40 pounds to lose! Instead, set monthly goals that are baby steps towards the big goal. For the weight loss example, this could involve walking 30 minutes a day, or planning to lose four pounds every month.

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I went to a restaurant with family recently and I was not impressed with the first waitress that was assigned to us. Before I could even comment on it to my parents, a new server came to our table and informed us that she was going to be helping us from there on.

She was wonderful and I can honestly say that we’ve never had such superb service before. In analyzing how she made our experience so lovely, I came up with the following tips for those of you who work in the customer service area and who wish to give top notch service every time.

Smile
A sign at a dentist’s office I pass every day reads “A smile is the same in every language” and isn’t that the truth? Smile, and smile from your heart. Only the truly miserable will fail to respond similarly to a warm smile (and in that case they need to see more smiles in their life!).

Engage the customer, build a rapport
My father can be taciturn but our charming waitress soon had him cracking jokes and responding to her teasing. In order to build a rapport with your customer, you aren’t necessarily required to be a funny person. Be polite, show interest in the customer, look for indications of what makes them tick and respond to those cues in your own behaviour.

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If you live North America, particularly in one of the many states or provinces where snow is prevalent, it’s hard to make yourself leave the comfort of home when the cold weather arrives. However, if you’ve found that your plans to hibernate are wreaking havoc on your waistline, here are some things to consider to combat the weight gain.

Get souped up
A great way to fill your stomach without sacrificing too many calories, and ensure that you get your daily serving of vegetables is to make yourself a thick, hearty soup full of veggies and lean meat (unless you’re a vegetarian, of course!). Not only will this meal make you feel warm and cozy, it’ll satisfy the requirements for a healthy meal too.

Bundle up and go walking
Colour me guilty: I cheerfully use the winter weather to excuse my general physical inactivity but that’s a weak excuse. Why? Because the sidewalks around my place are cleared very regularly, and even when they’re not, long boots with a decent grip are all that is needed to ensure that a walk doesn’t turn into a slippery stroll. If you layer your clothing and have a good jacket, hat and gloves (or mittens), you’ll hardly feel the cold and return invigorated and warmed from your walk.

Try a winter sport
If walking sounds boring, why not try snowshoeing or cross country skiing? Neither requires any hard to learn skills and both will provide a very intense workout, even though you’re cruising along on flat ground for the most part. Depending on where you decide to go snowshoeing or cross country skiing, you may be able to rent the gear that you need before committing to it.

If you prefer sports that are more exciting, try downhill skiing, snowboarding or ice skating. These activities can be hard on those who are new to them so expect to build up your confidence (and skill) slowly.

For those of you living in chilly weather, how do you keep active?

I’ve always been a fan of practicing forgiveness, not because I am a saint and not just because my religion commands it, but because it really is easier on you if you let go of the hurt and pain and forgive. Forgiving, unfortunately, does not mean you forget the hurt and the pain, sometimes the hurt and pain stays with you and can be triggered unexpectedly and you can feel just as bad as if the hurt happened yesterday. The idea behind practicing forgiveness is that the sooner you’re able to “let it go”, the sooner the process of letting time work its magic can begin.

Almost a year ago, I had an opportunity to see if forgiving really was better for my soul. A friend and I went through a situation that led to the end of our friendship. I was happy with the way I handled the situation, but I am not the sort of person who can throw away the years of a friendship without feeling twinges of sadness and although I didn’t talk about the situation much with friends after its conclusion, certain thing I would see and hear would remind me of this person. Part of the process of forgiveness for me was wishing her well in the future, so when I’d think of her, I’d hope that she was doing well and was happier. I’m no saint, I just chose not to let the feelings that I had during the situation sour me toward her permanently and therefore have the power to continually ruin my mood. Instead of feeling angry when I thought of her, I felt sad that things didn’t end in a more positive way (if they had to end).

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