Sunday, January 21, 2018

We Should All Be Feminists. Here's Why

The book We should all be feminists is written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A few people ask: “Why the word feminist? Why no longer just say you’re a believer in human rights, or something like that?” Because that could be dishonest. Feminism is, of direction, a part of human rights in fashionable – but to pick out to apply the vague expression human rights is to disclaim the particular and particular trouble of gender. It might be a way of pretending that it was no longer ladies who’ve, for hundreds of years, been excluded. It might be a manner of denying that the problem of gender targets ladies. That the problem changed into now not about being human, but mainly about being a female human. For hundreds of years, the arena divided human beings into groups after which proceeded to exclude and oppress one institution. It is best truthful that the solution to the hassle acknowledge that.

What does “feminism” imply nowadays? This is the query at the heart of We should all be feminists, a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from Adichie’s heavily-regarded TEDx speech of the same name.

Feminism in the 21st century

With humor and levity, here Adichie offers readers a completely unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and focus. She shines a mild no longer only on blatant discrimination, however also the extra insidious, institutional behaviors that marginalize women round the world, with a purpose to assist readers of all walks of lifestyles better apprehend the regularly masked realities of sexual politics. All through, she attracts appreciably on her own reports—in the U.S., in her local Nigeria, and abroad—supplying an artfully nuanced explanation of why the gender divide is harmful for ladies and men, alike.

Speaking out about gender inequality

Argued within the identical observant, witty and smart prose that has made Adichie a bestselling novelist, right here is one tremendous author’s exploration of what it’s like to be a woman these days—and an off-the-moment rallying cry for why we have to all be feminists. Gender isn’t a clean communication to have. It makes humans uncomfortable, now and again even irritable. Every male and female are resistant to speak about gender, or are brief to push aside the troubles of gender inequality. Due to the fact thinking of changing the reputation quo is always uncomfortable.

Reading duration: 1 hour 19 minutes

A must-read book that will help you improve your image about feminism and how it affects us all. Get We should all be feminists from Amazon at $6.39

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How Can You Transform Your Hulk Anger Into Something Good?

No one likes an angry person yet it’s such a common feeling within all of us. Losing your cool and being described as having a ‘short fuse’ usually just means you’re unable to contain the negative feelings triggered inside you.

This kind of energy is deemed negative because it creates bad feelings inside of other people who are at the brunt of the anger and even cause the angry person to feel badly about themselves and the world around them.

But can this negative energy be used for good? Does it always have to be interpreted as a failing quality that affects people in a damaging way?

The Positivity Within The Emotion of Anger

Anger is found in most animals capable of emotions which indicates that there is some evolutionary reason why we are able to feel this emotion in the first place.

This reason is survival. Our job is to react to situations effectively in order to survive and if we feel threatened, attacked, frustrated or powerless we need to let the pack know to back off or stop what’s happening.

But anger could play another important role in our lives. Researchers Jennifer Lerner and Dacher Keltner, studied the effect of anger and fear on risk-taking individuals and found that anger gives you the same outlook towards risk as happiness. What does this mean? An angry person has an optimistic view towards risk estimates. They are more inclined towards taking risks which effectively means you can use this inherent inclination to change your bad habits and adopt good ones, according to author and researcher, Dr. Marcia Reynolds.

The Secret to Using Anger in a Positive Way

Reynolds goes on to explain that, “the skill is to shift the focus of your anger away from external circumstances to instead focus on what you strongly desire to change within yourself. It is not your flaky boss or overwhelming responsibilities that make you scream at strangers while you drive. You should be angry that it has taken so long for you to realise that you have the power to change your circumstances. Use your anger to initiate the positive shifts you need to change your life.”

So how can we use anger positively and change our internal world and our perception of the external?

Identifying Your Rage is the First Step

Being mindful of when you step into these angry feelings may seem hard but doing this in the moment is training you in positive self-awareness. It may not seem much but it’s an inner strength that will get stronger the more you use it. This inner strength will serve you throughout your life so in effect you are developing emotional tools that can help you relax. Learning to take yourself away from the situation and use breathing techniques to recover will help in many other stressful situations you encounter later on.

Use Anger to Learn Productive Conflict

Anger is usually synonymous with arguments. If you find you’re quite attacking when you’re in angry, argumentative mode then it means you have an opportunity to practice more self-awareness. Techniques such as slowing down your speech, pausing and breathing, and lowering your voice can all help your mind calm down in the moment. You may even find the other person mimics you in order to relax the situation.

It’s also an opportunity to consider the other person and why they may have their point of view and do this without judgement. Perhaps they haven’t understood what you’ve said or they also aren’t being mindful of how you feel in the angry moment. These moments are a wonderful opportunity for self-development, self-awareness and empathy.

Use Angry Energy For Motivation

Anger is an essential emotion because it allows us to process negative feelings and eventually let go of a situation in our lives. When the anger is all-consuming and lingering, this is when it can be damaging to our well-being.

Channelling negative energy into something positive is the best way of coping with that feeling of rage. Physical activity is the best way to do this as anger causes our body to speed up. If you need to improve performance in anything physical such as running, swimming or any other performance sport, doing this in a more angry state will help improve personal bests.

The good thing about anger, especially if it’s performance related, is you can choose to use it to fuel your desire to perform rather than focus on mistakes. It can even help channel effective brainstorming and solutions. This way you are taking away the negative energy directed at the feeling of anger and focusing it more on a positive solution.

Use Anger as an Opportunity to Grow

Anger may be a problem but know that it’s an essential part of being human and our emotional recovery. If you find you get triggered very easily it means you’ve integrated it more into your being than is necessary. But this doesn’t have to be bad. Truly see this an an opportunity to learn about yourself and your capabilities. Realise that it’s an opportunity to make a habit of drawing on your inner strength, create solutions to problems, understand others better and even motivate you performance-wise.

Anger doesn’t have to be so negative. Let it teach you to grow.

The post How Can You Transform Your Hulk Anger Into Something Good? appeared first on Lifehack.



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How Not to Lose Your Best Employee

Finding good help is hard. When you have a good employee, you want to keep them around.

People leave positions for many reasons. Leadership plays a major role in job satisfaction. Those who feel unrecognized for their efforts are likely to walk. Those who deal with office politics, or find their managers to be self-serving may look elsewhere for a job.

Many people begin their job search under the radar, and as they interview, they recognize how undervalued they’ve become. If their job isn’t offering them opportunities for development and adequate compensation, you can bet that they’ll search for another employer.

While some people may have terrible bosses, many leave because of poor communication and general job dissatisfaction. It’s possible to set up systems so that your employees have the experience they deserve.

The ball is in the manager’s court

Managers are in a perfect position to turn things around for employees. One of the best ways to do this is by considering Catalyst factors and Nourishment factors.

Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer discuss Catalyst and Nourishment factors in their book, The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at WorkThese two factors help your employees remain engaged members of the team.

  • Catalyst factors are events and structures that help people make progress at work. Setting clear goals and giving people resources and support to meet those goals are examples of catalysts.
  • Nourishment factors tend to see employees as human beings. Getting to know them, showing respect, and offering emotional support are a few ways to offer nourishment.

Let’s take a look at a real life example of this.

Airbnb ranks number 6 out of 252 businesses evaluated for their employee experience.[1] They have an excellent company culture, which directly affects their success as a business.

Their recipe for employee satisfaction isn’t rocket science. They consider employees needs in all aspects of their work environment. Company culture focuses on creating a welcoming environment, and their vision and mission are clear to everyone who works for them.

Airbnb recognizes that as they grow, their culture has to evolve so that everyone can stay connected.[2] To ensure that employees are supported, they have a Global Head of Employee Experience tasked with making sure that everyone’s needs are met.

To be successful, employees need nourishment and catalysts. Employees in a supportive and engaging environment are more likely to stay with the company. They need the feeling of accomplishment that comes with making progress to give their work meaning and value.

Lead with catalysts: encourage progress

1. Set goals for projects

Setting clear goals gives everyone direction and holds them accountable for their progress.

If your team takes on a big project, have a meeting to set out short and long-term goals. Give employees a chance to speak up and ask questions. Every person can walk away knowing exactly what the end result of their efforts will be.

2. Build autonomy in the workplace

Give employees freedom to do their work in the way that makes best use of their talents. If you’ve set clear goals, it doesn’t matter how they reach the objective as long as they do. Micromanagement is guaranteed to stifle creativity and make people unhappy.

Some of the most talented and creative people don’t do well in extremely structured environments. Albert Einstein failed in school, and he was one of the most brilliant scientists of all time. That employee that never seems to do things the normal way but always produces excellent work is your Einstein.

3. Give people what they need

You wouldn’t try to bake a cake without having all the ingredients. You can’t ask employees to do great work if you don’t offer them the training and resources they need. Providing resources shows employee that the company cares about them and wants them to succeed.

Perhaps you notice that employees are having difficulty using the software at your company. Instead of getting upset, invest in training sessions to get everyone on the same page. They’ll see that you care, and they’ll be able to do the work.

4. Be conscious of your timeline

Giving employees an impossible deadline will discourage them and prevent them from being creative. Employees need deadlines, but they also need enough time to do their work.

When people feel the slight pressure of a deadline, they do their best creative work. According to Parkinson’s Law, tasks will take as much time as you give them.[3] Your job is to find the middle ground between giving them too much time and not enough.

Imagine that you need a detailed report from your team. It’s a mountain of work. If you asked them to give you the report in a week, they might roll their eyes. The deadline is too ambitious. Instead, ask for a rough draft in two weeks and a final by the end of the month.

5. Roll up your sleeves

Employees don’t respect managers who spend their days hidden away in offices or vacationing on exotic islands. You don’t need to be in the trenches on the front line every day, but if you see that they need help, don’t be afraid to jump in.

Helping might mean mentoring a struggling employee, brainstorming with another colleague, or stepping in when you can see that a project is in trouble. Noticing when employees lack a resource and getting it to them is another way you can help.

The employee who is struggling is probably already nervous. They’ll be much more willing to learn if you offer to take them under your wing. That added support shows that you’re invested in their success.

6. Make it okay to fail

We’re taught to fear failure from an early age. Avoiding failure keeps us from taking risks and innovating. Make your work culture one where failure is a a valued part of learning. Employees will be more willing to step out of their comfort zone when you do this.

Pixar’s culture revolves around failing fast and often.[4] Every employee is free to voice their opinions on creative matters, and when they make mistakes, they are actually making progress and trying to breakthrough.

7. Use your ears and give them a voice

Empowering employees to speak up allows ideas to flow freely. Encourage everyone to share their opinions. By hearing diverse perspectives and respecting constructive criticism, you can learn how to support your team and the company’s goals.

I worked for an organization that called together teams from across the region. One team traveled 6 hours to the meetings, while others traveled 3 hours or less. The team with the longest commute voiced their opinions to their manager, who moved the gatherings to a central location. All the teams felt that this was fair, and they believed that their voices were heard.

Nourish your team: respect and support

1. Show employees respect

You set the example for how others should be treated. When an employee comes to you with a concern, consider what they have to say. Even if you don’t agree with them, it’s important that they feel their concerns are heard.

Imagine a team member comes into your office with a problem that seems trivial to you. Hear them out. If the issue is affecting their experience, it may be affecting others as well. By giving them the space, you can make the environment better.

2. Give encouragement

Recognizing effort and accomplishment makes employees feel good, and it shows that you’re paying attention. Lack of appreciation is a major source of unhappiness in the workplace. Take the extra moment to offer a compliment or provide formal recognition, and you’ll create a sense of loyalty and pride.

You might notice that a team member puts in extra time to make sure that their work is high quality. Acknowledge that you’ve seen how hard they work. They’ll feel that they’re part of something bigger.

3. Offer emotional support

You aren’t a therapist, but you can listen. Everybody has a bad day or gets frustrated sometimes. Recognize the effect that the employee’s mood has on the workplace so that you can give them the support or space that they need to feel better.

Imagine that one of your employees experienced a death in their family. They try to come back to work the day after the funeral, but they’re clearly upset. You may be able to support them by letting them know that it’s okay for them to take a few days off to mourn. When they come back, they will be able to do their work, and they’ll know you see them as a human being.

4. Bond your team

Find ways to help coworkers trust and appreciate one another. As they solidify bonds, they’ll be able to have a more pleasant and fun working relationship.

Have a company picnic or celebrate birthdays. Organize an intramural sports team or plan a company trip. These are opportunities for people to socialize and build memories as a team. At Lifehack, we celebrate employees’ birthdays and have regular activities like hiking and video-gaming sessions to engage the team.

Make your best hires stay

You can make the best hires, but if you can’t keep them, your business will never grow. Consider Catalyst and Nourishment factors to improve work culture and help employees have a better experience.

Small actions can have major impacts on how your people view their job. Support them, and your superstar employees will stick around.

Featured photo credit: Pixels via pexels.com

Reference

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Thor Ragnarok Concept Art by Aleksi Briclot







Thor Ragnarok Concept Art by Aleksi Briclot

If You Belong to The 9 to 5 Working Class, You Need This

Do you frequently experience muscle spasms, stiffness, and neck pain, especially when travelling? Sleeping as you, travel is quite normal. The entire process is draining and tiring, which makes it normal for most people to opt to sleep through the entire journey.

However, it is not beneficial to the neck and back. The uncomfortable head positioning leads to soaring muscles around these two areas, which could be detrimental to their movement for some time. This immobility leads to serious aches and pains that might sometimes need the intervention of the doctor or medications to ease it.

Make Your Neck FeelComfortable

The DPL neck relief pillow is a therapeutic alternative system that uses various features to make sure that the user does not have neck related pains and aches. Its form is dense and very comfortable allowing the user to have long sleep hours. The s light therapy company incorporated infrared and red light into it to help curb any stiffness, soreness, and muscle spasms during the journey. The product also aids in neck relaxation and promotion of blood circulation.

It’s Good for Both Home and Travel Uses

This pillow is good for both homes and travel use. This is especially the case for people who frequently suffer from neck related pains. The pillow’s red light and infrared properties allow the user to achieve quick relief when using it. It can be used at any time during the journey, thanks to its power options. This pillow has two power options, namely the standard outlet or the USB outlet. This amazing pillow is also cleared as an OTC class-two medical device. Purchasing it includes an instruction manual, a year’s worth warranty, and a neoprene material LED pad.

A Relief to Your Neck Pain

This product aims at providing temporary relief for people who suffer from neck stiffness, pains, and spasms. The treatment is similar to that offered by chiropractors. A drug-free alternative illustrates the benefits of increasing blood circulating in different areas of the body to ease built-up tension and stress. The red light and infrared emitted are safe for all the skin types.

At home, the user could use it to ease up stressed neck muscles that have tensed up due to working out. The blood circulation aids in repairing tissue and healing any injury caused by sports or exercising. The temporary treatment penetrates deep into the soft tissue and the joints in the neck. It is offered at an affordable price in comparison to the price spent on neck pain medications, consultations, and treatment. It is the first of its kind in its market.

this product Is one of the safest, fastest, and most natural means of neck treatment in the market. A fourteen minute means of treatment, which is convenient for people who suffer from serious neck pains and have busy schedules.

You can use at any time and place including the office, car, and plane. For more information on this product and its purchasing details, visit here.

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This Gadget Allows You A Phone-Free Workout Experience

Smart wireless headphones can serve as your ideal companion during any of your rigorous workouts or fitness activities. In addition to that, these smart devices help you stay connected without any need to operate it manually. They also feature great audio capabilities, noise-canceling feature, and rechargeable batteries with longer battery life to help you listen to many of your favorite music tracks.

Unlike any other headphones in the market! 

Manufactured by Inspero Inc., Vinci 2.0 is a standalone computing device featuring a Quad-Core ARM Cortex A-7 processor, 3G cellular, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Vinci 2.0 is not just any kind of smart wireless headphones, as it has the capability of doing virtually everything your mobile device can do.

Vinci 2.0 comes with a brilliant design and extremely lightweight. Whether you are looking to make calls, send text messages, get directions etc., Vinci 2.0 can get it done. Above all, you do not need any phone to operate this amazing smart wireless headphone.

The Best Music Companion You Can Have

Apart from the available 16GB storage space, it also features music streaming capabilities. Vinci 2.0 integrates with online music streaming channels such as SoundCloud, Spotify, KKBOX, and Amazon Music. With Vinci 2.0, you can access over 42 million songs while leaving your phone behind.

Vinci 2.0 also has an intelligent way of recommending the type of music that fits your preference, environment, mood, and current activity. Other amazing features include voice control for music, gesture control to change music, and advanced noise cancellation feature.

Your Ultimate Sports Partner

The all-in-one fitness trackers in Vinci 2.0 can make the device offer useful fitness advice and tips just like a personal fitness coach. The magnetic earbuds will help hold the device in place and keep them from falling while you work out. Vinci 2.0 is here to help you work out more and stay connected while leaving your phone behind.

Vinci 2.0 is a standalone hearable designed to be your perfect running partner.” – Wearable

No More Missed Alerts!

The days of missing important alerts because you left your phone at home are finally over. Vinci 2.0 can receive push notifications directly from your phone irrespective of your current location. Get yours here!

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Charge 2x Faster and Wire-free With This Magical Pad

Feels good being among the few moneyed ‘elites’ who own iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X or Apple Watch; no doubt. But aside from the glitz of using a device with a better camera, faster processor, and futuristic screen, what can you compare with the convenience of having a wireless charger?

Oh, maybe you have not used one just yet, and thus can’t understand how it feels!

Well, it is a future-proof charger that Samsung, LG, and most other brands have adopted, though theirs tends to charge a bit slowly. Apple chose to adopt this Qi charging rather than the proprietary route, and they’ll be selling their own version called AirPower soon. Before then, however, there has been quite a list of brands, almost all either retailing expensively or being a bit too slow to rely on.

Funxim – A Single Pad for two devices!

If you are looking for a simple way of charging up your precious Apple device, here’s what you might like – a wireless charging pad that you can just place your device on, and it starts charging. Choose black or white, whichever you want!

Funxim it is a brainchild of some ingenious guys who couldn’t only allow you to sit and wait for the promised one from Apple. As the first of its kind in the standard Qi charging pads available for purchase right now, Funxim ranks among the best on the virtue of its performance. It charges quickly – a terrific conversion rate of 80%.

If you’ve got multiple devices and a single Qi charger kit, then you understand how inconveniencing it often gets. Funxim is a sleek and unique pad, both in its appearance and performance.

Funxim’s charging pad is magnetic, and this means you simply place your gadget on the surface and charging starts. It needs absolutely no cables or USB interfaces and will charge your iPhone through its case. Incredibly, this kit weighs just about five ounces and packs a superior 10watts of energy – common ones claim to offer 7.5watts!

What others don’t know yet is the fact that this Funxim wireless can be used to charge other devices outside the main four. Yes – you will use it on your Android device, which is another plus!

Go Get One Now!

It is almost impossible to talk about AirPower as it is still too soon to make the comparison. But if you take into account the Magnetic pad, 80% conversion rate and ability to charge two devices at a go, then it should be a perfect alternative.

Significant to add, Funxim has featured in several top-dollar review sites, and it has been vouched for as a solution to those looking for an ‘exceptional fast wireless charging experience.You can get yours on Kickstarter now.

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A Question That Your Future Self Would Want You To Answer

What were your new year resolutions for 2018? Did you wish for good health? We know this resolution won’t be real unless we start to eat a balanced diet, have regular exercise. But are we aware of our actions, are they contributing to the goal we set?

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Drawings and Illustrations by Andi Soto Andi Soto is a...





















Drawings and Illustrations by Andi Soto

Andi Soto is a self-taught, Chilean-Panamanian illustrator. In her work, she explores the power behind this ancient connection between nature and humanity, especially focused on women. By combining the human body and natural elements, like flowers, animal bones, or trees, she gives shape to the unspoken feelings of the spirit, more specifically nostalgia. Her website


View similar posts | selected by Margaret via

Drawings and Illustrations by Andi Soto Andi Soto is a... crss





















Drawings and Illustrations by Andi Soto

Andi Soto is a self-taught, Chilean-Panamanian illustrator. In her work, she explores the power behind this ancient connection between nature and humanity, especially focused on women. By combining the human body and natural elements, like flowers, animal bones, or trees, she gives shape to the unspoken feelings of the spirit, more specifically nostalgia. Her website


View similar posts | selected by Margaret via

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Another new set from the Wonderful Bill DomonkosAnimated vintage...



















Another new set from the Wonderful Bill Domonkos

Animated vintage photography ,3d Stereoscopy and filmaking

Bill Domonkos is a filmmaker, GIF maker and stereoscopist. His work has been shown internationally in cinemas, film festivals, galleries and museums.


More unique art:

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

Posted by Andrew

Another new set from the Wonderful Bill DomonkosAnimated vintage... crss



















Another new set from the Wonderful Bill Domonkos

Animated vintage photography ,3d Stereoscopy and filmaking

Bill Domonkos is a filmmaker, GIF maker and stereoscopist. His work has been shown internationally in cinemas, film festivals, galleries and museums.


More unique art:

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

Posted by Andrew

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