We are halfway through the year, it’s not too late to jumpstart this list to a happier you:
Meet 98 year old Dobri Dobrev, a man who lost his hearing in the second world war. Every day he walks 10 kilometers from his village in his homemade clothes and leather shoes to the city of Sofia, where he spends the day begging for money.
Though a well known fixture around several of the city’s churches, known for his prostrations of thanks to all donors, it was only recently discovered that he has donated every penny he has collected — over 40,000 euros — towards the restoration of decaying Bulgarian monasteries and the utility bills of orphanages, living instead off his monthly state pension of 80 euros.
Share your thoughts on this story
Wake up everyday, stronger than yesterday. Wipe your tears, seek out things that make you smile; people that support you; stand by you through it all; hold you when you cry; listen to you; talk to you; help you; take care of you. Hold your head up high and be encouraged. Face your fears and Wipe Your tears.
Stephanie cares
xoxo
SL
I Lost Both Arms And Legs While Taking Injection For Bigger Bottom – Apryl Michelle Brown
A mum of two told a magazine last night how her quest for a bigger bottom left her a quadruple amputee – and 24 hours from death
Apryl Michelle Brown had black-market silicone injections which turned out to be BATHROOM SEALANT
It left her in agony and led to her losing her hands and feet
As well as her buttocks
The 46-year-old former hairdresser blames “vanity” and wants to warn others of the terrible dangers of such illegal
treatments
Apryl said:
“I’ve paid a terrible price for vanity and I’ll
pay for the rest of my life
But I blame no one but myself
“I want to share my story to warn others about these so-called ‘quick fix’ surgeries.
“I didn’t realise the dangers
I thought it was a harmless injection that would give me the perfect bottom
But the reality was the silicone used wasn’t suitable for humans
It was in fact
Bathroom sealant only suitable for DIY
“My body had a massive allergic reaction to it which left me at the brink of death
“I was in so much agony that by that point
Dying would have been a release
The only way doctors could save my life was to amputate my buttocks
My hands and feet.” Teased as a child about her “pancake” bum
Apryl vowed to buy a shapelier one when she was older
She said
“I didn’t know if I wanted mine to look like Janet Jackson’s or J-Lo’s
“I didn’t even know how you could do it
I just wanted a new and bigger bottom
”The moment that changed her life came in 2004
When two women walked into her successful beauty salon to get their hair done
One of them ran “pumping parties” —
Where unqualified practitioners inject illegal silicone into “patients” at their home
Apryl from Los Angeles said
“One of the women told me how she had given bottom injections to the friend who was with her
“I remember thinking it was a miracle she’d walked into my life
Her friend showed me the work she’d had done and it looked great
“In a split second I made the decision that I was going to go to this woman and let her inject silicone into my behind”
That decision nearly killed me
Apryl paid the woman
Who had no medical background
Around £650 for two lots of injections
Doctors later discovered the substance used was industrial-grade silicone
Apryl admitted:
“I didn’t do any research
A combination of naivety
Misplaced trust and insecurity led me to take this disastrous decision
“I trusted her because she seemed so professional and I had no reason to think anything awful was going to happen
“She carried out the procedure in her daughter’s bedroom
She assessed my bottom and said
‘You’ll need three or four sessions to get the result you want’
“The first procedure took an hour
I remember asking
‘Is it meant to be so painful?’ and she said, ‘Yes’
It felt like it was squeezing through my nerves
” Within weeks Apryl returned for her second treatment
She said: “After going through it again I had an epiphany
As I left her house I thought
‘What am I doing?
I have no idea what she’s putting in my body’
“I never returned
But though I didn’t know it then
My life had already changed forever
”Over the next two years the area where she’d been injected became hard and the skin blackened
Apryl mum to daughters Danye 22 and Courtney 21
Said:
Within a few months of the second injection my buttocks began to harden
I knew something wasn’t right
But shame stopped me seeking medical help
As time went on it got worse as the skin blackened. I developed hard lumps
Then the searing pain started
I had to tell my doctor what I did
I was so ashamed.” Apryl spent the next four years in constant pain
Two surgeons told her it was too dangerous to remove the silicone
She said:
“I was in so much agony I became a regular at the hospital asking for medication to ease what was like a combination of a migraine
Childbirth and toothache localised in one area
In February 2011 a surgeon operated unsuccessfully
Apryl developed a hole in her buttocks — thought to be the trigger for an infection that in June was nearly fatal
She said: “I was 24 hours from dying
I didn’t think of leaving my family
It was a relief I’d finally be free of pain” Doctors put her in an induced coma for two
months while performing 27 surgeries — Starting with amputating her buttocks — and doing extensive skin grafts
She said: “They saved me but gangrene set into my hands and feet
I was brought out of sedation shortly before I became a quadruple amputee
“My hands looked like those of a dead person
I knew then I was going to lose them.” She added:
“At first you try to register your new limbs
The real comprehension comes when you start to live this new life
“I had dark times
I cried a sea of tears
I had to face the fact I’d lost my hands
Feet and buttocks because of complications from bottom injections
I was overwhelmed by shame and guilt…
All because I wanted a bigger bottom
“I was six months in hospital
By the time I was discharged I was determined to turn this terrible thing into something positive
“I decided to do a triathlon
I told myself if I could achieve that I could do anything
“I took my first steps again by the end of 2011
I built up to training six days a week
Learning to walk
Cycle then swim again using my residual
limbs
“I’d be crying in pain but I’d push through it
And six weeks I did it — completing a three-mile walk
Ten-mile cycle and a 150-meter swim “When I crossed that finishing line with my family cheering me on
I cried tears of joy.” She added:
“I haven’t sued or sought compensation
I just want to move on
There are things I miss dearly — I’ll never be able to do my girls’ hair or feel sand between my toes
“But I believe I survived to share my story
“I want to warn others of the dangers of black-market surgery
We were born whole
Perfect and complete
“My greatest message is we have to learn to love and accept ourselves for who we are”
What did you learn from this story?
5 Ways To Increase Your Intelligence – pickthebrain.com
1. Minimize Television Watching – This is a hard sell. People love vegetating in front of the television, myself included more often than I’d like. The problem is watching television doesn’t use your mental capacity OR allow it to recharge. It’s like having the energy sapped out of a muscle without the health benefits of exercise.
Don’t you feel drained after a couple hours of TV? Your eyes are sore and tired from being focused on the light box for so long. You don’t even have the energy to read a book.
When you feel like relaxing, try reading a book instead. If you’re too tired, listen to some music. When you’re with your friends or family, leave the tube off and have a conversation. All of these things use your mind more than television and allow you to relax.
2. Exercise – I used to think that I’d learn more by not exercising and using the time to read a book instead. But I realized that time spent exercising always leads to greater learning because it improves productivity during the time afterwards. Using your body clears your head and creates a wave of energy. Afterwards, you feel invigorated and can concentrate more easily.
3. Read Challenging Books – Many people like to read popular suspense fiction, but generally these books aren’t mentally stimulating. If you want to improve your thinking and writing ability you should read books that make you focus. Reading a classic novel can change your view of the world and will make you think in more precise, elegant English. Don’t be afraid to look up a word if you don’t know it, and don’t be afraid of dense passages. Take your time, re-read when necessary, and you’ll soon grow accustomed to the author’s style.
Once you get used to reading challenging books, I think you’ll find that you aren’t tempted to go back to page-turners. The challenge of learning new ideas is far more exciting than any tacky suspense-thriller.
4. Early to Bed, Early to Rise – Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation. You’ll be most rejuvenated if you go to bed early and don’t sleep more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up lethargic and have trouble focusing. In my experience the early morning hours are the most tranquil and productive. Waking up early gives you more productive hours and maximizes your mental acuity all day.
If you have the opportunity, take 10-20 minute naps when you are hit with a wave of drowsiness. Anything longer will make you lethargic, but a short nap will refresh you.
5. Take Time to Reflect – Often our lives get so hectic that we become overwhelmed without even realizing it. It becomes difficult to concentrate because nagging thoughts keep interrupting. Spending some time alone in reflection gives you a chance organize your thoughts and prioritize your responsibilities. Afterwards, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s important and what isn’t. The unimportant stuff won’t bother you anymore and your mind will feel less encumbered.
Feel free to add your own view,this could go a long way and do share.
This is very inspiring. Children are really the future.
Happy Children’s Day to the leaders of tomorrow
xoxo
SL
Love is a strong emotion, representing human kindness, compassion, and deep affection. Love is unselfish and benevolent. Love is pure. Love is self-directed and directed toward others. Most importantly, love is a vital component for the health of your heart, body, mind and soul. Love is known to relieve stress, increase immunity, decrease inflammation and contribute to good sleep and heart health.
What is your Love Story and how has it improved your well being?
xoxo
SL
We need daily reminders to keep us motivated and positive. By letting yourself know each day that you are powerful, beautiful, and intelligent, you will feel empowered to do amazing things and push harder for what you want. Here are 7 powerful daily reminders that I hope you will read to yourself each day for inspiration and strength. (Culled from allwomenstalk)
1. Your Past Doesn’t Define You
We’ve all made mistakes. We all have things we want to forget and leave behind. You have to forgive yourself for those mistakes and move on. Just because you failed at something once doesn’t mean you will fail at it again, or that you will fail at something else you try. Add this to your own list of daily reminders and don’t let your past define you.
2. Success Starts outside Your Comfort Zone
Think about that one for a minute. Think about goals you have reached. You probably had to work hard to accomplish them. That hard work probably took you out of your normal routine, but once you started working and got a little more comfortable you started to make progress, right? This is true for everything in life. You want to lose weight, then change what you are doing now and work a little harder. You want to earn more money, then you are going to have to put in more hours. If you are trying to pay off debt, you may need to cut back on some of your spending. Doing all those things takes you outside of your comfort zone, but that’s when you start to see results.
3. Be Your Own Best Friend
We all know the golden rule is to treat others the way we want to be treated, but I argue for another golden rule. We need to treat ourselves the way we expect others to treat us. If you want respect then you need to respect yourself. Think about how you treat yourself. Would you allow your best friend to treat you like that?
4. Don’t Let Fear Win
We all have fears. We are afraid to fail, look stupid, or be rejected. Too often we let our fears win and we never pursue the things we want in life. This is not okay. Don’t let fear win. Cast the fears aside, have faith in yourself and pursue your dreams.
5. Take The First Step
Sometimes we are presented with a journey or a challenge and we don’t know how things might end. Taking that first step is hard, but taking that first step is the only way to get started. Each step after that becomes a little bit easier and soon the picture becomes clearer and we gain more confidence in ourselves.
6. Be You
Being fake takes too much energy. Be who you are! Embrace your quirks, love your imperfections, and celebrate your differences. While you are at it, celebrate the differences of others. How boring would life be if we were all the same?
7. Live with Passion
Do the things you are passionate about. If you neglect your passions, you are going to resent life and feel unfulfilled. I love being around people that have careers involving their passions. They have such a zest for life and a complete joy about them. Strive for that!
What are some things that you remind yourself of daily that help you stay positive? Has anyone ever given you life advice that had a powerful effect?
xoxo
SL
Please enjoy this little story I got from a friend:
“When I was a kid, Mum liked to make food for dinner & I remember one night in particular when she had made dinner after a long, hard day at work. On that evening, Mum placed a plate of bread, jam and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet, all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at my Mum and asked me how my day was at school. I don’t remember what I told him that night, but I do remember hearing my Mum apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said: “Honey, I love burned biscuits.” Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she’s really tired. And besides… A burnt biscuit never hurt anyone but harsh words do!” You know, life is full of imperfect things…and imperfect people. I’m not the best. What I’ve learned over the years is that learning to accept each others faults and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences, is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing and lasting relationship. So…please pass me a biscuit. And yes, the burnt one will do just fine! Life is too short to wake up with regrets… Love the people who treat you right and have compassion for the ones who don’t. ENJOY LIFE NOW – IT HAS AN EXPIRY DATE”
Which part of this story touches you the most?
Fear is ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’. So don’t give in to that false feeling. What is stopping you from taking that chance?
xoxo
SL