The Christmas Hoodies

    The shelves are filling up with sweets for Christmas. The adverts are singing at you on the television. Your children are nagging you for the latest buzz in the toy world. Your significant other: well you are under pressure to get them the best present... 

  ...hang on a minute. We are a day away from November and you have 54 days until Chistmas. It's the Chistmas time warp. The advertising that is making you feel put under pressure. Let's face it these things are everywhere, from shop point of sale, television to magazines. Does anyone remember a time where Christmas wasn't such a mad rush in the shops? Why do people go crazy and pile in the shops like they are never going to open again? Because the bigwig companies who want your money are putting you under that pressure with their "in your face" adverts. 

  Don't become a Christmas Hoodie. So, there may not be enough chestnuts left for you this year. The Panettones all gone and nowhere to be seen is the Megatron toy for your son. These things will be back on sale again. If little Timmy doesn't know you we're going to get him Megatron for Christmas he's going to be well chuft you gave him a present after Christmas. Don't feel you have to bulk up on those Christmas presents because Megatron wasn't there either. 

DON'T BE BULLIED BY FAMILY OR SHOPS

  It's not the end of the world it's Christmas. And incidentally Christmas is here because it is a Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus not because of who can give each other the best and most expensive presents. Do not be fooled by the lovely jingling Christmas adverts or point of sale luring you to the shelves.

3 1/2 Weeks

    Imagine you are going out. An evening where you let your hair down. You are out with the gang. You're having a few drinks. The night is going well. Someone keeps hovering around you and your friends but you aren't interested

   You decide to go home earlier than usual, to leave the evening on a high note.  

  Three months later you receive a phone call from someone who you thought was your friend. They inform you that you have to go and get yourself checked out for HIV because you have slept with their friend. (The person that kept hovering round you on the night out.) And your friend encouraged the person and you to maybe get together. You weren't interested and you didn't sleep with them but how would you feel?  

  

The Day the Earth Should Stand Still

  

Hands up if you like shopping? Hands up if you like shopping at the Supermarket for your groceries? 

Is it me or do people become the centre of the universe as soon as they step inside a Supermarket. Are you one of these people? Below is a checklist. If you know you do more than three of the following then you are an "I\'m the centre of the universe shopper.

 Do you park within the white lines of the car spaces?

Do you stand just inside the entrance, so there is not much room for other customers, talking to your friend?

 Do you suddenly stop in the middle of a busy isle to talk to your friend?

 Do you reach over in front of someone\'s face without saying, "excuse me"?

 Do you jump ahead in the self-service checkout? 

Do you think the whole isle is there for you and your trolley?

 If you decide you don\'t want an item in store do you return it to it\'s proper place? 
 If you knock an item off the shelf do you return it to it\'s proper place?

 Do you leave your trolley in the middle of the car park? 

Do not despair. Become aware!

Shopping Eticate

Be aware of the fellow shoppers around you and be aware of the staff. No one wants bashed with a trolley or an elbow. Staff have work to do without folk giving them more because they didn\'t put something back where they got it. Not only does this cause extra work, but if a perishable item is placed with non-perishables the perishable is thrown away and this doesn\'t help the economy. No one wants their car scratched by a trolley that someone couldn\'t be bothered putting back in the bay. 

So if you are guilty of any of the above Tesco, please don\'t shop at the GPS coordinates given.

Thank you for reading. 

GPS Position: 5°28\'15"W, 56°24\'38"N

-5.47106 , 56.41057

Winter: It's Like Marmite

    The nights are drawing in and the days are getting shorter.  So this got me thinking about my behaviour during the winter months. I hate the cold. I hate the dark nights apart from seeing the stars. I feel lathargic and would love to hibernate during winter. But I don't have SAD. Does anyone have this condition and how does winter affect you? How are your moods and your ability to complete tasks during winter? In fact lets make it even more interesting: anyone can reply to this post about their behaviour during winter but put what month you were born in in your post too. 

  I look forward to seeing your comments.

Interview You

  Within the next month I will be working on interview questions to ask people from all walks of life. I will be asking them about what they do and how their traits help them to achieve what they do in their life. I will also ask them about their negative traits.

  Together we can find out whether we have traits that could help us do something we have wanted. To stand up to something we want and to achieve something we have wanted but didn't have the impetus or confidence.

  If you would like to be interviewed please email me at stitched.together1@gmail.com tell me a little bit about what you do and I will send you a questionnaire and email you when your interview will appear on my blog.

What Makes You?

  Below is a list of traits that contribute to human behaviour and personality. What traits can you see that you have, whether positive or negative? Where do you think your traits come from? Our family and social circles may influence our behaviour but just how much is in your control and how much is influenced by your upbringing, culture and social circles? 

  My mission statement is: To explore... Sorry this isn't Star Trek. 

Mission Statement

To find out, with those who wish to take part, what traits make us individual. Why some people have more of a trait than others and why negative trait exhibit themselves under pressure. 

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS (inward focused)
Positive	Negative
accepts what's given	ignores, rejects what's given
aspiring, ambitious, motivated	self-satisfied, unmotivated
change; accepts, embraces-	rejects change
cheerful	cheerless, gloomy, sour, grumpy
courageous	cowering, fearful
decisive	indecisive
determined	indecisive, unsure
does what is necessary, right	does what is convenient
perseveres, endures	relents, gives up
enthusiastic	unenthusiastic, apathetic, indifferent
expansive	kept back, tight, constricting
faith in life	life can't be trusted
faith in oneself	lack of faith in self
flexible	inflexible, rigid, unbending, stubborn
focused	unfocused, scattered
frugal, thrifty	wasteful, spendthrift
grateful	ungrateful, unappreciative
hard-working	lazy
interested	indifferent, uncaring
involved	complacent, indifferent
mature	immature
modest	vain
open-minded, tolerant	narrow, close, small-minded, intolerant
optimistic	pessimistic
perfects	allows imperfection
persistent, sustaining	flagging, fleeting, unsustaining
positive	negative
practical	impractical, not viable
punctual	late, not on time
realistic	naive, impractical
reliable	unreliable, undependable
responsibility; takes-	blames others
responsible	unreliable, undependable
responsive	unresponsive, unreceptive
self-confident	lack of self confidence, insecure
self-directed	directed by externals
self-disciplined	undisciplined, unrestrained, indulgent
self-esteem, high	self-esteem, confidence - low
self-reliant	dependent
serious	silly, trivial, petty
systematic	unsystematic, disorganized, disorderly, randoms
unpretentious	pretentious, affected, ostentatious

 

SOCIAL TRAITS (outer focused)
Positive	Negative
accepts authority, loyal, devoted	rebellious
affectionate	distant, cold, aloof
candid	closed, guarded, secretive
caring	uncaring, unfeeling, callous
considerate, thoughtful	inconsiderate, thoughtless
cooperative	uncooperative, unhelpful, combative
courteous	rude, impolite
devoted	uncommitted, uncaring, hostile
faith in others	others can't be relied on
forgiving	unforgiving, resentful, spiteful
freedom given to others	authoritarian, controlling
friendly	unfriendly, distant, aloof, hostile
generous	stingy, miserly, selfish
goodwill	ill-will, malice, hatred
grateful	ungrateful, unappreciative
honest	dishonest, deceiving, lying
humble	arrogant, conceited, ego-centric
interested	indifferent, uncaring
involved	complacent, indifferent
jealous, not	jealous, envious, covetous
kind	unkind, uncaring, cruel, mean
open-minded, tolerant	narrow, close, small-minded, intolerant
reliable	unreliable, undependable
respectful	disrespectful, rude, impolite
responsibility; takes-	blames others
responsible	unreliable, undependable
responsive	unresponsive, unreceptive
self-directed	directed by externals
self-giving	self-centered
self-reliant	dependent
selfless	selfish
sensitive	Insensitive, indifferent
sincere	insincere, dishonest
social independence	social approval required
sympathetic	unsympathetic, unfeeling
takes others point of view	insists on own view
thoughtful towards others	thoughtless, inconsiderate, callous
trusting	suspicious, mistrusting
unselfish	selfish
willing does, willingness	unwilling, reluctant, recalcitrant
work-oriented	convenience first

 

Trait-Positive Trait-Negative Attitudes accepts authority, loyal, devoted rebellious accepts what's given ignores, rejects what's given affectionate distant, cold, aloof aspiring, ambitious, motivated self-satisfied, unmotivated candid closed, guarded, secretive caring uncaring, unfeeling, callous change; accepts, embraces- rejects change cheerful cheerless, gloomy, sour, grumpy considerate, thoughtful inconsiderate, thoughtless cooperative uncooperative, unhelpful, combative courageous cowering, fearful courteous rude, impolite decisive indecisive devoted uncommitted, uncaring, hostile determined indecisive, unsure does what is necessary, right does what is convenient perseveres, endures relents, gives up enthusiastic unenthusiastic, apathetic, indifferent expansive kept back, tight, constricting faith in life life can't be trusted faith in oneself lack of faith in self faith in others others can't be relied on flexible inflexible, rigid, unbending, stubborn forgiving unforgiving, resentful, spiteful focused unfocused, scattered freedom given to others authoritarian, controlling friendly unfriendly, distant, aloof, hostile frugal, thrifty wasteful, spendthrift generous stingy, miserly, selfish goodwill ill-will, malice, hatred grateful ungrateful, unappreciative hard-working lazy honest dishonest, deceiving, lying humble arrogant, conceited, ego-centric interested indifferent, uncaring involved complacent, indifferent jealous, not jealous, envious, covetous kind unkind, uncaring, cruel, mean mature immature modest vain open-minded, tolerant narrow, close, small-minded, intolerant optimistic pessimistic perfects  allows imperfection persistent, sustaining flagging, fleeting, unsustaining positive negative practical impractical, not viable punctual late, not on time realistic unrealist, impractical reliable unreliable, undependable respectful disrespectful, rude, impolite responsibility; takes- blames others responsible [ep to 9 levels] unreliable, undependable responsive unresponsive, unreceptive self-confident lack of self confidence, insecure self-directed directed by externals  self-disciplined undisciplined, unrestrained, indulgent self-esteem, high self-esteem, confidence - low self-giving self-centered self-reliant dependent selfless selfish sensitive Insensitive, indifferent serious silly, trivial, petty sincere insincere, dishonest social independence social approval required sympathetic unsympathetic, unfeeling systematic unsystematic, disorganized, disorderly, random takes others point of view insists on own view thoughtful towards others thoughtless, inconsiderate, callous trusting suspicious, mistrusting unpretentious pretentious, affected, ostentatious unselfish selfish willing does, willingness  unwilling, reluctant, recalcitrant work-oriented convenience first [ep psych/soc]   Attributes Positive              Negative achieved; has- hasn't achieve adventurous conventional substance-free substance-abuse (alcohol, drug) alert dull aware of opportunities ignorant of opportunities calm excitable, nervous clean [ep to 9 levels] dirty, unkempt clear goals lack of, jumbled goals; directionless clear thoughts muddled thoughts, confused completes leaves hanging, doesn't complete comprehends doesn't comprehend conscious unconscious conscious of one's weaknesses unconscious of one's strengths constructive destructive, complaining content-oriented outer, surface, form-oriented creative uncreative delegates tries to do everything deliberative reckless detail-oriented scrimps on details develops mental capabilities leaves mental capacities as is directed, has direction directionless, unfocused disciplined dissipating dynamic passive educated uneducated education exceed previous generation education not exceed previous generation education greater than present level of achievement education less than present level of achievement education greater than previous generation education less than previous generation efficient inefficient effort taking lack of effort effort achieves results effort wasted energetic listless enterprising enterprising, not entrepreneurial entrepreneurial, not envisions the unseen visionless experienced (in area) inexperienced (in area) fatigue-free tired, fatigued focused unfocused, addled, scattered goal-oriented goalless, directionless good evil graceful clumsy has enough time never has enough time health robust, strong constitution poor health, weak constitution high goals low, no goals higher social interests lower, no social interests idea-driven ideas don't motivate to act imaginative unimaginative improves self stays the same in rapidly expanding field of work in static or declining field initiates (has initiative) lacks initiative innovative conservative insightful lacks insight, blind to, ignorant of intelligent stupid knowledgeable ignorant, uniformed knowledgeable in a particular area no knowledge in a particular area leads others submits, yields to others lives from the depths of life  lives on the surface of life, superficial lucky; things go your way unlucky money circulated for improvement money hoarded for security motivated unmotivated nerves strong nerves weak objective subjective, biased observant blind to, oblivious to organized disorganized patient impatient, expectant personable non-engaging, distant, cold physical stamina lack of stamina polite, mannered impolite, ill mannered, rude previous success in family life previous failure in family life previous success in school previous failure in school previous success in work previous failure in work productive interactions with others chit-chatting professional (acts) amateurish (acts) professional qualification achieved no professional qualification punctual late regular irregular, erratic relationship with other(s) positive relationship with other(s) negative resourceful unresourceful, helpless responsible irresponsible results-oriented does for doing's sake, being merely occupied risk-taker averse to risk sees the whole picture seeing only parts of the picture seeks improvement self-satisfied spiritual, inner connection lacks any spiritual, inner connection stamina lack of stamina strong; physically- weak; physically- strong; psychologically- weak; psychologically- stress-free, relaxed stressed, tense (has had) supportive family or friends (has had) indifferent, uncaring family or friends systematic unsystematic, disorganized, disorderly, random tough weak, soft trustworthy untrustworthy wealthy impoverished wealth in present generation poverty in present generation well-behaved ill behaved work is in harmony with personal life work is in conflict with personal life Social Endowments affectionate family upbringing indifferent, hostile family upbringing high mental abilities in family poor mental abilities in family parents attained high social status parents have low social status parents motivated, gave direction parents demotivated, gave no direction parents rose & accomplished parents remained in same position (inheritance) physical attributes are fine (inheritance) physical attributes are poor (had) previous success (in school, work, family life) (had) previous failure (in school, work, family life) prosperity in family upbringing poverty in family upbringing psychological health and well-being psychological problems prosperity in surrounding society poverty in surrounding society supportive social environment indifferent social environment     Skills capacity to judge others unable to judge others careful, graceful with objects careless, clumsy communication skills communication skills, lack of (can) exercise authority cannot exercise authority delegation skills delegation skills, lack of leadership skills leadership skills, lack of listening skills listening skills, lack of management skills management skills, lack of motivating skills motivating skills, lack of negotiating skills negotiating skills, lack of organization skills organization skills, lacks planning skills planning skills, lack of problem-solving skills problem-solving skills, lack of public speaking skills public speaking skills, lack of reconciling problems, conflicts at higher level skills reconciling problems, conflicts at higher level skills, lack of skilled unskilled skilled, talented exceptionally in particular area not skilled, talented exceptionally in particular area speaking skills speaking skills, lack of teamwork skills teamwork skills, lack of technical work skills technical work skills, lack of time management skills time management skills, lack of verbal skills verbal skills, lack of writing skills writing skills, lack of