Intelligence is Value

Do you have what it takes to become a blogger? Well, that really depends. Now, here’s a couple of questions for you to ask yourself before you become an actual blogger. The first question to ask yourself is why do you want to become a blogger? Knowing your intent for becoming a blogger affects the tone of your blogs. It is very important to know why you want to become a blogger, whether for business or for pleasure. Writing for businesses means that the tone of your blogs should become less personal and more objective and open for criticism instead of having a strong personal remark about whatever matter you are writing about.

The second question to ask yourself is what are you passionate and well-knowledgeable about? Blogging about something you completely do not understand would become a great problem for you later on as people start to not only question your blogs, but experts who know more than you would start correcting you and it would definitely affect you in the long run.

Now, how do you start blogging? Well, the start can be tricky as you are still trying to get into the spotlight. Writing about a popular topic and one is a great way to start. But writing isn’t everything, you also have to market your first article properly. It may cost you a little but the right marketing at the start would definitely help you go a long way. Paying to have your blogs featured is perfectly normal during the start. It might seem like something you would not want to do as you are trying to gather your audience through organic means, this does not always work out the way you want it to during the start.

Blogging is not just about the content, it is also about the branding. Although the topics are very important, your approach towards a certain topic is important as well. Make sure you are able to approach a certain topic with your signature approach which you will later on be known for. Your approach has to be unique because you have to put into mind that there may be a hundred people out there trying to blog about the same topic.

Writing about a popular topic during the start of your blogging career is very important since you still haven’t found your audience. It is a great idea to target certain groups instead of just individuals and try to penetrate their circle. That way, not only will you have your audience but they will also market your work for you.

Blogging may be a hard thing to do, but if you are determined enough to do it, why shouldn’t you?

Some of us aren’t used to silence. In fact, some of us dread it. But what’s so scary about silence? Is it the fact that we do not trust ourselves with our thoughts, is it the fact that without words, we aren’t able to connect with the things and people around us? Well, there are a lot of reasons why we aren’t comfortable with silence but what we don’t realize is that silence is actually important.

When was the last time you sat quietly with yourself without feeling even the slight bit uncomfortable? Well, was there ever a time where you were able to remain in silence without feeling uncomfortable? There are only a fortunate few who have actually learned to enjoy and accept silence. This may seem like a ridiculous thought but how on earth can silence be good for you? Well, silence has a lot of ways to remain beautiful but the question is, how are we suppose to be able to appreciate it?

Finding the beauty in silence is like finding the beauty in simplicity, it may be hard to find something so abstract in something so plain but that’s actually the point. You aren’t suppose to be looking for something abstract. In fact, you are suppose to be looking for something else. You see, the less we focus on some of our senses, the stronger our other senses become.

This is what silence has to offer to us. Silence offers us clarity. clarity of not just our thoughts but also other senses.

Silence wants us to listen. But the question is, listen to who? Well, to ourselves. See, most of us spend our time listening to the opinions and thoughts of other people instead of constructing our own ideas, perspectives, and opinions. Knowing yourself is the best asset you will ever be able to acquire. Once you have become familiar to the many different strengths and weaknesses you posses, the easier it is for you to improve yourself.

You see, the more you know yourself, the easier it is for you to be able to build yourself into a stronger individual. Strength comes only when you acknowledge how vulnerable you actually are. Vulnerability and self-awareness, once recognized, will become your assets. If you deny the weaknesses you posses, how will you be able to defend yourself once people target those certain weaknesses?

It’s okay to be silent. It’s okay to sit in silence. But it is not okay if you aren’t able to make the most out of the silence around you. Besides, you are often surrounded with the voices of other people. Maybe it is time to listen to your own voice.

According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders are common among the elderly, accounting for at least 15% of the population. Even if older adults aged 60 and above can still contribute to the society, they are at high risk of developing diseases and might experience various conditions at the same time. They are also reluctant to ask for help especially with the stigma surrounding mental illness.

What are the most common psychiatric disorders of the elderly?

Dementia
Dementia is the umbrella term for the conditions marked by the following symptoms: deterioration in the thinking skills, memory loss, and inability to perform daily activities. WHO estimated that there are 47.5 million people with dementia, most of them coming from middle class and low-income families. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s, which is associated with physiological aging, history of head traumas, history of depression, mental inactivity, and genetic makeup. It’s not uncommon as well for the elderly to experience comorbidity, or the presence of two chronic illnesses at the same time.

Cerebrovascular Diseases
The most common forms are ischemic WMLs (white matter lesions) and stroke which mirror the symptoms of depression. There is a need to distinguish between the two conditions because it’s also common for patients who have had a stroke to also suffer from depression. If not treated properly, it can lead to cognitive impairment. There are also studies that point to the relation of depression and the risk of having a stroke or ischemic WMLs, because depression might affect insulin resistance and platelet activation.

Depression
According to the WHO, the type of depression most commonly experienced by the elderly is unipolar depression, while others suffer from subsyndromal depression or dysthymia. In most cases, it is undiagnosed and untreated in the elderly because they are dismissed as problems associated with getting old, but contrary to this belief, depression isn’t a part of normal aging. Depression is usually triggered by changes in an old adult’s life like the death of loved ones, health problems, financial dependence, and inability to do the things they used to enjoy when they were more physically capable. It’s not uncommon for the elderly to rely on substances such as alcohol to forget their worries and troubles. Some also take more medications to feel better, especially if the elderly is also suffering from other health problems.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders commonly experienced by the elderly include phobia, panic attacks, and social anxiety. Like depression, anxiety disorders stem from the changes experienced by the elderly as well as stress, failing health, and memory loss. In some cases, anxiety and depression are both experienced by the elderly and will cause the person to interact less with other people, focus on being alone and safe, and will be fixated with routine. The most vulnerable people are those who have experienced traumatic events, those who experienced loss of family members, and those with chronic illnesses.

If you’ve never cried over movies before, try these 12 sad films and see how long you can hold back the tears.

Life is Beautiful (1997)
Guido Orefice is a Jewish Italian businessman who tried to shield his son from the terrors of the concentration camp by making up stories and games.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Seita and Setsuko have been orphaned by the Second World War. With nowhere to turn to, the children tried to survive in a bomb shelter by themselves.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008)
Inspired by the novel of the same title by John Boyne, it features two boys in an extermination camp who developed a friendship not knowing one of them is a son of a Nazi commandant and the other is a Jew.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)
This film is a remake of the 1987 movie Hachikou Monogatari and tells the story of the friendship between a music professor and an Akita. Hachi always waited for him at the train station until the professor stopped coming.

Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Based on the novel of the same title by William Styron, the film features Sophie Zawistowski who moved to Brooklyn after spending time at the concentration camp in Auschwitz.

The Green Mile (1999)
Paul Edgecomb is a death row corrections officer who met a mentally-challenged inmate named John Coffey. John was convicted or rape and murder, but later shows that he has supernatural powers after he healed Paul.

Philadelphia (1993)
Andrew Beckett had everything you can ask for until a firm partner pointed out that he had a lesion on his head and was later dismissed. It turned out that he had cancer caused by AIDS. He contacted the lawyer Joe Miller to take his case, but the latter was afraid he would contract AIDS too.

I Am Sam (2001)
Sam Dawson, Lucy’s father, had a developmental disability who needs to fight to secure his parental rights after his ability to take care of the child was questioned.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Based on a true story, it recalls the life of Chris Gardner who struggled to make a better life for his son despite being broke and homeless.

The Elephant Man (1980)
The film is based on the life of Joseph Merrick who was a severely deformed star of a freak show. In the movie, the first name was changed to John.

Love Story (1970)
Inspired by the novel of the same title by Erich Segal, it tells the story of Oliver Barrett IV and Jennifer Cavalleri who fall in love despite their class differences. Oliver’s parents threatened to cut off ties with him if he married Jennifer.

Old Yeller (1957)
Based on the novel by Fred Gipson, it tells the story of the friendship between the boy Travis Coates and a stray dog named Old Yeller during the post-Civil War.

On this fast-paced world we live in, it is considered a norm to drink coffee regularly in order to give us the energy we need to finish our tasks. Whether we know it or not, we begin to rely on coffee to give us the boost we need in the morning. It came to a point where we don’t feel alright, or we feel something is lacking, if we deprive ourselves of this hearty drink.

Regardless, drinking too much coffee can actually be harmful to our bodies. Keep in mind that too much of anything can be destructive in the end. With that, nutritionists highlight a couple of health benefits we get from cutting back on our coffee consumption.

1. Lose some pounds
Caffeinated drinks contain far too many calories. And while they are essential for us to burn while we do our day-to-day tasks, a generous amount still remains and therefore weighs us over time. Blended coffee drinks, such as frappucinos, can easily make you gain unwanted weight in every serving. A bit of sugar and cream on your drink may not sound as much, but you’ll be surprised to know they easily equate to roughly about 200 calories.

2. Better sleep
Having a caffeine boost at least six hours before your bed time can disrupt your good night’s sleep. Coffee, for one, is known to keep one’s mental state awake and alert — hence hindering you from achieving a sound rest for the night. Those who are completely off caffeine when the night falls are found to sleep deeper!

3. Feel calmer
Although it varies among different people, coffee is generally infamous for putting the body’s nervous system on high alert. Coffee lovers generally feel anxious after a cup of coffee, if not most. The caffeine it contains triggers adrenaline release to the body. On medical terms, it is also a vasoconstrictor; which means the drink narrows your blood vessels and raises blood pressure. Lesser coffee means lesser feelings of stress and vague anxiousness.

4. Less emergency bathroom trips
Coffee is also known for its effect on speeding up one’s digestive process. Since the drink is acidic, it puts you on the risk of emergency trips to the bathroom more frequently. Significantly cutting back on coffee means you won’t need to prepare for emergency runs to the nearest toilet often. This puts your stomach on a much happier, satisfied state.

5. Whiter teeth
Caffeinated drinks such as coffee and tea are notorious for staining the teeth. This results to your teeth turning yellow, despite your regular habit of flossing and brushing your teeth properly. Cutting back on your coffee consumption is one good way to prevent your teeth from getting further stained. The more coffee you drink, the more likely you are to subject your teeth to staining. Besides, who wouldn’t love a healthy set of pearly whites?

Caffeine is one of the most popular and accessible stimulants in the market. Adults, for one, are noted to consume an increased amount of caffeine on a daily basis. Their staggering number shouldn’t be a surprise. With all the workloads and deadlines they have to meet, they need a drink to give them the energy they need in getting all the work done.

Although caffeine enjoys its popularity among varied crowds, most people only have limited knowledge when it comes to the stimulant. For instance, when caffeine is brought up in any conversation, people immediately assume they’re talking about coffee or certain sodas. But did you know there’s more to know about caffeine?

1. It brings positive impact on one’s memory
Caffeine is known to have a positive impact on both your short-term and long-term memory. A drink per day may just protect you from cognitive decline (brought about by old age) and even diseases like Alzheimer’s. Regardless, in order to protect the body from Alzheimer’s, it is also important to get enough sleep and rest. Be sure to drink only the right amount of caffeinated drinks, nothing more!

2. Caffeine effects are immediate
The effects of caffeine on the body takes on immediately. The substance can easily pass through the barrier in the blood and the brain, making the body’s central nervous system easy to stimulate. You will instantly feel alert after downing one cup of coffee. The boost continues on for about one hour after consumption, allowing you to achieve more work productivity.

3. Enhances athletic skills
It has been found out how caffeine aids in the improvement of one’s workout or performance in a game/sport. In particular, the stimulant increases one’s alertness and thus decreases reaction time. Consuming caffeine is also likely to help you bring out the best version of you. You can do significantly more for what it seems like a normal amount of effort.

4. It doesn’t dehydrate you
About 98 percent of caffeine is usually consumed through caffeinated drinks. Thus, you are still keeping the body hydrated in a way every time you take it in. Contrary to popular belief, caffeine is unlikely to dehydrate you, but this doesn’t mean you should drink unhealthy amounts of it. It is still encouraged to enjoy the drink moderately. Water is still more effective in keeping yourself hydrated, so don’t forget to chug in some water as well.

5. Caffeine spans beyond beverages
Caffeinated drinks aside, the stimulant can also be consumed majorly in chocolates and other foods and substances. You may even find caffeine in some medicines, such as Midol. This can be dangerous, though, especially if you are diagnosed with an existing hypertension or any heart condition. Remember to consult your doctor if it is alright for you to take caffeine-infused pain relievers.