Relationships are the strongest support system of our life and we can face every challenge if we have loved ones supporting us. However, most of us fail to realize that even the closest relationships need to be worked upon constantly to keep the bond intact. Little gestures and thoughtful action, kind words and show of appreciation go a long way in strengthening the ties between individuals. Similarly, a little additional help from any direction should be welcomed. The ancient practice of Feng Shui can work wonders for all important aspects of your life like career, health, wealth and of course relationships. Feng Shui love tips, if properly implemented, can strengthen existing relationships and attract new love into your life. However, wrongly implemented tips can also play havoc with your personal relationships, so do not undermine the importance of an expert.

Feng Shui love tips suggest the need to use warm colors in the bedroom. Light pink, light yellow and mauve are good options but avoid something like dark red as it can aggravate the mood and cause fights between couples. Also, placement of Feng shui objects like a pair of mandarin ducks in the bedroom can create harmonious relationship between the couple. Another important Feng Shui love tip is the placement of happy pictures of the family in the living room. This activates the love between family members. However, avoid putting up a photograph of three people in a row in the same picture. Crystals also enhance positive vibes and strong relationships if placed in the right direction. Pink quartz is also very effective in improving close relationships.

You could try placing some red lights or candles in the southwest corner of your room, as it activates the romance luck. The sleeping direction also plays a crucial role in Feng Shui love tips and according to your personal kua number, you could find out the best direction towards which you should place your head while sleeping. Burning fragrant incense sticks and lighting candles encourage the movement of positive energy in your living space. However, Feng Shui love tips can be a double edged sword because the results differ from person to person and are also based on the situation. As for example, peonies are lucky for singles who want to attract love into their lives but may cause infidelity for a person who is already married or in a relationship.

General Feng shui tips that work well for bringing about peace and harmony in relationships are the concept of a clutter free living space. Open the door and windows of a room for atleast 15 minutes every morning. Get rid of unused objects and free up the space for smooth flow of positive energies. You could keep a green, healthy plant in the east to symbolize growth and prosperity. Use Feng Shui sensibly and under the guidance of an expert to get the maximum benefits of this Chinese practice. Once implemented correctly, you will soon start noticing the welcome changes in your life.



By: Amit Bhalla

About the Author:

Today, the Internet has become a household word that is used to denote high-tech, super fast, and highly convenient communication between people. Since its introduction in 1973, the “Net” has been use as a research program to investigate techniques and develop technologies for interlinking different computer packet networks. Later on, it was expanded to serve as an electronic means of sending and receiving mails and messages. It is now widely used as a research tool for news, education, entertainment, and informal web-based education.

The Internet has changed the course of the world completely. It has reshaped the way we communicate, work, play, and how we understand the world around us.

Instead of buying and reading a newspaper, people can now watch the news, sports, and stock market updates in the Internet. With just a click of a mouse, an Internet user can get in touch with other users in different continents. The use of e-mails and online chatting had redefined the way we conduct long-distance communication and, yes — even the way we maintain long-distance relationships.

The Internet became a tool for long-distance relationships to flourish — bridging the geographical distances to bring families and lovers together. Internet technology has allowed human beings to reduce gaps created by distance and time zones. Thus, no two persons are really far apart if they learn to maximize the features and benefits of Internet technology. For example, Internet chatting is used by people as a means to exchange instant messages and images. Through the use of web cameras, “chatters” are able to “talk” and see each other on the Web. In the old days, it took weeks or even months for a letter to arrive. Traditionally written mail is sent via courier. The letter or “snail mail” is transported by land, sea, or air — all of which take time and are dependent on good weather and travel conditions.

With the rise of the Internet as a digital highway for messages and images — people now have a fast, convenient, and reliable means to transmit and receive information, not to mention the means to send love letters through e-mail. For lovers located in two separate countries, the Internet becomes a place where they can meet and even have the digital version of dating. In this day and age, there is no reason for a boyfriend or husband to miss the opportunity of sending the ladylove a bouquet of fresh flowers. Romance is still possible even if two lovers are hundreds of miles apart. Surprising a loved one at home with flowers even if you are overseas is just one of the many surprises that one can make with the use of the Internet. By going to websites that sell flowers, you can choose, purchase, and send greetings and bouquets to your family and special friend. Most online flower shops include a printable special mail order forms. Online shoppers have the option to fill-in needed information and then send the message to a specified address by mail or email. You can even surprise a loved one at the office by using Internet faxing as a means to send a love letter or an encouraging note. The online network of flower shops has enabled people to send flowers to just about anywhere in the world.

Floral Internet sites can be found through individual searches, while others conduct searches, and deliver online coupons, coupon codes, and deal directly with registered buyers. When buying flowers online, shoppers can select from a wide range of choices like roses, tulips, Malaysian mums, and gerbers. These flowers can be delivered to a family member or loved one on the same day it was ordered, regardless of time and country where the buyer is located. Some online companies charge a minimal processing fee for international flower deliveries while others do not. There are times, however, when slight delays may be experienced due to the need to verify the recipient’s address. When it comes to international orders and deliveries, it is very important to have the correct name of and address of the recipient. Payment is usually done through checks, credit cards, and money orders. Most companies offer the “right to return” goods or cancel the order within a period of seven days. Aside from the convenience of shopping for flowers using a Net-capable computer, people also have the benefit of receiving information about the background, social uses, and meanings associated with each flower being sold on the site.

Even across the miles, relationships can still flourish by using Internet technology. Deep, personal relationships need not suffer and end with each parting. By using Internet technology, we can still make our relationships strong and keep the love alive.



By: alexis

About the Author:

Your first encounter with China business for global sourcing and import and export initiative may be a bit too confusing over how to build relationships there. Remember, your first visit may not be your last interaction with your counterpart; no matter whether you are setting up China business there or looking for import/export opportunities as a part of your global sourcing endeavor.

-Presenting Business Cards Holds the Key

In China business, how you present your business card is regarded with seriousness. Many US import/export managers unaware of this do it in a casual way like they do back home. In order to strike cords with your import & export or global sourcing partner and have a successful deal in global sourcing, have your card’s critical areas like your name, company name and contact details translated to Chinese and present it with both your hands with Mandarin side facing your China business partner. On the other hand, when you are offered a card by your global sourcing counterpart, don’t stuff it to your pocket without studying it for a while, which is disrespectful.

-Guanxi and the Art of Promoting Your Import & Export Business

Guanxi stands for relationship, relation, concern, to have to do with and much more. Remember, Shanghai and Guanxi are two inseparable companions for aspiring global sourcing and import/export managers. To develop relationship with your China business counterparts, networking means a lot. Unlike olden days when networking meant first socializing then promoting China business, business relations are built on strong fundamentals as a number of present day foreign investor companies have different approaches.

-China Business, Relationships, Global Sourcing and Import/Export

Networking with government officials, import and export partners for licensing or permits for setting up your China business or global sourcing initiative is a time consuming exercise that needs to be carefully built. However, establishing relationship with manufacturers, import/export operators isn’t going to be difficult and it can be based on pragmatic basis in China business.

-Maintaining the Relationship to Promote China Business

No doubt, relationships are critical for China business development. More than that, it is the right kind of relationships that help and make you relish when maintained. For some global sourcing agencies, developing connections with the local community or government officials can help seal deals, while others think differently. But everyone agrees that type of relationship and maintaining it is a matter dependent on your business model. Both large and SME import/export and global sourcing companies maintain person to person relationships which is the foundation of China business.



By: Dylan Sun

About the Author:

There are currently over a hundred million websites on the internet competing for the eyeballs of visitors. How do you make your site stand out above the rest? The SEO and internet marketing gurus will repeat the old “content is king” mantra and will tell you to come up with something unique and original.

Fair enough. But how exactly does one go about doing this? What exactly is unique, original content? With the billions of pages on the net I think you’d be hard-pressed to to come up with something that is truly new and original that hasn’t been published or presented in some way by someone else already.

One way to make your content unique is add a personal touch to it. There are 5 billion people on the planet, and everyone is unique. What better way to render a site unique than to lend it a unique character that mirrors one’s own personality? The way we write, how we organize content, the words we choose, and even color scheme speaks to a site’s personality and imparts some degree of uniqueness and originality to it.

In real life a person can stand out by possessing one or more exceptional qualities, such as charisma, intelligence, creativity, trustworthiness, or whatever. These qualities can be played out through a site’s design and content to give it a certain personality.

When it comes to doing business online, people tend to be leery of whom they’re dealing with. The anonymity of the web does not mean it is easier to mislead and deceive people. Rather, it means that we must work harder to build trust and loyalty online. If you feel good about the products or services and are prepared to provide them in good faith, why not design your site in a way that exudes your confidence?

The personality of a site can attract visitors as well as build loyalty in the site. While the internet may seem like a faceless, nameless medium, but it’s the living, breathing people behind the websites that make things happen. As in real life, success in cyberspace hinges on one’s ability to forge positive personal relationships online. As a frequent shopper of online goods and services, I feel more comfortable dealing with an online company when I feel that I know the people behind it. So, it’s really not the websites themselves, but the people behind them, that influence my purchasing decisions.



By: Oudam Em

About the Author:

I received an advanced copy of a book called How Full Is Your Bucket, by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton. Gallup Press (a renowned company that provides research and scientifically based educational materials) publishes this little gem of a book filled with nuggets of wisdom and inspiration.

In my early twenties I worked in retail sales for many years and had the misfortune to work under a bitter, negative woman. Over time, daily contact with her had begun to erode my self-confidence and self-esteem. Leaving that job to join a large retain chain, I found myself in a positive environment and rose to the position of office manager in less than six months. Being treated with respect and feeling appreciated for my abilities, restored my self-confidence.

That’s why I liked this book. It centers on a theme I have been practicing for years – focusing on what’s right about people instead of what’s wrong.

Below is an excerpt from page 15:

The Theory of the Bucket and the Dipper

“Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending upon what others say or do to us.

Each of us has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill each other’s bucket by doing and saying things to increase their positive emotions – we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from other people’s buckets – by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions – we diminish ourselves.

A full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in the bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic. But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy and undermines our will. So we face a choice every moment of every day: we can fill one another’s buckets, or we can dip from them. It’s an important choice – one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health, and happiness. “

Pioneering research studies by psychology expert John Gottman suggests there is a “magic ratio” of 5:1 (5 positive to 1 negative) in terms of our balance of positive to negative interactions. Meaning: While a single negative interaction can have a strong emotional impact, several positive interactions will refill your bucket.

Being emotionally positive does not suggest that every comment and action should be one of only praise and acknowledgement because dealing with mistakes and helping others to learn and grow is important. The authors say that “ positivity must be grounded in reality” or the result may be to create false optimism that is counterproductive and off-putting. But most people do not suffer from too much positive support. While we are not responsible for how people interpret our actions and words, how we deliver a message will affect whether it may be filling or diminishing someone’s heart.

According to the Gallup poll:

1. The #1 reason people leave their jobs: They don’t feel appreciated.

2. Bad bosses can increase the risk of stroke by 33%.

3. The cost of disengagement or extreme negativity: $250-$300 billion per year.

4. A study found that negative employees can scare off every customer they speak with – for good.

5. 65% of American received no recognition in the workplace last year.

6. Praise is rare in most workplaces.

7. 9 out of 10 people say they are more productive when they are around positive people.

The bottom line – sustaining negativity is costly to both business and personal success!

Examples of filling people’s buckets:

Random acts of kindness

Unexpected gifts

A smile

A compliment

Praise

Acknowledgement

Examples of dipping into other people’s buckets:

- Blatantly or subtly criticizing others people mistakes or faults

- Poking fun at people (at the expense of the person)

- Attacking people’s insecurities

- Withholding positive emotional support

- We are responsible for the amount of power we give to people to influence us. And we are affected by negativity especially when it is consistent.

By recognizing and appreciating people’s talents/gifts, strengths and uniqueness, we increase positive emotions in our relationships, both personally and professionally. When we say and do things that evoke positive feelings in people, we also feel good about ourselves. People thrive when they feel respected, appreciated and valued. Approaching each interaction with the intent to help others feel good is a powerfull way to initiate new relationships and deepen others.

What kind of person are you? A bucket filler or dipper?

What would you change about yourself to be a more supportive person?

In what ways do you bring out the best in the people at work? In your personal life?

Exercise: Over the next 30 days, intentionally practice being a bucket filler to people in your world. Watch what happens!



By: Lorraine Cohen

About the Author:

Relationship counseling as a discrete, professional service is a recent phenomenon. Until the late 20th century, the work of relationship counseling was informally fulfilled by close friends, family members, or local religious leaders. Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and social workers have historically dealt primarily with individual psychological problems. In many less technologically advanced cultures around the world today, the institution of family, the village or group elders fulfill the work of relationship counseling.

With increasing modernization or westernization in many parts of the world and the continuous shift towards isolated nuclear families, the old support structures are no longer there and the need for relationship counseling is greater than ever.

Before the relationships between the individuals can begin to be understood, it is important for all to recognize and acknowledge that everyone involved has a unique personality and background. Sometimes the individuals in the relationship adhere to different value systems. Institutional and societal variables (like the social, religious, group and other collective factors) which shape a person’s nature, and behavior must be recognized. A tenet of “relationship counseling” is that:

It is intrinsically beneficial for all the participants to interact with each other and with society at large with the least conflict possible.

Some say the only viable solution to the problem of setting these relationships back on track is to reorient the individuals’ perceptions - how one looks at or responds to situations. wilderness therapy is the perfect environment to be able to reflect and respond to present situations. This implies that they make some fundamental changes in their attitudes and actions The next step is to adopt conscious structural changes to their inter-personal relationships.

The duty and function of a relationship counselor is to listen, understand and facilitate a better understanding between those involved. The basic principles involved are:

# Non-judgment on any of the issues or incidents narrated to them as counselor.

# Confidentiality of the persons being given the counseling.

A successful counselor is someone who has a mature and balanced state of mind and disposition, who can place themselves in the shoes of those they are counseling, and the ability to respect their opinions, thoughts, feelings and (more importantly) emotions.



By: Mark Peterson

About the Author: