Commercial gardeners and farmers are known for their huge operations. We have all seen them on TV and in newspapers at one point or another, usually complete with tractors pulling spraying mechanisms. It is what is being sprayed over the crops that should concern you though. More often than not, the substance being sprayed is a combination of pesticides and other chemicals that are designed to protect the crops. Unfortunately, they will not protect you should you eat them.

Pesticides are effectively chemical poisons that are formulated to kill all sorts of pests, from plants and weeds to molds and fungi to insects and other creatures that may eat the crops. They contain all sorts of compounds depending on the formula and what they are specifically designed to kill. Farmers have used them for years. However, only recently has the question of what they are doing to the individuals that eat the crops arisen.

A lot of research has been performed over the past few years concerning the effects of pesticides on humans that consume the vegetables and fruits they are used on. Although the actual spraying of pesticides can cause problems if they spread to settlements or contaminate the water supply, most people that eat commercially grown fruits and vegetables will have eaten some of the chemicals in the past. Unfortunately, the research has highlighted some severe consequences of this.

So now you are probably confused because pesticides do go through safety tests, right? Well, yes they do but, according to Merryl Hammond in Pesticide Bylaws: Why We Need Them and How to Get Them, most safety tests are not up to the standard they should be. Single chemicals are tested rather than compounds and the effects are only tested on healthy people rather than the vulnerable. This is backed up by another fact from Hammond – it is actually illegal to describe pesticides as safe in any way in the United States.

As a result of the above and the very nature of pesticides, there are so many dangers that it is difficult to document them all here. Some of the chemicals are actually carcinogenic, meaning that they cause cancer, and can also lead to decreased fertility, organ damage, genetic faults, allergies, asthma and other similar illnesses and ailments. Vulnerable adults and children are at the most at risk because of their lower immunity. However, certain toxic pesticides can affect individuals of all ages and health levels so it is a serious problem.

The dangers of pesticides should definitely be taken seriously and you absolutely should be aware of what you are eating before you put any fruits or vegetables in your mouth. Growing your own vegetables or eating organic produce can definitely help you to avoid these dangers and stay healthy because you can have peace of mind that your food is completely safe. Always remember that healthy natural food is better for helping you to achieve a healthy body.

Of course, one of the best ways to know what chemicals are or, preferably, aren't on your fresh produce, is to grow it yourself.  For a complete guide to growing your own vegetables, check out our complete and practical guide to growing your own vegetables at home.

Motivation can be expressed as a driving force that drives a person to act and perform to achieve   something in life. It is essential for any task that we undertake. It is a key factor to complete the assigned tasks on time to achieve success. It is an urge that comes from within us and gives us a spark to perform.

Motivation can be of many types. Let us take a very simple example. When we are hungry, the hunger motivates us to eat. We eat to survive. So what motivates us to eat? It’s the hunger from within us. So motivation comes from within that makes a difference in our behavior and actions.

When we are self-motivated we are able to visualize our goals. It feels great to be a winner once we accomplish our goals, which in turn gives us that extra urge to be motivated again. Motivation can be related to the workplace. In an organization the manager is responsible to get things done from the employees. He therefore should be able to motivate his employees. Performance requires both ability and motivation. Ability depends on education and experience whereas motivation can be acquired by the influence of other factors.

But at the end what matters is self-motivation. Some of the factors which can enhance self-motivation are a) postive thinking b) right focus c) following the right direction d) having a cause etc. When we have a cause, we dream…when we fulfill the dream we are happy. We must not get demoralized with failure because everyday is a new day and we always have a chance to start again. 

For more information on how to use motivation to get the life you want, click here. 

Have you found that you often carry out an audit of your life, and find it lacking in certain departments? You try and improve your life and yourself by setting up plans and ambitions but you find that your lofty goals quickly fall by the wayside as your once burning enthusiasm curdles into abject apathy.I this sounds a bit too cynical for your liking answer me this: over the course of this current year, how many times have you vowed that you were going to take up a particular project, such as going to the gym more often, lose weight or learn a new skill?

And how many times did you actually stick to your guns and see that particular adventure through to its conclusion? I rest my case.

So many of us look to the New Year as a landmark time of the year as it provides us with the requisite motivation to alter our life for the better. At least, that is what we keep telling ourselves each and every year and yet, we end up making the same mistakes, falling prey to the same self-defeating patterns of behavior as we did for the previous 364 days of the year. New year resolutions? Give me a break: they would be better off being labeled as “exercises in self-delusion.”

If you haven’t been mortally offended with what you have read thus far, then congratulations as there maybe some hope for you yet because part of the problem is that it far too easy to simply give in when things get tough, or merely take us out of our cozy and well established comfort zone. Hopefully, you will find the time and muster the self-discipline to carry out the following advice and then you really can say hello to a much happier new you!

Ok, I want you to take a blank piece of paper, your favorite pen and then proceed to write down the five areas in your life that are the most important to YOU. Now the important part here dear reader is to ensure that you do this without thinking, do it automatically and “whatever springs to mind.”

Then draw a pie chart, and write down between zero and one hundred percent how content you are with that part of your life. You maybe rather surprised at the results that you come up with!

Now that you have identified the problem areas you want to improve upon (which is the most crucial step) now jot down your feelings about why you are so unhappy about the areas of your life that you want to work upon. Identify positive and proactive steps that you will or can implement in order to improve them and then number them. Once you achieve a particular step, make sure you tick it off.

Ticking off your steps keeps you on track, motivated, and allows you to see progress as it is made.

For more information on goal setting, check out Setting Goals Successfully