Al G Smith

Someone asked about home remedies for dealing with stress…and at the risk of anyone who knows me reading this and observing that this may be a case of ‘do as I say, and not as I do’ I have just posted a new page (Combat Stress - listed above) that includes a quick article about stress reducing tactics that I rattled off in reply:

How to reduce stress

For those times when our motivation runs low, when we are questioning about our ‘luck’ (or lack of it) and our ‘lot’ in life; here is a pertinent video clip.

Have you ever found yourself thinking, or mouthing, the words “Why are you doing this to me God?” - Ask not why God has ‘done’ something to you - as rather “What are you doing for yourself?”

Here is someone who provides real inspiration and a motivational ‘kick in the pants’ for anyone who thinks they are having a challenging time…and perhaps becoming self pitying:

Inspirational and Motivating

An interesting post about the challenge that every individual has to face in order to become a member of a unified Mankind:

http://www.bahaiperspectives.com/bahai-concepts/2008/12/01/the-kingdom-of-names/

“…The soul of man needs to be adorned with virtues of humility and self-effacement so that it may become detached from the Kingdom of Names…”

Q: What to eat for breakfast if I need to lose weight?

I am trying to lose weight by eating less and eating better foods. What do you suggest I eat for breakfast in the mornings so that I can drop a few pounds? I’ve got dinner and lunches down, just not breakfast foods yet.

A: Maybe challenging some conventional wisdom but if you want to lose weight and have a healthy positive start to the day:

1) Completely Ignore the spurious clap-trap masquerading as news about eating a big grilled sausage, bacon, egg and tomato breakfast spewed forth from a hideously mis-informed so called ‘nutritionist’ as reported from Sky News (!!!) and in retold Yahoo news today:
Yahoo “News”
This is UTTER UNMITIGATED CLAPTRAP — and totally confusing for anyone who is trying to eat more healthily

2) Recognize what your body needs after 7 to 8 hours of enforced ‘fasting’ (i.e. while asleep) — namely:
a) Hydration
b) The reduction of any acidity (due to the continuance of digestive processes, and the effects of water loss overnight)
c) Nourishment — meaning some quickly transformed, but lasting energy source in the form of more complex carbohydrates

Bear in mind also that ’sugars’ should be avoided as they are both acidifying and burn too quickly…this means avoid using actual sugars (such as on cereals — and IF you do choose to eat cereals use only those with no added sugar — oats for example are a good choice)

This also means avoiding too much sweet fruit as they are simply alternative sugar sources and little better than a candy bar (or so-called ‘breakfast bars’ most of which are simply profit-making sugar sicks that should be shunned a all times).

Ideally you should therefore try to eat food which provide some complex carbs, some mineral nutrients, some water, and some alkalizing effects.

An ideal start to the day would therefore be:
i) A half pint of good quality mineral water (or home distilled water) within a few minutes of waking.
ii) After a refreshing wash (i.e. not too soon after the water)– a good sized plateful of cucumber and tomatoes (and a generous sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley, plus some mild sweet salad onions IF you aren’t going to work in close proximity with clients for a couple of hours! Onions are a good source of flavonoids which are not only anti-cancer but also are known to be anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory), generously dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, an seasoned with naturally iodine and mineral rich sea salt, and a little black pepper (or a milder chilli pepper — like pimenton picante; or sweet pimenton dulce — if you like it).

You could alternatively make these same ingredients into a superb ’smoothie’ (some might call it Gazpacho!) along with a couple of small cloves of fresh garlic for its additional anti-viral and blood cleansing properties.

If you still crave some further substance a slice of wholemeal spelt (a lower gluten wheatflour alternative) soda bread (i.e. NO yeast!) which is VERY easy to make at home, or a couple of organic rice cakes, would be OK topped with EV olive oil…or even a smear of butter wouldn’t be out of the question on occasions!

This is a TRULY health start to the day that will support your system in many ways and contribute to your weight loss goals. Ignore all else Good luck!

More useful tips at http://www.GoNaturalandOrganic.com

THE GOLDEN RULE is the foundation advice for life that is cited by all the major religions. This page - quoted directly from the official Universal House of Justice website, HQ for the Baha’i faith. I hope you too will spread this around…by word, deed and ‘blog!

This advice appears so widely yet seems so often overlooked. If only we could wake up tomorrow and suddenly lead our lives with the ‘golden Rule’ at its center - the world would INSTANTLY be transformed into paradise of peace, plenty and personal fulfillment.

The only real question that remains is WHY, with our supposedly advanced intellectual  capabilities, don’t we just grasp this and START applying it? After all — whatever color, race or CREED…the same advice for life has been handed on down through the ages for thousands of years!:

REFERENCE: Online 16 Jan 2008: http://www.uhj.net/the-golden-rule.html

JESUS CHRIST:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

“Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your mind and with all your soul… and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
(Jesus Christ, Matthew 22:36-40)

BAHA’U'LLAH:

“O son of man! If thine eyes be turned towards mercy, forsake the things that profit thee and cleave unto that which will profit mankind. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself.”
(Baha’u'llah, The third Leaf of the Most Exalted Paradise, Tablets, p. 64)

BUDDHISM:

“Hurt not others with that which pains yourself or in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. One should seek for others the happiness one desires for one’s self”
(Udana-Varqa, 5:18)

HINDUISM:

“This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others that which would cause pain if done unto you.”
(Mahabharata 5:1517)

“Do not to others what ye do not wish done to yourself; and wish for others too, what ye desire and long for, for yourself. This is the whole of Dharma, heed it well.”
(The Celestial Song, 2:65)

ZOROASTRIANISM:

“That nature ONLY is good when it shall NOT DO unto another whatever is not good for its own self.”
(Dadistan-i-Dinik, 94:5)

“Whatsoever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others.”
(Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29)

That which is good for all and any one, for whomsoever - that is good for me. What I hold good for self, I should for all. Only Law Universal, is true Law.”
(Zoroaster, Yasana-Gathas)

JAINIST:

“A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated.”
(Sutrakritanga 1.11.33)

SIKH:

“Precious like jewels are the minds of all. To hurt them is not at all good. If thou desirest thy Beloved, then hurt thou not anyone’s heart.”
(Guru Aranj Devji 259, Guru Granth Sahib)

CONFUCIANISM:

“Do not unto others what you would not have them do unto you.”
(Analects, 15:23)

“If one strives to treat others as he would be treated by them, he will come near the perfect life.”
(Book of Meng Tzu)

WESTERN SCHOOLS:

“What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them.”
(Pythagorean)

“We should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us.”
(Aristotle, from Plato and Socrates)

“Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing.”
(Thales)

“Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him.”
(Pittacus)

“Cherish reciprocal benevolence, which will make you as anxious for another’s welfare as your own”
(Aristippus of Cyrene).

“Act toward others as you desire them to act toward you”
(Isocrates)

TAO:

“Pity the misfortunes of others; rejoice in the well-being of others; help those who are in want; save men in danger; rejoice at the success of others; and sympathise with their reverses, even as though YOU WERE in their place.”

“The sage has no interests of his own, but regards the interests of the people as his own. He is kind to the kind, he is also kind to the unkind: for virtue is kind.”
(T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien)

NATIVE AMERICAN:

“Love your friend and never desert him. If you see him surrounded by the enemy do not run away; go to him, and if you cannot save him, be killed together and let your bones lie side by side.”
(Sur-AR-Ale-Shar, The Lessons of the Lone Chief)

“Do not kill or injure your neighbor, for it is not him that you injure, you injure yourself. But do good to him, therefore add to his days of happiness as you add to your own. Do not wrong or hate your neighbor, for it is not him that you wrong, you wrong yourself. But love him, for The Great Spirit (Moneto) loves him also as he loves you.”
(Shawnee)

“Respect for all life is the foundation.”
(The Great Law of Peace)

AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION:

“A SAGE is ingenuous and leads his life after comprehending the parity of the killed and the killer. THEREFORE, neither does he cause violence to others nor does he make others do so.”
(Yoruba Proverb, Nigeria)

“One going to take a pointed stick to pinch a baby bird should first try it on himself to feel how it hurts.”
(Yoruba Proverb, Nigeria)

ISLAM:

“Not one of you is a believer until he desires for another that which he desires for himself.”
(Muhammad, 40 Hadith of an-Nawawi 13)

“Do unto all men as you would they should do unto you, and reject for them that which you would reject for yourself.”
(Mishkat-el-Masabih)

JUDAISM:

“What is hateful to you, DO NOT to your fellow man. That is the law: all the rest is commentary.”
(Talmud, Shabbat 31a)

“Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.”
(Moses, Leviticus 19:18)

CHRISTIANITY:

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.”
(Matthew 7:12)

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
(Luke 6:31)

BAHA’I WORLD FAITH:

“Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.”
(Baha’u'llah, Tablets, p. 71)

“Lay not on any soul a load which ye would not wish to be laid on you, and desire not for any one the things ye would not desire for yourselves.”
(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings LXVI, p. 128)

“Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not. This is my command unto thee, do thou observe it.”
(Baha’u'llah, The Hidden Words, Arabic # 29)

“Choose for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself.”
(Baha’u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 30)