Tavistock.

The best things in life are always for free. Do you believe that? I believe so. You see, just like anybody else in the world, I always appreciate things that are for free more than the things that I have to pay for. I mean, why should I not when with those free things I will be able to enjoy them more since I won’t be reminded of the fact that I paid dearly for them, and hence, make me happy.

With all the happenings in the world, seldom will we find things that we love and yet, are free, right? Well, the good news is that there is still a lot of ‘stuff’ out there that are bound to be not paid forever. These are your family, friends, your job (hey this one is really awesome since not only is it free, it pays YOU for having it instead), in short, these are the things (or people) that you have taken for granted.

What else? Enlist Mother Nature and the beauty of her land and seascapes around you. Yes, there are times that you have to pay something just so you can enjoy them. But if you are adventurous enough, you will find your very own spot, one that won’t cost you any cent, and I tell you, to enjoy one of earth’s beauties. If, however, you are thinking of things or materials, don’t worry about it, there are a lot of these, too. Head on to the local supermarket and there, you’ll find that some salesperson is giving away some promotional materials.

Halloween is always a great way to wind down, relax, and have a great time.

I have been to some incredible parties in the past few years at different friends houses, as each year the person holding the party tries to have the best one possible, better than all the ones before. And for the guests, their Halloween Costumes are a way of rewarding the effort of the person who is hosting the party. Plus it’s lots of fun.

Many themed parties flop but in my experience, Halloween ones never do. Never be the party-pooper! If you don’t have the money for a costume, it doesn’t matter. Get one. If you don’t know a good source, Costume Cauldron.com will be a good place to start! I have just been browsing through the costumes and they are really good. And if you get one now, you can beat the rush and also make sure you don’t miss out on all the good ones when late September rolls around.

The comprehensiveness at the Costume Cauldron website is pretty crazy. Mind-blowing, in fact. They even have a section for plus size halloween costumes. Can’t complain.

So, what do I have my eye on?

First, the site could be a little easier to navigate. It’s good! But it’s not great. However that’s the only draw-back. Let’s now see some good costumes.

Ok, I’m not a woman, but I thought this was hilarious and it looks great. And it’s $19.95.

Fat cheer-leader, no explanation required! $59.95.

Fat Tony! I swear, you look at these costumes and you really wonder how they do it!

If you want something basic, the chick magnet could do the job. $24.95, and could easily be reused over and over. May experience issues with people trying to rip it off though.

Who knows, you could even live your dream through your costume. Ok, I’m done here now, that’s a few costumes! If you want to see some more go visit their site.

Happiness is a choice. There is no right formula to apply it. Being happy and staying one is a decision that a person has to make on a daily basis. Life does not have a fair weather all the time. Sometimes, it is hampered by storms or strong winds. Other times, blizzard comes in unpredictably too.

No matter what season our life has, it is always a personal choice to be happy even amidst rough moments. One can not stay angry or aloof or even feeling sorry for his self and maybe towards other people for the unpleasant events everyday. Doing that makes the person ugly with lots of wrinkles around the face. Our looks often times do not give the right estimate of our age. We look older than we appear physically. To achieve such decision, it takes maturity and personal growth in all areas of a person. These areas are the mental, social, emotional and spiritual being.

Putting one’s self on a higher plane with these areas makes that person see life on a higher level. He sees life on different perspective. It is an angle that makes the person still be grateful and stay contented despite the unlikable situation of his life. If the person reached that level, he can be cheerful day by day. He will not be anxious and wavering of any problem. It does not mean one will be careless embracing the “come what may” attitude. But the person withstands with grace every single event especially appalling episodes in his life.

If you’re feeling in a bit of a rut in your current job, or want to seek a promotion within your own company it’s a very good idea to improve your set of qualifications.

Kaplan Open Learning is an Online Degree center with a lot of credibility. Their parent company owns the Washington Post, and Kaplan Open Learning is affiliated with the University of Essex.

I think one of the main questions that would be asked when visiting this site is - can I get a degree that’s credible and recognized? And the answer to this is a hearty yes. The University of Essex guarantees the Kaplan courses. I think the website does itself a slight disservice by using stock photos, which raises red flags for people like me. However a bit of digging shows these guys are absolutely the real deal, with some glowing reviews.

Their entrepreneurship course includes topics such as Human Resource Management, Business Finance and Market Research and Innovation. (Click the link to see the full list.)

One of the wonderful things about the online environment is that they are able to start courses much more frequently than land-restricted universities. But they also turn the online disadvantage on its head by replicating the classroom environment online, with classmates, tutors and lectures.

You won’t have to feel alone as you study your course as you will have other people to share your thoughts with on different topics.

Kaplan is a UK affiliated provider which leads to the natural question - do these guys accommodate for Americans? The answer is yes, but being a non-resident the fees will be higher.

If you’re looking for a leg-up to the next stage in life this seems to me to be a perfect way to go about it. Rather than getting a degree from some dodgy backwater in Mexico, why not go to a trusted, reputable institution and make your new qualifications count for something.

There is no substitute for a mother’s effect on their children. A mother’s touch is definitely something a child definitely wants to feel. In the moment the newly born baby is being held by its mother for the first time. It is really a magnificent site to see. The warmth that the baby felt makes him feel that he is loved and cared for. The happiness of the baby and the mother felt as they bond in that moment is something to me cherished.

Every one of us has felt our mother’s touch and for sure we were happy the first time we remembered feeling it. Even to this day, I still remember how my mother hugged me so tight. I was in grade school back then. I was always being so stubborn that my mother always had to remind me to fix my bed before going off to school. However, I was either too stubborn or too lazy to do it otherwise. We have a house help and she ended up having to fix it for me. One day, I did not know what came over me that I fixed my bed and I also fixed my mom’s bed before going off to school. When my mother saw what I did she immediately hugged me so tight. I realized at that moment how proud she was of me. I could feel her warmth and I could not explain the happiness I felt that day. I will always treasure that day for the rest of my life because that day I was indeed happy.

I’m one of the hordes of people currently considering whether to get an iPhone or not.

As a phone it looks very good. In a phone I want something that will help me manage my life and it looks like the iPhone brings those capabilities. Inevitably, iPhone accessories are already following including the brilliant iphone cases from Zagg.com. They sell the “Invisible Shield” and it looks like a great product. They’ve done their best to make an attractive product, with no added bulk which is a sticking point for me when it comes to cases.

In my opinion it’s a case of better safe than sorry.

Two years ago I had this feeling that my life was going nowhere, despite the belief I have in myself. So after complaining to my parents who then gave me the suggestion, I went to a counsellor and it’s one of the best things I have ever done. We went through a few things and by the third session I finally cracked onto what it was.

While the counsellor wasn’t like a doctor who told me the problem, he just asked me questions and forced me to take an outsiders perspective on the way I think and for the first time, I saw that my subconscious assumptions were completing dictating my life.

I was always embarrassed to be with successful people because I didn’t feel like I was good enough, always felt like a fraud. Didn’t feel like I deserved to have success. As soon as I realised that I knew this was the big obstacle. And now when those thoughts pass by I just nip them in the bud… This year I set two resolutions, one to learn and speak Spanish fluently, and the other to derive a full-time income from the internet. It’s only halfway through the year and when I chat in Spanish to some Latinos in my area they comment how much I sound like I’m from Spain…

So with only a few hours with someone at $45/hr I am now achieving my dreams.

So next time you’re tempted to bag counselling, remember that it can trigger off a chain reactions that in the end change someone’s life completely. And I can bear testament to that.

It’s summer for most readers, and that can only mean one thing. It’s time to get out there and see the world!

Make the most of any free time that you receive. I’m a fervent believer that life is for living and if all you do is go to work and recuperate from work you should probably re-evaluate your goals some.

Some ideas:

1. Plan a week or just a weekend away. Recharge your batteries by creating some memories and enjoying some of the fruits of your labor.

2. Go do a course/retreat. Rejuvenate your mind and stimulate it with new information.

3. Spend more time with loved ones. Get to know them over again and catch up with the ones you haven’t seen in a while.

4. Retail therapy. Not for me, but for many this is a good way to unwind.

Hmm. Curious title? Yes, but continue reading.

While some people see it as a bit selfish if you plan your time around yourself, you’ll get the best out of yourself for them and for others if you plan a bit.

In order to get the most out of your time it’s useful to know how your mood and energy vary through the day, so that you can plan your work around this.

For example, when do you have most energy? First thing in the morning as soon as you arrive at work? After you’ve had an hour to read your e-mails and get 2 cups of coffee? Or is it right after lunch?

Schedule your work so that when you have most energy you are spending your time developing new ideas, or attending key meetings, or working on something that demands creativity.

In your times of low energy you should schedule routine things like filing, or reading your trade papers.

Do this and you will achieve more in your high-energy times so saving you time.

When you need a spurt of inspiration and motivation you can use your visualisations and goals to help.

Just close your eyes for a few moments and look at your mental movie about achieving your goals. Think your way back through the milestones you will need to achieve to get this goal. Then think about the milestone you’re working towards right now, bring to mind the reward you’ve promised yourself, and use your visualisation for that.

This should create some excitement within you, and a desire to gain that reward and thus a desire to do the task at hand so that you are closer to your reward and your ultimate goal.