Perseverance pays off for NZ Idol Matt

Matt Saunoa, 21 from Levin failed to impress the judges with 'My Girl' at his audition. Frankie Stevens said Matt was a good singer but not versatile enough to be NZ Idol. Megan Alatini thought differently. She described Matt as very talented and said he definitely had her vote.

Contestants Matt & Indira

This left the final decision up to DJ Iain Stables. By this stage Matt was on his knees begging the judges to give him a chance. "I am the next NZ Idol" he said.

"I have what it takes. I have an edge in my singing and in my personality."

Stables disagreed. He didn't think Matt had what it took to make it to the top. It seemed like Matt's quest for Idol success was over. It was at that moment that Frankie Stevens stepped in. He liked what he heard and told Matt he was in. A delighted Matt joined the 60 hopefuls who made it through to the second round feeling like he hadn't earned his place in the competition. However this only made him more determined to give it his all.

And guess what - this wasn't his first shot at Idol success. He entered the first NZ Idol and failed to make it past the first round of auditions. Two years later he was back for NZ Idol #3 determined to achieve singing success.

In the final Matt was up against the gorgeous Indira Moala who did her own version of the Britney Spears hit Baby One More Time.

Here is Matt performing When I Get You Alone

For his efforts Matt has won a recording contract, $50,000 cash (some of which is being given to runner-up Indira) a car and the dubious honour of being the third NZ Idol. Past Idol winners have slipped into oblivion after their first song hit the charts, but Matt swears he will be around for many years to come. I think he has a decent chance of success - he is determined to work hard and he has shown he can handles rejection and the other knocks that are likely to come his way. Interestingly, I felt that both finalists were better singers than either of the winners in NZ Idol 1 & 2.

NZ Idol Website

The Success Principles

The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
By Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer

Jack Canfield is one of the creators of the mega best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series as well as being a popular motivational speaker and author.

Janet Switzer is a marketing expert who has helped the likes of Mark Victor Hansen, Jay Abraham and Yanik Silver achieve success and build passive income streams.

The Success Principles contains 64 separate tips divided into six sections:

1. The Fundamentals of Success
2. Transform You
3. Build Your Success Team
4. Creative Successful Relationships
5. Success and Money
6. Success Starts Now

There was a lot about the book that I liked:

• It covered personal growth issues such as dealing with rejection, and getting rid of emotional baggage
• The material covered a large range of topics
• Each tip was illustrated by 'real life' examples
• The language was easy to read and the ideas were clearly explained
• You can start anywhere: read one tip, or read them all
• The tips were short enough to be read any time you have a few spare minutes
• The authors are both highly successful in their own right and are well qualified to write on the subject of success
• There are additional free resources available on the authors' website

The Success Principles does have some short-comings: The examples provided tend to revolve around extraordinary monetary success and achievement, which some readers may be unable to relate to and as you would expect in a book that attempts to cover every possible aspect of success it does not cover any of the topics in depth.

Overall, I think the book is an excellent self-help resource for anyone looking for an introduction into personal growth. I rate it 5 stars for including a good range of information in an easy to read format.

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month

October 2006 is Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month.



Emotions have a great deal of influence on the quality of our thinking and thus, our behavior. When we improve our EQ, it enhances the most valuable assets we have as individuals—namely our emotional stability, security, overall intelligence, and physical health—as well as our ability to treat other people and other things in healthier, more meaningful ways.

The concept of emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) was publicly introduced in 1995 by author/ psychologist Daniel Goleman in his ground breaking book Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. By 2002, it became the most widely read social science book in the world, according to Howard Gardner, Harvard Professor of Psychology. EI describes the ability to understand and manage emotions in order to think and communicate in a more healthful manner.

Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month is a way to bring more attention to this extremely valuable personal development.

As Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s book The Growth of the Mind tells us, “Intelligence reflects the mind doing its most important work .… Our definition of intelligence should focus on the general process whereby individuals reason, reflect, and understand the world…. Emotions, not cognitive stimulation, serve as the mind’s primary architect.” Learn more by searching for emotional intelligence on the Internet and at your local library/book store. This EI campaign sponsored by the Emotional Intelligence Institute, a non profit organization dedicated to helping people improve their EQ.

Check the picture above for the hidden hearts*. The quantity and locations of hearts intentionally placed by the artist are at our web site http://www.e-ii.org/, along with helpful tools to enhance your EQ.

*Searching for the hidden hearts is similar to searching for ways our emotions inappropriately influence our thinking. Sometimes we have to look more carefully to see clearly.

Get the scoop on the latest book news

William Haskins has launched Author Scoop, a website that aims to keep readers informed on the latest news from the book writing world.

"I found I was spending a lot of time and a lot of mouse clicks catching up on news about writers and writing, books and publishing. It occurred to me that there might be others who would find a portal to a variety of stories of interest to writers useful as well, so I launched Author Scoop. My goal is to provide easy access to an eclectic collection of articles, interviews and reviews drawn from across the Internet. Hopefully, it'll catch on."

The site includes resources and links for writers, reviews and other news from the literary world.

More blog posts in November

You'll be seeing more posts from me in November... I've signed up as an official participant in the NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month). Every day in November I'll be posting an article, review, link or photo. At least that's the plan!


Anyone who'd like to join in can sign up before the end of November 1st!

Stepping to Weight Loss

The latest research from the International Journal of Obesity shows that increases in exercise result in weight loss. Colour me shocked. I can't imagine this is a surprise to anyone, however scientists like to prove their theories and embarked on a study of 1,126 Australian residents in the state of Tasmania who agreed to wear a pedometer.


Activity levels were correlated to waist measurement and body mass index (BMI).


The results showed that increased steps led to decreased obesity measures. In short increasing activity levels reduces your weight and your waist line.


Proponents of the 10,000 steps a day regime will be delighted to have proof that their programs are working. Meanwhile I better go grab the leads and take the dogs for a walk...

Why Girls Will Be Girls

In a controversial new book, The Female Brain psychiatrist Dr. Louann Brizendine argues that differences between men and women start with their brains. This is an extension of the nurture versus nature debate. In The Female Brain, Dr Brizendine asserts that our behaviour is primarily influenced by our biology not our environment.

Read about it at Newsweek 31 July 2006

I fail to see why this is so controversial. It seems obvious to me that the different levels of hormones in men and women will affect our behaviour.

I can see the point that is being made that nurture plays a role in our development. Definitely! Let's face it we still dress baby girls in pink and boys in blue. We give girls Barbie dolls and boys get trainsets. So yes, we are definitely influencing behaviour, but I know from some of the pills I have taken, that alter hormone levels that my behaviour changed. Surely if we are born with different hormones flowing through our veins we will act differently - this is just common sense.

I was also intrigued that women have 11% more neurons in the area of the brain devoted to emotions and memory. I've seen other studies that show differences in the mapping in women's and men's brains and I find it hard to argue with the science of measuring and mapping the brain.

Beauty only a click away

Kudos to Dove for their Campaign for Real Beauty. Their latest advertisements feature young children concerned about their bodies because they are bigger than the other girls. They also have an amazing film that highlights the transformation that takes place on photographs we see in magazines. An ordinary woman is transformed into a glamorous model with the aid of makeup, lighting and of course a few clicks of the mouse Photoshop her to perfection(see it here.) Their tagline is:

"No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted"

What a brilliant campaign! I think most people realise that photographs are airbrushed in magazines but the extent of the changes is stunning.

Take a look at this "magical" transformation...

Kirstie Alley

Ah yes, everyone's favourite Fat Actress decided to take her successful weight loss to the world when she offered to be the spokesperson for Jenny Craig. This has been an incredibly successful campaign for Jenny Craig. Kirstie Alley's initial appearance on Oprah resulted in nearly double the number of enquiries to Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centres.

Despite this initial success Kirstie's weight has fluctuated in the last year. Although pictures on the Jenny Craig website feature a svelte image, the tabloids are full of less flattering pictures of Kirstie showing flabby skin around her face and extra pounds on her body. Kirstie Alley sans make up is NOT a pretty picture.

Here is Kirstie Alley's latest picture courtesy of the Jenny Craig promotional machine

Wowser! Doesn't she look great.

Now check out this candid shot of Kirstie taken in September 2006:

It seems like a hair brush, lavish make up, a few clicks of the mouse and probably some sort of body shaping underwear have effected this remarkable transformation. I'm all for looking your best, but this type of transformation does not appear to be a very honest reflection of reality. I would suggest you think twice before using this Fat Actress as your role model!

Even more interesting will be the big reveal in November when Kirstie fronts up in her bikini for the Oprah special...

Bloodletting: A Memoir of Secrets, Self-Harm, & Survival

Bloodletting: A Memoir of Secrets, Self-Harm, & Survival
A memoir by Victoria Leatham

Bloodletting was an eye opener for me. A great insight into the mind of someone who cuts herself as a way of relieving stress and tension and to escape problems.

Reading about depression and mania was familiar to me, and although the author shared a lot about herself I did not find anything new or compelling about those aspects of the book.

However the aspects of self harm and mutilation were horrendous. Both in the detail provided and the thinking that took place inside Victoria's head. The book was extremely revealing in its discussion of both Victoria's motivation for self-harm as well as the effects that it had on her.

Insights into treatment and the difficulty in treating someone with a range of symptoms were also helpful. Victoria experienced a number of problems that were not always identified by health practitioners. Unfortunately this is a common story. So often people with mental health problems are incorrectly diagnosed or told that there is nothing seriously wrong with them. The co-morbidity of a number of different psychological illness is also a common aspect of mental health.

There were times that the simplistic style of writing irritated me, however I had to keep reminding myself that this was a memoir and not to expect a beautifully crafted piece of writing.

The book was compellingly honest. One aspect that surprised me was her willingness to seek help. So often people with eating disorders and socially unacceptable compulsions such as cutting, hide their disorder from others. Although this was obviously not something that Victoria could share with everyone, she did attempt to seek help from doctors and friends.

As you would expect a lot of the writer's behaviour is self-destructive, not only in the physical sense but also in the relationships she chooses and the way in which she communicates with others.

I'm completely horrified by blood and the descriptions of cutting left me feeling ill, but I was also intrigued by the psychology of cutting and wanted to see how this was resolved. Would she be successful in treating this debilitating behaviour and live a "normal" life? Ultimately the author finds treatment that is helpful, mainly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), although it is a long road to recovery.

If only dating were this simple...

This advertisement for a dating service is the funniest thing ever.

Warning to censor... suitable for an immature audience



Mating Game - video powered by Metacafe

Downsize Me

Downsize Me is New Zealand's answer to The Biggest Loser. The Biggest Loser is a reality TV show about weight loss with the final result being a combination of pounds lost and reduction in body fat. Downsize Me has a slightly different pitch. Body fat and weight loss are measured together with key health indicators such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and glucose tolerance.

Tonight's victim, err participant, was 29 year old Shannon. Weighing in at 122.3kg (269lb) Shannon loved fatty processed foods, and specialised in downing six meals a day in about 56 minutes - pretty impressive! I had trouble taking down everything Shannon gorged on in his six meals but it went something like this:

• 2 cans of coca cola
• 4 pieces of toast
• 10 chocolate biscuits
• 3 beers
• 2 hamburgers
• 3 pieces of fried chicken
• 2 sausages
• a packet of Twisties
  

First up, naturopath Damian Kristof, shared his five Golden Rules for Dieting:

1. Plan ahead
2. Portion control (see more about the 'special' plate later)
3. Take time to enjoy the food and chew it properly
4. Listen to your body - it takes 20 minutes for your body to register that it is full
5. Remember your goals and the reasons for wanting to achieve them

There's nothing revolutionary here, but knowledge is only a small part of weight loss, the bigger problem is implementation. To help Shannon put his diet in place, Damian comes prepared with a binge bin, and loads all the simple carbs and high fat products into it and takes it away.

The Crash Diet Dummy
Next, we are introduced to the 'crash diet dummy'. This is a great innovation. Of all the things that we see in the show, for me the 'crash diet dummy' is the most persuasive.

In an experiment reminiscent of Supersize Me, the crash diet dummy has to adopt all the habits of the Downsize Me participant for 10 days . That means eating all the same food, drinking the same drinks and doing the same exercise (mainly couch hopping and channel surfing). Turns out this is no picnic. At the end of the 10 days Stephen (the crash diet dummy) had stomach aches, headaches, acne, flatulence and diarrhoea. On top of this he said he had no energy and felt irritable. As if that wasn't enough his weight leaped from 74.3kg (163.5lb) to 76.7kg (169lb). Now THAT is convincing.

We're all used to seeing the unhealthy person become a lean mean fighting machine, but when you see a healthy person eat unhealthily for 10 days with such dramatic results it makes you realise what you're doing to your body. Although I must confess it didn't stop me from taking two servings of dessert...

The Downsize Me Plate
Every participant is presented with their own Downsize Me plate to help them manage their food intake. The concept is simple; each of the allowed portions are represented on the plate. This comprises a fist sized serving of protein, a hand sized serving of vegetables, and 2 fingers (the end not the length) of fats.

For those of you who can not work out how big your hand is you now have the opportunity to purchase a special 'limited edition' Downsize Me Plate. My guess is that the plates are 'limited' to the number they can sell...

Voila! The Downsize Me portion plate.
But, wait - no dessert?

Exercise Me

Trainer Lee-Anne Wann sets Shannon's exercise program. Billed as a no-nonsense personal trainer Lee-Anne pushes the sedentary into action. With comments like "My nana punches better than that" Lee-Anne has had the dubious honour of leaving some participants in tears, but in all fairness it's her j0b to push and I don't think her demands are excessive. Compared with Jillian from the Biggest Loser, Lee-Anne is a pussy cat.

For the first week, Shannon was set the daily task of doing 12 sets of weight exercises, a 20 minute walk and 15 minutes of skipping.

The Inside Skinny

Although I think this show is better than most in its genre, there are still things going on behind the camera that the viewer doesn't know about. The most significant of these is that the participants are on a daily regimen of supplements to assist weight loss and ensure they receive essential vitamins and minerals. The show leaves you with the impression that results are achieved solely with the changes on the show. Naughty, naughty!

Shannon turned out to be one of the stars of the series. Although he was laid back and not inclined to push himself he jumped at the chance to have trainer Lee-Anne crack the whip and set him challenges. He was extremely enthusiastic about dietary changes and took over the cooking for the household, producing colourful salads to accompany each meal.

At the end of six weeks, the trainers return for a pep talk and to reintroduce the binge bin. Shannon is now on his own for the final two weeks.

At the final 8 week weigh in, Shannon had achieved amazing results. His weight dropped from 122.3kg (269lb) to 109.3kg (240.5lb). His cholesterol went down from 4.9 to 3.4 and he dropped five shirt sizes. Holy heck! 5 shirt sizes - that's a great result.

What type of blogger are you?

Here's another fun little quiz for you to try. So far everyone that I know who has tried it has got the same result, we're all pundit bloggers. So either birds of a feather flock together... or it's rigged!!!

Try the quiz here and let me know your results.

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Different Approaches to Meditation - How you can meditate at any time for health and relaxation

Meditation isn’t necessarily measured breathing techniques, mantras and new-age music. It is possible to meditate in any number of positions - lying, sitting, standing - and it is possible to meditate while indulging in other activities. Meditation is a popular stress management technique and is often recommended for anxiety and depression. However many people struggle to still their mind and feel trapped by the idea that they must sit still in one place to meditate. Luckily you can achieve a relaxed state of meditation while dancing, walking, sitting, lying or standing.

Meditation is a state where your mind is uncluttered by thoughts. This does not mean the mind is free of thoughts, but simply that you are enjoying these thoughts without any emotion attached. It is almost as if you are at a movie or listening to music - you are not actually participating in the thoughts - you are observing them, in the same way you might watch an opera, a rugby game or television.

You don’t allow yourself to get tied up in the emotions. You notice a thought pass through your mind and simply let it go on its way. All the thoughts are simply passing through. You detach yourself from any need to react to or act on any of those thoughts.

For example, if you notice yourself thinking that the cat is purring, you can make that observation without feeling. In your normal state you might think, “Ah, there she is” or “I wish that animal would shut up” or “what’s he doing inside, I thought I shut him out”. In your meditative state you don’t draw any conclusions or react, the thought simply exists.

It isn't necessary to sit in the lotus pose to meditate!

This means that mediation need not be limited to sitting cross-legged on the floor with a straight back and closed eyes. Other activities can achieve the same purpose if they involve a physical activity that takes your entire concentration, leaving your mind free to relax. Some good examples are: gardening (which is also great for ‘earthing’ yourself when feeling tense or irritable), walking and running. Repetitive exercise can also be relaxing, for example, cycling, using a treadmill or stepper machine, knitting, or rowing. In fact any activity where you experience an increased sense of relaxation and find your mind lets go and unwinds.

Dancing is so wonderful that it deserves its own special mention. It encompasses movement, as well as rhythm and creativity. Dancing can be highly imaginative, as quiet or as extreme as you like and can be wonderful for unlocking the mind to focus solely on the music (if you are using it) and movements.

Creative hobbies such as painting, sculpting and pottery can also be effective forms of relaxing meditation and may help you unlock solutions to problems or identify creative alternatives. Have fun, experiment and find what works best for you.

I'm a Blogging Chick!!!

Hi everyone

I've just joined the Blogging Chicks. It's a groovy group of women who blog. Please visit the other chicks and check out their blogs...


To join click here

Mindfulness Meditation

This is part 2 of my discussion on The Chemistry of Joy, a book that proposes a three step system for overcoming depression. In part 1 I discussed the different types of depression and the need to tailor dietary changes to address deficits (or excesses) in neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine and the use of Ayurvedic body types in determining lifestyle changes.

The final step proposed by Dr Emmons is the daily use of Mindfulness Meditation. In his discourse on the benefits of Mindfulness, Emmons claims that in as little as 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week you can feel calmer, sleep better and get on better with your family and workmates. I couldn’t wait to put it to the test!

Emmons uses Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness which he describes as:

"awareness from moment to moment, on purpose, without judgement"

He also suggests that we give up on self-improvement and instead focus on accepting ourselves and loving ourselves, as we are, complete with faults. Instead of trying to fix ourselves Emmons suggests that we will find happiness in self-acceptance. An interesting concept. My own take on it is that self-improvement IS essential. After all, mindfulness and self-acceptance involves learning new skills and changing the way we think. These are simply self-improvement tools. I don't see how one can be separated from the other.

On the subject of the practise of meditation Emmons makes some good points. He advises that you may not always feel restful and relaxed when you meditate. Also that sitting meditation (which is usually the first type of meditation that most of us are taught), is one of the most challenging forms of meditation. That's good news for me - I have to confess there are days I can not sit still to meditate. Instead I enjoy meditating while moving. Most people are led to believe that seated meditation is the ONLY type of meditation. This is not true - you can benefit from a variety of forms of mindfulness meditation.

I find meditating while dancing or walking is easy. Meditating while stuck in one spot makes me want to wriggle and squirm. Oh, and the itches and the aches and pains that I swear I feel when I am confined to a chair!

This is Emmons' own account of meditation:

"I can testify from my own experience that sometimes you'll feel deeply relaxed, and other times you'll be so restless you wonder why anyone bothers with this annoying practice. Sometimes when I meditate I feel real contentment; other times, I feel bored; still other times, I ache with the pain of difficult emotions, troubling memories, or just a diffuse grief that seems to have no source."

Regular mindfulness meditation has not cured my insomnia or magically improved my relations with friends and family but I do feel calmer and more positive and my coping skills have improved. It definitely works, although perhaps not quite as well as Dr Emmons suggests.

The Chemistry of Joy is an excellent book - 5 stars - and a wonderful resource for anyone looking to combine Eastern and Western philosophies and make lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate depression and anxiety.

Want to talk more about depression or stress?
Join our free forum here

October 5th is National Depression Screening Day

What a great initiative!

15 years ago, a National Depression Screening Day was created to raise awareness of anxiety and mood disorders, such as Depression. It operates throughout the United States to help people get assessed for mental health disorders and to provide resources for people seeking help.

If you would like to visit a screening centre, you can find a map of locations here

~~~~~~

If you think you or a loved one may have depression, but live outside the US or are unable to attend a screening session you can complete an online depression screening test.

AW Blog Chain #7 – When good writers go bad

In AbsoluteWrite Blog Chain #6 we talked about our life purpose, and for many of us it was our journey into a career in writing.

Today, I am kicking off AW Blog Chain #7 so I decided to add a twist to the discussion of writing and ask the question, when should we STOP writing?

No, no, no, you are saying! Never quit. I believe that myself:

‘Fall down seven times,
Get up eight’
- A Japanese Proverb

is my new slogan for my website and blog. However, when we get up we should review why we fell over and look to make sure that the same obstacles aren’t there. For writers, this is an essential part of dealing with rejection, for coping when we can’t meet deadlines or for when we want to scream with frustration because we can not get the writing to sound just right. The path to becoming a famous writer is a long and difficult one – even if you do have a cat!



However, there are some writers that need to hand back their word processors and find new careers.

Patricia Cornwell has the dubious honour of making it to the top of my list. I love mysteries – police procedurals, crime scene investigators, forensic psychologists and private detective stories are my favourite genre – but the real mystery is why the author, her editor and publisher allow a continual stream of dreck to be published. Not just once, but several times. Trace, Predator, Blowfly and At Risk are dreadful books – and I’m not the only one that thinks that. Check out her Amazon ratings; these books are getting 1 and 2 star ratings, yet she continues to churn them out.


I no longer purchase Cornwell’s books; my copy of Predator came from the library. I was enticed to read it by a blurb from The Denver Post describing the book as “A fine psychological thriller”. Together with New York Times #1 Bestseller emblazoned on the cover I settled in for a good read. The book was confusing. It starts with the characters working for a new entity funded by Scarpetta’s niece Lucy. The characters were cardboard characters that failed to be likeable and the point of view switched every chapter and sometimes several times within a chapter further adding to the confusion. The book ended without wrapping up all the storylines and in the end it was a disappointment.

Cornwell may have earned out her advance with her #1 Bestseller process, but is it really in her best interest to author a book that is so far below the standard set in her earlier works such as The Body Farm and Postmortem? Her books are selling but she is alienating loyal readers and undermining her credibility. Despite this, her next Scarpetta mystery Book of the Dead is scheduled for release in September 2007 - let's hope that her editor helps her get back on track with her next book.

I think we all have a responsibility to write the best book, story or article that we are capable of writing and to keep each other honest in our critiques and feedback. When we run out of fresh original ideas, when the writing is tired, cliched or confusing, it's time to stop, take a deep breath and ask ourselves whether we are on the right track. What do you think?

Next Simran ponders To Write or Not to Write...

~~~~~

Participants in the AW Blog Chain #7:

TaliaMana

Simran

Gillian

Bk_30

Peggy

Madderblue

Atomic Bear

Asorum

XThe NavigatorX

Cath

cesarcarlos

quidscribis

chaostitan

Oswann

razibahmed

awchain