Why are we living? What have we come here for? Every day we hear questions about the aim and purpose of our lives. And most of us continuously search for answers. How can we find happiness? That is one more question forcing us to search for its answer every day. What if the answer to those questions is straightforward? What if all those questions are just about ONE thing? Relationship. The secret of happiness is elucidated in the clear and inspiring voice of Masami Sato in the following excerpt of her book, ONE.

What are we looking for?

There are a host of things that we do in our lives.

Still, have we ever considered why we do what we are doing? What in fact are we searching for?

The world now is full of billions of us coming from different races, countries, religions and beliefs all doing different things. We all look different and act quite differently. We have different interest and attitude from others. We communicate differently often using different languages. We have different desire and feelings.

However, if we were to say there is just ONE thing we are ALL looking for, what would it be?

As I travelled around the world, I often asked people a simple question, “What would you like to achieve in your life? What do you really want?”

At first, it looked as if people were in search of different things, as they gave casual answers like “A nice partner”, “Good job”, “My own house”, “A loving family”, “A perfect mate”, “More money”, “Financial Freedom”, “Peace of mind”, or “Meaning of life”. There were other similar answers as well.

I actually noticed that some of these things are temporal desires and some are more permanent desires. Temporal desire means we want it because we do not have it yet or we don’t think we have it yet. On the other hand, permanent desire is not about attaining things we do not have. It is about the ‘feeling’ we seek so this does not end no matter what we get or achieve at each moment of our life.

If we take off the temporal desires from the list and look only at the permanent desires, it is clear that all we want is to continue experiencing positive feelings like exhilaration, enjoyment, encouragement, motivation, kindness, love, happiness etc. – in another way, we want to remain happy.

Happiness

Contentment is a state of emotion that all of us are yearning to be in. Each of us may define it differently. We may also value it differently. Each of us may be familiar with different levels of intensity of contentment. Still we definitely have something in common when contentment comes to us. And when we realize this secret about contentment, we hold the key to greater contentment, and to make those around us know the same feelings as well.

The life that we are living is a mystery. We all may love it in one way or another. We may also disapprove of it in different ways. We may ask questions about it. We may value it immensely. Or we may just have it, in a nonchalant manner. But what exactly is the purpose of our life? What if the very truth of our existence is about to be revealed? What if this truth really brings us happiness and satisfaction when we discover it?

What if the secret of our life purpose, and of happiness, is as simple as this:

It is all about connection.

Connection is everything

Everything is about making relationships. Everything is part of something else. Just a look at our own lives would reveal it to us. Then we will understand the real purpose of our lives.

Why do we do anything, ANYTHING at all, in life as humans?

It is just because we want to connect to others. We make friends to build a relationship. We get married to establish a relationship in a deeper and more permanent manner. We create a family to further strengthen that relationship. We go out to meet more people to connect with them, not only to get benefits out of those relationships, but also to become more connected to the world.

We buy nice clothes and go to a hairdresser to feel more connected to our sense of aesthetics and to our own physical beauty. We eat a variety of food to feel more connected to our sense of taste and smell. We dine out to feel connected to the people we share the meals with. We buy mobile phones and computers to connect with others and the world. We read newspapers and magazines to stay connected to what is happening and what others are doing and feeling. We study and learn to connect with what others know and value.

All that we do is done to satisfy the need for that bonding. If we have no bonds with our own body, we do not even need to sleep or eat. Our bonds to all our senses tell us to do certain things to satisfy the demands that the body makes. If we disregard these pleas of our body, we feel pain and discomfort. And over and above our basic needs, we search for a bonding of a loftier type – the bonding to our existence – the bonding to our purpose. And without those bonds, it is just bare. Just like the barrenness many of us feel within when we have no bonds even to ourselves. It is just not the right way we are supposed to live our lives.

Relationship is powerful, and yet it’s fragile and tender..

When we cannot feel the intimacy in a relationship, we opt for separation, divorce, quarrels, judgement, and disapproval. It never feels good to lose the intimacy in a relationship. Nevertheless, it is possible to fall in love with someone one day and fall out of love with the same person the next day. The feeling can alter just by a flick of a finger. And the flick might be by your finger or theirs!

When we feel disconnected

When the bonds are not there, we perceive problems all over. We start seeing disparities and obstacles. We begin passing judgement on others and reproaching them. We blow up, focus on and strengthen those things that we perceive as problems. When that happens, we might even turn all that negativity inwards and cause ourselves hurt and injury. We cannot feel completely happy when we have severed the bonds with even just one thing.

Bonding: the Secret to Happiness

What about if we looked at the whole concept in reverse? When we do that we discover this simple truth: we cannot feel unhappy when we are feeling totally connected. It’s impossible!

Try to feel unhappy when we’re feeling connected to the people around us and laughing and sharing wholeheartedly together. Even when we have so-called ‘problems’ in life, we can still laugh together and feel happy and positive when we are feeling connected. At the same time, it is very difficult to enjoy anything if we’re not feeling connected.

Connection: Our Life

Relationship is the core of everything. That is what life is. Relationship.

Things are just a combination of smaller parts. Things connect together to form a greater whole; the way our bodies are collections of smaller units, cells, organs, molecules and atoms.

Our acts and the choices we make are the manifestations of our need for bonding. We are designed to persistently search ways to bond to each other and to a larger rationale.

Relationship and Religion

Some of us choose to be part of different religions to feel more connected. The connection they seek could be to God. It could be to the people with the same belief. When we share the same belief, it creates a stronger sense of bonding within that group of people. More giving happens naturally among people who are feeling connected to each other.

Relationship and Business

Many people begin an enterprise to feel better bonded to themselves by being in control of their fate. But often in the entrepreneurial world, we end up being more and more segregated especially when we start viewing other ventures as contenders, staff as instruments and customers as a money flow. But the basic point of why we got into the venture was to feel the power of that bonding. So, why do we need to fashion that disconnection at all? May be in the perfect world, all business ventures worked differently, but hand in hand.

Connection and Wars

Some of us even raise arguments or wars to feel some sense of ‘triumph’ or what is a heightened sense of safety and importance. But strangely, this ricochets. The minute we ‘win’ the fight, we are in fact weakening the relationship. We now require more sureness to defend ourselves from being assaulted by others. We thus end up being more unsure and frightened. We cannot take it lightly as it really happens to almost all of us in one form or another.

It could be the disagreements we have with the people around us. It may be the wrong assessment we make when we feel that something or someone is not right. When we make an attempt to be the only one to succeed, we can never succeed in the real way – we feel not connected. We can really enjoy the success when we succeed along with others. Then we will feel the strength of the relationship.

Despite the varied ways in which our needs are expressed, everything we do is to satisfy the yearning we have to feel and have a strong relationship.

The complete experience of relationship is only felt through our heart. We can build a relationship with anybody when we truly care for them, and feeling that association with them. If we know this, forming that needed state is not difficult, but just simple and amusing. Then we would really feel more pleasure and contentment.

Life is like a play. We act things and feel things in a play but actually, the aim of the play is to derive pleasure out of it. It is not about acting out things, doing things. When the curtain falls finally, the winners are the ones who have experienced joy by acting. Not the ones who received more applause in the end. The effects and upshots of a play in which we acted do not affect our real life. But if we lost all our life to act in a play just because we wanted to be the best actor there, would it make us the best actor of the play?

It is easy to comprehend this when compared to acting in a play, but we often fail to understand it while enacting the play of life. We do not remember that life is also a play.

Even if we don’t know when this game actually started and when it would end, we know that it somehow started in the past and it will end someday. When we close the lid of the game box eventually one day, can we simply say, “Wow, it was so much fun. Let’s play again!”

In this play called life, the aim of the play is to ‘bond.’ We can keep bonding until we all merge to become one. It is the one way to perpetually feel bonded to our rationale – the feeling of joy and pleasure. We cannot afford to have the bonds to anything weakened or reject and decide even one thing if we are to reach the state of complete bonding.

Life is as easy as that. There is only ONE secret.

And the secret is to connect.

To turn into ONE

To find pleasure.

People have been the theme of many prize-winning photographs from time to time. However, portrait photography is not as simple as clicking a button on the camera; instead it is about making one person or a group of persons come alive in a photo by showing them in their true form.

A good portrait photograph achieves a non-conventional aspect by capturing the subject from an exclusive camera angle and in a mental state that is representative of the person. However, more conventional family or one-person portraits are also clicked and they are ideal for family albums.

A perfect close up with a clear focus on the subject’s face is what gives portrait photographs that discernible mark of elegance. This can be achieved by making use of an option in the camera that makes the background fuzzy and blurred so as to place the face more in focus. This task of highlighting the face becomes easier with a camera having a larger aperture. Whereas, when both the individual and the background are important, like an image taken with the person in a beautiful landscape, then a normal aperture is advisable.

Paucity of ideal light for a good image is a frequent issue confronted by the photographers. But a good portrait photograph is easier to take if certain basic rules are adhered to. If the person is made to sit near a window in a position in which the sun’s rays fall only partly on the face, then the image generally ends up looking quite good. A reflective surface can be employed to light up the other side of the individual’s face. However, However, portrait photographs shot in studios under artificial lighting often come out higher quality than those shot outside.

Another important thing that you must keep in mind is that the more at ease a subject is during the photography session, higher the chances are of getting an ideal portrait photograph. Technical wizardry in photography will work only when the subject is comfortable and relaxed, and projects his or her true self before the camera.

British Pound is also known as the Cable. The name most probably struck in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. United Kingdom (UK) is the fourth largest economy in the world. UK has a service oriented economy with manufacturing representing a small part of GDP. Manufacturing is only equivalent to one fifth of GDP.

London is still the forex center of the world. London Stock Exchange is still the second most important stock exchange in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. The British capital market systems are one of the most developed in the world and as a result finance and banking has become a strong contributor to the GDP.

The energy production industry accounts for 10% of GDP which is one of the highest shares of any industrialized nation. Although majority of UK GDP is from services, UK is the largest producer and exporter of natural gas to EU.

This is important for forex traders as increases in energy prices such as oil will significantly benefit the large number of UK oil exporters. Overall, UK is a net importer of goods with a consistent trade deficit.

The United States on an individual basis still remains UKs largest trading partner. However, the largest trading partner of UK is the EU with the trade between the two accounting for almost 50% of UK imports and exports activities.

The leading exports markets for UK exporters are the United States, France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. The leading import sources for UK are Germany, France, United States, Belgium and the Netherlands.

UK had refused to accept Euro when it was introduced keeping the option open to adopt it in the distant future. UK had rejected adopting Euro as its currency in June 2003.The possibility of Euro adoption will still be in the backs of minds of GBP traders for many years to come. Now, it will have significant ramifications for its economy if UK decides to join European Monetary Union (EMU).

In case UK decides to join EMU, the most important of these ramifications is the adjustment of UK interest rate with the Eurozone interest rate. One of the primary arguments used against adopting the Euro is that UK has sound macroeconomic policies that have worked very well for the country.

UK is a highly political country with government officials highly concerned about the voter approval ratings. There are many arguments in favor of Euro entry and many against. However, if the voters do not support Euro entry, the likelihood of EMU entry will decline. Right now Brits are not in favor of a Euro entry. The voter opinion can change overtime.

Bank of England: The monetary policy of UK is under the control of The Bank of England (BOE). BOE is the UKs central bank. BOE is one of the oldest central banks in the world. The Monetary Policy Committee is the nine member committee that sets the monetary policy for UK. The committee was granted operational independence in 1997. It consists of a governor, two deputy governor, two executive directors of the central bank and four outside experts.

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Lighting arrangements in a home needs careful planning. Lighting should not be too bright or too dim. If there is improper lighting, you will feel uncomfortable while working. So opt for safe and pleasant lighting to enhance beauty of the room and your home as well. Here are useful tips for the choice of lighting.

The two main light sources that are used in homes are: Incandescent and florescent lights. Light bulbs are an example of incandescent lights and are yellow in color. They are also not a good choice when it comes to saving energy where as florescent lights includes tubes.

Florescent lights are more popular than incandescent lights as they are energy efficient and the light produced by these sources is shadow free and white light which is more soothing and comfortable for the eyes. You can also install dimmer switches which will allow you to control the intensity of light.

Reading areas must be well lit. Give special importance to the placements of reading lights, like reading lamps should always be placed at the height of the shoulder. It should be such that the light should be shadow free and you are able to work comfortably. Ion-max lamps are popularly used as reading lamps as they produce white natural light which is soothing for the eyes.

Every room in your house requires proper lighting and kitchen is one the most important places so it must be well lit. Earlier ceiling lights were a popular choice for kitchen but now days there are several new types of lighting for kitchen. Like, lighting over the counter tops, sinks and cabinets. There is task lighting available which is used to light up a particular area.

Different types of lighting such as task lighting, general lighting and accent lighting are used in living room. Task lighting is used for reading whereas general lighting is used for watching television. Accent lighting is used to focus on any artwork or decorative pieces.

Use chandeliers, candles, colorful silk lanterns and ambient lighting in dining room as they look good when they are enlightened. These lightings make the room aesthetically attractive and give tranquil effects in dining room.

Right lighting arrangements is equally important for a bedroom. The lighting arrangements should be such that it creates a warm and a cozy feel where you can relax. You can place lamps on both sides of the bed for a romantic feel. You can even use chandeliers. Up lights and hanging lights is also a popular choice for bedrooms.

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When you are negotiating with your window cleaning contractor you will be in a strong position anyway. However, there may be elements of their offer that you would like to improve.

If you could be more flexible on some issues, which are the ones that really make a difference to your contractor to help you get what you want?

Payment terms. Since the amounts involved may be relatively small to a large corporate, paying promptly can be a powerful tool. As for most small companies, cashflow is paramount. That means that if you can agree to pay in say 15 days, or at the very least pay on time, this will be a major incentive for your contractor to agree to your requirements.

Stability. Having a regular job and not having to re-quote for it each year can be very valuable to a contractor. Fixing a longer contract (subject to performance of course) can help to keep the cost down. Even another six months might be enough to shave a percentage point or two off the cost.

Timing for special work. If you have special, one-off type jobs that need doing, but that are not time critical, then see if there is a time when your window cleaning contractor is less busy. These periods occur less frequently these days, but each contractor may have, because of their particular mix of clients, a time of year that is less busy than others. It stands to reason that they might be more flexible over pricing during this period.

Time is the key factor. Since labour cost is the most significant part of your window cleaning contractors costs, the time taken is the most important factor when it comes to pricing. Anything you can do to help them reduce the time taken to carry out the work, will reduce the cost. For example, access to some areas may be difficult because of cars being parked in the car park. If those cars can be moved to another part of the site on the days the window cleaner is due, this might reduce the cost. Alternatively, get the windows cleaned at a time of day when the car park is empty. Even small actions, like ensuring that internal window sills are empty can make a difference.

The debit card payroll system makes the payment transaction process completely transparent. Employers of small businesses can keep a check on their employees’ salary accounts and monitor money transactions by contacting the bank responsible for managing the payroll system.

Employees too can check their account balances conveniently through either telephone or Inter-net. Besides, they can ask for a monthly statement informing them about their bank activity from the bank in charge of monitoring the money transactions.

Employees can use these cards in the form of prepaid cards while shopping. Payroll debit cards are accepted in most countries because they are made in affiliation with reputed prepaid credit card providers such as Visa and MasterCard. Employees can receive money by visiting the nearest ATM center.

Small companies will be benefitted by employing payroll debit card services instead of conventional payment methods involving the use of paper checks. Payroll debit cards eliminate the cost incurred in printing paychecks. Thus, these debit cards can reduce the expenses of the company significantly.

Besides, it saves a significant amount of money that is used as service charges in distributing paper checks. This can have a positive impact on the business prospects of small companies.

A payroll debit card system allows the employers to send money instantly into the accounts of the employees that do not posses a savings or checking account. Thus, small companies, consisting of temporary or seasonal employees can benefit a great deal from payroll debit cards. They can also issue these cards to young employees that are not eligible for a direct deposit payroll scheme.

These cards are thus instrumental in enhancing the business prospects of small businesses. Many small business organizations in different parts such as Asia, Europe, America and the Middle East have profited largely from payroll solutions offered by payroll debit cards.

If you are looking to put your mark on the world, you can start by doing a few easy things that will not only help to personalize your life, but will make a major statement as well.

Making everyday objects in our homes, offices, and lives is a lot of fun, and can be relatively inexpensive. Everyone loves a little touch of luxury and there is nothing more luxurious than having your name or initials monogrammed on something. The following are five really cool ways to incorporate monogramming into your life.

#1: Monogrammed Bedding Bring a little something personal and special into your bedroom with monogrammed bedding and linens. There are a number of different companies out there that will do it for you for a reasonable price. It truly adds a touch of elegance and class to any bedroom and can coordinate beautifully with any decorations.

The pillowcases on your bed will forever stand out with monogramming. You have the option of choosing the colors you would like the thread to be, and the script of the lettering. You can choose something modern, classic, ornate, or understated. And don’t worry about matching because most companies will try and match your color scheme with precision.

#2: Personalized M&Ms Personalized M&Ms work well for any home or office. Have them printed up with your favorite message or with your initials and dipped in your favorite colors. For example, if your living room is decorated in a beige color and accented with blues, have your personalized m&ms dipped in blue.

Moreover, monogramming or personalized your m&ms with a picture of yourself is something new and exciting that you can do. If you own a business, you may think about adding you logo, company slogan, or contact information onto your m&ms.

#3: Monogrammed Bath Towels Imagine yourself stepping out of your bath tub or shower and reaching over and grabbing a towel…but not just any towel. No, you are grabbing a monogrammed towel with your initials on it! Now you feel like a king! This can be a reality for your everyday if you get your towels monogrammed. Again, it’s not that expensive and is sure to make a statement for you.

#4: A Personalized License Plate Now this option may not necessarily make you feel like a king or queen, but it can be fun to do. Have your license plate customized with a special message instead of the usual 6 or 7 letter identification number that is random and not special. While it is not recommended that you put anything too personal on your license plate, you should definitely make a statement.

#5: Water Bottles with Your Name On the Label You can know purchase water bottles from a variety of online sources that will print your name, logo, or whatever on the packaging label of water bottles and ship them to you. This is an awesome way to not only make a statement about yourself, but also ensures that nobody ever drinks from your water bottle. These work great for businesses as well and are a great branding opportunity.

Home Redesigning is not an easy task and there are a lot of arrangement that need to be done before the house can be redesigned. There are many sites on the internet which provides home redesigning tips that can be really helpful to homeowners. A redesigning project can take a lot of money and the owner needs to be certain as to what he is planning to achieve. There are numerous things that come to mind when people think about renovating their houses and these involve Fox Valley handyman, contractors, builders and Fox Valley bathroom remodeling. However, there are numerous things to consider before the improvement assignment can be begun.

suggestions and advice are substantial during the preparation steps as they can not only aid to save some dollars, but at the same time provide homeowners some relaxation. It is essential for homeowners to jot down in detail the expected changes and the supplies which is going to be utilized. Furthermore, it is a wise decision to take a professional’s advice prior to doing anything to the home. A professional will be able to look at the situation which may be overlooked by the property owner. An expert will also be able to bring out relevant answer for the problem and eliminate them during the renovation.

Together with a comprehensive record of materials and design, the owner also needs a detailed estimate of the expense for working people and supplies. Additionally, the homeowners need to be careful when choosing material for the renovation venture as lower grade material will just make work more difficult and the owner will not be even able to obtain the required outcome. Home redesigning ideas and suggestions can easily be acquired from the internet and through home improvement sites. These are the tips suggested by individuals who already have awareness in the field and understand what is appropriate and how to get things completed without much stress.

The most essential parts of home redesigning is preparation and restructuring. Normally, it can be quite expensive to make alterations to the home structurally. Renovating and normal restoration are totally opposite schemes and before the house can be restored, it will require general fixing. It is obvious that through years, there will be normal damage and tear and these needs to be fixed before the scheme can be carried out. Painting the house, changing the doors and window glasses are all part of giving the home a new look. Moreover, careful consideration needs to be contributed to the bathroom and kitchen as well. It is also essential to inspect wood for imperfection which are going to be utilized for the floor.

The home needs to be structurally reasonable before any work can begin. The subfloors need to be clean so that the paint work will be hassle free. Home redesigning assignments can add special touch to the home environment and it can further enhance the look of the entire home. For that reason, it is essential to have a design for the procedure and pay attention to every detail which needs to be changed.