Helen Grant - Ghostwriter

I found a new corner of cyberspace today. News Daily and it’s sister website Science Daily are two of the best sites I’ve stumbled across in a long time.

If you’re a knowledge junkie like me, you won’t be disappointed. Both sites have reams of info, dozens of intriguing sections, rotating 24 hour breaking global and universal news, and an endless supply of knowledge.

I spent hours this evening trawling through the science and world news sections. The science section alone has 23 categories, including astronomy, natural disasters, health and medicine, and space and time. There’s also entertainment, politics, business and sport sections, all with at least 20 sub-categories. 

The global emphasis makes you feel part of a united world, not a speck in a distant country, which is how local, regional and national news websites can make you feel. I kind of felt part of a united universe too. Something tells me I’ve found a new home. Click here and here if you want to join me.

Kindness. Love. Forgiveness. When a person is genuinely caring, kind and loves with all her heart, her beauty will radiate from her eyes. Her skin will glow. Her hair will shine. She will lead from the heart. There is no truer statement than beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So many people (and scarily, so many teenagers) think the secret to beauty is working from the outside in. Here’s an example.

Breast enlargements, liposuction, teeth bleaching, face jobs and so on are okay in rare circumstances; when a person has so little confidence that her mental wellbeing would be at risk without surgery. But there’s nothing sexy about having surgery for the sole purpose of attracting attention, being the fittest girl in the room, averting attention from other women, etc.

There are plenty of ways to look and feel good without resorting to surgery. Decent skin and hair products, nice clothes and pretty lingerie, good hygeine, a healthy diet and a decent hair cut are essential, but the ultimate beauty secret is within. It’s free and everyone has access to it. Look into a person’s eyes and you’ll know instantly what type of person they are and whether they have mastered the secret. The eyes really are the windows to the soul.

A man has been arrested in Japan for ringing a freephone number 500 times so he could listen to the recorded female voice. Hiroyuki Nomoto, a 38 year old plumber from Tokyo, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing the company’s business. His defense was that he wanted to hear the woman’s voice.

If someone in your life is making you unhappy, frustrated, dragging you down or generally causing you grief, it’s important to put distance between you for your own sake. Think of it as isolating the problem or drawing a line in the sand. Some things are acceptable and some things aren’t. Decide which is which and move on.

The most frustrating people are those who are never wrong, who happily take, take, take but never give or share. They pretend to have your best interests at heart but secretly don’t give a damn. Their problems are always someone else’s fault. They make empty promises. Blah, blah, blah … need I go on?

Okay, they whinge constantly that they haven’t got this or haven’t got that, think the world and its brother owes them everything, don’t take critisism kindly and are more defensive than a criminal defence lawyer. They want everything right now and to hell with everyone else. What they fail to realise is that happiness is a byproduct of hard work.

Serious graft over a long period of time produces results. Remember that the next time you’re tearing your hair out. When you’re up to your eyeballs in stress know that suffering comes before happiness. It’s the universe’s way of making you grateful when the good stuff turns up because, hell, will you appreciate it after everything you’ve been through!

Choose your friends wisely because people are not always what they seem. If you’re about to explode with anger because someone is taking the piss, listen to your intuition and get the hell away. Genuine friends who put others first are a rarity. If you’re lucky enough to cross paths with one, treat them like the king or queen that they are. Two good friends putting each other first = friends for life!

A sunny but mild day. I worked on and off this morning, then walked into town with Louise. It was a 45 minute walk there and 45 minutes back but worth it because the air was fresh (and I needed the exercise). I need to remove myself from my desk occasionally or I become welded to my chair.

Anyway, I rifled through a couple of charity shops hoping to snap up a bargain, but didn’t find anything. So we grabbed a Starbucks and spent 20 minutes in a book store and a couple of other shops before trundling back up the hill in the sunshine.

We’re similar in that we like to people watch, so that’s what we did most of the day. Watched people. Admired their outfits and wondered what their life story was. Sometimes you can tell (or you think you can) who someone is just by looking at them. Others are not so easy to read. They have a delicious enigma about them.

I find people like that the most fascinating … those that hold something back, are mysterious and charming and difficult to read. What’s the story behind those eyes? Who are you and where are you from? Must be the writer in me, but regardless, I love people and I will always love people watching.

… how the best music, art and writing is produced in times of despair? Work often has more meaning when it is created in times of anguish, emptiness, longing and sorrow. This is particularly true of music. Some of the greatest love songs ever produced are about a break up or unrequited love. The Beatle’s Yesterday (all my troubles seemed so far away) and Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You (we both know I’m not what you need) are two that immediately spring to mind. Can you think of any more?

If you’ve ever met someone and took an instant liking to them, and wondered what their secret to popularity is, you might want to read this article. Being charasmatic is not as difficult as you might think. Aside from being polite and respectful, there are several things you must pay attention to.