FOOD FOR THE THOUGHT

Forget worries... live your life!

In today's fast, challenging world where life is a roller coaster ride, there is little time or chances for Wordsworthian retreat into nature; people are over-burdened with worries. It has become an exhausting problem for millions of people, which diminish one's ability to enjoy one's family, friends, physical being and achievements. The skill lies in how one handles the problems of life and at the end of the day comes out as a winner with a broad smile and a content heart. The following tips can show the path to handle the worry successfully and bring sunshine in life:

EXERCISE: Exercise not only keeps one fit and healthy but it also reduces tension and frustration. It enhances a sense of well-being, improves sleep and aids concentration. Now the question that arises is, what kind of exercise should be done? The answer is any sort of exercise is effective. You can play a game of tennis, or go for a swim. If nothing comes to mind then run for about two kilometers or simply go for a walk. When you return, you will feel less worried. It is probably the best natural anti-worry agent.

MAKE CONNECTION: One drawback of the modern society is that people have become mechanised and disconnected. They spend more time with the machines (laptop, mobile, television, DVD etc.) than with human beings, as a result of which they suffer from depression, stress like modern ailments. They curse destiny for their miseries but elude themselves from doing the correct thing. The right thing to do is to make the necessary connections. Connect with your family, friends, neighbours and work. By increasing your connections in life, you will increase your feeling of strength and reduce your sense of vulnerability. Connecting is a good remedy for combating worry.

PRAY: Praying is another good way to handle worry. Pray everyday. Studies have found lower rates of depression among those who believe in God. As the saying goes, “Let go and let God.” Let go of your impossible need for control. If you are not a believer and praying is not your cup of tea, then go for meditation. Praying and meditation will help you to keep things in perspective. They have a soothing effect upon your soul as they calm your minds.

SPEND QUALITY TIME: Spend some quality time with yourself. Do the things you enjoy most. Read something, listen to music, watch a film or water your plants. In other words, you must enjoy your life or your existence becomes dull. When you engage yourself in a work that you like, you will forget about many of your destructive worries and can relax.

STAND UP: The moment you feel that worries are wrapping their tentacles around you, disengage yourself at that very moment. You have to do this deliberately. Stand up and get out of your chair or your room or walk around or talk to a friend. In short, do not allow the worry to settle in on you. The longer you let worry last, the harder it becomes to escape it.

HAVE A GOOD CRY: Sometimes in life you need to cry to get rid of the grief which is eating you up. Worry is a form of
sadness and a good cry can wash away your bad worry.

HAVE A LAUGH: It is widely known that laughter is the best medicine. So laugh as much as you can. Humour is one of the best ways of dealing with worry and stress in life. Destructive worry almost always entails a loss of perspective, humour almost always restores it.

FORGET IT: Finally, the advice that can be given to deal with the unnecessary worry is to forget it. Remember your life is very precious and from the widest perspective, its worries and tensions are all small stuff.

By Marzia Rahman

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE
Read your own palm

Ever wondered what those lines on your palm means? Of course many don't believe in reading hands. This is mainly because palm reading has been considered evil. However, this mysterious art has been around for centuries and in the olden days it has been associated with gypsies. But there is no denying that it is incredibly fun to read palms. Whether you believe that your hand is an accurate indicator of personality traits or are a skeptic, you'll have a fun time reading your own palm.

Contrary to what most people believe, the lines are not fixed from birth. They do not predict destiny, but rather distinguish characteristics and personal health. As life progresses the palm lines will change according to personality and experiences. These lines don't define your fate you do and if you change, so will your lines. It won't tell what will happen in your life; rather, it will tells what has already happened.

Each hand represents different aspects:

Right hand: practical, "doing" side

Left hand: emotional or "heart" side

There are three main lines on the palm, each which indicates a separate area of life. The love line is the line on the top, the head line is in the middle, and the life line is on the bottom.

The love line, also known as your heart line, relates to all the emotions and situations that are associated with love. This line is above your head and life line. It begins under your index or middle finger and extends toward your small finger.

How to read your love line:
If the line starts directly underneath the index finger, then you are content with your love life. If your line begins right below the middle finger, this indicates a selfish and materialistic outlook when it comes to love. You also are picky when it comes to partners. A line that begins between the middle and index finger signifies that you give your heart away too easily. If the line is straight and short, you aren't particularly concerned with romance.

If the line points downward and touches your life line (which is on the bottom), then it's easy for you to have your heart broken. A line that is long and curvy indicates that you freely express your emotions and feelings. A love line that is straight and parallel to the head line indicates that you have a good handle on your emotions. Two or more branches out of heart line is the corresponding number of different sides to emotional nature. Married couples with similar heart lines indicate a successful marriage.

Variations on the love line
If your love line is wavy, you may have a slew of relationships and lovers, but a lack of serious relationships. A circle on the line refers to a time of depression in your life. Likewise, a broken heart line indicates emotional trauma, as does a heart line with smaller lines crossing through it. Smaller lines that stretch above the heart line are reflective of happiness in love, but lines that stretch down from the heart line indicate disappointment.

Your Head Line doesn't deal with how smart you are, but rather how you think. It can indicate your beliefs, morals and general attitude toward life. This line begins right above the life line and travels across the palm.

How to read your head line:
A short line shows that you prefer working toward physical achievements rather than mental ones, a curved, sloping line indicates creativity. If your head line and life line are separated, you enjoy the taste of adventure and have great enthusiasm for life.

A wavy line shows that you have a short attention span and don't enjoy deep thinking.

If you have a deep, long line that stretches horizontally across the palm, then your thinking is clear and focused. The straighter the line, the more realistic your thinking is.

Variations on the head line: If you have a donut or cross in your head line, this indicates that you've been through an emotional crisis. A broken head line indicates that you are inconsistent in the way you think and may have even suffered a nervous breakdown.

Multiple crosses through your head line represent momentous decisions in your life.

Your Life Line starts on the edge of your palm, in between your index finger and thumb. It extends down your palm. Situated below your heart and head lines, this line will tell you about the quality of your life.

How to read your life line:
A life line that runs close to your thumb indicates that you are often tired.

If your line is curvy, you have a lot of energy. A long, deep lifeline indicates that you'll have a long, healthy life filled with vitality. If the line is short and shallow, then it may indicate that you let others control your life for you. If the line swoops around in a semicircle, you have tremendous strength and enthusiasm. If the line is straight and stays close to the edge of your palm, you are cautious when it comes to relationships and often hold back from love. If you have two or even three life lines, then this means you have extra vitality and positivism around you.

Variations on the life line: A circle in your life line indicates that you were hospitalized or injured. A break indicates a sudden change in lifestyle, such as an accident, illness or heartbreak. If you have lines that extend up and beyond your life line, then you are good at recovering from bad situations, but if you have lines that extend below your life line, you tend to waste energy.

Now that you know how to read palms, interpreting your love, head and life lines in palm reading can be a fun game to play with your friends, not to mention a great conversation starter at a party.

Have fun, but remember that none of the above interpretations is guaranteed to be factual!

By Shama Naz Siddiqui