Fresh out of college? Recently laid off? Re-entering the work force? You can gain an advantage over those dozens of other qualified people interviewing for the same job by using these 7 Self Introduction Strategies for a Successful Interview.
In any interview you want to present yourself as a skilled and knowledgeable professional who is a great team player and enthusiastic about the company and the position for which you are interviewing. These self introduction strategies will help present you in the best light so that you stand out from other interviewees and make the best possible impression during the interview.
1. Preparation – Preparation is key. This means to research the company; find out what they do and how they do it. Has there been some recent online article? Has there been a story about the company, its products or a member of management in a local magazine or newspaper? Perhaps there has been a feature story on the radio or TV? Digging these up and relating them casually during the course of your interview will make a good impression on the interviewer.
Conduct research on the company’s products and services. What are they? How do they compare to those of the competition? Who is the competition? How does the company produce or distribute its products or services? What were last year’s (or last quarter’s) sales figures? Interject these facts into your interview and you will appear knowledgeable, professional and you will definitely stand out from any other interviewee.
Research the position you are applying for. Details may not be possible to uncover, but you should understand the broad responsibilities as well as the specific skills and experience you are bringing to the table. Mention these skills and experience and even if you are wrong about the details of the position, you will still appear as enthusiastic.
2. Rehearsal – Now that you have all the facts about the company, you need to memorize them all and present them in a way that doesn’t seem wooden or as if you’re reading from a teleprompter. This is where rehearsal comes in. You may try a full blown dress rehearsal wearing the same type of attire that you would wear for the interview. While some people swear this helps, others consider it overkill. Only you can tell.
Recite the facts about the company and present a few relevant details about yourself stressing how much of a team player you are or other bits of information you have gleaned from the job description. How do you fit in? Explain this. How is your experience helpful to the company? Tell them. How can you use your knowledge and skills to benefit your future employer? Let them know. Present these in short “sound bites”. Rehearse them until they feel and sound natural and not rehearsed.
3. Questions – You may have heard about how important relevant questions are and you would be right. From your research you should have uncovered several areas you may feel uncertain about or a few things you would like clarification on. These are good things. Write these down. Memorize them if possible, but don’t be afraid to pull out a 3×5 card during the course of the interview if you need to remind yourself what your questions are. You can also buy a book at a copyshop or office supply store that features key questions to ask your interviewer. This is always good.
4. Formality – Now that you are at the interview you need to know what to do. Obviously, you need to arrive on time and this means 10 to 20 minutes early. Not 5 minutes. Not 1 minute. Never late! Be early. This will give you time to mentally rehearse the interview in your mind, review your cheat sheet of questions, powder your nose and otherwise prepare yourself comfortably for the interview.
Dress one level up from the position you are applying for. This is a subjective assessment and sometimes I have guessed wrong, but you can rarely go wrong from a neat appearance. If in doubt, dress up.
Be professional, courteous and likable with everyone you meet. You never know whom you are greeting or with whom you may be working when you are hired.
And keep the cell phone off, the PSP at home, and the earbuds and headphones in the car – but, believe it or not – a Bluetooth is ok, if you do not talk on it.
5. Friendly – It is your time to shine! You want to be courteous and friendly to everyone you meet, especially during the interview. Appear likable, smile and lean forward, don’t fidget. A few tricks I learned from the NLP school follow, but don’t make them obvious.
Try to mirror the position of the interviewer. Match their position with your own. If they cross their legs, wait a minute or two then cross your legs. If they lean forward, count to 30, then lean forward. If they nod their head, nod your head. If you have your resume or notepad in front of you, turn it to mirror any material they may have. Do this with your peripheral vision. Never look directly at something then attempt to mirror it, you will get caught. When answering a question, repeat the question or a few key words of the question or rephrase it before presenting your answer. Be yourself.
6. Interesting – You must capture the interest of your interviewer. You do this by applying the steps above plus you mention a few favorite anecdotes from your experience that demonstrate how you have successfully faced a challenge, resolved a problem, been a good team player, stayed late to complete a project or soothed a disgruntled co-worker or customer. Add a tidbit of your work experience that shows how you have added value to a previous employer. If you get a few of these together – how you have added value – you can use them for that all important question, “why should we consider you for this position?” And this brings us to 7.
7. Unique – Being unique is the key to getting the job. If you stand out from all the other candidates, if you can appear friendly and interesting, if you are on time and dressed appropriately and if you can demonstrate just how much of a positive impact your skills and experience will bring to the company, you will get hired.
By following these strategies of self introduction in interviews you will almost certainly be one of, if not the top choice for consideration.
Planning a high school reunion? Here are some reunion ideas to help you plan the perfect get together, whether you’re setting up one night of fun or a whole week’s full of adventures.
Class reunions are really exciting events. You get to meet up with classmates that you may not have seen for years as a lot of them have moved away from the old neighborhood to different cities, counties or states. Some of them may have even moved out of the country since graduating.
Maybe you’ve lost touch with a lot of your old classmates, even if it’s only been ten years since graduation. A lot of alumni may only see their old classmates at a class reunion so planning one that makes sure these alumni will keep coming back takes some good advanced planning.
So where do you start? Well, here are some planning ideas to help, starting with how to find all of those former classmates now that you’ve been out of touch for a while.
- Find some former classmates to help with planning a class reunion. Planning takes a lot of work but it doesn’t have to be stressful, especially if you can locate and “hire” some assistance from your old pals. And with today’s technology, not only can you find a lot of your old classmates through social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Classmates.com for example. And with the help of Facebook and free websites, you can even do a lot of the planning online as well. Once you find a few enthusiastic classmates with some good reunion ideas, start assigning out tasks such as…
- finding those elusive classmates and getting email and physical addresses for invitations.
- having someone look for a venue that’s large enough so you don’t have to worry about the size of the guest list later on.
- planning a format for entertainment like music, games, etc.
- making name tags for your classmates. This may come in handy if people have changed as they’ve aged.
- planning a menu, keeping in mind that you may need a really wide variety to accommodate different diets like gluten free or diabetic. You want everyone to have some nice choices for their meals.
- high school reunion ideas for decorations. This can be in the form of banners, posters, streamers, balloons, table decorations, etc. You might even decide to center it around a theme like the year you graduated high school.
- Location! Location! Location! Choosing where to have your reunion is extremely important for a couple of reasons:
- Your former classmates may have to travel quite a distance to attend so you want a place that’s close to hotel accommodations for your long-distance buddies.
- Size matters when it comes to planning a high school reunion location, especially if you had a large graduating class and you manage to get most of them to attend. And if they bring their spouse, significant other, partner or what have you, that’s twice the size of your class so you need to make sure the room or space is large enough to comfortably accommodate the amount people you expect to attend.
- Price plays a role in the venue you choose. You don’t want to price anyone out of attending so your high school reunion ideas for choosing a location should definitely include price shopping for the best value. For example, if you find a hotel with a nice large room that’s often used for wedding receptions, maybe they’ll give you a discount if you book it early or give bulk discounts if X amount of guests book a room for the night at the same time.
- Plan months – if not years – ahead. You think you need to give plenty of notice to wedding guests? The exact “rules” apply for a high school class reunion. So one of the high school reunion ideas is to make sure you set the date out far enough for long distance classmates to plan their schedules accordingly. Some may have to take vacation time, hire sitters, board pets and save money to make the trip. High school reunion invitations should be fun and – well – inviting. Add a list of all of the classmates you’re inviting and if you have their permission, include their emails too. Add a list of alumni you haven’t been able to locate through normal channels and ask the invitees to get back to you if they know where any of the missing can be found.
- Use social networking sites like Facebook Groups to help give your classmates a head’s up about the upcoming reunion and to help locate your long lost high school pals. You can even set up a free website or forum to get the ball rolling plus ask for more high school reunion ideas from future attendees.
- Ask for donations. High school reunion planning can turn out to be pretty expensive, probably almost as much as a wedding reception when you really think about it. But don’t be nervous about asking your former classmates for a little monetary assistance to get done what needs to be done to make the reunion successful. One of the most helpful high school reunion ideas to help defray upfront costs is to make sure the reunion is “by invitation only” and sell the tickets well ahead of time. These funds can be used to pay for decorations, caterers, venue deposits, entertainment and favors or gift bags for the guests.
- Hire a photographer. You’ll want lots of pictures of your old classmates and even a new class portrait to commemorate this event. To cut costs here, check with your high school or community college to see if any of the students in photography classes would like to make some money. You’ll get really good photos and help another student in the process.
- Roll out the red carpet. Just like celebrity entrances, have your guests enter on a red carpet with the photographer taking their picture as they enter.
- Play music from your year of graduation. You can do this a couple of ways. When you check your high school or community college for photographers, ask around for music students or groups of students who have a band who’d be interested in playing at the reunion. Another option, if you have a local School of Rock, these kids would love the opportunity to show off their talents at an event like a high school class reunion. My nephew attends the School of Rock in Exton, PA and we’ve been to several of their “garage band concerts” and these kids have talent!
- Make up name tags for your former classmates. This will come in handy for those people who really look nothing like they did in high school.
- Gift bags or swag bags for favors. High school reunion ideas call for getting creative and nostalgic while being practical and fun at the same time. Like with any party favors, you can put together edible favors, useful favors, funny or gag favors or things that remind you of the year you graduated.
Custom laminated bookmarks make great favors because you can create them with different quotes on each one. Your classmates can share and swap them for their favorite quotes and photos. You can find quotes for your bookmarks just about anywhere and some suggestions are song lyrics from the top songs during the high school era and quotes from the backs of the yearbooks. Add magnets to the backs of the bookmarks. Magnets are always useful and fun favors for any party. In fact, you can use even us laminated bookmarks to mail out Save the Date notices to your classmates letting them know to “bookmark the date” on their calendars and watch for the invitations to come in the mail.
Hopefully these high school reunion ideas will help you with planning a high school reunion that all your classmates will love and look forward to for years to come.
In the last few years, Redcat Racing has brought to the market a wide range of vehicles from 1/16 scale all the way to 1/8 scale nitro. They have also included in their line four 1/10 scale electric vehicles, making your selection even more abundant.
Everyone knows the bigger companies in the R/C market but I like to find the smaller companies with smaller price tags, quality products and good service! Redcat Racing has some very tough competition and will need vehicles that are affordable and can take abuse in order to compete.
The 1/8 scale Avalanche XPR is the big dog in their line, being slightly larger than the earthquake. First impressions were good. I love the wide stance and beefy look. This truck looks durable!
Specs:
Model: Avalanche XP
Price: $359.99
Type: 1/8 Monster Truck
Length: 20″
Width: 16″
Height: 10″
Wheelbase: 15″
Ground Clearance: 3″
Weight: 7.25 lbs
Engine: M28 P3
Transmission: 1:17.7 Single Speed
Differentials: Metal Gear
Clutch: 3-Shoe Aluminum
Chassis: 2.5″ 6061 Aluminum
Shocks: 4 Adjustable Oil Filled
Brakes: Dual Steel Disk
Fuel Tank: 125cc
FIRST IMPRESSION
When you open the box you are greeted with a brightly colored body. There are optional bodies available if you don’t like the color or scheme of the one that comes with the truck. And you can always pick up a 1/8 scale body from your favorite hobby shop! The body that comes with this truck is complete and need no further decals!
There is however one little thing about the body on this truck, and it appears to be normal business for the Redcat line of Nitro cars and trucks. You will notice there is no engine opening and the body is not cut to provide clearance for the exhaust exit. Both are quick and simple things to take care of and I rather enjoyed working on mine. You will notice the body mount holes are pre-drilled!
This truck is sold as a ready to run (RTR) truck. That means it comes with everything you need to use the truck except for the transmitter batteries, fuel and field equipment.
The Avalanche comes with a 2.4GHz radio system that is quite sufficient for this truck. If you prefer to use your own radio you may have to replace the receiver to match your transmitter as the Redcat radio systems may not be compatible with other brands.
CHASSIS
You will notice the Avalanche shares it’s chassis with other models in the Redcat lineup. However, it benefits from bigger tires, stronger shocks and towers. This truck is somewhere between a small monster truck and an overgrown truggy. Whatever you decide to call it, the Avalanche looks good and should take some punishment with this design.
The front suspension and steering system looks very robust. One thing I often order when I get a new truck is suspension parts. Roles, flips and cartwheels are hard on a truck of this size and it is not uncommon to snap a hub or control arm but the Avalanche appears to be quite robust and I hope to be pleasantly surprised when nothing brakes.
The rest of the suspension, shocks, shock plates and turnbuckles follow suit in quality. The shocks are adjustable and the connecting plate is simple to remove and adjust.
Power Plant
Now let’s turn our attention on what gets the Avalanche moving! A big block.28 engin from SH Engines is installed and ready to make smiles happen! When it is go time and you command full power from the engine, that power is delivered to the wheels by way of a quality 3 shoe clutch system. This type of clutch is my favorite design. The clutch hooks up hard and fast when you nail the throttle yet it engages smoothly and confidently if you ease into the power slowly.
The muffler on the Avalanche is a tuned pipe that does its job, but there are better pipes out there. Keep in mind this is a stock truck and you can’t have all the upgrades out of the box at this price, or even at a price 5 times this price!.
TEST DRIVE
When you get your new Avalanche you will have to break in the engine. As this is not an article or teaching about proper engine break in and maintenance I will forgo the “how to” but let me just say this. Nitro engines turn at high RPM and have extremely tight tolerances that have to be “worn in”. Follow the instruction that come with your Avalanche to the letter – if you do nothing else do this! You will be rewarded with a longer lasting, more reliable and higher power producing engine. Nuf said.
I conduct most of my test drives at one of two places — The local track or a large open dirt and grass field. This truck, being so aggressive looking was begging for the sand! So I packed up my new truck and headed out to the beach where I found a variety of surfaces to drive on. I drove the paved parking lot, loose sand of the beach, hard packed sand near the water and the dunes just off the beach that provided me the opportunity to get some sick air!
With the single speed transmission of the Avalanche and it’s light weight, climbing the hills, banks and dunes was no challenge. Acceleration and handling was awesome with the 4 wheel drive and oversized tires and the Avalanche was even more fun in the air.
The suspension kept the Avalanche in contact with the ground even after high jumps the truck did not have a tendency to bounce. The truck flies well too. When this truck is in the air it is quite stable and the ability to set the angle with the brake is impressive. I was able to get mine to do a front flip and land on its wheels on command.
The dual brakes are great. They really work well and compliment the truck. No matter how hard I run, the brakes remain strong. They are also extremely helpful in balancing the truck in the air. In the times it’s needed, push the throttle back to hit the brake and the truck will help you balance for a smooth 4 tire landing. Well, most of the time anyway. I occasionally miss the mark, but that has to do more with the driver than the truck. The Avalanche makes jumping pretty easy.
I ran the tar out of this truck for about a week and I intentionally played rough with it. I was trying to break it so I could report just how hard you can expect to run the Avalanche. What I found was a surprisingly tuff truck. The body was banged up and I did manage to break one of the body mount posts (a quick fix). All in all this is a very good value and a well-built truck.
WRAP-UP
As much as I like this truck, and I will continue to buy and test other Redcat vehicles, it is not without its flaws.
The Avalanche could use a few small things to make a it a 10! A larger fuel tank would be my first upgrade. A better tuned pipe would be number 2, I prefer the adjustable type offering settings for more torque or more top end. Lastly I would replace the steering servo with a higher torque metal gear type.
Offsetting my list of upgrades are a few of the points that make Redcat trucks my favorite all around – back yard bashing trucks. The Avalanche is competitively priced with other trucks in its category. The Avalanche XTR as tested is strong and fast. It is predictable and can be driven on just about any surface. Not to mention Redcat has a great warrantee program on its engines and vehicles along with awesome customer support. I have put the customer support to the test with questions and product help. I called contacted Redcat about a warrantee concern about an unrelated product and was promptly shipped a replacement part. I have been quite happy with Redcat’s customer support.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall the quality of the Redcat products and the excellent customer support keep me coming back. You can be sure of one thing; you will see more Redcat product review from me as I intend to put many of the Redcat Racing vehicles and planes to the test.
Have you ever wished there was some use for your old, stained, mangled jeans? They’re too thrashed to donate to charity or even to make a decent pair of cutoffs, but you hate to send them to the landfill. You could cut them into squares for a quilt, but if you’re being honest, you’ll probably never get around to making it and the fabric will just take up space in your closet for the next five years. There is, however, an excellent way to recycle your old jeans and make them into a new and useful product: by turning them into paper. All that’s really required for paper-making is fibers of some sort, so the hardest part of using your jeans is going to be separating out the fibers.
1. To begin the process of breaking down the fabric, cut it into approximately 1-inch squares (no need to be precise). Remove the seams or anything else that is double-layered since it will be too tough to work with. Ditto on any metal parts.
2. Set up a large pot of boiling water and dump in the jean material so that it is fully submerged. Leave it on a low boil for about an hour (do not let it boil over). Some fibers should begin to break off during this process, but much of the fabric may remain intact (albeit loosened).
3. This next step is going to sound a little strange, but it is probably the easiest way to finish breaking apart your fibers (short of buying industrial equipment). Put about 1 cup of fabric into your food processor along with 1 cup of water (from the pot is fine), a cup of Elmer’s glue, and one teaspoon each of salt and cornstarch. Blend all ingredients until the contents are fairly smooth. Repeat until all jean material is pulp. *If you do this often, your blade will quickly become dull, so you may want to have a food processor devoted to your craft to ensure that the one you use for food is nice and sharp when you go to make your pesto).
4. For the next step, you’ll need a frame (that is the size you want your paper to be. You can use an old screen window (which can make fairly large sheets), staple screen mesh onto a smaller frame, or simply use a piece of heavy felt cut to size. Keep in mind that different frames will produce different textures of paper, so feel free to experiment. Once your jean pulp is blended, simply pour it onto your frame (you may want to do this over the sink for easier cleanup).
5. The thickness of your paper will be determined by how much pulp you pour onto the frame, so start slowly. When the frame is full, press the pulp down evenly with your hands or use a rolling pin to press it flat. Add more if it seems too thin. If there is leftover pulp, save it for later in a sealed jug or bucket.
6. Lay your frames out to dry for twenty-four hours in an area that has little moisture (a dank basement will not do the trick, and you may not want to leave it outdoors overnight, either).
7. When your paper is dry, simply peel it off the frame. With practice, you will be able to make sheets of roughly equal thickness every time, so don’t get discouraged if they seem uneven or lumpy at first. Use your handmade paper for stationary, card stock, or wrapping paper and dress it up with some metallic thread, embossing tools, or stamps.
People born in the days from August 22nd through September 22nd, have the Astrology sun sign of Virgo the Virgin. You as a Virgo probably know what your basic Horoscope is. But you may not know that certain days, even certain times of day are Lucky just for you. Learn what days and hours each month are Lucky for you and those around you who share your Zodiac sign.
Lucky Moon Phases
The periods of the Moon which are particularly lucky for you tend to match the phase of your sun sign when your birthday falls. Virgos born in the days from August 22nd through August 30th will be especially lucky during the New Moon. Those born between August 31st and September 7th will be lucky during the days when the Moon is in its second quarter. Virgos born from September 8th through September 17th will be especially lucky during the Full Moon. And lastly, Virgos born between September 18th and September 22nd will be luckiest during the Moon’s fourth quarter.
Virgos Lucky Calendar Days
Numerology tells us that Virgo’s celestial number is (8). And Virgo’s ruling planet, Mercury, has a Numerological value of (4). Combining these numbers gives us the sum of (12) which reduces to (3) using fadic addition. Thus, Virgos have a special affinity for the number (3) and tend to enjoy good fortune when the day of the month is a value which likewise reduces to the value (3). All Virgos will be particularly Lucky ob the following days of every month: the 3rd, 12th, 21st, and the 30th. In addition, Virgos should look to play the number (3) in games of chance during these times. Also, games where groups of (3) cards of dice are used will tend to favor Virgos.
Lucky Hours for Virgos
If you were born under Virgo, then the hours of the day which will favor you are those when Mercury rules the sky. If you know when sunrise occurs, you can use the following table and calculate your favorable hours for that day.
Sunday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th hours past sunrise.
Monday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 7th, 14th, and 21st hours past sunrise.
Tuesday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 4th, 11th, and 18th hours past sunrise.
Wednesday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd hours past sunrise.
Thursday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 5th, 12th, and 19th hours past sunrise.
Friday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd hours past sunrise.
Saturday: The luckiest hours for Virgos will be the 6th, 13th, and 20th hours past sunrise.
Virgos Lucky Partners
In partnership games, Virgos need to try to partner with someone born under one of the following complimentary Horoscope signs: Pisces, Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, or Capricorn. This will bring you your best chance for success.
In all the games I’ve seen, oftentimes a company won’t think one of the most overrated aspects of the business strategy game that wins. And that is celebrities.
Celebrities for a fixed cost, give a boost to the desirability to your shoes. Most people think really materialistically when they think of celebrities and want them to promote their shoes. Celebrities are known for getting outrageous amounts of money and therefore in the first year, people put up insane bids without even thinking. When I say insane I mean over $10,000, I’ve seen people max it out at $50,000. Thinking of it logically, if you are starting a new game, your company sees a net profit of about $30,000 a year. So to bid anything above $10,000, you are basically throwing away your net profits. Most companies put themself in a bad start by bidding way too high for celebrities.
Realistically, your celebrity bids are $1000-$3000 to put you in the right direction. A game can be won without celebrities.
Celebrities though can be a strategy in themselves. A mid game company that has all the celebrities for possibly $5000 on average has stifled his competition who has no celebrities. This strategy is not a surefire winner, but it is a strategy that I have employed for a round.
Overall though, take celebrities with a grain of salt. Celebrities in the game don’t have enough clout singly to win the Business strategy game. In the end it is your product that will make or break you.
In Numerology, numerologists use 3 individual numbers to represent the life challenges. These numbers interpretations represent the obstacles, hurdles and difficulties that you will face during certain phases of your life.
The First Number is the Early Challenge Number. It represents the difficulties you may face in the first 28 years of your life.
The Second Number is the Middle Challenge Number. It represents the difficulties may face in the second 28 years of your life.
The Third Number is the Main Challenge Number. It emphasizes the difficulties that you may face in the latter part of your life. The Main Challenge Number also represents the chronic obstacles that you face your entire life.
The Main Challenge Number is said to be the most dominant of all the Challenge Numbers. It takes priority over the other 2 numbers because it represents obstacles that may come from within you. It is known as “the devil” that you may find yourself fighting with your entire life. It is that question that burned inside you that you hope you will have answered before you die.
The Early Challenge Number is less influential. It may represent problems that are more situational or episodic problems. It indicates problems that can be due to circumstances or your parents. These problems usually appears as the child matures and enters the Middle Years of their Life Cycle.
The Middle Challenge Number also a number that depends on the situation and usually represents the hardship of the people around you. It can also represent behavioral problems and problems that are beyond your control.
Now to calculate your Challenge Numbers, first you reduce your day, month and year; your Life Path Number, down to a single digit. To calculate Your Challenge Number correctly you must reduce all numbers to a single digit, even master number 11 & 22.
For Example my Birthday is 4-14-1973
Month: 4
Day: 1+5=6
Year: 1+9+7+3-20 2+0=2
Calculating your Challenge Numbers is different then any others in Numerology, in this calculation you DO NOT want to total you day, month, and year numbers. You want to treat them eash as their own number.
To calculate your Early Life Challenge Number subtract your month number & your day from each other, the difference is your Early Challenge Number.
In my case, my month is 4 and my day is 6
6-4=2
My Early Challenge Number would be a 2.
Next your are going to calculate your Middle Challenge Number, to do this find the difference between your day & year numbers.
In my case, my day is 6 and my year is 2
6-2=4
My Middle Challenge Number would be a 4.
Don’t think you did something wrong if you get a 0 as your result for this calculation. In this particular calculation is rare but it is possible. There is an interpretation for this rare number.
And finally to get you Main Challenge Number you are going to subtract your Early Life Challenge Number from your Middle Life Challenge Number.
So mine would be, 4-2=2
My Main Life Challenge Number would be a 2.
If you end up with the same number more then once, as in my case, it could mean that it has doubly the impact in your life.
If you Early Challenge Number and your Middle Challenge Number are the same then it could mean that your childhood problems may dominate all of your years. It may also mean that some of the problems you have faced were beyond your control.
If your Middle Challenge Number is the same as your Main Challenge Number it could mean that most of your problems were made as an adult. When you read the interpretation of that number well give you clues as to when you are your own worst enemy.
If all three numbers are the same then it is safe to say that your stars are trying to make you learn a lesson in life by causing problems to arise where ever you go.
Here are the interpretations for your Life Challenge Numbers. The same interpretations are used for Early, Middle & Main Life Challenge Numbers.
Life Challenge Number 0
People with a challenge Number 0 may feel in general like
they are being confronted with difficulties that seem to be
relentless and coming from all directions. Usually people who
are zeros are very sophisticated spiritually and thought to
possess the abilities of all the other numbers. However they
have problem making definitive decisions and sticking with
them. In early life this can manifest as a difficult or
abusive childhood. In adult life you may overcome great
obstacles to succeed.
Life Challenge Number 1
People with a life challenge Number 1 may feel as if every
dream and ambition that they have is being thwarted by unfair
circumstances. Bitterness, defensiveness and blaming others
may be a chronic problem.
Usually this is due to being too pushy or aggressive. Even if
you are not unreliable or unpredictable, others may perceive
you as so. A gentler touch plus a well focused, methodical plan
can help you achieve your aims. You self-sabotage by plunging
ahead blindly.
Life Number Challenge Number 2
The challenges presented for a number two are oversensitivity
and a tendency towards self-centeredness. It may be difficult
for you to realize that you are not the center of the
universe. In your early years your lack of ambition, status
consciousness and need for approval from others may cause you
to have a poor self image. In adult life twos are very prone
to codependency, addiction and troubled relationships if they
cannot learn to let go of their resentments and blame.
Life Challenge Number 3
This represents a period in your life when you might find it
hard to focus either because of emotional or psychological
disturbances or because of boredom. Your attentions may be
scattered and you might also suffer from shyness. You may
have a great imagination or talent but have difficulty
expressing it. In childhood this can result in frustration
and introversion. In your adult years you may come off as too
arrogant or eccentric to be taken seriously by anyone.
Life Challenge Number 4
This number often suggests a difficulty with finding
employment or a gratifying the career. You just may not feel
like working or suffer from a disorder or disability that
prevents you from working. In your early years your
opportunities to learn may have been truncated by physical or
financial circumstances. In adulthood you may become an
irresponsible or impractical individual who can’t be trusted.
Life Challenge Number 5
This number usually defines a character that is unreasonable,
indecisive and easily irritated. You have an impulsive nature
and often run into trouble because you are unable to see the
consequences of your actions beforehand. In your early years this may result in an incomplete education or a number of
false starts in career. As adult your challenges manifest as
an inability to make decisions are acting in an overly
emotional as opposed to logical way.
Life Challenge Number 6
You may be a perfectionist and set standards for yourself and
others that are impossible to meet. You may come off as very
arrogant, controlling and demanding to others. As a child
you may have seriously butted horns with several authority
figures. As an adult you may have many unsettling
relationships because of your refusal to recognize that
others are entitle to their point of view. Your rigidity
could lead to a disorder such as obsessive compulsiveness.
Life Challenge Number 7
This number has a great deal of trouble dealing with
emotions. During this time in your life you may feel as if
you have to repress your feelings in order to survive. As a
child this can lead to introversion, obsessiveness and a
complete retreat from reality. As an adult you may suffer
from chronically negative thoughts and express them through
constant complaining or criticism of others. Many sevens are
hypochondriacs or manifest disease as a result of suppressed
anger or grief.
Life Challenge Number 8
A number 8 challenge indicates a kind of shallowness and
greed. You might define yourself and others by appearance,
possessions and by the amount of money that they have. As a
child you may have been clever, manipulative and insistent on
having your own way. As an adult you might value the pursuit
of money, power and status to the exclusion of all other
things. This can cost you dearly in terms of relationships,
family and friends.
When someone makes the statement “I hate big fat wallets” they probably aren’t using the phrase in reference to people who have a lot of money. For some men, the challenge of getting a wallet stuffed with all types of papers or cash into their back pocket can be comparable to stuffing a brick into a space that was meant to hold an envelope. Although men often make fun of women who carry everything but the kitchen sinks in their purses, most are just as guilty of carrying things that they don’t need in their wallet. The end result could have a greater impact on you than you realize.
Even when many men have made the comment “I hate big fat wallets” more than once, they fail to take the time to address the problem, possibly because they do not realize the seriousness of the matter. These are some of the disadvantages of carrying too much “stuff” in your wallet and some good reasons to re-think what you consider essential.
– It can easily attract the wrong kind of attention. Although your wallet may contain three-year-old ticket stubs and receipts from gifts you bought last Christmas, a pickpocket may think that you just got your paycheck cashed or that you have a wide variety of credit cards. The best kind of wallet is one that looks inconspicuous and doesn’t get the attention of would-be thieves.
– Identity thieves are also a potential concern. Those who use an RFD-card reader can get account and personal information from any card with a magnetic strip while it is still in your pocket. The more unnecessary cards you carry with you, the greater your risk of identity theft.
– An overstuffed wallet can actually cause unnecessary stress to your clothes and shorten their lifespan. Large pockets will cause the fabric to pull at the corners until the fabric begins to wear. The shape of the wallet will also cause faded creases where the fabric is stretched over the shape of the wallet.
– Receipts are often one of the biggest contributors to a fat wallet. Most of us think of them as harmless pieces of paper that aren’t even necessary unless they are for something you can claim on your income tax or you need to return the item. There are many differences in the ways different stores print receipts today, some with credit card information, signatures and other information. Just dropping a single receipt as you open your wallet could be all it takes to give identity thieves what they need to use your accounts or open new ones in your name.
– For some of the people who feel that “I hate big fat wallets”, the problem really is from carrying a great deal of cash. Although there are things that you need to pay for with cash, there is never a good reason to carry more than you absolutely have to have. Instead, use your debit card that requires a pin number to take out cash. If it is stolen, you can have it blocked from use as a credit card and the thief won’t be able to withdraw cash without the pin.
– It just looks bad. Nothing will bring down the value of a nice, expensive suit faster than an overstuffed wallet.
If you have ever made the statement ” I hate big fat wallets ” but never took the time to trim yours down, these are some good reasons to make today the time that you change your mind.
Every day, I like to look at celebrity birthdays and post a few on Facebook and Twitter. We all love to look for aspects of ourselves in the personality of a celebrity who shares our birthday, don’t we? Today, September 21st, I happened to note a trend of excellence in thinking and communication skills. Next, I pulled one of my favorite books off the shelf, Love Cards by Robert Camp, and looked up the card for September 21st. Camp assigns a title to each card, which I’ve found to be uncannily accurate in summarizing the personality for each card. I had to chuckle when I saw that September 21st is the three of clubs – the card Camp calls “The Writer’s Card.”
A wildly popular and successful writer who happens to be born today is an excellent example of the three of clubs. In Camp’s Destiny Card system, the threes are highly creative and imaginative and clubs rule communication. Stephen King is truly a king in his chosen field. I must admit that although I am a voracious reader, I have only read a small slice of his prolific literary offerings because his writing makes me bite my nails and sit on the edge of my seat. It can take me a few days to shake off the unease that reading his novels creates in me. When I looked at his birth chart today, many things jumped out at me immediately that made me think, “Oh, of course,” and I’ll share a few with you. So much jumps out to indicate his unique talent and notable career that it is hard to know where to begin!
Writing ability and a fertile imagination that can spin a good story can often be found in a busy third house within the natal chart. The Sun, Venus, and Neptune are all in King’s third house, indicating he takes to writing and enjoys it as naturally as a duck takes to water. Neptune in the third is conjunct Mercury, the planet of communication, in his fourth house of home. The fourth house is also the seat of the soul and the psychological foundation of a person. His Mercury is in Libra, the air sign that contemplates the polarities of self versus other and examines the myriad aspects of human interaction. Venus, Neptune, Mercury are all in Libra, but his Sun is in a late degree of Virgo. The earth influence and detail-oriented nature of a Virgo Sun helps him gather the many thoughts and impressions the Libra influences generate and distill them into a cohesive story. The Libra energy can also help him lead the reader in one direction and then another. Appearances can definitely be deceiving and things aren’t what you think they are is another way of translating King’s Mercury/Neptune conjunction.
Another house to examine for signs of creative ability is the fifth. Here, King’s Moon in adventurous Sagittarius is sextile Mercury. He literally loves to write. Writing is an emotional release for him and possibly more an escape than a work task. His Moon in the fifth also opposes Uranus in the eleventh house of friends and groups. The eleventh house is his audience and Uranus is a planet with electrical and erratic influence. King shocks his audience with his genius ability to generate disturbing emotions as his stories unfold. Some, like myself, may find the emotions his work stirs up to be too uncomfortable. There are other aspects, though, that allow him to be well received and to get away with pushing limits. One of these is the Moon in the fifth trine Saturn/Pluto in dramatic Leo in the first house of self. Saturn rules mortality, longevity, pain, suffering, and sorrow. Some Saturn archetypes are Father Time and The Grim Reaper. Pluto can be power, fear, death and transformation, resurrection, Hades, Hell, all that is dark, disturbing, taboo, hidden and suppressed. Leo rules the fifth house of creativity where King’s Moon sits, so the supportive flow of lunar energy to Saturn/Pluto in the first makes him a dramatic presenter of exciting and disturbing emotions having to do with fear, pain, and death. King also has Jupiter in the fruitful water sign of Scorpio in the fifth, semi-sextile his Sun in the third, indicating his creativity and writing can be prolific and profitable. With Jupiter in square aspect to Saturn/Pluto in the first, success may not have come easily, though. Persistence, persistence, and plain old hard work got him to where he is now. Scorpio rules the metaphysical, paranormal, and supernatural. Another aspect that makes his work appeal to many is King’s Jupiter in Scorpio in the fifth trine Mars in sensitive Cancer in the twelfth house of the subconscious and the collective of society. I suspect King can feel the fear in his body as he creates it in his writing. I wonder – does his hair stand up, does he get goosebumps, must he walk away from his writing and pace a bit before he can return to crafting the perfect words that will make his reader’s skin crawl? He may get some of his ideas from actual nightmares and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn some of his best writing takes place in the wee hours when thoughts naturally turn toward what’s lurking in the closet or under the bed. Mostly, he understands the part of us that likes to be scared and reaches out to that part like a sympathetic good buddy. We must like how Stephen King scares us because we buy a LOT of his books!
To top off his chart, King has the initiative fire sign of Aries on his midheaven. He is a trailblazer in his genre and stands out and above others in his field. I have read novels based solely on the fact that I saw a Stephen King endorsement on the cover. His reputation and fame as a writer are such that he has a following of devoted readers, and deservedly so. Stephen King’s life path as indicated by his Lunar North Node in Taurus in the eleventh house of his natal chart is to bring something material and tangible to the masses. King lacks a strong enough influence in the ninth house of publishing to guarantee his books would make it into print, but his plodding, stubborn Lunar North Node in Taurus combined with his powerfully determined Saturn/Pluto in royal Leo refuses to be ignored. His attitude toward getting his first stories published may well have been, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” His Lunar North Node in Taurus in his eleventh house and his Jupiter in Scorpio in the fifth house are both feminine and fruitful, assisting King in producing a large body of work for his appreciative readers.
Source by Dunnea Rae
A wedding reception can be formal or informal, but you must make sure you do it right — in other words you should follow the normal wedding reception protocol as that is what people will expect. Note however that the protocol is not as rigid as you might think, and can be regarded more as a set of guidelines. But what is the traditional wedding reception protocol?
A formal wedding reception is normally held in the restaurant of a hotel where facilities and staff are on-hand for a full sit-down meal — sometimes still referred to as the “wedding breakfast“. An informal reception with a buffet menu can be a less expensive option.
When the guests arrive at the reception, they should be greeting by a receiving line. This is normally the bride’s mother and father, the bridegroom’s mother and father, the bride, and finally the groom — in that order. If there is a large number of guests you might want to simply have the bride and groom welcoming the guests.
Guests are then normally presented with a drink, and when everyone has arrived they can start to look for their name cards in the dining area. The bride and groom should have sorted all this out well in advance, and the only point of protocol here is that at a formal wedding reception there is normally a top table for the principal members of the wedding party.
At some point the cake is normally cut — this is either at the end or part-way through. The bride holds the knife in her right hand, with the groom’s right hand on hers, and then the bride’s left hand on top of that. This is a big photo opportunity and the couple will have to stand in that position with a smile on their faces for several minutes! The cake is then whisked away by the restaurant staff to be cut up ready to be given out at the end of the reception as people are leaving. You may want to rescue the top tier to save for the christening of the first-born.
After the cake-cutting comes the highlight of the reception: the speeches.
The first to speak is the bride’s father. He will normally say a few words and then propose the main toast: “Health and happiness to the bride and bridegroom” (or something similar).
The bridegroom then responds, thanking the bride’s parents and the guests, and he ends by proposing a toast to the health of the bridesmaids.
The best man then speaks, replying for the bridesmaids, reading out the congratulatory cards and telegrams. The best man will also relate some stories about the groom (and bride, if they are friends too).
That is it as far as tradition is concerned but, if they wish, the bride, bride’s mother, and the maid of honor (chief bridesmaid) can all make speeches — but it is best to check with the bride and groom first.
Any and all of the speeches can be serious or humorous, but giving a speech is a high-stress activity for many people. You may want to consider using a pre-written speech. This is worth considering, and there are several web sites offering such material, and you can edit what they give you to make it completely suitable and applicable to your wedding reception. Getting someone else to do the work is not only a great time-saver, but relieves you of the large amount of stress — and you can have confidence that what they give you will work. Such pre-written speech templates can be bought for next to nothing — and trust me: paying for them is worth it as they have been created and honed by professionals.
If there is to be dancing, the bride and groom are first on the floor. they are followed by the maid of honor and the best man, and then members of both families.
At some point the bride and groom will slip away to change into “normal” clothes and will then return to say good-bye before heading off on their honeymoon. Just before they leave, the bride throws her bouquet into the air — and tradition has it that the female to catch it is next in line for marriage. Sometimes the groom will toss the bride’s garter to the men, and the one who catches it is then expected to place it on the leg of the girl who caught the bouquet.
The bride and groom then get into a car that has been decorated by other guests and drive off into the sunset for their honeymoon and the rest of their lives together.
Finally, remember that the whole point of the wedding is for the benefit of the bride and groom, and that wedding reception protocol is, after all, just a set of guidelines. It’s what the guests will be expecting, so if you plan to deviate from tradition it’s probably best to let everyone know in advance so as to avoid disappointment.
Plan it carefully, then relax and enjoy yourselves!