Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

There are no guarantees.

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent.  There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

Take the risk: decide.

Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life.  But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
·    Get as many information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

·    Identify and create options.

What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

·    Weigh the pros and cons of every option.

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

·    Trust yourself and make that decision.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight.  So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

DIL WAALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE: Though this film has been a watershed films for all the other reason, it also is a watershed film, as far as positioning the festival of Karva Chauth is concerned. It was thanks to DDLJ that even husbands and wanna be lovers, both girls and boys started fasting to affirm their long-term commitments.

MAANG BHARO SAJNA: It could be probably the first film that picturised the importance of Karva Chauth as a festival affirming bonding between husband and wife, and it did not come from the house of Yash Raj Films, but it was a film made by D. Rama Naidu. The linkage for Karva Chauth could be Jeetendra’s idea for introduction of the festival through a film.

BAGHBAAN: If DIL WAALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE set Karva Chauth into nation’s agenda as a festival having pan-India presence, its affirmation was done by BAGBAAN, and post-BAGBAAN this festival emerged as a national event. The pain of estrangement, and yearning of the husband and wife for each other, more so in an old age, never got a better platform than through Karva Chauth in BAGBHAAN.

VEER ZARA: Yash Raj Banner has been single handedly responsible for setting the festival of Karva Chauth in the psyche of the nation, and VEER ZARA took it to frontiers beyond our borders.

KABHIE KHUSHI KABHIE GUM: It was Karan Johar’s turn to pay the tribute to this festival in his own imperial way, and added a feeling of luxe to this festival, where grandeur started being associated with this festival.

Soapnut is known mostly as a hair care product. But scientists at the Central Drug Research Institute have come up with another use for it — as a contraceptive.

The institute has come up the first natural contraceptive cream made from reetha which is all set to be launched in the market.

The product has passed all clinical tests and has been approved by Drug Controller General of India for use. The CDRI has licensed it to Hindustan Latex Limited (HLL) for marketing.

“The epicarp (the outer layer) of soapnut contains a compound called saponin, which has a potent spermicidal and mild anti-microbial quality,” said Dr Rajendra Prasad, Head of Business Management at the CDRI. “The living conditions in urban slums and rural areas lead to a number of microbial infections in women,” he said. Apart from population control, it will also prevent and help cure vaginal infection in women.

“Tests proved that it has the least side effects compared to contraceptive pills available in the market,” said Dr Prasad. It is a local contraceptive, which, since the body does not absorb it, does not affect platelet functioning, lipid profile and HDL cholesterol as happens with steroid contraceptives. Nor does it cause nausea, vomiting, headache, weight gain, sore breasts, spotting etc as happens in pills, explained Dr Prasad.

“The scientists of CDRI were studying the medicinal effects of a number of herbs when they stumbled upon the property of soapnut as a contraceptive,” said Dr AK Goyal, a scientist at CDRI.

“We are doing a surveillance of the product,” said KK Suresh Kumar, Marketing Director of HLL. “Once the survey is over, within three months, we will be ready to launch it in the market.”

In a poll conducted by OnePoll.com, the Germans were voted as the poorest when it comes to making love. And they were branded too smelly to be a hit between the sheets.

English men followed them and were tagged so lazy that they made women do all the work.

Sweden men came third and were blamed for being “too quick to finish.”

Opinions of 15,000 globetrotters were taken for the poll.

“Well-travelled lovers have named and shamed those blokes who don’t satisfy them between the sheets,” the Sun quoted a spokesperson for pollsters OnePoll.com as saying.

“These results are an eye-opener for thousands of men around the world and female travellers might judge potential new lovers by looking at these results.

“And because English lads fared pretty badly, they need to up their game if they want to be popular on the international scene,”.

Others in the list were men from Holland who were called “too rough” apart from Americans were said to be “too dominating”.

Also, Greek guys were allegedly too soppy to fully satisfy a woman.

Scotland, Turkey (too sweaty) and Wales (too selfish) also featured in the list.

Russian men found the tenth place and were blamed for being too hairy for the average woman.

Before you get that clay, sculpt your intentions into an immaculate figure, and send it over to the one you are yearning for, you might want to take deep breaths and read on. Signifying your massive emotional stress can turn even develop into a disaster if not executed tastefully (no one likes too much mushiness). Translating this unexplainable feeling is actually easier than it seems like if you go back to the basics. Lucky for you, the basics consist of only two things: your most sincere intentions and the most widely accepted gift around the globe, flowers.

White flowers are your best bet in conveying the message above. Sent early in a relationship, white flowers say both “I miss you” and “you are perfect.” It also symbolizes innocence, purity, secrecy, reverence, perfection, humility, and silence. Anyone who is bound to receive white flowers will be genuinely flattered upon knowledge of its meaning.

If the recipient is not a fan or is allergic to plants, fret not because you still have a long list of options that you can perfectly match with her personality. Your former secretary will surely miss you back as soon as she gets a hold of a bone-china tea light holder set. It is a diminutive, luminous sculpture in its own right, and putting it to use is the perfect way to cap her long day in the office. A food lover will surely appreciate flower shaped sugar cookies glazed with white frosting. Quick fact: white is such a beautiful and show stopping color for accessories. Scarves beaded with flowers will definitely be mom’s favorite. Your new girlfriend would not feel threatened with ceramic hibiscus earrings. Pick these two in white and wait for their reports on how many complements they have received. If the budget is as high as the sky, send your geeky lover a new MP3 player protected with a white cherry blossom skin. Whatever your gift is, do not forget to slip in a note saying what you miss about them. Reading something true either before of after your day’s just amazing.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose – Philippine Flower Delivery. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can find Philippine Flower Shops or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.

With the development of hybridization techniques and the discovery of new rose species, flower growers introduced new shades of pink to the public.  At around this time, roses were also imbued with the ability to bloom all throughout the year – a significant development since garden roses only blossomed once a year.  As more shades and species evolved, each began to have their own meanings, and the meaning of pink roses became even more refined.

Today, pink roses are known as symbols for love and gratitude. These pink flowers also carry undertones of elegance, grace, sweetness, and poetic romance.   Because the pink rose was more prevalent over other garden-variety roses, it became strongly associated with these positive sentiments.  Different shades of pink also carry their own meanings.  Light pink roses symbolize admiration, gentleness, and can be used to bring messages of sympathy.  Fuchsia-toned roses can mean appreciation and gratitude and are traditionally used to express thanks.  As a decorative presence in the corner of a room, the aroma, color, and shape of a bouquet of pink roses can make everything look small and shabby in comparison.

Due to the many ways where they can be used to express a wide range of meanings and emotions, pink is the most popular rose color, second only to red.  The symbolic importance as well as the delicate appearance and sweet fragrance associated to all roses are traced back to the oldest of flowers – the pink rose. Although much has changed about it throughout history, pink roses have held a consistent, prominent place in the world of flowers.  Today, pink roses have a unique position that represents refinement and elegance while communicating admiration and thanks.  Any recipient of a bouquet of pink roses will not only be taken aback by their beauty; that person is sure to feel special and loved.

This article was written by Timothy Spencer for Island Rose – Flowers Philippines. We hope you enjoyed this article and encourage you to visit our website. Through Island Rose, you can send Flower Philippines or simply browse through our blog for more informative articles.