COST OF LIVING IN MALAYSIA

i read this article on iluvislam.com

it discussed about the living cost in Malaysia, as compared in UK.

it is kind of shocking when i first read this article

why is that??

well, take your time to read this 

and feel free to leave comments

Good read.

The following refers to the cost of living in each country (especially UK and Europe) based on what you earn in the respective country and whether the living costs vs standards are better than in Malaysia.

Letter from A Malaysian living in UK:

I(the owner of the article i took it from) tried to point out that many Malaysians always convert and that is why they say the UK is expensive. In fact, the cost of living is much cheaper than in Malaysia. In actual fact, Malaysians are being conned because for such a rich and resource rich country, the pay in Malaysia is way too low compared to the cost of living and inflation.

One good example is Singapore.
Singaporeans (average) earns around S$3000 to S$4000 and nearly everything is half the price of Malaysia. E.g. clothes, computer parts, electronics etc. But the average Malaysian still earns M$2000 plus and goods are double the price of Singapore.

This is the same as the UK. If you earn around 2000 pounds, you can liken this to the person earning RM$2000 in Malaysia. I'll give you some examples below. Maybe you can understand.

1) Good terrace house
It is more or less the same. If you want a house in KL, it would most probably be in Puchong and not Damansara Heights. So your house would be RM$200,000. In UK, you can get a decent new house in Zone 6 (still within the tube) for 200,000 pounds.

If non London, you can get a nice house also for less than 200,000 pounds outside London. The same also applies to buying a house in Seremban, Kajang etc. You can buy a nice house for RM200,000 below. So buying a house is the same for the local and the Malaysian.

Renting a place is the same too or maybe cheaper than in Malaysia (I am not sure of this). A 2-bedroom flat in London is about 750 pounds (Zone 2). 500 pounds outside Zone 6 but still able to commute to London. A 2-bedroom house in Nottingham is 450 to 500 pounds. A 3-bedroom house in Belfast is about 300 pounds.

2) A car
A good Wira is RM$55,000. Most Malaysians have to take 7-year loans and be in debt all the time. If you are earning RM$2000 a month, you take nearly 3 years saving the RM$2000 with not eating at all just to buy a Wira.

In UK, the average local earns about 2000 pounds. He saves 3 months, he can buy outright a good Ford Fiesta or a Vauxhall Corsa without being in debt.

If buying a second hand car, even better. A 1990 Mercedes 190E cost 500 pounds. My 1996 Mercedes E220 cost 2000 pounds. My friend just gave me his 1989 Honda Accord (Auto) for free because he said he could only get 30 pounds for it. I used it for a few months and decided to give it of for free too.
That alone speaks for itself.

Even if you are kuli or an office boy, you still can drive a Mercedes or a BM. Yes, kuli's and office boy's get paid quite well. Average temp/office boy in London can earn about 7 to 10 pounds and
hour. Overtime is 1.5 times or double. A brick-layer can earn 20 pounds an hour. The same Indon who lays bricks in Malaysia earns RM$50 for the whole day.

Before I became a doctor, I used to be an office boy and I earned near 300 pounds a week working about 70 hours a week.

My makan was 30 pounds a week.

My rent was 70 pounds a week for a room but I still drove a BMW back then. I bought the 10-year old BMW 3 Series car for 200 pounds. Amazing how an office boy can drive a safe and luxurious car.

3) Petrol.
For a UK person earning 2000 pounds, 80 pence a liter/gallon is cheaper than RM$1.85 paid in Malaysia. If you don't convert, it is like paying 80 sen a liter in Malaysia

4) Shopping
20 pounds (which is 1% of 2000 pounds) can buy you 1 week's worth of groceries in Tesco. RM$100 (which is 10% of RM$2000) can also buy you 1 week's worth of groceries in Giant or Carrefour.

5) Utility Bills (This is what I pay in UK)
a. Virtually non-stop heating the whole day only 20 pounds a month. (Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)

b. Electricity, I use my electricity maximum only 20 pounds a month. (Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
c. My water bill also comes to about 20 pounds a month (Only 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
d. My internet - I get 2Mbps for about 25 pounds (Bulldog DSL) (Also slightly above 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)
e. Astro Equivalent (NTL cable or Sky) - 30 pounds per month (Also slightly above 1% of the 2000 pounds earned)

In Malaysia, this is what I used to pay
i. Tenaga Bill comes to RM$200 to RM300 a month with 3 air-cons. This is more than 10% of the RM$2000 earned)
ii. Water (Puas) comes to RM$40 (This is about 2% of the RM$2000 earned)
iii. Astro RM$100 (if you take Chinese package) (This is about 5% of the RM$2000 you earn)
iv. Internet Streamyx 512K RM 88 per month (This is about 5% of RM2000 you earn)

6) Books
A good book is about 10 to 15 pounds in the UK. This is less than 1% of the 2000 pounds you earn. In Malaysia, you have to spend RM$75 to RM$100 for a decent book in MPH or Kinokuniya in KLCC. This is about 5% of the RM$2000 ringgit you earn.

7) Education.
I think it is about RM$20,000 per year to do a degree in Sunway Monash and about RM$12,000 per year to send your kid to UM, UKM, USM etc. I am not sure about this. But in UK, it is only 3000 pounds a year to send your kid to a great university. The British are very unhappy that the grants have been taken away.
Previously, it was virtually free for an English man to send his kid to university but now, since the grant has been take away, he has to spend 3000 pounds per year to send his kid to university and less money to get drunk in the pub.

Well, if you are earning RM$2000 ringgit, sending your kid to UM to study is quite difficult. If you are earning 2000 pounds per month, you can easily send you kid to university in the UK.

Luxuries
Panasonic Plasma TV in Malaysia about RM20,000. If you are earning RM$2000 a month, memang mahal! You have to save 2 years your monthly salary to buy it. In UK, the same Panasonic ironically, Panasonic plasma is made in Japan and Japan is close to Malaysia, so the plasma should be cheaper in Malaysia) is only 2000 pounds.

9) Health
NHS is free. Though the service is slow, quality is still there. You still can get a top quality by-pass for free although you may have to wait many months.
In Malaysia, IJN charges RM$30,000. SJMC charges RM$50,000. GH is free but as many people know, GH and UH have clown doctors.

10) Assessments to local councils
I may pay high council tax but at least my council assures my streets are clean and safe, got no holes (pot holes) on my roads, and they jump and attend to me whenever I call them. When I stayed in Malaysia, I paid my assessment and quite rent but MPSJ I lived in Subang) told me to "podah" whenever I asked them to come and fill up the pot holes, cut the long lalang, put street lighting etc.

The councils, especially MPPJ and MPSJ, were more interested in eating nasi lemak and going for 10 teh tariks in a day during office hours and hardly did anything for their residents.

11) Income Tax
wasted. When I was unemployed in 1997, the government via social security paid for my 2-bedroom flat for one whole year and I was given about 100 pounds per week for me and my wife to live on.

I am happy to know that one day if I lose my job, I can still claim social security and get my apartment paid and food to eat again for free. It is a good security to know.
The list goes on. Here alone you can see, the sterling you earn goes a long way in the UK. So your quality of life is far better in the UK than a Malaysian in Malaysia.

It is just that Malaysians are just too content with what they have. But you compare apple for apple.

The British just love to complain. They have it made but still they love to complain. Nothing is good enough for the British. The government gives the citizens so much but they still seem to want more and more...

 

7 Keys to Reading Faster

Photo by Nathiya Prathnadi (see her camera tote and simple jewelry)
By Scott Young

i take this article from thinksimplenow.com 

check it out since it got lots of useful articles

really hope you will enjoy this article...

thank you <3 <3

Want to read faster?
In this article, I’m going to share the lessons I learned that doubled my reading rate, allowed me to consume over 70 books in a year and made me a smarter reader. I’m also going to destroy some speed-reading myths, to show you it isn’t magic but a skill anyone can learn.

How I Started Speed Reading

My first introduction to the concept of speed reading was from a book, Breakthrough Rapid Reading. I’ve since moved away from a few of the concepts taught in the book, but the core ideas were transformative. In only a few weeks, my average reading speed went from roughly 450 words per minute, to over 900.

More than just words per minute, speed reading helped instill a new passion for reading. Because I gained more control over my reading abilities, my desire to read went up. That new motivation made me a voracious reader, in one two year period, I had read over 150 books.
Here are a few of the lessons I’ve learned from several years of speed reading:

1. Use a Pointer

Your eyes don’t actually stay fixed in one spot. They are frequently making brief twitches away from your center of focus to gather more information. These movements are called saccades and they represent the first tool novice readers can use to read faster.
Normally, when your eye twitches away, it must relocate in its previous position. Unfortunately, when you read, this position is constantly moving. Saccades (and just general distractions) cause you to slow down as you must search for your current reading position. The solution is to use a pointer.
The easiest pointer is just the tip of your finger. Simply place your index finger below a line of text and move it as you read. Initially, using a pointer will be slower than regular reading. But after you’re used to the motion, you can read more effectively.
Note for Advanced Speed-Readers: You can further increase your speed-reading rates by keeping your pointer 1-2cm away from the margins of the text. Your eye can catch the words in about a 1″ radius, so this can shave off a bit of reading time.

2. Speed Reading Is About Control, Not Speed

I dislike the way speed reading is often presented because it makes the skill seem to be only about increasing your top speed. As a result, many people are quick to judge that people can’t physically process more information or point out that comprehension goes down while speed reading.
To me, these arguments miss the point. Speed reading is about controlling your reading rate, not just going faster. If you’re in a racecar, top speed is important, but even more important is the driver’s skill at adjusting speeds to make careful turns. The ability to control your speed will make you a much more efficient reader than just blazing through text.
A pointer helps with control because instead of just using your eyes, you can physically move your hand to adjust your reading speed. If you move your hand faster, you will be forced to read faster. Also, if you slow your pointer down, your reading will slow. This kind of control allows you to carefully read confusing or important sections of text and go faster through obvious text or pieces of fluff.
For example, in a book I’m reading right now, the author frequently resorts to the same 3-4 paragraphs of description to explain a recurring idea. The paragraphs aren’t identical, but similar enough that I can use my pointer to skim through the content and still get the message.

3. Read Without Subvocalizing

When most people first learned to read, they spoke the words aloud. “Jill goes up the hill,” each word being pronounced earnestly by the young student. Eventually, you graduate from speaking aloud because it slows your reading speed. However, most people still vocalize the words inside their head, “Jill goes up the hill,” silently repeated in our minds.
Subvocalization isn’t always a bad thing. It helps us understand and follow a narrative. Just realize it isn’t strictly necessary for comprehension. Just as most people can urndesnatd tihs secntene, most people don’t need to grasp every single word to get the meaning of a sentence.
Being able to read without subvocalizing is like adding an extra gear to your engine. It can open up the top speed of your reading rate, which is particularly useful for easy to understand or text with a lot of fluff. It isn’t the same as skimming, you’re still moving your pointer across every word. It’s a method speed readers can use that most normal readers don’t.
Practice moving your pointer faster than you can read words inside your head. This will break you of the habit of automatically subvocalizing.

4. Active Reading

Most people read passively, that is, reading a book hoping the information will strike them across the forehead and declare, “Learn Me!” This is a fine practice when you’re just reading for sheer entertainment, but what if your reading serves a specific purpose?
Speed reading requires active reading. That means, instead of just assuming the information will jump out at you, you become an inquisitive, seeking animal. Before you start reading, prime your mind by asking what you’re hoping to get out of your reading session. Even if you aren’t 100% sure of what you’ll learn, this priming exercise allows your brain to notice relevant details more quickly.
Active reading also means stopping to think about what your reading, as you read it. Stopping to think may not sound like much of a speed reading tactic. It’s not, but it is a smart-reading tactic that everyone should employ. If you find something interesting, pause either to reflect or even note the information in your book.
Would you rather read something today and forget it tomorrow, or read it deeply and make it a part of you?

5. Know When to Slow Down

As I mentioned in key #2, speed reading is about control, not just speed. Many people I’ve talked to after introducing them to speed reading brag about how quickly they dashed through a book. But, these same people later confess that they remember little about what they read.

Just as it is sometimes useful to speed up to move quickly through writing with a low information density, you often need to slow down to catch the important or confusing bits. Let’s view reading as if you are driving a car: If you’re on a straight, well-maintained divided highway, feel free to speed up. But if you’re doing hairpin turns on a dirt road in the mountains, slow down.
More than anything else, speed reading should give you an awareness of your speed. Most people read information with only 2 speeds: skimming and reading. Speed reading is about opening up all the intermediate layers. Now you should be able to skim, read without subvocalizing, read rapidly, read, read slowly and even crawl when faced with confusing or difficult ideas.

6. Make the Material More Interesting

I know, it sounds impossible. How can you possibly make statistics/accounting/Jane Eyre interesting?
But you can make material more interesting if you put some effort in before you pick up the book. No, you can’t make boring topics come alive as if they were the latest thriller fiction. But you can make them interesting enough that you can stay focused while reading.
I know it sounds like something out of a Tony Robbins‘ seminar, but attitude matters. When you’re approaching a book, imagine if you changed your perspective from, “Oh no, here’s some junk I have to read,” to “What could I gain from reading this, if I was really creative about it.” It’s not about confessing a secret love of accounting, it’s about keeping an open mind as to what accounting could teach you.
If you find the material more interesting, you’ll be able to read with complete focus. Complete focus can cut the amount of reading time in a third, without any loss in comprehension. That should be incentive enough to tweak your attitude.

7. Reading Rate Comes With Practice

Although less glamorous than subvocalization or pointer-enabled reading techniques, the best speed reading technique is this: read more to read faster. When you regularly read a book per week, your reading rate will improve.
First, if you aren’t reading in your first language, language proficiency will be your biggest obstacle to high reading rates. I’m an intermediate with French, and my French reading is a crawl compared to my English reading. That’s because every paragraph contains a new word or unfamiliar grammatical construction.
Once again, the way to overcome low proficiency is through practice. Even if you are reading in your first language, some authors will throw big words down you may not understand. My suggestion is that if you encounter such words frequently, look them up. I used Google’s define feature (example, “define simple“) religiously when reading through all of David Foster Wallace’s verbose tome, Infinite Jest.
Second, if you read more frequently, you get a better sense of what speed to go for the type of content and your purposes. NASCAR racers weren’t made that way. They became great at adjusting speeds through practice. Similarly, if you aren’t sure how fast to read a textbook or a novel, those intuitions can be strengthened with practice.
I also suggest for new speed readers to practice reading rather than just read. Practice reading involves taking a fresh book and using the techniques of a pointer and eliminating subvocalization to scroll faster than you can comprehend. This can help train your upper speed-limit reading speeds.

Try It Out!

Want to know your current reading speed? Pick up any book and do the following:

• Setup a timer for one minute
• Mark the line you started reading
• Start reading and stop when the minute is up
• Mark the line where you stopped
• Number of lines – Count the number of lines you’ve read
• Number of words per line – Take the second line and count the number of words in this line (including short words like I, and, etc)
• Number of lines X Number of words per line = WPM, your words per minute reading speed.

Try the above steps with your regular reading pace, and after practicing several tips from above, try the measuring steps again to see how much you’ve improved. Let us know how you did!


* Got speed reading tips of your own? How did you do after trying some of these tips? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section. See you there!

If you enjoyed the article, please join TSN on facebook (add Tina here) or follow us on Twitter. And we’d love it if you can share this article on twitter, thumb it on StumbleUpon or bookmark it on del.icio.us. Thank you for your support. :)

Nettiquette Assignment

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: 

This is the assignment of Netiquette

Hope you will enjoy the slide show

Feel free to leave a comment 

Nettique

View more presentations from thepaper.

Secret Little Steps Towards Islam

My name is Julianne (Noora) Scasny. I was born in the United States to a mother who is Syrian (Arab) Christian and a father who is white European descent. Both are Catholic. When I was 15 years old I wanted to be a nun in the Roman Catholic church. So I was close in relationship to God — or so I thought — and never really had this so-called personal relationship with Jesus (peace be upon him). Anyway, in my world history class we were studying Middle Eastern history, which I was very interested in, and we stumbled on the subject of Islam. There was a student from Egypt and he was correcting the teacher on the misconceptions about Islam. I just remember saying to myself, "Wow! he is correcting the teacher. Usually the teacher corrects the student!" After that day in class I asked him what was the difference between Catholicism and Islam. He said, "Not that much." I was not satisfied with this answer, so I studied Islam on the computer at school. He introduced me to his family and one day I asked his mother if I could have a copy of the Qur'an in English.   Al-hamdu lillah (all praise to God), she gave me an English translation by Yusuf Ali, and I couldn't put it down. To me, when I read the Bible, it seemed like there was always some meaning behind what was being read because the words had been changed, but the Qur'an spoke to my heart and I knew it was from Allah. So I became a Muslim in my heart, al-hamdu lillah. When my parents found out I was interested in Islam, they tried to forbid me from befriending Muslims. My mom called the lady who gave me the translation of the Qur'an and told her, "Stop talking to my daughter about Islam, you are confusing her." I remember my first `Eid Al-Fitr (Feast of Breaking the Fast), I told my dad I had to work as an excuse to go to `Eid Prayer. Well, he ended up finding out that I went to the masjid. There was not one located near my home and I couldn't drive, so I got a ride from my Muslim Pakistani friends. That was the first time I saw the Muslims all together performing the same ritual. Anyway, my dad brought me to my friend's house and told her mom that he didn't want her to give or lend me any more literature about Islam. She was very respectful and said, "I won't, but when she is in my home she is free to read whatever she wants." Afterwards my mom made me go talk to the priest of the Catholic church to talk about Islam and the dream I had. My dad started to search my room every so often and took my copy of the Qur'an, prayer clothing, literature, and threw them out. I used to cry so much because of this. I even had to hide my Qur'an in the air-conditioning vent! My dad took the lock off my door, so I had to pray in secret when my parents were sleeping. It was so hard. My dad used to tell me, "As long as you are living under my roof you will obey my rules and you will go to church and be Catholic." I didn't know what to do. I asked my friend's parents what to do and they told me listen to my parents. Well, I did and for the next four years my life was a total disaster. Four years later at the age of 20, I called the lady who had given me the Qur'an to ask about the new masjid that was being built. She told me, "Come and see for your self." Well, ironically this masjid was in a building that was used originally as a teenage nightclub! And my own sister previously was arrested for being drunk. Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah)! So I went to the dinner at the masjid and that feeling all came back to me.   The power of the Adhan brought me to tears. I told myself, "I don't care what my parents say. I don't care what anyone says! I want this feeling. I want to be a practicing devout Muslim! I am sick of trying to do things my way! I submit to the will of Allah Almighty." Al-hamdu lillah, that Ramadan I made Shahadah in the back of the masjid in front of a group of women because the imam was afraid of what my parents would do if I made Shahadah out loud in front of everyone. I started wearing hijab that Ramadan. My parents to this day will not stop telling me "Take that thing off your head! Can't you dress younger or wear shorts?" I just tell them "Look at the pictures your people paint of Mary. What does she look like in those pictures? She looks like a Muslim woman!" My own grandparents told me to go to hell! My mom used to cook pork and lie and say it was beef! I would ask my dad "Please don't take the dog downstairs where I pray" — I was living in the basement of my parents' house — and he would say "This is my house" and he would do it anyway. Then I desperately argued with him "You don't bring the dog to church, do you?" My mom would force me to get a job while I was in college, even in places where they serve alcohol. I used to beg the people at the masjid for money, crying my eyes out for help to Allah. Al-hamdu lilah, Allah is so Merciful, He gave me a husband and I got married at age 21. And now a little over a year later at the age of 22 I'm pregnant with my first baby. Of course my family keeps bothering me about Islam, but I'm so grateful to Allah. I try to give my parents da`wah all the time and pray for them, but Allah guides whom He wills. I just sit here sometimes and look at the Muslims and think how you people don't really know what it is like to have parents who don't believe in your religion. I just look at some Muslims and become sick because I wish my parents were with me, but then again Muslims are my family now. Muslims should be united as one in the constant worship of Allah, in sha' Allah (Allah willing) through prayer, dhikr, reading Qur'an, good manners, and not fighting among themselves. May Allah strengthen the faith and piety and fear of Allah and good manners of every single Muslim. (www.islamonline.net)

Reasons to Smile

www.iluvislam.com 

oleh : candle0505

1. Smiling makes us attractive

We are drawn to people who smile. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away ,but a smile draws them in.

2.Smiling changes our mood

Next time you are feeling down, try putting on a smile. There's a good chance you mood will change for the better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling is Contagious

When someone is smiling they lighten up the room, change the moods of others, and make things happier. A smiling person brings happiness with them. Smile lots and you will draw people to you.

4. Smiling Relieves Stress

Stress can really show up in our faces. Smiling helps to prevent us from looking tired, worn down, and overwhelmed. When you are stressed, take time to put on a smile. The stress should be reduced and you'll be better able to take action.

5. Smiling Boosts Your Immune System

Smiling helps the immune system to work better. When you smile, immune function improves possibly because you are more relaxed. revent the flu and colds by smiling.

6. Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure

When you smile, there is a measurable reduction in your blood pressure. Give it a try if you have a blood pressure monitor at home.

Sit for a few minutes, take a reading. Then smile for a minute and take another reading while still smiling. Do you notice a difference?

7. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

Studies have shown that smiling releases endorphins, natural pain killers, and serotonin. Together these three make us feel good. Smiling is a natural drug.

8. Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day!you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

Smiling people appear more confident, are more likely to be promoted, and more likely to be approached. Put on a smile at meetings and appointments and people will react to you differently.

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this test: Smile. Now try to think of something negative without losing the smile. It's hard. When we smile our body is sending the rest of us a message that "Life is Good!" Stay away from depression, stress and worry by smiling.

From : Mark Stibich

  What Is Love?

www.iluvislam.com
By: shi_xunia

Editor: salma ahsanan

 

What is love? Love is definitely essential in our life. How much we appreciate love in our life? What can we get from love? Here, I will show you what LOVE is.

Lucky;

Being lucky as a Muslim. Learn the meaning of love in Islam is beautiful. I love Allah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), my parents, family and all my Muslim sisters and brothers. 

Obey;

Obey the rules in Al-Quran and As-Sunnah, we will surely get the perfect blissful life. There are many things that I learnt in Al-Quran and As-Sunnah, including love. As we know, Islam is a religion that loves peace.

Vow;

Vowing that there is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Only Allah is The One who we cannot forget. He is always watching us and always cares about us. 

Effort;

Love is an effort to get the meaningful life. Always caring and being honest is a vital in love. We need to be caring and honest with our brothers and sisters in Islam and to all people all around the world.

 

 

That is LOVE, which will always makes us smile and happy, always in our heart, forever and ever...InsyaAllah.

I AM BEAUTIFUL AND YOU ARE TOO

www.iluvislam.com
By: moslemische
Editor: salma ahsanan

 

                      

I will say... "I am beautiful, you are beautiful, she is beautiful too, and they are all beautiful. We all will always look beautiful."

Then a person might ask me, "What makes you think that way? "Or the least, "er....You look normal to me."

And what do you say? Isn't beauty is too subjective? Hard to identify and classify. Everyone is different."
Yeah I know...

"Beauty isn't just about the look. Beautiful person is the one with beautiful heart. The beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."

"Look! She is beautiful! She is hot!. Put on some colors on your lips. You ain't look hot without make-ups, not beautiful..."

That is it. Enough! Different people with different definitions..Different people with different opinions..

Wait. If that so, how about those who were born to be "I am not beautiful" or "You are not beautiful?"  Do not worry. Do a plastic surgery!

Then waste my money? No. I do not want that. Even if I'm to be the richest person in the world.. I will never do that! Insha'Allah...

"But why not?"

Because you will end up being buried like other dead people do. Then after a while your beautiful skin, look, body will no longer be the same and will no longer look the same. You are no longer beautiful! Beautiful? Hot? Ugly? Hidious? It doesn't matter anymore. So what is up with all those plastic surgery and make-ups? They are not worthy. Not at all!
"So what's 'beauty' for you then?"

Oh! Simple..."Natural pure-beauty..."

"How is that?"

My answer is: Be thankful for who you are, despite of how you looK, be thankful for what you have as Allah SWT has given you what is best for you, be thankful and stop comparing yourself with what other people have and feel enough with what you have will make you the richest person on earth..

Stop focusing on the physical (the look) and start perfecting your heart (manners). Then you will result in tranquility, trust me. Oh Muslims! We are all beautiful because we are Muslims. Beautiful by the way of Islam sees us. Beautiful by the way of Islam shapes us. Beautiful in a way Allah and his messenger wanted us to become to.

So I will say...

"You and I are beautiful. No difference..."
Because you and I are the same, Sharing a very common thing, Sharing the same beauty of Islam, Sharing Islam and that we are all Muslims.

Islam is beautiful. Therefore, we are all beautiful, insha'Allah...

     

 

11 Ways to Be Happier at Work

Try these simple tricks to make the daily grind more joyful

By Sarah Jio Posted January 08, 2010 from WomansDay.com

Got deadlines, a fire-breathing boss and coworkers from, well, you know where? You’re not alone! According to a recent survey conducted by TNS, a research and analysis company, for The Conference Board, more than half of Americans are unsatisfied with their jobs in a major way. But, in this economy, a job (even a bad one) is something you want to hang on to. So we asked experts for tips on how to increase your workplace happiness. While you can’t control your boss’s mood or your coworker’s choice of music, you can control your happiness. Here’s how.

1. Say “yes” to your boss, but “I’ll get back to you” to others. Are you a “yes, ma’am” kind of woman? That’s good in many ways, like when your boss asks you to lead a new project that could get you promoted. But when a coworker, client or anyone else asks you to do something for them that you’re unsure about (like coming in on Saturday when you had plans with your family), don’t commit right away—even if you feel pressured to do so—says happiness expert Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and a contributor to Woman’s Day. Instead, says Rubin, say these five little words that will empower you at work and improve your happiness in the long run: “I’ll get back to you.” She says, “The desire to be accommodating is very strong, and can lead you to say ‘yes’ without enough consideration. You’ll feel a lot happier being in control and giving yourself time to think something over rather than making a decision you’ll regret right on the spot.”

2. Do the thing you dread first. Is there a task in your workday that you dread, so much so that you think about how much you dread it all day and find yourself struggling to get it done in the final hour? According to Carol Kryder, PhD, a clinical psychologist and mental health expert for JustAnswer.com, the “fun factor” rule could help you. “If you have a number of things to do within a short time, prioritize them in order of their ‘fun factor,’” she says. “For some people, that means doing the distasteful jobs first and saving the best for dessert.”

3. Sweet-talk yourself. “Positive affirmations and gratitude are wonderful antidotes for dealing with a rotten boss,” Dr. Kryder says. First step: “Be grateful for what you are learning in this job, and, if you look, you will see that you are indeed learning every day.” Next step: Use positive affirmations such as "This is temporary" or "This job is a step along the way," she suggests. “Be sure to remind yourself that you are choosing to be at this job,” adds Dr. Kryder. “These affirmations confirm that you are in control.” Bolstering a sense of control can help you reduce the level of stress hormones in your brain, which can lead to memory and concentration problems, she says.

4. Use your imagination—and breath. It may sound like simple advice, but reducing your anxiety and improving your happiness at work could be just a few deep breaths away. “If it is possible—even if you have to lock yourself in a restroom stall—close your eyes, put your hand over your heart and take very deep breaths,” says Susan Steinbrecher, a business consultant, speaker and author in Hurst, Texas. “Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Doing this for even one minute a day will instill a sense of calm and happiness.” Want to take your happiness to the next level? Use your imagination, says Steinbrecher. “Imagine that you are in your perfect place,” she says. If you love tropical, white-sand beaches, immerse yourself in a beach moment—in your mind. “Feel the sand on your feet, smell the salt air, hear the waves on the shoreline,” she says. “This has a way of immediately shifting your perspective and will enable you to handle difficult situations with more grace and understanding.”

5. Stressed? Get walking—outside, if you can. “Exercise is the best mood stabilizer we have,” says Dr. Kryder. “Even if you can only do some stretches or a couple of yoga poses every day, you will notice a difference in your stress level.” Given that advice, Dr. Kryder says the best way to recover from a bad encounter at the office that’s leaving you feeling anxious or upset is to take a walk—outside! “Full-spectrum light such as sunlight has been shown to elevate mood,” she says.

6. Give yourself aromatherapy. As long as it’s not bothersome to your coworkers (or against your office’s fire safety codes), a scented candle or an aromatherapy diffuser could help you perk up. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that frankincense, a natural fragrance used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies, contains a compound that has antidepressive and antianxiety effects, notes Joseph Cilona, PhD, a psychologist in New York City. Try burning a frankincense candle or dabbing on some essential oil in your office, he recommends.

7. Find a sense of purpose in what you do (even if you hate your job). “Research shows that when people see their work as their calling—more than just something to do for a paycheck—their happiness level significantly increases,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, MS, PT, a psychologist in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and the author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. So how do you find purpose in a job you loathe? Here are some examples from Dr. Lombardo: “Ask yourself, what good do you promote because of what you do? For example, someone who works at a restaurant is bringing joy and nourishment to others. A pharmaceutical sales rep is helping save and improve lives. A teacher is developing the future of this country and world.”

8. Stretch your arms up, over your head. Who doesn’t feel a little happier, calmer and more balanced after a good stretch? Life coach and wellness expert Jonathan Troen, who’s also a certified yoga teacher in Santa Monica, California, says the best get-happy-at-work stretch is extending your arms over your head. “One of the places we hold depression and sadness is in our armpits,” he explains. “When our armpits are open, those emotions are released; it's very hard to frown and most people instantly smile.”

9. Keep things on your desk and around your computer that make you smile. Don’t underestimate the power of what’s right in front of you, says life coach Debbie Robins, an advice columnist for The Huffington Post. “Have something on your screen saver that opens your heart every time you see it,” she says. (For example: a photo of your kids, your dog, your parents, your last vacation or a meaningful scene from nature.) Images that connect you to the things and people you love will boost your happiness regardless of your professional circumstances, she says. And when all else fails, make yourself chuckle. “Have something on your desk that makes you laugh,” she says. Suggestions: a toy that makes a silly sound or a framed cartoon that always cracks you up. “Laughter instantly balances frustration, irritation and anger.”

10. Do some squats. Yes, it’s surprising advice, but a set of 20—yes, 20!—squats in your office might help you feel happier. “Short and intense exercise can stimulate the release of growth hormone, a natural mood enhancer,” says Dr. Cilona. He adds, “Doing squats engages the largest muscles—the legs—so the maximum amount of growth hormone release is achieved.”

11. Smile (really, it works!). When you are having a wreck of a day, the last thing you feel like doing is smiling, right? Many experts, including Susan Fletcher, PhD, a psychologist and the author of Working in the Smart Zone: Smart Strategies to Be a Top Performer at Work and at Home, say that forcing yourself to smile could be the fastest way to trick your body into beating the at-work blues. “You can actually trick your brain's neurotransmitters into thinking you are happy with a smile,” says Dr. Fletcher. Added bonus: Your smile can actually spread happiness to others. “When you smile at people, they typically smile back—it's a natural reflex to mimic the facial expressions of others."