Let’s be honest. We all wish we are a few pounds lighter on the scales.

Well, I did.

I’m getting married in July of this year. And last December 5th, 2016, I got the biggest kick up my sagging, wobbly behind has ever had.

That day, I stepped on my bathroom scale and found out that I gained over 20 lbs. I looked and felt awful. I realized that I simply could not get married in July looking or feeling like that!

I guess, sometimes, everyone needs a kick!

I am a 30-year-old male, career-driven and comfortable in my relationship. I was so comfortable that I didn’t notice that my waist expanded 6 inches. I neglected my health.

What I am trying to say is that it is very easy to form bad habits and repeat them day in day out. But, once realization hits you, you’ll be able to kick those bad habits away- with focus and dedication.

I’m now 23 lbs lighter, leaner and happy. My future wife is pretty happy, too.

And as a way to help you go through the same thing, here are some of the ways to lose weight I found effective:

Food prep

This is the easiest thing to get right and the easiest thing to neglect, too.

Proper food prep is one of the best ways to lose weight. As they say, “You can’t out-train a bad diet.”

Spend an hour on a Sunday night batch cooking your food for the next 3 to 4 days. Make sure you are getting all of your key food groups, including your greens, in your meal plan.

I am not saying that getting an occasional treat isn’t allowed. Prepping your food is just a way to make sure you don’t always resort to ordering fast food.

See Also: Foods That Will Help You Keep Your Family Healthy

Understand your Macro splits

Macros, short for macronutrients, are simply the following food groups: proteins, fats, carbohydrates.

We all need them and each is vital for our metabolism to work correctly and efficiently. You can quickly search for a Macro calculator online and you can easily get a handful of options, like this one: http://ift.tt/2sKkxPZ

Once you have your splits, write them down and make sure to follow them when preparing your meal plan.

Download Myfitnesspal

This app allows you to track all of your daily food intakes. It also enables you to input your macro splits in the format of either percentage or grams. You can use it to track your actual weight loss, too.

I found that by downloading this app, I was able to easily keep an eye on what I was eating, how many calories I had consumed and how much I have left. It’s a very cool, motivational tool that keeps your eyes on the prize.

It was a huge help in making sure I don’t overeat or take on too many calories. The app has a very cool barcode scanner. You can use it to scan all of your food and keep an eye on your calories!

Exercise

Exercise has so many benefits. Not only can it help you lose and maintain a healthy weight, it can also make you feel great.

I’m not talking about spending 14 hours a day in a gym. Just engage in cardio and weight training if you can.

I try to do 20 to 40 minutes of cardio a day, 5 times a week. If you don’t like running, then head to Youtube and look up HIIT workouts. A gent called Joe Wicks creates great workout videos you can check out.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), a personal favorite of mine, is sharp, explosive and great at blasting belly fat. It is short but highly effective. If you regularly follow a healthy eating regime and you combine it with HIIT, you’ll be able to see results very quickly.

Weight training is also key to building muscle and burning fat. The internet is a good source for workouts. If you have the budget, however, you can always invest in a good personal trainer.

When choosing a good coach, always ask to see the portfolio of clients they have previously worked with. This is one good way to ensure that you’ll be dealing with someone who knows how to get results.

See Also: 19 Ways to Get Motivated to Exercise

Set short term goals that add long-term results

It’s easy to realize you are overweight and tell yourself you are going to lose 50 lbs in 3 months. Doing it, however, is a different ball game.

I had weeks where I would bust my ass and lose 3 to 4 lbs. In other weeks, I’d only lose 1 lb. It is easy to get frustrated with these numbers and that’s alright. Results take time and effort.

I found that setting short term goals (4-6 weeks) were more motivating. Once you hit that short term goal, you can set a new one and repeat. We all have an end goal and whether that is 20, 30, 40 or 50 lbs of weight loss, it won’t happen overnight.

Be realistic, dedicated and honest. If you cheat on your diet, no problem. Move on from your mistake, start fresh the next day and work on smashing your goals.

Finally, don’t be afraid to allow yourself a treat once in a while. Work hard, eat well but don’t feel guilty for eating a guilty pleasure every now and again. I personally have one cheat meal a week- not a cheat day.

Hopefully, all or some of these tips have been helpful. They were a great help in my weight loss journey and they should be able to provide the same results to you.

Good luck and smash your goals!

The post 5 Tips For Smashing Your Weight Loss Goals appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Solo travel is growing in popularity. In fact, the number of first-time travelers who choose to go solo has more than doubled in recent years. Despite that, solo travelers are still a niche minority as most travelers prefer to go in couples or groups.

Traveling alone is a whole different experience. There are certain benefits you can only get from waking up alone in a totally unfamiliar place and charting your own course deeper into the unknown.

Even if you’re not traveling long-term, venturing out for a solo vacation once in awhile can help you build skills and competencies that you can bring back and apply to all areas of your life.

Here are six benefits you can get  from traveling alone:

You Learn to Rely on Yourself

You’ll get organized. Nobody else will be there to fold your laundry for you. You either do it yourself and take pride in the process or you stuff it in your backpack and content yourself with wearing wrinkled clothes.

You’ll learn to organize your finances. Without proper handling, your cash can easily slip away in a matter of days. You have to pay attention and track your spending.

Watch your own back because you’re the only one responsible for your safety. In fact, you might be the only person on the continent who cares whether you live or die! Learn to exercise caution and self-care and you’ll start becoming empowered.

You Deal With Some Big Emotions

You fall and pick yourself back up. You get extremely frustrated. You miss your family back home. You wonder where you went wrong and what the hell you are doing all the way out there anyway.

And you deal with those emotions while getting overwhelmed with joy and excitement, too.

Ultimately, you’ll learn that the world isn’t causing your emotions. You are. And, unfortunately, the world can’t solve them for you.

Traveling alone will help you learn to experience immense moments without being clumsily demonstrative. It’ll help you go through your emotions and deal with what’s really causing them.

You Build People Skills

You’ll encounter different kinds of people and build social-emotional intelligence along the way. This is a powerful tool you can use anywhere you go.

You’ll soon learn how to have a calm and pleasant conversation with the bank officials even when you’re panicking because you can’t access your account. Calmness and sweetness are more likely to win their assistance.

If you’re only in town for the weekend, you can make friends fast. You can even find a relationship quickly, too. You’ll have someone to bring to a festival or that local restaurant you’ve been wanting to visit. Even when traveling solo, you don’t really have to be alone all that much if you don’t want to.

You’ll also learn cross-linguistic communication. Even if you’re not planning to learn the language by immersion, you can always pick up the basics. The rest, you can do with body language, visual aids and a lot of patience. This is a delicate process as you’ll have to overcome your fear of looking foolish.

Traveling solo can increase your awareness of the body signals you’ve been unintentionally sending. And, because of that, you’ll be able to work on your posture and how you approach other people so that they will be more willing to engage.

You Chart Your Own Course

As a solo traveler, you can watch your decisions become plans, train tickets and then memories. You don’t have to wait for anyone, hurry up the experience or postpone your trip just because someone doesn’t want to go with you. Your destiny lies in your own hands.

You Come Face to Face With Your Smallness in the World

The world is big. It’s not just its geographical size but the magnitude of the people and their willingness to help you when you are a vulnerable stranger.

It’s one thing to say it and another thing to encounter it.

There is no humility and openness like that of a well-traveled person. When you see how big the world is and the magnanimity of its people, it’ll make you realize how diverse the world is. Strangely, this makes you both more humble and confident.

You Gain a Sense of Confidence

Traveling makes you more aware of how powerful you are than the first time you strapped on that backpack and walked out the door. You have seen yourself in dynamic, dangerous and unimaginably foreign situations and you’ve handled it.

You’ve tested yourself. You know your power and you know your limits. And you know that whatever you were so worried about in your life before you ventured out, you can handle that now, too. It’s not a problem anymore.

See Also: 5 Steps To Reinvent Your Life By Traveling

Conclusion

Traveling solo isn’t a requirement for leading a good life. You can build a lot of these skills elsewhere.

But, traveling alone accelerates your emotional and mental growth in a way that no other activity can. It makes you more open, agreeable and stable. It gives you a story and it makes you wise.

So, the next time you’re feeling that travel bug, take the extra leap and do it alone. You might surprise yourself with what you can handle.

See Also: 10 Wonderful Benefits of Traveling

The post 6 Ways Traveling Alone Makes You Stronger appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Finding a suitable work-life balance is tough for working dads. According to the 2017 Modern Families Index, half of fathers find it a growing source of stress.

And when you’re walking the tight-rope between extra hours at work and quality time at home, it’s easier to order delivery than to make a healthy meal in the evening. This, however, doesn’t mean that you have to slave over the stove each night to feed your family well.

You just have to find a few easy meals for dads to make. The following recipes aren’t just great for your health, but they can also save you money and get you more time with your kids.

Hearty Chili

There’s nothing quite like a warming bowl of chili to perk you up after a long day at work. Chili is incredibly simple to make from scratch on a weekend, and you can even get the kids involved!

Combine corn, crushed tomatoes and mild green chili with your choice of protein for a quick and healthy evening meal. If you’re looking for the low-fat, high-energy solution to chili, try lean turkey chili. Or, switch up the experience completely with a vegetarian version.

Whatever you choose, turbocharge the freshness factor by throwing in some bell peppers and chopped onions. Do that before crowning the bowl with a dash of sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Super Salmon Cakes

Salmon is a delicious superfood brimming with wonderful things for growing bodies, such as calcium, protein and omega-3. If you go for the canned version, you can save a few pennies, too.

Salmon cakes don’t take much effort to make. All you need to do is squash the salmon into patties with a little lemon juice, some whole-grain bread crumbs and eggs.

If you’re concerned that the rich flavors of salmon are a little too much for your youngsters, you can always try oven-baked fish sticks. All you need to do is coat some cod in breadcrumbs and freeze until you’re ready to bake.

Healthy Mac ‘n Cheese

When it comes to keeping your kids and your stomach happy, it’s hard to go wrong with mac ‘n cheese. You can boost the nutrients in this crowd-pleasing dish by adding whole wheat pasta and reduced fat cheddar. For a touch of greenery, add some chopped spinach to the sauce.

One great tip with mac ‘n cheese is to freeze your portions in individual, greased muffin tins. This way, you’ll be able to heat smaller amounts when you need to, without having to let casserole-sized portions go to waste. You could even treat yourself to an extra one for supper when the kids head to bed!

Stuffed Shells

Another delicious pasta idea, this healthy dish is perfect for dads who need something quick, simple and full of vitamins. To create this make-ahead meal, all you need are a few Italian seasonings and ricotta cheese. If you’d like to give your kids an extra dose of fiber and calcium, you can also add some blanched and chopped broccoli to the mix and stuff it all into some jumbo pasta shells.

Alternatively, try mixing cheese with spinach for a delicious stuffed shell that your children are sure to love. Pile your pre-made shells into small baking dishes and cover them with parmesan cheese and tomato sauce before you freeze.

See Also: 4 Delicious and Healthy Pasta Alternatives

Brilliant Burritos

It’s the perfect handheld meal while you’re busy getting something else done. With a wide variety of fillings, burritos can feature just about anything you like. For instance, if you’re looking for a superfood kick, why not try a set of spinach, bean and quinoa burritos?

Alternatively, if your kids’ tastes are a little less refined, you can simply combine black beans, brown rice and cubed chicken with your preferred seasoning mix. Add some grilled peppers and stuff everything into whole-wheat tortillas and you’ll be ready to go! Just make sure you wrap the burritos separately when you freeze them.

Quirky Quiche

The great thing about making a home-made quiche for your freezer is that, depending on the ingredients you chose, you end up with a meal that you can use any time of day. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

All you need is a refrigerated crust. Then, you can get creative with easy fillings for these egg-based pies. Broccoli, asparagus and chicken is a winning mix or you can try ham and tomato for something a little simpler.

Ask your children to get involved with the mixing. You can even throw together some of the cooked meat and veggies that you have left over from the rest of the week to stretch your budget further.

Mini Meatloaf Muffins

Everyone loves meatloaf. Unfortunately for dads with a hectic work schedule, it’s not always easy to get a meatloaf done in time to feed the kids after work. That’s why these mini meatloaf muffins are the perfect solution. Not only are they quick to cook, but they freeze well for later use – which is great for making your weeknights a little easier.

Meatloaves that look like muffins are guaranteed to be a hit with your kids. You can always play around with the recipe to make sure you’re getting the most delicious mix for your youngsters.

Quinoa Casserole

Finally, put a healthy twist on the average family casserole with this rainbow-colored recipe. If you’ve been looking for a way to get your kids into superfoods like quinoa, this simple combination is a good place to start. It’s not too rich and it comes with plenty of cheese and peppers to help balance out the flavors.

Casseroles are ideal make-ahead meals because you can either cook and re-warm them the next day. You can even keep them in the freezer for a few days until you’re ready to chow down. Feel free to add a couple of your own unique ingredients to upgrade the taste.

Miraculous Make-Ahead Meals

In a world where almost half of working fathers would prefer to switch to a less-stressful job to spend more time with their kids, it’s important to do whatever it takes to simplify your schedule. Just prepping these easy meals for dads to make on a Sunday evening can have a huge impact on your family life. You’ll notice the difference and your kids will, too.
With a little luck, these recipes can lead to some satisfied stomachs and much-needed family bonding time.

See Also: Foods That Will Help You Keep Your Family Healthy

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There are times in our lives that we need someone to look up to — a person who will help to keep us motivated and progressing in a positive manner. It is for this reason that many people choose to seek the help of a mentor or coach to aid in their development.

Here are some ways on how to choose a coach that fits your needs.

Identify an Accomplished Person

The first step in finding a mentor or coach is to determine a person that you believe has the qualities that will benefit you the most. One of the best ways to do this is by choosing a person who is known for his accomplishments.

After all, if someone is noted for his ability to be successful, then there is a good chance that he has what it takes to achieve certain goals. In addition, you should consider a person who has similar interests so that there’ll be a good connection when exchanging ideas.

Ask Around

Another way to ensure that you are matched up with the right coach is to ask your friends and family if they know anyone who meets your criteria. You may find that there are members of your family that will be willing to help you stay on track and reach your goals. Even if this is not the case, they may know others who would be willing to take on the role of a mentor.

Meet the Coach

Once you have a person in mind as a potential mentor, meet up with that individual. It will give you the opportunity to get a feel of his coaching style. At this phase, it is important to ask specific questions regarding the ways that he will be able to aid you on your journey.

Every mentor is going to have his own method and you need to ensure that you can adapt to that approach. You will find that some mentors take a passive approach when coaching by allowing his students to take the reins. Others, meanwhile, may be more active in making decisions.

Give It A Go

After you have decided on a mentor, it will be time to give that person a trial run. You should do this before you commit to a long-term contract.

There will be coaches who will want to sign you up for an extended coaching plan right from the start. Keep in mind that it is important not to commit before you have found the best fit. Only after you have determined that the mentor will be able to provide the proper guidance should you commit to a contract. At this stage, if you have any doubts about the mentor’s abilities, consider trying a different person.

Stay With It

A mentor’s help can only go so far. In the end, it will still be up to you. To make the most of the situation, follow the instructions of the mentor. Make sure that you do your best so that the effort of your mentor will not be in vain. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll begin to see results.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that enlisting the help of a coach can be a great way to find your path in life. However, there are some things to keep in mind before committing to a contract. To find the best candidate for a coach, try seeking out individuals that are very accomplished. This is a good indicator that he will be a positive model.

In addition, make sure that they are familiar with your goals and that you share similar interests. After you have found a possible mentor, give it a trial run. If it goes well, stick with that person. Take note of these steps and you will be able to find a mentor that suits your needs and who can guide you on the path to success.

See Also: 7 Reasons successful people have mentors and you should too

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While in college, it’s not surprising for students to be starry-eyed about working. However, when reality strikes, life can be devastating.

As a student, to avoid such a situation, it’s important that you see things as they really are. You need to know that having a college degree isn’t a passport to a dream job. It might fetch you an interview call, but that’s not everything. To actually land the job, employers will want to know, among many other things, what you can do.

You need to have a particular skill set that fits their needs. They will also want to know if you’re a leader, can work independently, think logically and are professional in your dealings.

Unfortunately, most students don’t know many of these things. Others feel they will pick them up as they go along in their professions. Some students may learn professional skills by reading “management books by reputed authors“, watching videos on these subjects or latching on to management gurus.

See Also: 3 Management Books Every Upcoming Entrepreneur Must Read

Now, if you are wondering what exact skills can help you in getting your dream job, read on.

Leadership skills

In life, you need to demonstrate leadership skills where applicable. The ability to assume leadership roles as and when the situation demands in college and in working life will help young professionals to assume positions of influence in the future. Besides, “companies prefer hiring leaders rather than followers“.

You can develop this skill by looking out for leadership opportunities while still in high school. As a student, you can do this by becoming the captain of a sports team, a drama club or a student movement.

Collaborative skills

College kids should work well in groups while collaborating on projects. The ability to work as a team is one of the things employers often look for.

Apart from team-based projects like service activities in high school, you can learn to be collaborative by participating in extracurricular activities and athletics, too.

Essay writing skills

As a college student, you will have to juggle multiple subjects and write numerous essays. Some of them can come with very short deadlines. The trick is to master essay writing skills and get so comfortable with researching and formatting your essays that you can handle them with ease and quick turnaround times.

If you are unsure about how well you can write an essay, ask yourself if you are confident that you can score an A+ if you write the essay yourself. If you aren’t confident in your ability, it is recommended to take help from professional essay writing services. Use their essay as a reference to improve your essay writing skills.

Communication and interpersonal skills

Another skill you must learn is listening “actively, humbly and attentively“. You should also learn how to start and carry on a conversation and ask relevant questions at the appropriate time. Make sure to maintain eye contact with your group members in group projects, too.

You can inculcate better communication and interpersonal skills by speaking with your teachers in one-on-one situations. Getting a good internship is another great way to enhance your interpersonal and communication skills.

Problem-solving skills

Students and working professionals will always be confronted by numerous challenges that will need deft handling. You can work on your problem-solving skills by taking classes that teach experiential learning. You should also try out new activities that can put you in unusual situations, such as a debate or an oratory club. By participating in group projects, you can develop problem-solving skills, such as logical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making.

Time management skills

By the time you move on to college, you should have ingrained good time management skills. You should be able to track several projects efficiently and prioritize tasks.

You can improve your time management skills by taking in more responsibility. Some examples include obtaining internships, doing volunteer work or engaging in extra-curricular activities.

See Also: 5 Essential Time Management Tips to Live By

Growing personally and academically during college comes with hard work, perseverance and lessons. Don’t give up and keep honing your skills as they can be your ticket to getting your dream job.

 

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We all have a personal brand. If you think you don’t, you should probably look further into it. How you present yourself on a regular basis becomes your personal brand, like it or not. If you dress like a slob and drive a dented old rust bucket, there’s a good chance people are going to think you aren’t all that serious about your personal brand.

We all like to believe that personal appearances don’t matter, but they matter more than you can imagine. You never get a second chance to make a first impression, as the saying goes, so you have to pay close attention to how you are presenting yourself to the world.

Celebrities Have A Lock On Personal Branding

When you see photos of Paris Hilton in public, you’ll notice that she’s always put together. Her hair is done and her makeup looks flawless even if she’s just going to the store to pick up dog food. She knows that she will be photographed wherever she goes and that people will critique her personal appearance, so she drives around in a powder pink Bentley.

What you drive says a lot about who you are as a person.

For Hilton, her luxury ride conveys her comfort with luxury items. She also highlights her socialite status with her car’s diamond-encrusted dashboard and custom paint job.

Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey has nothing to prove to anyone and she’s out to prove it to everyone. She keeps it low-key by staying out of the tabloids. She rolls around town in a Tesla Model S.

Her car says she’s sophisticated, low-key and environmentally conscious. Her choice shows that she is thinking about everything and checking off all the boxes with one choice.

Chris Brown, on the other hand, is no stranger to controversy. His 2012 Lamborghini Gallardo is painted like an F-86 Sabre transonic fighter jet, even though he has never seen any military or even civilian service. But, Brown is more than happy to be in the news for his poor life choices, so why not have a car that is painted to look like a military fighter jet?

See Also: What Science Says About The Car You Drive

How To Enhance Your Personal Branding

What you drive can say a lot about who you are as a person. If you’re still driving your old college clunker, you may not be sending the right message about your personal branding.

If you are starting up a business, pay close attention to how you present yourself to potential clients. Rolling up to client meetings in a clunker may send the message that your startup is a total fly-by-night operation and they would be better off taking their business elsewhere.

Ask yourself what message you want your car to convey about you. After all, this is usually the first thing a potential client sees about you.

If you are running a clean energy startup but driving a gas-guzzling SUV, maybe it’s time you consider switching to an electric vehicle. If you are running an agriculture startup but driving a convertible, you might want to make the switch to a small truck.

It may just be transportation, but it has to serve your needs and send the right messages about you. Even your paint job can speak volumes. Having your company’s logo on your vehicle can show how committed you are.

See Also: 5 Smart Ways to Boost Brand Awareness

Make Yourself Stand Out From The Crowd

If you don’t think personal branding is a thing you need to worry about, you need to reassess things.

Do you need to update your wardrobe? Get your car wrapped with some sort of mobile advertising? Redo your website and update your blog more often?

Take stock of each of the many ways potential clients might have a first interaction with you and ask yourself what impression you want to make. Once you have a personal branding goal, you can start working on them.

To learn more about what your car might be saying about you, here’s an infographic you can check out.

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How many times have you returned home from vacation with a pocketful of change that you feared would stop your plane from taking off? And what have you done with those foreign coins once you made it back to your pad?

Like everyone else, you probably have a tray or jar where you keep the leftover coins from your trips. It’s only practical to leave them at home since they don’t seem that valuable to carry out in the streets.

It’s actually peculiar. Even in the age of plastic, these coins follow us everywhere and it’s not something we often give a thought. In reality, however, these coins aren’t really worthless.

The True Value Of The Coins From Around The World

As for the substance of those coins, the weight of the metals used in making them is more or less arbitrary. In essence, this means that the store value of most modern coins bares no direct connection to the value of the materials they’re made from.

Most coins cost considerably less than what they are worth when spent. Otherwise, fraud would be more widespread than it is. While the act of melting down coins for any reason – let alone to sell as scrap metal – is illegal, there’s generally no point in doing so as they are worth more as minted currency.

But, what can you actually get from those foreign coins if you were to reduce them to shapeless nuggets?

That would depend on your relationship with that notoriously difficult group of people known as scrap metal merchants. It makes more sense to think of how much the metal costs to buy in the first place.

For example, the United States quarter, which has a surface value of 25¢, is mostly made of copper. In fact, 92% of it is copper.

While the price of copper has soared over the last few years – enough so that the nickel is actually ‘worth’ more than a nickel – there’s still only $0.02968 worth of copper in a quarter. The rest is accounted for by $0.00439-worth of nickel. So, all in all, you’re better saving up that daily change in a jar and turning it in at the bank, rather than starting your own foundry.

The Canadian quarter costs even less to make. Its face value equals that of 19 US¢, but its metal value- mostly from its 94% steel content- is just $0.00315. It contains less than a thousandth of a cent’s worth of nickel. The use of steel strengthens the coin while the smidgen of nickel makes it easier to create the design on the face.

Holiday Coins

And how about that holiday money?

Well, your €1 coins are currently worth around US$1.09 in the pâtisserie. However, despite their fancy gold-colored rim, they are actually worth less than a nickel as scrap metal.

The similar looking British pound is worth around $2.58 right now, although it varies widely at the moment due to the confusion surrounding Brexit. One thing that remains a little more constant is its metal value which is around $0.071. That’s a little more than the similarly-constituted Euro as it is a little fatter.

The Australian dollar is equivalent to around three-quarters of the value of the American dollar. In metallic terms, however, it is worth a gnat’s wing under a nickel. It’s made mostly of copper- around $0.04728’s worth, in fact. The Indian ten rupee coin may sound exotic, but this Asian treasure is equivalent to only 16¢ in the bank or $0.04687 at the foundry.

A ten-dollar coin in Hong Kong looks like the inverse of the Euro- a silver-colored rim on a gold-colored core. You could exchange it for US$1.25. In metal, it’s only worth one-twentieth of that price.

It may only be a matter of time before American dollars and Russian rubles are directly interchangeable. We’ll have to see how that one plays out in ‘Trumpmerica’!

Meanwhile, a five-ruble coin is equivalent to just under 10¢ or less than $0.004 in metal terms. It’s made almost entirely of steel.

The five-South African rand coin is worth a nickel and a bit in metal. The Chilean 500-pesos coin, as impressive as it sounds, accounts for just $0.75 in the store. As a scrap metal, it’s just worth $0.043.

Old Coins

For a true whopper of a coin, you might need to go back to the Roman ages. From the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th century AD, the Roman gold aureus contained around 8g of gold. It was considered to have the monetary value of 25 pure silver denarii.

In today’s terms, it would be worth around US$710 at the bank and just under half of that if melted and sold to a gold merchant.

That said, if you happen to be passed one amongst your Euros while on holiday in Italy, the wisest move is to not take it to a bureau de change or to seek out a local scrap merchant and cash it in to pay for your flight home. It would be far more sensible to put the thing up for auction. Its rarity and antique status make it a sought-after collector’s piece for many big buyers.

In fact, that piece of gold ‘pocket shrapnel’ might make you up to a million dollars if it’s the right vintage, in good condition and you find the right buyer. Just make sure that they’re happy to pay you by check or by bank transfer. You don’t want to be carrying $1M-worth of unmarked nickels and dimes in your suitcases! It’ll end up costing you a whole lot more in checked luggage.

For an at-a-glance guide to the prices of the coins from around the world, including their precise metallic constitution and values, check out this new visual guide from 911 Metallurgy.

Source

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It’s no secret that a lot of what we think and do are the products of our habits. These habits are often carried out unconsciously and they lead to our emotions and beliefs. These emotions and beliefs then lead to certain actions. These actions can reinforce our beliefs or have consequences that start the cycle all over again.

What exactly is mindfulness?

Mindfulness has been defined in many ways. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn has described it as, “Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. It’s about knowing what is on your mind.”

Generally speaking, mindfulness has two major aspects to it.

The first involves the following:
• Being generally aware of the present moment
• Noticing when that awareness wanders
• Bringing that awareness back to the present moment

The second most common aspect of mindfulness is focusing on something in particular. This involves:
• Paying attention to something in particular, like one’s breath
• Noticing when the mind drifts from that thing
• Bringing attention back to that thing.

Strengthening mindfulness for self esteem

Mindfulness is a skill that most westerners are not used to. Becoming more mindful usually takes specific forms of practice. Many traditions and methods have been developed over the years.

The different forms of meditation have been generally accepted as mindfulness practice. Still, the main goal of being more mindful is to apply its principles to real life situations.

See Also: The Profound Effects Of Meditation On The Mind

Seven steps to utilize mindfulness for self-esteem

Stay in the present moment

Most of your distressful feelings are either memories of things gone wrong or thoughts of a less than optimal future. If you find yourself feeling less confident, odds are you’ve been harping on past failures or are worrying about a particular outcome.

You must strive to vigilantly observe when your mind isn’t focused on the present. When you notice your awareness drifting, bring it back to the here and now. Concentrate on what you’re doing right now at this very moment. There’s a saying, “If you have one foot in the future and the other in the past, you’re pissing on today.”

Don’t confuse ruminating and worrying about the future with planning. Depending on how ingrained your habit towards negative thinking is, it can be a thin line between worrying and planning.

Think of it like this.

If you tell yourself that you are going to do x, y and z, it’s usually planning. But, if your thinking is along the lines of “what if” or “such is probably going to happen”, then you’re probably worrying.

Don’t judge

Judge not or you shall be judged.

This saying has more truth to it than most people realize. Judging can become a formidable unconscious habit. What you often don’t realize is that by judging others, you’re actually drawing comparisons.

You will eventually judge someone to be better at something than you. And once that happens, you will start to down yourself and attack your own self-esteem.

A good way to practice being non-judgmental is to watch the news or read the newspaper and not form an opinion about what you see. In other words, try not to think that the event, the people involved or their actions are right, wrong, smart or stupid, etc. Then, try to bring this same mindset when dealing with others.

When you judge others, your mind slips out of the present moment. It makes you vulnerable to ruminating about the past and future. Remember, judge not, or so you shall be judged.

Stand tall

Research has shown that standing with good posture can have beneficial effects on your mood. It is hard to walk with one’s head, shoulders and chest held upright and not feel good. If you’re standing with good posture, most people will look at you and treat you as if you are confident. It can help you feel better about yourself.

One of the hindrances that make it hard for many people with low self-worth to stand tall is fear of eye contact. If you keep the two previous steps in mind, staying in the present and forming no judgments, it will be easier for you to look people in the eye.

Don’t stare. Just occasionally look people in the eye, especially if they’re looking at you. If you still find eye contact hard, there are a couple of hacks for it. You can look at the bridge of a person’s nose, instead of directly in the eye. Another trick is to look at a person’s ears if you’re directly in front of but not too close to him.

Demand your space

People with low self-esteem often don’t want to be noticed. When in public, they try to be as unobtrusive as possible. Whereas people with high self-worth stand out. One of the ways they do this is by taking up space.

For instance, when standing, try to keep your feet shoulder-width apart. When sitting, keep your knees apart as much as is appropriate for the situation. When you do this, you’re basically telling the world that you not only have balls, but they’re big ones. Try and keep your hands away from you as well, being mindful not to consistently fold your arms across your chest.

If you are a man, you should also be mindful of keeping your elbows away from your torso as well. Keeping the knees and elbows drawn in is often viewed as weak and submissive, not to mention effeminate in some cultures.

Make faces

The look you hold on your face often influences your mood. You should strive to have the look of a confident winner. Different people show that differently.

For one person, it could be a smiling face. For another, it could be the look of a person who’s serious and doesn’t play games. The choice is yours, as long as it is the facial expression that you feel a confident person would wear.

A lot of times, when you have low self-esteem, you defeat yourself before you even start. You have a look of defeat, submission or unhappiness plastered on your face. Not only does this affect your mood, but it can influence those around you.

When you smile, the whole world smiles with you. If you look upbeat and confident, it can make it easier for people to gravitate towards you. People instinctively know that emotions are contagious. Therefore humans tend to be attracted to people who feel good.

On the other hand, if you look like a depressed loser, not only will you tend to feel that way, but it can make people hostile towards you. They don’t want to feel like you do, so they will tend to avoid you or drive you away.

You’ll even find people will often be attracted towards you if you look slightly angry. The key word is “slightly”. If you look enraged or ready to explode, people may stand clear out of fear for their physical safety. Anger is not generally considered a positive emotion, but an angry person is generally looked at as having more confidence than one who looks submissive.

Relax

Relaxation techniques help to alleviate the effects of the fight or flight response. Being in a relaxed state won’t necessarily build confidence, but it can help to relieve anxiety and other adverse moods. This step takes practice.

In the beginning, it’s recommended that you practice some type of relaxation technique. This is so that you know what relaxation actually feels like. Once you have established how it feels, you’ll have to be mindful of the stress on your body. The common trouble spots are the face, neck, shoulder region and the central torso. During your day, you can do a quick self-check to see if there is unnecessary tension in those trouble spots.

Act as if

This step includes bringing all the other steps together. It’s sort of like being a method actor.

You contemplate how you would imagine a person with high self-esteem would act and then you strive to emulate that type of behavior. It may be awkward at first and people that know you may be put off a little. They may not take the ‘new’ you seriously. But, if you’re consistent, they will fall in line. The key is consistency.

You will eventually slip into your habitual ways of behaving. This is where mindfulness plays its part. You have to train your mind to become aware of your thoughts, attitudes and behaviors so that you can correct them as soon as possible. If done often and consistently enough, this in and of itself will become a habit.

See Also: 7 Ways Mindfulness Can Unlock The Door To Your Authentic Life

Conclusion

We see that high self-worth can be influenced by what you do and don’t do. Always remember that it’s about progress and not perfection. You should strive to be mindful of using your thoughts and behavior to:
• Prevent self-defeating thoughts from arising
• Eliminate self-defeating thoughts that do arise
• Bring up esteem building thoughts when they are not presently in mind
• Maintain esteem building thoughts that are currently in mind

If you want moderate gains in your self-esteem, be mindful of the steps you take to move through life. Your limits are only set by the limits of your mindset.

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“In corporate America, women fall behind early and continue to lose ground with every step,” begins the 2016 Women in the Workplace Study.

It’s not hard to believe, considering that only 17% of startups have a female founder. There are multiple factors holding women back from succeeding in the workplace. The study continues to note that women often miss out on vital interactions with members of management, stifling their ability to climb the corporate ladder from the get-go.

The more interactions missed, the shorter the ladder becomes over time. This creates a cumulative effect that becomes impossible to make up for later in life. What can be done to ensure that everyone has an equal shot at success? How do you boost the success of women in the workplace?

When Sheryl Sandberg wrote “Lean In” four years ago, her stated goal was to have half of businesses run by women and half of homes run by men. “In terms of women in leadership roles, we are not better off,” Sandberg said in a USA Today interview earlier this year.

She continued by noting that women comprise less than 6% of the Fortune 500 CEO in the United States. There are fewer countries in the world run by women today than there were when her book was first published. In the United States, she notes, there is only a tiny percentage more women in Congress. There has not been, she points out, much appreciable forward movement in women in leadership roles worldwide despite the efforts of a veritable army of women leaning in.

Along with the launch of her book, Sandberg also launched a nationwide campaign urging women to form “Lean-In Circles” in order to support and encourage each other throughout different stages in their careers. These groups provide mentorship and camaraderie for women who might not be getting such in the workplace.

According to Leanin.org, the most important steps for managers to close the gender gap in the workplace include:

Challenge The Likeability Penalty

Oftentimes, women are punished for being “bossy” or “shrill” in the workplace just for doing their jobs. It’s important to ask yourself if you would react the same way if you were talking to a man.

Evaluate Performance Fairly

Try to measure performance objectively and look for opportunities to make decisions in a gender-blind manner.

Give Women Credit

If you see a man take credit for a woman’s work, speak up.

Get The Most Out Of Meetings

Be on the lookout for women who are being kept in the background in meetings and encourage them to take part.

Share Office Housework

If there are tasks, like making coffee or emptying garbage, that need to be done, be sure they aren’t just automatically falling to female employees.

Make Work Work For Parents

Support working parents any way you can. Make sure they know they are part of the team. Don’t make assumptions about work-travel and work-life balance without checking with parents about their needs.

Make Negotiating A Norm

Women are less likely to negotiate and may need encouragement to do so.

Support Mentorship and Sponsorship

Mentoring can help women succeed from both sides—leadership as well as personal development. Having a program in place can foster a sense of purpose from within your organization.

See Also: What Managers Should Know About Motivating Their Team

In addition to these steps, there are many habits women can employ to propel themselves forward in the workplace. Overcoming adversity is necessary for many women. Oprah overcame an impoverished childhood and J.K. Rowling overcame being a single mother on welfare.

See Also: 5 Women Entrepreneurs Who Failed Before Becoming Millionaires

Everyone can benefit from writing down goals. Dolly Parton has been known to not only write out her goals but also to go about her life as though she had already achieved them.

Taking time to rest and recuperate is crucial. Many women burn the candle at both ends thanks to an imbalance in work and home life. If you are one of these women, meditating or just enjoying a few minutes of quiet time can really make a difference.

Finding balance is the key. There will be compromises as the world changes, so tempering expectations and making the most of even the smallest of victories is going to make you happier in the long run. Learn more about the habits of highly successful women from this infographic.

Source

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Do you love pizza? Of course! Who doesn’t?

The word alone is enough to create a swirl of flavors in my mouth. The moment I order a pizza, I start envisioning the love-making session of warm cheese, bacon, tomato, and herbs in my mouth.

To be honest, pizza is the only thing I never want to share with anybody. Even when I am stuffed up to my soul, I somehow manage to squeeze in another bite.

And that is my problem. I don’t know how much to eat.

When I try to overstuff myself, I always regret it later. It ends up affecting my stomach and my sleeping patterns. It also leaves me lethargic.

And, if I try to eat far less than what my stomach can handle, it leaves me hungry. Even though I know I can eat a little more and my capacity is yet to be met, I avoid it as I get afraid I will overstuff myself again.

So, I figured out a way.

Instead of projecting all my lust on pizza. I started listening to my appetite. I started to eat one slice at a time. And, after each slice I ask my stomach “Bro, should I send some more?”

If I get a yes, then, without missing a beat, I reach out for one more slice. I started eating just enough to satisfy both my hunger and taste buds. That creates a beautifully balanced relationship between me and the pizza- without affecting my system.

Now, you must be thinking, “Damn it! What the hell is this guy trying to do?”

Instead of driving you and dropping you to your goals club as promised, I took a different lane and parked you at a Pizza place. This is all you must be thinking, right?

I know it’s all confusing right now and doesn’t make any sense to you. But, trust me, what I told you was all about goal setting- in a “cheesy” point of view.

Wait! Let me unwrap all this for you.

Place a reasonable order

This was one of my biggest weaknesses when ordering a pizza. No matter what my appetite was or how hungry I was, I always used to order a large pizza. And, 90% of the time, I either ended up overstuffing myself or throwing it away.

This is a major mistake a lot of people make while setting goals for themselves. They set unattainable goals. They don’t analyze where they stand, what their current situation is or if they can work on the goals they set.

Take, for example, a guy weighing 120 kg who set a goal to lose 30 kg in a month. What do you think will happen?

Simple. He will never make it to that goal because it is not a practical goal.

To lose 30 kg in a month, he needs to lose 1 kg daily and that’s not possible. Moreover, he will lose all his hope and motivation that he might never try again.

The first crucial step to any goal is not about measuring the goal. It is to measure yourself. You need to analyze your current situation. Based on that, you need to make projections.

Goals setting is important but setting practical goals is much more important than that.

See Also: How to Set Personal SMART Goals To Succeed

Extra price for extra toppings

Who doesn’t love some customization and extra toppings on their pizzas? For me, I always get a bit more cheese and cheese bursts. It makes my pizza even more divine.

But, what happens when you order all these extras? Obviously, you have to pay more for every customization you make.

Is it worth it? Will it incorporate more taste to your pizza?

It undoubtedly will but it will also add more cost to your total bill.

Our goals follow the same path. There’s always a price you have to pay when you add in “extras”.

Let’s suppose your goal is to hit the sales mark in order to buy yourself a new car. Now, you add some more weight to that goal. You want to buy a BMW (that’s your first topping). And, you put a little more weight to it as you set your eyes on BMW M3 (the final crust to your pizza).

So, how you are going to buy it?

Obviously, you have to do more hard work, put in more effort and be more disciplined. That’s the price you need to pay to bring your dream car in your garage. Of course, that’s apart from the thousands of dollars you need to pay for it.

Success mantra: You can’t aim for high goals while paying a low price for it. You have to pay the price for that extra taste. There’s no other way.

Go one slice at a time

So, your pizza has arrived and I know you can’t wait to dig in. But, what happens when you try to eat all the pizzas in one go?

Next day, there’s a good chance you might not even want to look at it. It might not even taste as good as it did yesterday.

The solution?

Take it slow. When you eat one slice at a time, your whole system will fully accept it and every process will work as it should. Take your time. Eat it, chew it and then digest it.

Same with our goals. Overdoing doesn’t do any good to them either.

Apart from setting realistic goals, you need to know how to break your goals into smaller targets so you can work on them on a daily basis. Every journey begins with a single step and goals are no different.

Tip: Write your goals on a blank paper. Then, write down the different ways you can achieve them. Write down a roadmap to reach those goals. Instead of hitting the finish line directly, divide the goals into smaller tasks and work on them every day.

Don’t aim for too less

So we take it slow on our pizza, but that doesn’t mean we need to eat much less than we want to or need to.

I agree that overeating is bad. But, if you eat way less than your hunger, then you are doing yourself a disservice too. We eat to satisfy our hunger and not to keep ourselves on starvation mode.

Nobody in the entire history of the world has touched the sky by setting very small goals. And, in case you are setting small goals, you are likely to get stuck in the same loop. To make sure that doesn’t happen, create goals that satisfy your hunger and soul. Otherwise, you will never realize your true potential.

Somewhere deep down, we all know what we are capable of. We just tend to fly under the radar because of bad habits. We know we are capable of much bigger things, but we don’t want to leave our comfort zone.

Whenever you set a goal, try to keep a balance so you don’t starve or overstuff yourself.

See Also: 4 Sure-Fire Ways to Motivate Yourself to Reach Your Goals

Summary

We are living in a highly competitive world where we are not just competing with others, but with ourselves, too. Every minute of the day, we should think of ways to achieve our goals and exert effort to turn those goals into a reality.

We create our future and there should be no reason why we can’t make the journey more worthwhile.

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