Find your pair - Otherwisw no better off

Gandhi was boarding a train one day with a number of companions and followers, when his shoe fell from his foot and disappeared in the gap between the train and platform. Unable to retrieve it, he took off his other shoe and threw it down by the first.

 

Responding to the puzzlement of his fellow travellers, Gandhi explained that a poor person who finds a single shoe is no better off - what's really helpful is finding a pair.

How do you handle adversity?

What can a carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee teach a young woman tired of fighting and struggling with adversity and heartaches? Read on and find out the lesson the young woman received from her mother.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as when one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?

How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

30 Ways to get rid of dandruff

Dandruff, also known as seborrhea, is a common non-contagious condition of skin areas rich in oil glands (the face, scalp, and upper trunk) they are marked by flaking and sometimes redness and itching of the scalp, varying in severity from mild flaking of the scalp to scaly, red patches.

While there are an array of hair products that promise  dandruff treatment Dr Manjiri Patankar Puranik, founder of Instasculpt advices us to rely more on home remedies while treating dandruff. She lists the 30 best methods to get rid of the flaky white stuff.

Heat a small amount of olive oil and rub into the scalp, leave for an hour and wash off with warm water. Later wash your hair with shampoo. Stop use of any hair styling products.

Neem treatment: Soak some neem leaves in water and boil it. Use it neem water to wash your hair. Neem leaf has antifungal and antibacterial properties, making it effective in treating dandruff.

Amla power: Take amla powder and grind it with tulsi leaves and apply it to the scalp for an hour. And then thoroughly wash it off.

Oil your skin with vitamin E (found in avocados) and zinc (found in seafood, nuts and seeds).

It's best to use the lemon juice in squeeze bottles since it's easier to control. Stand over either your kitchen or bathroom sink and squirt the lemon juice all over your head and massage. Leave on for about fifteen minutes, then wash your hair. It usually takes no more than two treatments for the dandruff itch to disappear.

Olive oil and almond oil-- Mix the two together and apply to scalp and leave on for five minutes. Once it starts to tingle rinse and shampoo. Olive oil is an excellent natural conditioner that seeps into the scalp. Apply olive oil into scalp and leave it overnight covered with a cotton cloth

Take multi-vitamins full of Vitamin B, B6, B12 and E. These vitamins help to produce scalp oil and protect from dandruff.

Aloe Vera is one of the best herbs to cure all kinds of hair problem. To add natural moisturizer into your scalp use Aloe Vera gel.

Increase intake of fresh fruits as much possible. Add zinc, omega3 fatty acids, and vitamin B complex food into your diet. Cut down intake of sugar base food. Minimize caffeine containing drinks and foods.

Baby oil works well for dandruff. Baby oil can be massaged on the scalp. A towel can be wound around the head after the application of oil. It should then be left overnight. The next day, the oil could be washed using a herbal shampoo.

Warm oil is massaged on the scalp, then a warm moist towel is wrapped around the head. After a few minutes, the hair can be washed.

Yoghurt treatment: In bowl add a tsp of lime juice, one tsp mustard oil to one cup yoghurt. Apply this mixture to the scalp and let it rest for one hour. Then thoroughly wash the head and hair.

Fenugreek treatment: Soak 2 tbsp. of fenugreek seeds (meethi) in water overnight and crush them into a fine paste next morning.Apply this paste to your hair and scalp for at least 30 minutes.Wash your hair thoroughly after 30 minutes. Follow this treatment for continuous four weeks, for best results.

If you brush your hair, do it with a natural bristle brush that's medium-stiff. 

When you shampoo, massage the scalp vigorously so that you can loosen the flakes and wash them off.

Vinegar treatment: Prepare a mixture of equal amounts of vinegar and water. Apply this on your scalp and leave it on overnight. Wash your hair the next morning with a mild baby shampoo.

Eggs for your hair: Beat 2 eggs and apply the paste on your scalp and rinse it off after one hour. This treatment will assist in preventing dandruff and hair fall.

A solution of beetroot juice, vinegar and some ginger juice, when applied on the scalp helps to get rid of dandruff.

Apply hot olive or sesame oil on the scalp before bedtime. Next morning, rub little lime juice on your scalp one hour prior to bathing. Wash and rinse your hair well.

Comb your hair daily as this promotes blood circulation inside the scalp. Also, regularly massage your scalp with herbal oil.

Apply 2 tbsp. of apple juice mix in water directly to the scalp. Apples have enzymes that eliminate dead skin cells that further causes scalp flakes.

Make a paste of ginger root & beetroot. Massage the hair with this paste every night. Rinse in the morning. It helps to control dandruff effectively in about 4 to 5 nights.

Baking soda is potential to clear excess flakes and clarifies the scalp from dandruff. Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to a handful of shampoo and you will find that it can remove dandruff flakes even hiding in hair strands.

Apply paste made of neem leaves on your scalp to fight dandruff as neem has an antiseptic property. Neem leaves is successful in treating lice, treating dandruff and many other eruptions on the scalp.

Soak two tablespoons of fenugreek (methi) seeds overnight. Grind it into a fine paste in the morning, apply on the scalp & leave for half an hour; wash it off. Follow this regimen twice a week for the first two weeks & once a week for other two weeks.

Vitamin B is effective in controlling dandruff. Take a lot of green vegetables and pulses. Eat eggs and proteins in large quantities as they strengthen the hair and also prevent dandruff from recurring.

The abrasiveness of ordinary table salt works great for scrubbing out dandruff before you shampoo. Grab a saltshaker and shake some salt onto your dry scalp. Then work it through your hair, giving your scalp a massage. You'll find you've worked out the dry, flaky skin and are ready for a shampoo.

Numerous shampoos are available in the market that professes to remove dandruff. Pick a good branded medicated shampoo containing zinc pyrithione, tea-tree oil, green tea, and ketoconazole. These ingredients are known to prevent dandruff.

A lack of proper hair hygiene also accounts for dandruff. Never use others' comb as this is an easy way of catching the infection.