The Mentor Role (1 part of 8 Manager)

A. Understanding Self and Others

Learning

- managers must have an understanding of themselves and others

- one way people differ is in their task-related abilities

- another way is feelings, needs and concerns

- people react to different things in different situations

- emotional intelligence: personal and social competence

- Important to know what motivates your behavior, and what influence how you will react in different situations

Understanding Yourself: Three dimensions of self-awareness

1. Emotional Intelligence: recognizing your emotions and how they affect you and others

2. Self-Assessment: knowing your strengths and limits and being open to feedback

3. Self-Confidence: awareness of self-worth and capabilities

Personality and 2 Approaches to Personality: psychological and behavioral attributes that distinguishes individuals from others

1. Five-Factor Model: 5 basic tendencies of personality (continuum)

a. neuroticism: worry a lot, insecure, anxious and emotional VS. clam, relaxed and self-confident

b. extraversion: urgency and assertiveness, social, talkative, and gergarious VS. reserved, quiet, withdrawn and aloof

c. openness to new experience: curious, imaginative, creative and nontraditional VS. conventional, concrete, and practical

d. agreeableness: good natured, trusting of others, and forgiving of their mistakes VS. cynical, suspicious of others and antagonistic

e. conscientiousness: organized, responsible, and self-disciplined VS. impulsive, careless, and undependable

2. Myers-Briggs Type Inventory

a. introversion-extraversion

b. sensing-intuition

c. thinking-feeling

d. judging-perceiving

Increasing Your Self-Awareness: Johari Window

Open: know your self and others know about you	Blind: not known yourself, but known to others
Hidden: known to self, not known to others	Unknown: not known to self and others

Guidelines for Asking for Feedback

- Before asking for feedback, make sure you are open to hearing information that may alter your perception. Prepare yourself to hear things that may make you uncomfortable.

- Be aware that the person giving you feedback is describing his or her own perception of the situation, but realize that his or her feelings are real.

- Check your understanding of feedback: Ask questions or give examples and share your reactions. Clarify issues, explain your actions, and correct perceptions people may have of you, but do not defend and debate.

- Express your appreciation for the person who has given you the feedback. It may have been difficult for that person to be honest with you, and it is important that you show clearly and unequivocally that you welcome feedback.

Understanding Other

Empathy: truly putting yourself in the position of others and honestly trying to see the world as they see it

Guideline for practicing empathy

- You must first examine yourself. If you do not truly want to understand others, if you are insincere, empathy will not work.

- Communication is more than words. You must be sensitive to times when expressed thoughts and feelings are not congruent. You must read nonverbal signs as well as verbal ones.

- Do not react too quickly to inaccurate statement of fact; listen carefully for the feelings beneath the statement before rushing in to correct facts.

- You must allow the person to tell the emotional truth, which may include negative feelings about you. You must be ready to explore such negative feedback.

- User reflective listening

B. Communication Effectively

Communication is the exchange of information, facts, ideas and meanings. Can be used to inform, coordinate or motivate people.

A Basic Model of Interpersonal Communication

- Communicator encodes message: translates ideas into systems of symbols, such as words and numbers.

Influences: urgency of message, experience and skills of sender, sender's perception of receiver

- Decoded: interpret the message (same range of influences)

- Feedback: informational: nonevaluative response that simply provides additional facts to the sender

corrective: correction to or challenge of the original message

reinforcing: clear acknowledgement of the message (positive or negative)

- Noise: anything that distorts the message in the communication process

Barriers to Effective Interpersonal Communication

2 elements

1. Individual must be able to express themselves

2. Individual must be a good listener

List of Barriers

- Inarticulateness: Sender has a problem expressing the concept. If the receiver is not aware of the problem, completely inaccurate images may arise, resulting in misunderstanding.

- Hidden Agenda: Motives that people don't want to reveal. Keeping true purpose hidden due to reaction consequents- results in low trust and cooperation.

- Status: Distortion by perceptions of position. High status vs. Low Status

- Hostility: When the receiver is already angry with the person sending message, the communication will be tend to perceive in a negative way.

- Difference in Communication Style: Loud vs. Soft. Detail vs. Straight to Point. Gender, cultural background.

Rules of Effective Communication

- Be clear on who the receiver is. What is the receiver's state of mind? Assumptions, and feelings and the time of the situation

- Know what your objective is. What do you want to accomplish by sending the message

- Analyze the climate. Will it be necessary to help the receiver relax and open to communication

- Review the message in your head before you say it. Think of the message from the point of the receiver, any need to clarify certain ideas

- Communicate using words and terms familiar to other person. Use examples and illustrations that come from the world of the receiver

- If the receiver seems not to understand, clarify the message. Ask questions

- If the response is seemingly critical, do not react defensively. Try to understand what the receiver is thinking. Clear any misunderstandings.

Reflective Listening

- Listening requires truly understand what the other person is saying

- Reflective listening is a tool based on empathy

- Use open-ended questions

- Not talk, but keep the other person talking

C. Developing Employees

Learning
Delegating Effectively
- Push them to go beyond their current level of functioning
- Excellent opportunities for growth and development
- Develop new skills and abilities, as well as to learn more about the work unit and how it functions
- 3 core elements: responsibility, authority, and accountability

Reasons for not delegating
- associate with negative behavior, such as abdicating responsibility for task or letting someone else do it
- managers feel they will lose control
- managers have lot learned how to delegate effectively

Keys to Effective Delegation
1. Clarify, in your own mind, what is it that you want done.
2. Match the desires task with the most appropriate employee.
3. In assigning the task, be sure you communicate clearly.
4. Make sure the employee has the time to do the assignment.
5. Keep the communications channels open.
6. Allow employees to do the task the way they feel comfortable doing it.
7. Check on the progress of the assignment, but do not rush to the rescue at the first sign of failure.
8. Hold the person responsible for the work and any difficulties that may emerge.
9. Make sure the person has appropriate authority to carry out the task and obtain the resources and cooperation for it's successful completion.
10. Recognize the employees accomplishments.

Guidelines for Giving Feedback
- Before giving feedback, examine your motivation and make sure the receiver is ready and open to hear you. Ask the person whether or not this is a good time to receive feedback.
- Make sure to give the person feedback in a private place that allows for further dialog.
- While giving feedback, use "I" statements rather than "you" statements to indicate there are your perceptions, thoughts and feelings.
- Provide feedback on both positive and negative behaviors. No one is either all good or all bad. Managers who present only one side lose their credibility fro being honest.
- Describe the other person's behavior and your perceptions of it. Present specific examples of behavior that you have observed, rather than generalize statements that describe a demeanor or an attitude.
- Make sure your examples are timely. Giving feedback on a behavior that has long passed is both annoying and difficult to discuss.
- Ask the other person to clarify, explain, change or correct.
- After giving feedback, give the receiver time to respond.

The Evolution of Management Models

1900-1925: The Emerging of the Rational Goal Model and the Internal Process Model

Theoretical Perspective 1.1: Taylor's 4 Principle of Management (Fredrick Taylor: father of scientific management)

1. Develop a science for every job, which replaces the old rule-of-thumb method.

2. Systematically select workers so that they fit the job, and train them effectively.

3. Offer incentives so that workers behave in accordance with the principles of the sciences that has been developed.

4. Support workers by carefully planning their work and smoothing the way as they do their job.

Rational Goal Model: value of achievement and profit maximization

> symbol: dollar sign

> manager: decisive director and task-oriented producer

Internal Process Model: criteria of effectiveness are stability and continuity; routinization leads to stability

> symbol: pyramid

> manager: technically expert monitor and dependable coordinator

1926-1950: The Emergence of Human Relations Model

Theoretical Perspective 1.2: Faylo's General Principles of Management

1. Division of Work: produce more and better work with same effort. Reduction in number of tasks to which attention and effort must be directed

2. Authority and Responsibility: Right to give orders and essential counterpart. Whenever authority is exercised, responsibility is arised

3. Discipline: obedience and respect for the agreements between the firm and it's employees. Agreements arrived by discussions between each

4. Unity of Command: employee should receive order from one supervisor only

5. Unity of Direction: each group of activities having one objective should be unified by having one plan and one head

6. Subordination of individual interest to general interest: the interest of one employee or group of employees should not prevail over that of that of the company or broader organization

7. Remuneration of personnel:to maintain their loyalty and support, employees must receive a fair wage for services rendered

8. Centralization: natural order of things

9. Scalar Chain: chain of superiority ranging from the ultimate authority to the lowest ranks

10. Order: a place for everything, and everything in place

11. Equity: combination of kindliness and justice

12. Stability of tenure of personnel: high turnover increases inefficiency

13. Initiative: thinking out a plan and ensuring its success

14. Esprit de corps: union is strength, and it comes from the harmony of the personnel

Theoretical Perspective 1.3: Characteristics of Weberian Bureaucracy

Elements of Bureaucracy

1. There is a division of labor with responsibilities that are clearly defined

2. Positions are organized in hierarchy of authority

3. All personnel are objectively selected and promoted based on technical abilities

4. Administrative decisions are recorded in writing, and records are maintained over time

5. There are career mangers working for salary

6. There are standard rules and procedures that are uniformly applied to all

Human Relations Model: commitment, cohesion, and morale. Involvement results in commitment, and the key values are participation, conflict resolution, and consensus building.

> symbol: circle

> manager: empathetic mentor and a process-oriented facilitator

1951-1975: The Emergence of the Open Systems Model

Theoretical Perspective 1.4: Contingency Theory

Appropriateness of Managerial Actions Varies with Key Variables

1. Size. Problems of coordination increases as the size of organization increases. Appropriate coordination procedures for a large organization will not be efficient in a small organization, and vice versa.

2. Technology. The technology used to produce output varies. It may be very routine or very customized. The appropriateness of organizational structures, leadership styles, and control systems will vary with type of technology.

3. Environment. Organizations exist within larger environments. These may be uncertain and turbulent or predictable and unchanging. Organizational structures, leadership styles, and control systems will vary accordingly.

4. Individuals. People are not the same. They have very different needs. Managers must adjust their styles accordingly.

Open Systems Model: organization is faced with a need to compete in an ambiguous as well as competitive environment. Adaptability and external support. Political adaptation, creative problem solving, innovation and the management of change

> symbol: amoeba

> manager: creative innovator and politically astute broker

1976-Today: The Emergence of Both-And Assumptions

	Rational Goal	Internal Process	Human Relations	Open System
Symbol	Dollar Sign	Pyramid	Circle	Amoeba
Criteria of Effectiveness	Productivity, profit	Stability, continuity	Commitment, cohesion, morale	Adaptability, external support
Means-End Theory	Clear direction leads to productive outcomes	Routinizataion leads to stability	Involvement results in commitment	Continual adaptation and innovation lead to acquiring and maintaining external resources
Action Imperatives	Compete	Control	Collaborate	Create
Emphasis	Goal clarification, rational analysis, and action taking	Defining responsibility, measurement, documentation	Participation, conflict resolution, and consensus building	Political adaptation, creative problem solving, innovation, change management
Climate	Rational Economic: bottom line	Hierarchical	Team Oriented	Innovative, flexible
Role of Manager	Director and producer	Monitor and coordinator	Mentor and facilitator	Innovator and broker

Action Imperatives: Collaborate, Control, Compete, Create

The Use of Opposing Models

Behavioral Complexity and the Effectiveness of Managerial Leaders

Becoming a Manager: The Need for New Competencies

- Compete: The Director and Producer Roles

> Director: expected to clarify expectations through processes, such as planning and goal setting, and to be a decisive initiator who define problems, selects alternatives, establishes objectives, defines roles and tasks, generates rules and policies and gives instructions

> Producer: producers are expected to be task oriented and work focused and to have high interest, motivation, energy, and personal drive. They are suppose to accept responsibility, complete assignments, and maintain high personal productivity. Accomplish stated goals.

- Control: Monitor and Coordinator Roles

> Monitor: know what is going on in the unit, to determine whether people are complying with the rules, and to see whether the unit it meeting its quotas. Knows all facts and details, and is good at analysis. Zeal for handling data and forms, reviewing and responding to routine information, conducting inspections and tours, and authoring review of reports and other documents. Care for details, control and analysis. Attention to measures, reports and data.

> Coordinator: maintain a structure and flow of system. Dependable and Reliable. Scheduling, organizing, coordinating staff efforts, handling crisis, and attending to technological, logistical and housekeeping issues.

- Collaborate: The Facilitator and Mentor Roles

> Facilitator: foster collective effort, build cohesion and teamwork, and manage interpersonal conflict. Process Oriented. Problem Solving, conflict resolution, interpersonal dispute.

> Mentor: development of people through caring, empathetic orientation. Helpful, considerate, sensitive, approachable, open and fair. Listens, supports legitimate requests, conveys appreciation, and gives compliment and credits. Skill building, training, individual development.

- Create: The Innovator and Broker Roles

> Innovator: facilitate adaptation and change. Pay attention to changing environments, identifies important trends, conceptualizes and projects needed change, and tolerates uncertainty and risk. Rely on introduction, ideas and intuitive insights. Creative, clever dreamers who see the future, envision innovations, package them in inviting ways, and convince others they are necessary and desirable. People with vision.

> Broker: maintaining external legitimacy and obtaining external resources. Meet people outside of unit to represent, negotiate, and to acquire resources.

The Eight Roles at Different Organization Levels and Identifying the Core Competencies

1. Mentor Role: a. Understanding Self and Others b. Communication Effectively c. Developing Employees

2. Facilitator Role: a. Building Teams b. Using Participative Decision Making c. Managing Conflits

3. Monitor Role: a. Managing Information Overload b. Analyzing Core Processes c. Measuring Performance and Quality d. Measuring Performance and Quality

4. Coordinator Role: a. Managing Projects b. Designing Work c. Managing Across Functions

5. Director Role: a. Developing and communication a vision b. Setting Goals and Objectives c. Designing and Organizing

6. Producer Role: a. Working Productively b. Fostering a Productive Environment c. Managing Time and Stress

7. Innovator Role a. Living with Change b. Thinking Creatively d. Managing Change

8. Broker Role: a. Building and Maintaining Power Base b. Negotiating Agreement and Commitment c. Presenting Ideas

Organizing the Learning Process

Step 1: Assessment. Help you discover your present level of ability in and awareness of competency. Any number of tools, such as questionnaires, role-plays, or group discussions, might be used.

Step 2: Learning. Involves reading and presenting information about topics using traditional tools, such as lectures and printed material. Here we present information from relevant research and suggest guidelines for practice.

Step 3: Analysis. Explores appropriate and inappropriate behaviors by examining how other behave in given situation. We will use cases, role-plays, or other examples of behavior. Examples from popular movies, tv shows, or novels for analysis

Step 4: Practice. Allows you to apply the competency to a work like situation while in classroom. It is an opportunity for experimentation and feedback. Again, exercises, stimulations, and role-plays will be used.

Step 5: Application. Give you the opportunity to transfer process to real-life situations. Usually assignments are made to facilitate short and long term experimentations.

Critical Thinking

Assessment

Part 1: Think of a topic/issue that you find very upsetting and frustrating. Do a little "ranting" on the issue. Write some very strong emotional statements about this issue or situation. 4-5 Sentences.

Part 2: Imagine going to public and convincing someone else to share some intensity you about this issue. Argument- Reasoning.

Learning

Support your claims and proposals in a systematic and concise way.

Thinking about Thinking

- Managers spend a lot of time both presenting evident to support their own ideas and evaluating ideas presented by others.

- Effective manager are effective thinkers

- Approach ideas with openness and healthy skepticism

Management and Sound Reasoning

- Effective managers are good at both framing their own arguments and reacting to argument of others

- Task of critical thinker is to make the best decision with the available information in a particular circumstance

Most Arguments have 3 Elements

1. Claim: conclusion of argument; answers the question- what is the point here?

2. Grounds: facts and evidence that support the claim. The claim can be no stronger than the ground that supports it; answers question- what leads you to say that?

3. Warrants: bridge between claim and grounds; answers question- how does claim connect to the grounds offered

Chapter 1: Becoming a Master Manager: A Competing Values Approach

2010

Happy New Year!

2009-2010

It's been a crazy and hectic year! it's done, it's over and time to move on to a brighter year!

I am excite, my health is getting better, my overall life is getting better and everything is good.

Motto: Work hard and play hard.

Cheers,

Honey

The Three-Part Framework for Powepoint Presentations

Preview, View, Review

Preview (10-15 % of time)

Hook: Opening statement to grab attention
Positioning Statement: Benefits statement selling advantages of listening
Overview: Key points that support positioning statement

View (80-85% of time)

Point 1: Evidence/Illustration
Point 2: Evidence/Illustration
Point 3: Evidence/Illustration

Review (5% of time)

Recap: Summary of positioning statement and key points
Memorable Conclusion: Wrap up story or statement
Call to Action: Request for order/commitment

7 Steps for Powerpoint Presentations

Step 1: Define your purpose. The first question every presenter has to determine is, Why am I presenting? Is it to inform, entertain or persuade?

Step 2: Profile your audience. You should always analyze your audience’s need and motivations.

Step 3: Map your structure. Presenting is essentially story telling. And all good stories need structure.

Step 4: Add drama and impact. Even the most boring factual presentations needs livening up with anecdotes, stories or captivating visuals.

Step 5: Rehearse until perfect. The more you rehearse, the better you get.

Step 6: Deliver with style. The way you deliver is as, if not more important than your content.

Step 7: Review and Revise. The best presenter learn from their mistakes by continually evaluating their performance.

Thus, the journey begins.

After a long time, my stomach pain has decreased a little bit. Before, I would get sharp and strong pain attacks and now its more of a burning pain. My body is responding better to it than the sharp pain. I usually have a fever and my body is a bit weird in a manner that sometimes I am unable to breath and I feel suffocated. My doctor says that if my ulcers get better than all the other stomach related issues (infection, bleeding, etc.) will decrease, thus my overall body will get better. The foundation of all my health problems is the ulcers, so I have to cure that in order in indirectly cure all the other problems.

So Mr. Ulcers, here I come, I am going to tackle you down. My whole body (specially my mind) is stronger than you. I keep telling myself that my body is my own enemy, but I don’t take any action against it, which I think it’s time to do. I need to make my body my friend (my best friend) and be at peace physically and mentally.

I am past the phase of loosing it and not doing anything about my pain and health. I took off work and just didn’t do anything but sit and cry about my pain. That went for a while, and that definitely didn’t help. I cut off connection and started slacking on my work and school and that also doesn’t help. One quality that has always been part of me is that no matter what condition I am in mentally and physically, I have got myself up, have had a strong head and kept moving.

I still recall, I was doing a dance performance and my knees were really hurt and I was in tears a minute before the dancer performance, but a minute later, I got on stage, I put a smile on my face and it must have been one of my best dance performances. It was at the festival of trees in Boise, ID. I didn’t let my commitment to dance team down (meridian dance art academy) and I didn’t let my dance team down.

I need to revisit that and bring my mental strength back of dealing properly with pain, but not loosing what I have, or my aspirations and dreams.

Plus, if I distract my mind and do things for myself that are good than maybe with my mind, my health will also get better. For a while I had lost all my ambition, motivation, inspirations, and goals and I was not doing anything to make any part of my life improve. Instead of digging myself a deeper a hole, I am going to get out of this hole.

I do need to bear in my mind that my health is yet utmost important and needs more of my attention than anything else. I have developed a eating schedule, a rest schedule, and meditation schedule. Also, I will continue having my special brown bag which has fruit, nuts and other healthy food that is always on me, so in any instance, I can eat no matter where I am.

I have lost of a bit of strength in my body, so I need to gain that back up. I have developed a set of exercises, stretches, and yoga poses that are good for overall body and stomach that will improve my strength.

No one else and nothing else except me can improve my health, and I need to do it well and soon, so things don’t get worse even later in life.

I need peace and sanity and I am going to provide that to myself.

And, people who have made my health worse or have anything to say against me or my health specially when I have helped you in any way shape or form; I curse you and I hope that you go through 50% of what I have been through. Only 50% because that will be enough to teach them a lesson and I don't think they can deal with half of what I have dealt with, let alone whole.

My goal of simplifying my life is close to accomplished, everything I don’t need or use has been trashed, the important things are neatly organized and placed.

I am back on my feet and strong brain and need to get work done, projects done and catch up to the speed of everything.

School

1. I have two weeks to do 4 projects of the semester. The whole class has done 4 projects in 4-5 months, and I need to do those projects in 2 weeks, in fact by the end of this week to be able to do the 5^th project of the semester.

a. Project 1: Sketch, Refine and Finalize design for the german poster with placement, scale, color and in style of piet zwart, max huber and theo van doesburg. Final 6 posters (11x14)

b. Project 2: Text, graphic element and photo choices for Vision, put it together and apply in 4 environments. Final 4 posters (billboard size)

c. Refine book sale sign 6-10 times and create a system branding from book design. Final 6 designs (book bag, gift card, book mark, calendar)

d. Time and measurement design with dance. Final 4 cd cased of dance timeline

2. Crossing borders journal. Just for few hours before 11/30/09 I need to sit at create a collage for 15 different words to form a book of collage of 15 terminologies. This shouldn’t be that difficult, just grab images related to term and paste it on page (text is fine too)

3. Type forms branding to recreate stationary of Post-It Notes Company. (Logo, letter head, business card, envelop and notepad)

4. Final portfolio for type forms

5. Final portfolio for visual literacy

Work

1. 50-100 web channel research to benchmark (50 completed)

2. 50-100 events/tradeshows/conferences to research and benchmark for 2010

3. Competitive analysis projects (completed, but need to be updated)

4. Analyzer vendor list?

5. APAC business development- country focus India (benchmark 10-15 from a list of 50)

6. EMEA business development- country focus Russia (done!)

7. 3 Presentation creations from concept to execution (Reseller, End User, Analyzer)

a. Outline done, basis and concept done; work on creation and execution

I need to finish all this work before I go to Boise, ID. Forgot to mention that I have booked a ticket to go to Boise because I really miss my mom and I am going to surprise her by showing up at home. My goal is to get all this done before I go, otherwise I won’t go. 2^nd week of December!

After that, I will have an entire month of school and nothing for school to worry about! I want to thank my professors, lian, teddy and Michael for giving me a lot of flexibility this semester. Lian has done it for two semesters now. Thank you guys for understanding and reiterating to me that health is more important and I should worry about that more than school.

Those are all my short term goals.

To keep in mind my long term goals.

Education

B.S Communication and Psychology (completed)

M.F.A. in Graphic Design (in progress)

M.B.A. in International Marketing/Business (future) I have selected a school, Golden Gate University, and will apply there in about a 1.5 years. I have my mind set to the curriculum, and the requirements for application and slowly I will start working on that once a lot of other stress in my life is decreased.

I am still working on the book I want to publish, it’s getting harder and harder. When I thought things were coming along, they are actually diminishing a bit, but it’s ok, I can put that aside to focus on more important things (health) for now and come back to it at a better time.

I need to get CCNA to go higher in my industry (IT) and I just emailed a community college that offers CCNA training courses for 2-3 months that apparently guarantees passing the CCNA exam, which my company pays for. If all works well, that can get rolling when I am off school for a while.

I have always been a steady and committed volunteer for an organization in each city I have lived in. Ever since I came to bay area, I haven’t done any volunteer work. My only reason for doing volunteer work is that it makes me happy. I need to research an organization here where I can be a committed volunteer. I have made a decision to volunteer in what makes me happy and is less stressful. No more marketing related volunteering, etc, I am going to do mentor volunteering of helping kids and people with life and career skills and just spending time with them. Instead of lending my skills to people who back stab me, I should lend it to people who would appreciate it and will truly play a piece in making this world a better place. Life coaching would also be something part of this, but it might be a bit stressful.

I still want to paint, draw, have my paint brushes, canvases, and other materials.

I have always wanted to be an educator and have always seen myself as a part time professor. Teaching is not something I want to do as a full time career, but something on side because I love it so much. I have come up with a strategy of tutoring as a starting point. If time and health allows, I would like to do that. In my spare time, I did come up with a resume for it, but didn’t do anything else. Let’s see how I am in a couple months and then I can think more about this.

Last, but not least, DANCE! I love dancing and I always have. I want to be dancer, do performances, have a team, and spend few hours in a week to dance. But my body doesn’t allow me to complete dance. I can do a little bit, but not much, not completely dance. I have not come up with any strategy to be able to fully dance. There has always been a problem in this, whether my knee, my stomach or my whole body. I think once I spend some time taking care of health fully, then I can come back to this and re-think it.

J I have so much going for myself and my life with all these goals, motivations and dreams and most importantly my ambition! Instead of focusing on all this, I was paying attention to and wasting energy dealing with useless things. This just reminds me once again that I need to work hard, and achieve these things. They are worth dealing with stomach pain and fighting to make my health better to do these things. Thus, the journey begins.

Natural Cure for Ulcers

Natural Cures for Ulcers

It is important to treat the symptoms of an ulcer when they first arise. Untreated ulcers have the potential to grow larger, creating a host of additional medical issues. Ignoring an ulcer can lead to bleeding in the digestive system or the formation of holes in the wall of the stomach or duodenum. Before seeking a prescription medication to solve the problem, you might want to try a natural approach, such as:

a) Licorice:

Licorice root acts as an anti-inflammatory and produces a substance that aids in the protection of the stomach wall. When incorporating licorice as part of a natural cure, the production of acid is also reduced. Some individuals make a decoction, while others simply suck the juice from licorice sticks. Tinctures also make effective remedies. If you have high blood pressure, you may want to refrain from this type of natural treatment.

b) Manuka:

Studies conducted in New Zealand reveal that the bark, pollen, flowers, and leaves of manuka honey destroy the bacterium associated with ulcer development [4]. One may take 1 to 2 teaspoons of manuka honey twice per day or use the flowers and leaves to create infusions. The bark is also used to form decoctions. To add an anti-bacterial component to a manuka infusion, consider using thyme or echinecea.

c) Banana:

Peptic ulcers react quite well when using bananas to neutralize the extra acidity found in gastric juices. The banana also lessens the irritation associated with an ulcer by coating the stomach lining. Some individuals with an advanced peptic ulcer have found great results by following a strict diet of two bananas with a glass of milk (3 to 4 times per day).

d) Lime:

The citric acid of limes works with mineral salts to aid digestion.

e) Cabbage:

It is believed that the juice extracted from raw cabbage is a helpful remedy for a peptic ulcer. Add 250 grams of cabbage to 500 ml of water and bring to a boil until the quantity is reduced to half of its original amount. After cooling the water, the natural cure can be taken twice daily. Usually, the juice is too strong and some people have lessened its potency with carrot juice. Additional raw vegetable juices that aid in remedying ulcers include spinach, beets, and cucumber.

f) Milk:

A natural approach towards curing an ulcer includes almond milk and goat’s milk. Almond milk is created when adding blanched almonds to a blender. The remedy is known to bind excess acid in the stomach. Goat’s milk has been known to heal peptic ulcers and receives a better response from the body when taken in its raw form. Goat’s milk should be taken three times per day.

Herbal Remedies & Natural Cures

If you have already been diagnosed with H. pylori then you may want to try these options. Sometimes big claims and promises are made. A word of advice - always ask for clinical tests and a money back guarantee BEFORE you decide to part with your money!

• Herbs - Without doubt, the best natural treatment we have found for stomach ulcers and H. pylori is one now being used by Doctors and other Health Care professionals around the world. Clinically tested and proven to be the best herbal treatment for stomach ulcers, it is proven to eradicate all strains H. pylori completely, and without any negative side effects. This 100% natural treatment is an easy treatment to take, as opposed to the difficult treatment regime of Triple Therapy with it's nasty side effects.Click here to get a FREE eReport on H. pylori and find out how you can overcome this bacteria naturally.
• Ayurvedic medicine - widely practiced Holistic treatment in modern India and now steadily gaining popularity in the West. Ayurvedic medicine works on your diet, detoxification and purification techniques, herbal remedies, breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and massage therapy.
• Acupuncture - tests on patients who have undergone acupuncture treatment for stomach ulcers show that acupuncture procedures can normalize certain processes of the gastro intestinal tract. There is not much evidence available to show exactly how effective acupuncture is as a treatment for stomach ulcers. Acupuncture is a painless treatment and involves the placing very thin metal needles into the skin at specific acupuncture points. The needles are usually left inserted for 15 - 30 minutes. Treatment normally involves multiple sessions over a period of weeks or months.
• Vitamins and Minerals - Zinc, vitamin A and beta-carotene will boost your stomach lining's ability to repair and regenerate itself. See more about vitamins in my recommended ulcer diet.
• Homeopathy - for a homeopath, the symptoms of the disease are much more important than the ulcer itself. A homeopath not only tries to heal the ulcer but also tries to remove the cause of the ulcer as well as the tendency for a relapse. Examples of homeopathic medicines used for stomach ulcers are argentum-nit, arsenic-alb, hydrastis, kali-bichrom, phosphorus, uranium-nit, terebintha, atropine, geranium, natrum-phos, medorrhinum, merc-cor, ornithogalum, lycopodium, pulsatilla and graphites.

· ---Fresh cabbage juice is an excellent ulcer treatment. It produces an amino acid that increases blood flow to the lining of the stomach and helps to strengthen it. For those who prefer eating cabbage, only raw cabbage should be used to be effective.

· ---Active Manuka honey is another effective treatment for ulcers. This raw honey may be purchased in health food stores. Honey has been used for hundreds of years as a topical preparation to promote the healing of wounds. Ingested, it heals and strengthens the stomach lining

· and kills harmful bacteria.

· ---Unripe plantains promote strong stomach linings by producing a mucoid substance that coats the stomach lining, giving it protection against acids. Bananas offer protection in the same manner.

· ---Eating a diet that is fiber-rich is an added ulcer protection. Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains produce substance which help to protect the stomach lining.

2 Stories- Misfortune/Bleesing and Dreams

It's weird how things happen-

I am fighting my body and health and trying to live a happy life.

In last update post I introduced my idea of dreams.

All my life, I have always thought about others and what I should do to benefit them, even selecting a major like psychology, was about how I can serve people to make them happy.

Few experiences-

1. I went to madir and I was sitting there upset and my health, and it was at a odd time, so the pandit was just mingling around. At this sunnyvale mandir, it's a big hall with different gods in different areas. I usually sit my Hanuman and recite Hanuman Chalisa- I was just sitting there, upset, red eyes, in pain and just looking weak. This pandit comes to talk to me, and I tell him what is going on with my health a few relationship issues, and he tells me, "This is for your own good, god has seen you neglecting yourself over others and so the only way he can teach you to forget about everyone and focus on yourself and take care of yourself if to put you in this position where you have no choice, but to take care of yourself, otherwise you will loose your life." Basically, this is a lesson for me to stop worrying about others and take care of myself.

I am learning slowly.

2. After this, one day I am reading a book by my favorite author, Paulo Cohelo, Warrior of Light and I come across a wonderful story about blessings and misfortune.

The lost horse

Many years ago in a poor Chinese village, there lived a peasant with his

son. His only material possession, apart from some land and a small

straw hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father.

One day, the horse ran off, leaving the man with no animal with which

to till the land. His neighbors - who respected him greatly for his honesty

and diligence - came to his house to say how much they regretted what

had happened. He thanked them for their visit, but asked:

- How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in

my life?

Someone mumbled to a friend: “he can’t accept reality; let him think

what he wants, as long as he isn’t saddened by what happened.”

And the neighbors went off, pretending to agree with what they had

heard.

A week later, the horse returned to the stable, but it was not alone; it

brought with it a fine mare for company. Upon hearing this, the villagers

- who were flustered since they now understood the answer the man had

given them - returned to the peasant’s house, in order to congratulate

him on his good fortune.

- Before you had only one horse, and now you have two. Congratulations!

- they said.

- Many thanks for your visit and for all your concern - answered the

peasant. - But how can you know that what has happened has been a

blessing in my life?

Disconcerted, and thinking he must be going mad, the neighbors went

off, and on the way commented: “does he really not understand that

God has sent him a gift?”

A month later, the peasant’s son decided to tame the mare. But the animal

unexpectedly reared up and the boy fell and broke his leg.

The neighbors returned to the peasant’s house - bringing gifts for the

wounded boy. The mayor of the village offered his condolences to the

father, saying that all were very sad at what had happened.

The man thanked them for their visit and their concern, but asked:

- How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune in

my life?

They were all astonished to hear this, since no one could be in any

doubt that the accident of a son was a real tragedy. As they left the peasant’s

house, some said to others: “he really has gone mad; his only son

might limp forever, and he is still in doubt about whether what

happened is a misfortune.”

Some months passed, and Japan declared war on China. The Emperor’s

envoys traveled throughout the land in search for healthy young

men to be sent to the battle front. Upon arrival in the village, they recruited

all the young men except the peasant’s son, whose leg was

broken.

None of the young men returned alive. The son recovered, the two animals

bred and their offspring were sold at a good price. The peasant

began visiting his neighbors to console and help them, - since they had at

all times been so caring. Whenever one of them complained, the peasant

said: “how do you know it is a misfortune?” If anyone becomes overjoyed,

he asked: “how do you know it is a blessing?” And the men in

that village understood that beyond appearances, life has other

meanings.

Moral lesson: No matter what happens, I should always ask myself, How can you know that what has happened has been a misfortune or a blessing in my life?

3. Today, after being home all day and studying all day I decided to go to starbucks and drink something cold to make my stomach feel better, get out and just relax a little bit. I always have my favorite book on my: Chicken Soup for Unsinkable Soul. I just randomly open stories to read them when I get few minutes. I open up a page with a poem on it and I read:

You Can Beat the Odds and Be a Winner, Too

Bury him in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George Washington.

Raise him in abject poverty and you have an Abraham Lincoln.

Subject him to bitter religious prejudice, and you have a Disraeli.

Label him, "too stupid to learn" and you have a Thomas Edison.

Tell her she's too old to start painting at eighty, and you have a Grandma Moses.

Have him or her born black in society filled with racial discrimination, and you have Booker T. Washington, Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson, George Washington Carver or Martin Luther King Jr.

Make him the first child to survive in a poor Italian family of eighteen children, and you have a Enrico Caruso.

Afflict him with period of depression so severe that he cut off his ow ear, and you have a Vincent van Gogh.

Tell her in the late 1800s and early 1900s that only men can be scientists, and you have a Madame Curie, who eventually won two Nobel Prizes- one for physics and another for chemistry.

Tell a young boy who loved to sketch and draw that he has no talent, and you have Walt Disney.

Take a cripple child whose only home he ever knew was an orphanage, and you have James E. West, who became the first chief executive of the Boy Scouts of America.

Make him a second fiddle in an obscure South American Orchestra and you have a Toscanini

- Abigail Van Buren

I was so inspired reading this poem and it's under the Courage and Determination section!

I have been rejuvenated for the week, now I can be stronger, work harder and be happy...

Update

Time flies-

Have been really sick and busy with life.

Taking care of health, eating good food, resting and not worrying about anyone or anything!

Had a crazy stomach infection when my stomach was loosing waste- I couldn't take medicine for it and so for a week I took a halt at everything and just rested and took care of health.

My ulcers is permanent- I got rid of waste through so much pain and suffering, and then was impacted by infection- throat, stomach were killing me and my body was so tired and weak. Slowly after resting a lot and eating only kichadi, that got better.

My body is own enemy- when one thing gets solved another happens and everything is built on top of my nasty ulcers.

I am proud of myself though, I went through days and days of being in bed sick, and the whole time I thought, I can't get through this, I can't get through this, but I got through that phase and am walking, talking again...

7-8 times throughout the day I have to stop what I am doing and relax for 20 mins (not think, worry) because I would be living my normal life and I would get random pain attacks.

I have noticed changes in me, I have stopped caring about people so much, I am paying a lot more attention to my life and my needs, desires. I have simplified my life so much- got rid of all unnecessary things and stuff and re did my hair, got new bag, wallet, clothes, and cleaned and organized everything- I renovated everything in my life- gifted myself a brand new leather black bag and leather red wallet.

I am able to focus on myself, my work, my studies a lot more now that I have stopped caring about others.

I have to take care of myself and follow my dreams (yes, I have dreams for myself, which I think about every night before I sleep and in daytime I write down strategic plans and deliverables to achieve my dreams, and if my health allows, I work hard for my dreams)

Also, my friend gifted me a iTouch Ipod, really like it- it has built in wifi and all cool features.

Life is what I make it-