Category Archives: Tips for Daily Life

Unsolicited Robocall

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Do Not Call RegistryGot a robocall (a recording) on my voicemail.

It thanked me for using their service (only in their imagination), then informed me with their toll free number and web address that I couldn’t decipher.

After a search online with that number, found out who they are easily-I wasn’t the only one.

FTC says these calls are made by companies who ignore the Do Not Call list and are most likely scammers.

In this video, FTC says to hang up the phone without doing anything the call suggested.

I opted to do the following:

Even if your number is not on the Do Not Call Registry you can file a complaint about a robocall.

59 Seconds to Happiness!

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59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a LotWhy doesn’t positive thinking ever work for me? Something wrong with me? As it turned out, Richard Wiseman, the author of 59 Seconds, by research results that positive thinking doesn’t work.

But why? Let’s try something, trust me it wont’ hurt.
Don’t think of the pink elephant.

Are you NOT thinking of the pink elephant? Of course you are. That’s why suppressing negative thoughts doesn’t work. You see, for us to NOT DO something, we first have to FOCUS on the something for us to not do. There is no way our minds can get away from it.

So, what can I do to be happy? Prof. Wiseman provides the solutions in the “Happiness” chapter of 59 Seconds.

One suggestion is to behave like a happy person, then the happiness will come — smile (thinking happy thoughts helps); sit-up; act happy (walk/talk like a happy person). Wow, who knew pretending to be happy can make us happy!

The 5-day journaling method is my favorite, being a writer and all. Each day, he gives you something to write about. You only need to write for 59 seconds but I just wrote until I felt like stopping. He says the happiness will last a few months and it does!

Before my first entry on 7/25/11, I was frustrated with myself and how things in my life just won’t move forward. Now, almost 2 months later, the frustration hasn’t returned, even though things are still moving in a leisurely pace.

59 Seconds to Happiness? Yes, it can happen!

Saved by Intuition

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Sat out to explore an unfamiliar park in the morning, walking on the path along the lake, happy to see families already setting up food and drinks for the day. I felt safe until I saw a guy in a dark tracksuit walking toward me then settled at a picnic bench.

intuitions + cautions saves peopleHe said hi when I walked by, I replied then walked on like I knew where I was going. For some reason, I told myself to be aware of my surrounding. Maybe because he didn’t look like someone who needs a break even though he did have a protruding mid-section.

Not knowing the path and unwilling to head back his way, I picked a trail that MIGHT lead me to the sand dune where a few groups of men where fishing. The trail has many sharp turns so my only defense was to speed up and listen for his movements, not sure if he was indeed following me.

Lucky for me, I made it out to those people who were fishing in a few. I watched the old man closes to me clean his fish. After a while, we started chatting. A few words into the conversation, the tracksuit guy showed up on the sand dune.

Again, he didn’t look like he was at the park to exercise or enjoy the site. Besides, he was back tracking by coming my way. He didn’t get out near all of us, just hang around the trail head, all the while looking my way.

I informed the nice old gentleman that I was being followed. We carried on the conversation until the tracksuit guy gave up and left.

Although my intuition only whispered, not screamed, I listened and escaped the situation unharmed. And by the grace of the divine, someone friendly and chatty was out there.

Still, if I haven’t learned to trust my instinct, I’d be wondering about my reaction and dismissed it instead. Then, who knows, I don’t even want to go there…

So today’s tip for daily life is practice listening to your intuition now so you’ll be able to hear it when you need it.

Rapid Cooling A Hot, Parked Car

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The sun is blazing out there but you couldn’t park your car under the shade. Blasting A/C isn’t a good option since you first have to endure the hot air. Wouldn’t it be great if you can cool down the car before you get inside and give your poor A/C a little help?

A friend found a clip from a Japanese show with this tip from an air dynamic professor.

What do you do?

  1. Roll the driver side window all the way down
  2. Close all other windows
  3. Open and close the front passenger door at least 5 times (you don’t slam the door shut, just close and open normally)

In the video the car went from 41.6 C (106.88 F) to 33.5 C (92.3 F) , with the outside temperature at 30.5 C (86.9 F).

How does it work?

It works not by pushing hot air out the driver’s window but by sucking cool air in with the passenger door.

Notes: (from the video)

  • Be careful not to jam your fingers under the door lever
  • Make sure there are enough space for you to open your door fully
  • Be sure other cars and people are in a safe distance

A friend tried it and said it works well. Let me know if it works for you, too!