Repost: The Beatles’ Top 11 Tips to Reinventing Yourself

What advice would you give your 12 year-old self if you could go back in time?  I know I’d warn little Susan not to drink peppermint schnapps at 3AM at that Halloween party in college. I’d also tell her to start learning Italian, since she’d need that language to speak to her future husband. And I’d most definitely tell her to start playing the guitar, that it would come in handy when she reinvented herself as a performing singer/songwriter.

“Huh?” She’d say.  “When I’m a what?“

We’re taught to do what we love, and once we find that “thing”, that’s pretty much all we do for the rest of our lives.

But I’ve found that’s just not true.

I am the Mother of Reinvention…in that I’m a mother and I’ve reinvented myself many times over the years.

From college grad to TV writer/producer to graduate (again!) to Mom to Nashville songwriter to songwriting teacher and performing artist, I’ve worn many hats over the years.  Transformation has been key to my happiness.

A wise songwriter once told me: everything you need you will find in the Beatles. So if you’re thinking of reinventing yourself, here’s a How To Guide, brought to you with a little help from my friends, The Fab Four:

1. Help!

Okay, so you hate what you’re doing for a living.  The first and hardest choice you need to make is whether you want to change your situation or not.  We spend a lot of time yearning for something different, but not actually doing anything about it. If you want to change your career, start doing the homework and laying the groundwork to make it possible.

2. Can’t Buy Me Love

What is success?  Everyone tells us it’s making the big bucks.  But if you don’t like your life, it doesn’t matter if you’re rolling in the dough. When changing careers, everyone tells you to save up some money so you can launch yourself into this new world.  That’s important, but even more important is rethinking what success means to you.  When you consider a radical shift in your career, most of the time that choice is driven by the search for something that is more meaningful or emotionally rewarding. Set yourself up for actual success by measuring success on something more than just financial rewards.

3. When I’m Sixty-Four

You’re never too old to start something new.  Never.  Trying new things is what keeps things interesting.  Yes, I do wish sometimes that I’d started my performing career in my 20’s.  And sure, I’m sometimes jealous of young musicians who can tour 200 days out of the year. Call me a late bloomer.  Or actually a perpetual bloomer. Don’t live with regrets. But you don’t want to look back on your life as something you could have lived. Carpe Diem. You only live once. Be all that you can be. Ahh, so many cliché phrases, and guess what? All of them are true.

4. Within You Without You

I was lucky. I knew what I wanted to do. But sometimes all you know is that you want and need a change. Where do you start? Start with yourself.  First of all, what do you enjoy doing? What skills do you have that relate to that?  What are you good at? Make a list of what you love, what you’re good at, and make a list of jobs that require this skill. Think outside of the box and be creative!  Writing has been the consistent skill that I’ve been able to apply to whatever discipline I’ve worked in.

5. You Can’t Do That

Yet…but it’s never too late to try! Maybe going back to school is the right way to go to help you learn a new skill.  Education is sometimes just the thing to get you started on your new career path.  Switching from TV promotion to music was daunting for me, because I was a singer with no formal music training.  I realized that if I wanted to do this as a career, I had to go back to school to learn the language.  So I quit my job to go back to school and study music at Berklee.

6. Glass Onion

What type of environment do you want to work in?  Do you prefer to be in a career that requires you to be social or would you prefer to work alone?  One of the things I love most about being a singer/songwriter is this balance between the group and the individual.  When you co-write a song, you need to share ideas and collaborate.  When you write alone, it’s just you and the guitar (or piano), and it’s a very personal solitary creative process.  I enjoy the fact that I can have both.

7. All You Need is Love

Having a strong support system in place is key to making a successful career change.  Find two or three people you can count on who will help you support your dream no matter what. When I made the decision to go back to school, it helped a lot that I had the support of my husband and family.

8. Eight Days A Week

You have to be willing to put in the time for the new career to take hold. Ever heard the theory that it takes 10,000 hours to master something? Give yourself the patience to develop and envelope your new role.  As a performing artist, I realized early on that if I was able to accompany myself on guitar, I was a whole lot more marketable (and portable) as a musician.  So, after only using the guitar as a writing tool, I’ve recently started playing the guitar at shows. Only 95,500 more hours to go….

9. The Long and Winding Road

Sometimes one opportunity leads to a different outcome than you expected.  You’ve got to be open to new directions that come your way.  I went to Berklee as a vocal major, so that I could learn music theory etc.  I never imagined that I would discover songwriting and that it would lead to a career in songwriting and my teaching there for the past 15 years. Sometimes the path you’re on leads you to different path, and this new road is the one you’re actually supposed to take.

10. Here, There and Everywhere

The key to finding success in any industry is the community of people who are in that industry.  I hate to call it “schmoozing or networking”.  That implies insincerity on your part.  It’s really making new friends and staying connected to the people who are part of the world you want to join. Make contacts and become part of your new community. Think about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you. As someone coming from a different world, you can probably provide a new perspective, and help them as much as they can help you.

11. I’ll Follow The Sun

When I look back on the twists and turns of my crazy career path, one thing is consistent. I followed my heart.  People change their lives for many different reasons.  In my life, the changes that I made were always because I was chasing what makes me happy. You’ll make mistakes, and it will be hard sometimes.  But go to what makes you happy.  Because, tomorrow may rain, so follow the sun.

Source: http://www.thechangeblog.com/reinventing-yourself/

Pour Donations for Syria

The Ice Bucket Challenge is trending nowadays to help raise fund for providing extensive care for ALS patients, and most especially to fund the study and determine the cure for the disease. ALS - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. Since its popularity, the organization has raised over four million dollars donation in just 1 month and I gotta tell, that means a lot for those suffering the disease and for the organization.

However, let’s not forget the current situation in Syria & Iraq. Due to the ongoing civil war and the aggression attacks of IS militants, there are over four million people who are displaced, with no food, water and job to continue living.  Almost 200, 000 people were killed and the number is still growing. I can’t just take this for granted. This has to stop. Easy to say, but based on the news it will go on for few more years and this means only one thing – an ongoing tragedy in which thousands more will be displaced and hundreds more will be killed. 

I just can’t sit comfortably here and do nothing to extend a helping hand to kids and families. With this, I checked a way to help out. There are many ways on helping out but I chose to donate via World Food Programme. You can donate any amount you are willing to give, it’s the least we can do to make their suffering lesser than the reality. Help feed the hungry. Help for their recovery. 

"The Syrian crisis is now in its fourth year. Having fled their homes to escape the conflict, millions of Syrians are now without jobs, money or reliable access to food. WFP food distributions are going ahead, despite difficulties and in April we dispatched enough for 4 million people. Our greatest challenge right now is getting access to besieged communities inside Syria. WFP is also providing assistance for almost 1.5 million refugees in neighbouring countries."

Here is the link where you can make a donation thru credit card. It’s fast and it’s effective.

https://give.wfp.org/en/629/?step=country&lead_source=2013-wfp-syria-crisispage&form_tag=2013-wfp-syria-crisispage

Thank you WFP for giving me a way to help out. Your cause is my cause, and for others, I hope you make it your cause too.

I Admit to Like These

You know when you like a very popular song but don't want to admit wanting it? It's because the rest of the world wants the song, and you want to be cool not liking it. HAHA, I hate to admit it, but I sometimes pretend not liking a particular song  that is all over the radio/spotify all because the rest of the world loves it. Here's one guilty person. But right now, I am admitting to this crime and revealing the songs I secretly loved when they became hits, and still love until today.

Call Me Maybe
Carly Rae Jepsen

What Makes You Beautiful

One Direction

Beautiful Soul 

Jesse McCartney

(I really love this song. Like really really love)

Like A Love Song

Selena Gomez

Listen some more: http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/08/if-we-listen-carefully.html

When in Singapore: Carousell

De-clutter, re-sell,  just sell, or just BUY. Here is an application you can download on your mobile phones to do those things, CAROUSELL (yup, it's your merry-go-round with an extra L). Carousell is a mobile application you can download on your iPhones and Android devices that allows you to snap and sell. It's widely used in Singapore, so if you haven't tried it yet.... try it NOW.  With limited space on your closet especially us, ladies, this is the best way to de-clutter and free up some space for the new trends in town. It's also for those techy guys who would like to have the latest gadgets available and wish to sell their old ones. It's also for just anything you want to sell out - just make sure they are in good condition of course. And most of all, if you have sellers, all kinds of BUYERS are highly encouraged to participate. I am 100% sure you'll love this application. From SGD5 tops to very good deal cameras, what else could you wish for? Oh probably filters on the search? No problem at all. Carousell does not only provide you a price range filter, and text filters, it does provide you as well a location based search. With the gps on our phones, Carousell can list all the items near your area.. That's right, if you want to arrange for a meet-up or personal collection, it's both convenient for you and the seller. What's more, you can chat with the seller, and follow them. It's just amazing. 

What else are you waiting for? Try it NOW! 

More about this? https://carousell.co/

 



 

If We Listen Carefully

Sometimes we love songs with upbeat melody and we never care of the lyrics. I seldom commit this crime because lyrics are more important to me than melody. But this crime is often committed by many especially when the melody is damn great. Here are some songs worth listening again and this time, take time to listen and understand the message of it. You will surely love them more.

Lady Gaga & Born This Way

There's nothin' wrong with lovin' who you are
She said, 'cause He made you perfect, babe
So hold your head up,
girl and you'll go far

TI, Rihanna & Live Your Life

So live your life, hey
You steady chasin' that paper
Just live your life, oh
Ain't got no time for no haters

Bonnie Bailey & Ever After

And now we're slightly weathered, we're slightly worn 
Our hands grip together, eye to eye through the storm, yet 
I still believe in ever after with you, yeahhhhh 
Cuz life is a pleasure with you by my side, 
And there ain't no current in this river we can't ride 
I still believe in ever after with you 

Good Read: DO YOU FORGET TO FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS?

Because life is never a straight path but a curvy and challenging one. It never was and will never be. _____

I get it. Life happens. It happens big. And it can be distracting. Other people rely on you. Things happen outside of your control.

And usually not just once. But a lot.

In fact, that is really what life is. A series of events that happens – many of which we can’t control.

And if we aren’t careful, we can let all the things that happen derail us from what we really want.

I get asked all the time “How do I stay on track and not get caught up?”

Caught up in what?

Work.
Kids.
Life.
Drama.
A relationship.
Etc.

The key thing is to make a daily practice of remembering what you want. But not just the goals that you want. The feelings that you want to feel.

For the most part – we are emotional creatures. All the goals we set, we set because we want to feel a certain way. This has been one of the core ideas I’ve been teaching for years.

The problem is that many of us go about trying to get the things we want, so we can feel the way we want to feel – in a backwards way.

We show in life to take, rather than give. We try to stress ourselves to peace. Or lack our way to abundance. Or resent our way to joy.

It doesn’t work.

When you think about the goals you want to set – ask yourself – what are the feelings you are actually going for?

Perhaps the finances you want to create are because you want to feel protected and free.

Perhaps you want the relationship so that you can feel love and connection.

Maybe you want the start a business so you can feel worthy.

And all these are wonderful things.

But – we must look at the means to our end. We must start from where we want to end, instead of the other way around.

So, look at your goals. Try to find the emotions you are looking for in setting their goals.

Let’s say it’s – feeling worthy.

So instead of going out and chasing a sense of feeling your worth.

Ask this question: What can I do today to feel worthy?

The answer may surprise you. And how can you remember to never forget this? How can you not get caught up in life?

By making this a daily practice.

Imagine not showering for a month.

The same thing happens to our emotional life when we forget to connect back to what we really want to feel as a daily practice.

So – what do you want to feel today? And what can your new daily practice of remembering be?

Source: http://thedailylove.com/do-you-forget-to-focus-on-your-goals/

Nat Geo People: Street Food Around the World

I do not know what happened, but one day I found myself enjoying Nat Geo People Channel for the whole day. And since then, every time I visit the living room, I sit down on the couch, click the remote control and look for the channel and watch comfortably. Try it, it doesn't only enhance your knowledge, but the channel will take you on a journey that you will never forget. Or probably because this channel features mostly food trips and travel. Two things I enjoy doing and actually love doing.

Anyway, I have already announced it on my facebook account so it's no secret that I somewhat have a crush on Ishai Golan. He is funny, he travels and he loves food. I like how he hosts his shows. And I can say, him being that funny actually is one of the reasons why I love this channel. 

One of his shows which I always watch is Street food around the World. From the title itself, you would know that this show features all the street food of the city he's in. Going to the streets, eating balut,kabab, doner, pho, and much much more.Not only do I get hungry every time I am watching, but suddenly I have this urge to check the city he's in, possibly contemplating the idea of going to the place and personally eat those delicacies. Damn, it's this show that I am really checking the possibility of pushing to visit Istanbul sooner than later. I still remember his (Ishai's)words - a city where east meets west; a cuisine influenced by both Asia and Europe. His words are like music to my ears and I can't wait to hop on a plane to take me there. You can say I am dreaming. I possibly am - it's actually the fuel that I need to drive this urge. 

Thank you Nat Geo for feeding the travel beast and the foodie in me. Your effort to influence is appreciated - at least by me.

Official Site: http://www.natgeotv.com/asia

Adam: But are we all lost stars?

I thought I got over Adam Levine getting married. But like all of his fans, it would take much longer to accept that fact especially when we start listening to some of his great songs. I guess I am part of the first fan generation of Maroon 5. I was kinda digging This Love and me liking a song during my Meteor Garden days meant that the song's THAT GREAT! (somebody's got my attention apart from the F4.) 

Anyway, here are some of his new songs from the movie Begin Again. The movie featured Maps, a new single from Maroon 5. I am now excited for Maroon 5's V album. I'm so sure it will be awesome just like any other albums of this band. 

Maps

Lost Stars

A Higher Place

No One Else Like You

Listen some more? http://anapink18.blogspot.sg/2014/08/pentatonix-cappella-meets-beat-box.html

Good Read: A Perspective from the Road Less Traveled

Here's one thing that I am sure of, at the end of the day, it always boils down to living the life to our likeness and satisfaction whether  the traditional career-life pattern or the challenging "road less traveled" life. But I gotta say, I admire those people who know exactly what they want out of this life on earth. I am still figuring it out but soon I will.

Live like you are going to die later. As morbid as it sounds, it will make you think of what your actions will be. 

---

I have always tried to live my life by one mantra: make life choices that I won’t regret in my final days.  It sounds simple enough, but has led me down some interesting paths, for better or worse.  I lived in Japan for several years (great choice), married my first boyfriend (bad choice), and have done a bunch of seemingly non-related jobs: IT technician, university professor, stay-at-home mom and game producer.

With few exceptions, I’m happy with how my life has turned out so far.  My experiences have filled me with joy and humility.  It has taught me to appreciate life beyond money or status.   On the flip side, leading a less structured life can wreak havoc on your professional career.  Those non-related jobs I referenced look like lack of focus on a resume.  When you live life on the road less traveled, you’re making it hard to compare your experience to others who are following a more traditional path.

But take heart.  For those of you either on the road less traveled with me or thinking about taking your first steps, there’s a few things I’ve learned:

There will always be opportunities for you.

Every time I’ve taken the plunge to do something different, it has terrified me.  When I had my first child, I quit a lucrative video game producing job that had a lot of career potential.  I knew that I wanted to spend more time with my children, but I had no idea how that would translate when I wanted to return to the workforce.  Yet, I’ve been able to find relevant part-time work as a “stay-at-home mom.”   I’ve taught at a local university.  I’ve consulted for small businesses.  I will soon commit several hours to a start-up company that has an upside for equity in the far distant future.  Just because I ended one career didn’t mean my professional life ended.  It meant many other doors opened for me that I never thought possible.

You increase your odds of being satisfied with your life. 

While there is no guarantee that you will be satisfied with your life, if you’re living it on your terms, you’re more likely to be happy.  While living in Japan, I met so many people who felt stuck with their lot in life that I never wanted to be in that position.  Working a job just for the money or out of obligation never seems to bear out for anyone.  I’ve learned instead to live on less and take jobs that give me more personal life satisfaction.  I’ve rarely regretted decisions that I’ve made, and when I do, I try my best to find new solutions to get out of that rut as quickly as possible.

You aren’t as unique as you think you are. 

You might think that forging your own path makes you unique, but the longer you’re on this road, the more people you meet taking it.  This can make you feel insignificant, especially if you compare yourselves to people who have achieved far greater success than you in the same amount of time.  I’ve been bitten by the jealousy bug more than a few times when I meet wildly successful people.  If you can push past that feeling, though, you can network with many like-minded individuals who can further living your own life.  They will give advice and support you.  And, almost without exception, the other individuals off the beaten path have reminded me just why I try to live life by my own terms (rather than just “get a job” and be done with it).

You will wish that you’d taken the more common road, now and again. 

It’s okay and even advisable to yearn for a more predictable life.  I’ve worked several government jobs in my career that I would consider more along “the beaten path.”  I’ve met many wonderful people and learned lots of things there.  I could have continued on with a full-time career in these jobs.  But staying in one job, or even just in one set of circumstances, just isn’t for me.  Whenever I get too settled in somewhere, I get the urge to be challenged and try something new.  So off I go.

And that’s really what being on the road less traveled is all about.  Moving on.  Growing and changing.  Never stop learning.  If you’re here with me on the road less traveled, I hope you feel as happy as I do.  The future may never turn out as you expected it would, but that’s half of the fun.  And so far, even with a few pitfalls and sorrow in my life, I can honestly say I have very few regrets.

Source: http://www.thechangeblog.com/road-less-traveled/

Throwback: Binondo Trip

The foodie in me is never tired of travelling hundred miles and even enduring long hours of travel (and traffic) just to get that little piece of heaven in my mouth. And the foodie in me is not afraid of trying the local delicacies (except for snake recipes) just to taste their culture seeping in my tongue. And lastly, the foodie in me is always feeling happy after indulging in gastronomy. And after having a taste of the very famous Tim Ho Wan this week, I remembered one of my journeys in Binondo. It really was a trip made straight from night shift work just to taste authentic Chinese dishes for very affordable price. Imagine, I traded sleep for some food – it rarely happens.

Anyway, Binondo is the oldest Chinatown in the world.  Having said that, Filipinos have been enjoying the cuisine since 1594. And who wouldn’t love authentic dimsum and dumplings? Tell me and I will drag him to the nearest Chinatown to taste these little goodies. He sure as hell will forget his name.

I can’t remember the name of this restaurant but ohlalalalalaa, it was a total foodgasm during that moment. You can see the picture of the tired me with that goodie. A tired but happy me. That is the effect of good food to me. 

Almost 50: Singapore's 49th

Flags can be seen all around the city center, the kampongs, and all the high rise buildings of Singapura. It only means one thing, the National Day is coming. It's not like I don't see that Red and White flag anywhere anytime of the day at any season of the year, but you will notice that whenever it's National Day (or the whole month of August) the flags are mass produced and all the Singaporeans are very eager and proud to post it to anything they own and let everyone feel their excitement for the nearing celebration. It is truly a celebration, I can still remember my first year and my first time attending the celebration. It was celebrated along the area of MBS and Merlion. A lot were waiting for the magnificent fireworks display that rendered us speechless for some minutes. I even bought my own little Singapura Umbrella to really let everybody know that I too was part of the celebration. 

Happy Birthday Singapura! 

Let's start the countdown for your Golden Birthday!

For more information on what's going to happen this August 9, 2014, visit the NDP Site. Click here: http://www.ndp.org.sg/

Health Hacks Worth Knowing

The only reason why I am sharing this here on my site is because they work. Or at least the rubbing of ears for itchy throat works which is a HUGE relief on my end.

Cause knowing our body is a way to fully use every single part of it correctly.

1. Cure a Tickling Throat

When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, especially if it serves as a health remedy. Take that tickle in your throat: It’s not worth gagging over. Here’s a better way to scratch your itch: Scratch your ear. “When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm,” says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose, and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. “This spasm relieves the tickle.”

2. Experience Supersonic Hearing
If you’re stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It’s better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you’re trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Calm Yourself With Cold Water
Nerves getting the best of you. Take a deep breath and spash cold water on your face. This triggers the mammalian diving reflex that is genetically in all animals including humans. The lower temperature of the water and you holding your breath also causes your body to think it’s diving into cold water. This reflex allows you to use oxygen more efficiently.

4. Overcome Your Most Primal Urge To Pee
Need to pee? No bathroom nearby? Fantasize about what ever turns you on. Thinking about sex and arousing fantasies preoccupies your brain, so you won’t feel as much discomfort, says Larry Lipshultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.

5. Feel No Pain While Giving Blood

Love donating blood but hate the needle prick? German researchers have discovered that coughing during a needle stick can lessen the pain. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

6. Swallow Your Horse-Sized Supplements
Those huge health supplements are sometimes a pain to swallow. Want to swallow more than one at a time without gagging? Try this trick to get them down: take a drink of water, and tilt your head forward instead of backward. The capsule should float, and will be at the back of your throat, ready to swallow.

7. Clear Your Stuffed Nose
Forget Sudafed. Here’s an easier, quicker, and cheaper remedy to relieve sinus pressure: Alternate thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you’ll feel your sinuses start to drain.

8. Fight Acid Reflux By Sleeping Position
Worried that chilli will repeat on you tonight? Try this preventive remedy: “Sleep on your left side,” says Anthony A. Starpoli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you’re on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity’s in your favor.

9. Cure Your Toothache
Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

10. Make Burns Disappear
When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natual method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

11. Stop the World from Spinning
Feeling dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance–the cupula– floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. “As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises,” says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

12. Unstitch Your Side
If you’re like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

13. Stop A Nose Bleed
Put some cotton on your upper gums–just behind that small dent below your nose–and press against it, hard. “Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose,” says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. “Pressing here helps stop them.”

14. Make Your Heart Stand Still
Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It’ll get your heart rate back to normal.

15. Thaw Your Brain Freeze
Press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. “Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too,” says Abo. “In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache.” The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

16. Prevent Near-Sightedness
Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. “It’s usually caused by near-point stress.” In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles–like the eyes–into relaxing as well.

17. Wake Up a Limb That Feel Asleep
If your hand falls asleep while you’re driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It’ll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so stand up and walk around if they fail you.

18. Impress Your Friends
Next time you’re at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He’ll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that’s a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will cave like the French. By misaligning his hips, you’ve offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body’s ability to resist.

19. Breathe Underwater
If you’re dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first–essentially, hyperventilate. When you’re underwater, it’s not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it’s the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin’ ain’t right. “When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity,” says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. “This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen.” It’ll buy you up to 10 seconds.

20. Encode Long-Term Memory
Your own! “If you’re giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep,” says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.

21. Relieve a Migraine Instantly
The next time you are about to reach for some pills to get rid of your headache, use your thumb and forefinger and pinch down on the muscle on the web of your hand (thumb on the back of your hand and forefinger underneath) and press for 2 minutes. Repeat. Most headaches and migraines will ease after just 4 minutes. This shiatsu point addresses headaches by dispersing stagnant Ki (i.e. blocked energy) and moving blood in the head, neck, and other parts of the body.

Source: http://earthweareone.com/21-health-hacks-everyone-should-know/

Pentatonix: A Cappella Meets Beat Box

I am always in awe every time I get to listen to popular songs being performed in A cappella beautifully. I mean the instruments give that 50% of the beauty of a song and a group would take the challenge of stripping the song down and still making it beautiful without the instruments, just the blend of their voices. I always have goosebumps listening to these kind of songs. No other words to describe that feeling. Then there's the beat boxing. If A cappella is singing the song without the instruments for the melody, beat boxing is singing the melody without the words. This is a talent not everyone can do. I tried doing it, I only ended up spewing a load of saliva; never did it again. Listening to one performing kinda amazes me, I mean who wouldn't be amazed by that?

Anyway, here's a group that does both at the same time and they are awesome. They are the Pentatonix. If you haven't heard any of their songs, here are some that would blow your mind. Super amazeballs!

Daft Punk Medley

Somebody that I Used to Know

Gotye feat Kimbra

Royals

Lorde

Official Website: http://ptxofficial.com/music
Official FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/Pentatonix