The LuxMob Info Tags

Copyright 2005 Linda Slater Dowling

It’s no secret that college students love music. Whether on your
way to class, heading to the gym or hanging out with friends,
music just makes us feel good. And depending on the style you
choose, it can do everything from revving up your energy for a
night on the town to calming your nerves before a big exam.

Music, though, is much more than a beat to tap your toes to or a
tune to sing along with. Increasing numbers of studies are
confirming that listening to music can have a real, positive
influence on your health. Here are seven of the most significant
health reasons to listen to some music today (as if you needed
even one more!).

1. Relieve stress. In one study, patients who had just been told
they needed surgery listened to a calming piece of music. Their
levels of the stress hormone cortisol were 50 percent lower than
patients who did not listen to any music, according to Roger W.
Wicke, Ph.D, instructor in Chinese herbology and director of the
Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute.

2. Increase energy. In some cases, such as during sports events
or other high-intensity exercise, high levels of cortisol are
desirable. Runners were able to produce high levels of cortisol
faster when they listened to energizing music with a fast pace.

3. Learn better. Bulgarian psychologist George Lozanov found
that students who listened to Baroque instrumental music (such
as J.S. Bach) while learning a foreign language had an increased
speed of learning and a greater degree of memory retention than
those who did not.

4. Become smarter (at least temporarily). Researcher Frances
Rauscher coined the term “The Mozart Effect.” It refers to his
finding that study participants who listened to 10 minutes of
Mozart music performed 48 percent better on a paper-folding task
that was part of an intelligence test. The effect lasted about
10 minutes.

5. Relax. Alfred Tomatis, a French ear specialist, found that
listening to Baroque or classical music (particularly string
instruments like the violin, viola and cello) induced brainwave
patterns in humans that correlate with relaxation of muscle
tension and calm attentiveness.

6. Sleep better. Adults with sleep problems who listened to 45
minutes of soft music at bedtime reported a 35 percent
improvement in their sleep, according to a study published in
the February 2005 edition of The Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Not only did they sleep better and longer, but they also
reported less daytime dysfunction.

7. Protect your heart. A new study in the journal Heart found
that listening to fast music sped up participants’ circulation
and breathing rates while slower music induced calm and led to a
fall in heart rate. When the music was paused, the participants’
signals of arousal (breathing rates, etc.) fell below where they
had been at the start of the study, which researchers say is
helpful in protecting against heart disease and stroke.

Want to Know More?

If music and health is a topic that interests you, there are
over 70 colleges and universities approved by the American Music
Therapy Association (AMTA) to offer degrees in professional
music therapy.

According to the AMTA, “Music therapy is an established health
care profession that uses music to address physical, emotional,
cognitive, and social needs of individuals of all ages.” They
say a music therapist can help a person to:

Promote wellness Manage stress Alleviate pain Express feelings
Enhance memory Improve communication Promote physical
rehabilitation

Fangs. Killer claws. Hisses, grrrs…and later, yelps. Who is not familiar with cat-dog combats? It’s a “hair-raising” party of limbs and tails and yes, the loser sheds most of the fur- mostly, the cat.

It was night time and I was in the living room reading a tear-jerker when I heard a throaty, prolonged and wavering wail. Instantly I dropped the book and rushed to the door with one thought in mind - my cat was under attack. The thought brought an ugly picture to my head. I feared an on-the-prowl Sparky or a hyperactive Caesar or worse, the Big Dogs on the Block (BDOB a.k.a. askal) was circling my Khufu in anticipation of tearing her apart.

So you could just imagine the shock on my face when I caught Khufu chasing Sparky, a dog two times her size. A dog. My cat just chased a dog. I thought it only happens on TV.

“You were supposed to be helpless,” I scolded Khufu but actually I was torn between being proud of the cat and being afraid of it as it sat on its hind, licking its paws…Sparky completely forgotten.

But then my memory bank had retrieved from its archives a plausible explanation about what had transpired in the scene of crime. Said dog seemed to have a phobia with cats for once upon a time it received a blow from a cat’s paw on the head. So I thought my cat was just plain lucky. Sparky would avert from anything that meows.

But then another weird night came and dogs were running for their tails. The militant cat had struck again.

Dogs. Not one, but two. Dogs- definitely not puppies. One was Caesar and the other was a BDOB- both bigger than Sparky. I was impressed.

Perhaps it would happen again, perhaps not. But I wouldn’t want my feline friend to make it a hobby or she’ll drive all the dogs away.

Here’s the norm: cats are to be chased by dogs. The poor cat must have gotten tired of running for her life that she decided to make a brave yet an unthinkable move to alter cat life in our dog-infested neighborhood.

It seems she has gathered up her tattered pride and charge, come what may, to make a statement in the name of the feline race. The statement would be: We cats may be soft, but we are not fragile.

How easy it is for us to run away from our fears or to give in to the unfairness of the bullies to avert the hassles and side effects of battle, having known not the possible victories we could achieve…dreams stay as mere dreams.

But fear is fear. If only we could just throw it out of the window and have it locked out from our minds. But fear is a part of our existence. It is a psychological battle, a tug-of-war between yes and no. For me, it is not something we bulldoze in a day. I remember how my cat used to sacrifice her food to the dogs and be rooted indoors. It took her time to gain the courage to go against the norm we thought could never be changed.

Have you ever experienced one of those rare moments when a thing or two just happen way beyond normal?
You learn things from cats….

Perhaps the passport to courage is to be sure of who we are, to believe, to act big no matter how small, like the cat that fought for its claim of territory and demand for respect with a personlity bigger than a dog.

We all have our own dogs to chase to turn our “impossible” into a badge we can proudly wear. As for me, I’m not done with mine yet.

About the Author

Sheryl is a junior editor of publishing company CannonCreek Asia Inc., currently dealing with business news, and is a contributor to the Sun Star Daily Cebu. A journalism graduate, she writes short stories, poetry, essays and few novels.

There are so many companies that manufacture burglar alarms. The most recommended and approved by the UK government are ADT systems, AGS systems and British gas home security.

ADT systems
They are the leading provider of electronic fire and security services in the whole United Kingdom. They specialize in home security, and commercial security including, electronic article surveillance (EAS), fire detection, alarm systems, gaseous extinguishing and asset tracking solutions to a wide range of people and organizations. They protect 89 out of the UK’s top 100 companies and more than 120,000 homes.

ASG systems
They have been manufacturing home securities for the past 40 years. Their company has its base in Washington. An example of their astonishing product is the digital video recording and management system. This system can be discreet or fully integrated with:

• Enterprise Level Access Control
• Surveillance
• Badging
• Intrusion Detection
• RFID Asset Management
• Visitor Management

British gas home security

They are the leading firm that manufactures and installs home security in the United kingdoms. They also give tips and information on home improvement projects. Their security systems are:

The Intruder Response/24 system: This is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) which monitors your alarm 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If there is a break-in, the ARC phones your home for password identification. If it is not given the ARC contacts a key holder and possibly the police.

The Intruder Alert/24: This immediately calls up to four telephone numbers with a pre-recorded message alerting you to a break-in. An external siren is triggered to alert neighbours and deters burglars.

The Intruder Alarm/24 triggers an external siren, alerting neighbors and deterring burglars.

In this article, I’d like to share my thoughts on what I believe to be the two most important components of effective communication. These attributes, witnessing and sharing, are also crucial elements in our understanding of ourselves in our relationship to the world around us. We’ll discuss them in sequence.

Witnessing

Witnessing, as it applies to our communication with others, means bringing awareness to our inner state, our sensations and our thoughts. In previous articles, I’ve described the position we take in witnessing as one of “being backstage.” We notice our thoughts and feelings, but we don’t identify with them. We recognize them for what they are, but we don’t judge them. We apply the formula of awareness plus equanimity, or acceptance.

In the case of monitoring our interactive presence, it means noticing when we’re not being appropriately attentive and noticing what it is that’s drawing our attention away. It could be a random, unrelated thought. It could be a judgment of ourselves or of the other person. It could be a sensation in our body that’s distracting us.

Regardless of what it is, we momentarily allow ourselves to withdraw attention from the other person and from within our current thought stream in order to stand on the river bank and see what’s flowing by. We stop thinking what we were thinking and start noticing what we were thinking. We become curious scientists, studying the workings of our unruly minds. Then, having discovered the pattern of our thoughts and sensations as a result of witnessing, we proceed to the second tool, which is sharing.

Sharing

By sharing, I mean that we literally expose what we’ve just discovered about our present experience and, then, we either recommit to bringing back our attention, resolve whatever the issue is that’s caused the distraction, or we extricate ourselves from the conversation until we’re in a position to become more present.

Here are a few examples of what I’m saying:

“You know, let me stop you for a moment. I just noticed my mind wandering. I was thinking about this fishing trip I planned, and I was having trouble keeping my attention on what you were saying. Would you mind repeating it? I’ll be more attentive this time. Sorry.”

“Hey, before you go on, I have to admit that my mind got caught up with an earlier point you made, and I started getting silently argumentative. It’s possible that I completely misunderstood what you were saying, but I don’t want to stay caught in silent judgment. So could we revisit that point?”

“I don’t want to be rude, but for some reason this conversation is pushing my buttons, and I’m getting caught in my head. I don’t feel like I’m being fair to you because I want to be really present and open, but right now I don’t feel like I can do that. Let me take a couple hours to wind down and figure out what I need to say, and then we can revisit this topic. How’s eleven o’clock, back here?”

Nothing of value is as poorly taught in our society as the art of sharing. This is ironic because we are naturally drawn to those who do it well. We have so many negative, fear-based messages floating around in our heads about keeping our problems to ourselves that the notion of sharing automatically evokes a level of defensiveness in almost everyone with whom it’s discussed. We flee from showing our vulnerability. We blanch at admitting our errors, and we become apoplectic at the thought of exposing our pain.

What a profound irony! Because it is the very act of sharing honestly that makes us most admirable to others. People would far prefer an imperfect individual who admits his imperfections over a person whose actions seem well-executed, but who is unlikely to expose any of his foibles. With regard to our pain, it is helpful to remember the saying:

“When we share our pain, we become more truly human.”

With regard to our errors, admission usually brings about far more admiration for our honesty than disdain for our mistakes. With regard to our vulnerability, nothing so quickly mobilizes the compassion of others as the admission of our emotional fragility. Such an admission is not a self-condemnation. We’re not saying that we’re fundamentally flawed, only that we’re currently tender and sensitive. These are feelings to which everyone can relate, and if we communicate them clearly and properly, we’ll evoke from others an instant shift into careful, loving presence.

There are a few important rules to keep in mind when sharing your reality at a deep level.

1. Take complete responsibility for your thoughts and feelings. If you imply in any way that the other person is responsible, you’ll evoke defensiveness not empathy.

2. Remove any self-deprecation from your communication. Whatever you feel is normal and OK. You needn’t apologize for feelings.

3. Be as specific as you can about what you’re feeling or thinking and about whatever evoked it.

4. Admit the exact nature of your mistakes. People will much more readily admit theirs if you admit yours first.

5. State your intentions. People tend to receive communication much more willingly when they know what you’re trying to accomplish by sending it.

Using those rules, a helpful share might look something like this:

“I’m feeling nervous.” (Saying “I’m feeling…” and not “You’re making me feel…” keeps the responsibility on you.)

“So I wanted to share it with you.” (No apology for feelings)

“My gut started to tighten when you brought up our trip.” (What you feel specifically, and what specifically evoked it)

“I should have brought it up sooner, so I could have been more attentive.” (Admitting the exact nature of your mistake)

“I really want to talk about what part of this is making me nervous, so we can both be excited about the trip.” (Stating your intention for resolution)

By applying the tools of witnessing and sharing, we bring greater consciousness to our relationships and maximize the likelihood that we’ll be received with love and appreciation, rather than resentment and defensiveness. We also give the greatest gift possible to those with whom we interact on a daily basis; the gift of honesty. As we grow in the attributes of courage and compassion which such honesty requires, we also inspire others to do the same. The result is that we succeed in surrounding ourselves with the energy of respect, safety, and understanding.

Dr. Steve Taubman is a hypnotist and physician, and the author of UnHypnosis: How to Wake Up, Start Over, and Create the Life You’re Meant to Live. His writings and teachings guide people in the use of tools of transformation, and bring esoteric spiritual principles down to earth. Learn more about UnHypnosis by visiting http://www.unhypnosis.com

The Discover Gold Card, issued by Morgan Stanley, is designed for those with a good credit history seeking for a reward program that offers cash back. In fact, Discover’s Cashback Bonus reward program is one of the top cash back reward programs in America.

Through the Cashback Bonus program, cardholders of the Discover Gold Card are able to earn a 0.25% rebate for general purchase of up to $1,500, a 0.5% rebate for purchases of between $1,501 and $3,000, while purchases of $3,001 and above are eligible for a 1% rebate. But as with a lot of cash back programs, the different rebates only apply to the amount above the divisions. For example, if $3,200 is spent, the 1% rebate will be applicable for the $200, while the $1,500 is eligible for a 0.5% rebate. The remaining $1,500 will earn a 0.25% rebate. Add that all together and the amount is significantly less than 1%.

However, Discover offers the Get More promotions throughout the year which allows cardholders a chance to earn a full 5% rebate at selected merchants or merchant categories. On top of that cardholders are able to take advantage of the double Cashback Bonus offers at participating Discover Card Partners.

Those who qualify for the Discover Gold Card are eligible for a reasonably low APR if they plan to carry a balance. With no annual fees and a 12-month long 0% introductory APR, this credit card certainly seems attractive.

That is, until we find out that the “Two Cycles Average Daily Balance” method is utilized to calculate finance charges. This method works out to higher finance charges if it includes new purchases. Nonetheless, the long introductory period should offset this, provided you pay off the balance before the new billing cycle after the intro period is over and not carry any balance over for the next few billing cycles (to lower the finance charges calculated with this method).

So if you are looking for a credit card with a pretty solid cash back reward program, this card is for you. Otherwise, it is best that you pay off your outstanding balances before your intro period is over, or suffer the consequences of high interests.

For more information or to apply for the Discover Gold Card, Eric Wasselman recommends Find Credit Cards.