5 Way to Feel More Beautiful and Attract Love

Have you ever felt ugly or unattractive? Sometimes people can feel that way if they put on a few pounds, if someone rejects them or after they acted out in anger.

No matter what society determines as being attractive, I believe everyone is beautiful in their own way. They key is that you must feel good inside to really express that beautiful self out in the world. Here are some simple ways to access authentic beauty in the world and in your heart:

1. Appreciate those you love. Thank someone in your life for something nice they did for you or just being in your world.

2. Take time to look at nature every day. There is a perfection in the balance of the earth, plants and animals that are unmatched by synthetic substitutes.

3. Daily meditation. Quieting your noisy, mostly negative mind can bring in a lightness and silence that heals the rough edges of your perception of yourself and your life.

4. Wear bright colors. The clothes you wear can make an impact on how good you feel. Clothing that is too tight, too loose or torn can drag down your confidence. Dress in the way that makes you express your best.

5. Engage in a healthy lifestyle. Eat nutritious foods that make you feel better about your body. Take time each day to move your body and thank your body for all that it does for you.

Instead of spending tons of money on expensive creams, plastic surgery or designer clothes, these ideas can be implemented with little or no financial investment and will give you greater results. You will truly feel more beautiful from the inside out.

Tips for Maintaining Friendships

Friendships are incredibly special things. Friends can be as close to you as family, and good friends will stand by you even when you are experiencing the darkest of times. A solid, trusting friendship is something to be valued and appreciated at all costs, but it can be difficult sometimes to keep friendships healthy and thriving.

People move away from one another, lives change, and sometimes distances can grow even between the closest of friends. Friendships are like plants in a way: they take time and care in order to stay healthy and happy. It doesn't matter if you have been friends for three months or thirty years; you can benefit from the following tips on how to keep the friendships in your life strong.

Keep in touch. You know that cheesy saying that you wrote in everyone's yearbooks in middle school and high school? Take it on as a mantra for your friendships and you can ensure that you will remain a strong presence in your friends' lives. Make time for one another, and take time to connect. If you are fortunate enough to live in the same city, schedule in weekly or bi-weekly coffee or cocktail dates where you can keep each other up to speed about what is going on in your lives.

This may seem like a stretch when so many of us are busy with so many other things, but nothing lets a friendship die more quickly than neglect. If you live in separate states or even countries, schedule times to talk on the phone. E-mail is a great way to keep in touch regularly as well, but phone calls are a bit more personal. Not only will making time for one another keep you updated on one another's lives, but it will give you some possibly much needed alone time with your pals and with no other obligations.

Be a good listener. As simple as this sounds, many people are not very good listeners. Yes, they may be sitting there and nodding their heads as someone is speaking, but are they really hearing what is being said? To be a good listener, truly focus on what the other person is saying. Don't start thinking about what you are going to talk about when it's your turn or how you are going to respond-wait until your friend is done sharing, ask follow-up questions and repeat back some of the things they said so the other person feels heard. This is a great practice for romantic relationships but it works wonders in maintaining friendships as well.

Communicate. No matter how close the friendship, there will come a time when you have a disagreement. It is inevitable, you bicker, someone says something hurtful and the next thing you know you are storming off in a huff, vowing to find some better friends who understand you better. A friendship can quickly die if words go unsaid, so communicating through an argument is important to keeping your friendships healthy.

Take some time apart to cool down before you talk again, and really try to look at both sides of the argument. Be honest about what you are thinking and feeling, and try not to go on the defensive when your friend tells you how they are feeling. Although it's not always easy, communication in times of upset only serves to make friendships stronger.

Be supportive. It is incredibly hurtful when you take a path in life and those around you don't support your decisions. As tough as it can be, try and unconditionally support your friends. If you think they are being harmful to themselves or others, that would be a time to speak up and step in, but in most cases, support and encouragement is a wonderful way to ensure that friendships grow and thrive. Knowing you have your friends standing behind your decisions and actions is a wonderful, empowering feeling, and one you should try to give to others as well.

Leigh Maher researches and writes about Celtic jewelry, and specialises in Celtic wedding rings, engagement rings and bridal jewelry. Click here for more information about diamond Claddagh ring.

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10 Tips Anger Management & Conflict Resolution in Relationship

Conflict and disagreement are inevitable in relationships. Anger is a natural emotion, and disagreements can be healthy sign of difference. Conflict usually occurs because certain needs are not being met - either within the relationship or outside or it. The object of conflict management is to ask for those needs to be met in a way that does not damage your relationship.

Here are some tips that may be useful to manage anger and reduce conflict.

1. TAKE TIME-OUTS. Disagreements are best dealt with when both parties are in a non-aroused state. Whenever possible, take a time-out to calm your body down. Techniques include breathing, relaxation & visualisation (see separate self-help guide). Strong emotions of anger, grief or anxiety do not make it easy for us to access our rational faculties and so there is little benefit of trying to address disagreements in this condition - it often just escalates into insults and unintentional dagger-throwing. Both of you should respect each other's need for a time-out; it's not running away from the issue, but preparing yourself to deal with it in more receptive mode.

2. REFLECT INTERNALLY. Check in on yourself and ask yourself what you think the issue is about. Ask yourself what part you are playing in this - are you misinterpreting what your partner has said? Are you in a bad mood from something else? Are you being reasonable here? Ask yourself if you think it is an issue that is important enough to stand your ground on - can you let this go without resentment or do you need to ask your partner for something? Sometimes we argue out of habit and because it connects us (even though it is negative, at least we both get attention). Ask yourself whether you really need to take up this issue. If so, think about what exactly you need to ask for.

3. EXPLAIN. Avoid presuming that your partner should know what is wrong. Empathy is an elusive concept - it is nearly impossible for another person to truly know what you are experiencing and to give you what you want. It useful if you can ask for what you need.

4. TAKE PERSPECTIVE. There is sometimes great temptation to elevate the stakes in an argument. Threats and ultimatums are damaging to the ego and chip away at the whole of the relationship. Thus, try and keep the argument to the specific issue rather than make the whole relationship at risk. Avoid 'if you do this one more time...' 'I can't take this any more, I'm leaving'... Each of you should know that however unpleasant this disagreement is, it will not touch the relationship. If the relationship is to end, it should be decided separately to a heated argument.

5. TRY TO PERSONALIZE. The conversation is best approached from a personal angle, rather than blaming your partner. If your partner hears criticism he/she will want to defend himself/herself rather than address the issue. Try and use 'I feel...', 'It hurts me when...', 'I would really like it if...', rather than 'you make me feel...', 'when you do that....'. Try also to avoid generalization such as 'you always do that..', 'you never think...' - it is certainly hurtful and is usually inaccurate.

6. OWN UP TO MISTAKES. It is not a weakness to accept that you have acted out of line. Owning up to faults and mistakes is helpful to both parties, so long as it is not done out of martyrdom or for manipulative effect. Apologising early can save a lot of unnecessary conflict.

7. INCLUDE SOMETHING POSITIVE. When putting your point across, it brings good results if you can refer to something positive as well. The discussion is unlikely to be rosy, but if you can draw on aspects that you do like, it will make your partner less tense and combative. Putting across negative points in a humorous way can also work. Humour doesn't mean your partner is trivialising the issue, rather it makes it easier for him/her to confront an issue.

8. FOCUS ON THE PRESENT. By clinging to the painful memory of a past event (no matter how distressing it was) you are impeded from living in the present. You are entitled to a period of grieving and are allowed to make your needs clear to your partner. Long-held resentment will tarnish a relationship. Try not to use past events as ammunition. Even though it might be a recurring issue, the current disagreement should address the here and now.

9. AIM TO BE HAPPY, NOT TO BE RIGHT. The purpose of approaching conflict is to get to maximum results for both of you. When you argue to win (by point-scoring), the gain is short-term and mostly leaves you feeling worse. When you argue to ask for your needs to be met, it is still unpleasant, but you are working to building better conditions for both of you.

10. AGREE TO DISAGREE. You are entitled to ask your partner to help meet your needs, but you are not in the business of getting your partner to come around to seeing the world as you do. It is fruitless to try to convert them to your philosophy of life. Differences should be embraced - including different sets of interests and activities. Finally, it is not up to your partner to fulfil all of your needs, they also have to be met internally and with other people (family, friends).

CONCLUSION:

The above tips represent a set of tools for handling anger management and conflict in relationships. They are not easy to incorporate, but with practice, your relationship will hopefully improve. It does not substitute for a professional consultation with a qualified psychotherapist or counsellor. If you or your partner's anger escalates into physical or emotional abuse, then it is strongly advised that you seek help from a third party or external organisation.