10 ways to cultivate a more meaningful life

How can we cultivate a more meaningful life? The answer is usually complicated. It can depend on many factors. I’ve written down 10 ideas that I believe will help you find meaning in your life every day, so that you can’t wait to get up in the morning and see what the day will bring.

1. Know What’s Important

Know what’s important for you. Write down your top 5 things that you believe are the essence of how you want to live life. This can include things like “family time,” or “sing every day.” It could also include more complex ideas, like “honesty” and “simplicity.”

2. Pursue Your Passion

I believe everyone should pursue their passion in life. It’s what makes life worth living, and gives our lives true meaning and purpose. Each time you work on something you love, it creates joy inside you like nothing else. Finding a way to use your passions to give back to the world will give your life ultimate meaning.
If you can’t manage (or aren’t ready) to work on your passion for a living, be sure and make time for it every day. By working on your passion and becoming an expert in it, you will eventually have the opportunity to make money from it. Be ready to seize that opportunity!

3. Discover Your Life’s Purpose

If you had to give yourself a reason to live, what would it be? What would you stand for? What principles do you hold highest? Is your life’s purpose to help others? Is it to inspire others with great works of art, or you words? Finding your life’s purpose is a daunting task, and when I first heard the idea, I had no idea where to start. For methods on discovering your life’s purpose, I recommend Steve Pavlina’s blog entries on the subject. I also recommend reading the article What Makes Life Worth Living.

4. Be Self-Aware

Be aware of yourself and your actions. Remain mindful of what you do at all times, and make sure you are living life according to your principles, your life’s purpose, and what you are passionate about. Review your actions each day, taking stock of those that strayed from your path. Work towards correcting any incidents in the future. Meditation is a great tool for accomplishing this task. It helps us increase our self-awareness throughout the day.

5. Focus

Rather than chasing 3 or 4 goals and making very little progress on them, place all of your energy on one thing. Focus. Not only will you alleviate some of the stress associated with trying to juggle so many tasks, you will be much more successful. Try and align your goal with something you are passionate about, so that there will be an intrinsic drive to work hard and do well.

6. People More Than Things

Often, we are faced with wanting to buy material goods. I recommend you consider carefully what you purchase, and think more about spending your money on experiences with friends and family. Not only will this give deeper meaning to your life by focusing on your relationships rather than material wealth, but you will be a happier person as a result.

7. Live With Compassion

Both for yourself, and others. Keep in mind the following quote:

For some, compassion is the purpose of life, what gives it meaning, and what leads to ultimate happiness.

8. Find a Way to Give Back

Do something that both honors your beliefs and passions, while giving something back to the world. By giving something back, we inevitably find purpose in the act. By cultivating more of these activities, you will find your life has more meaning and purpose behind it.

9. Simplify Your Life

By simplifying your life, you’ll have more time to do what fulfills you and gives your life meaning. It can also help reduce stress and make your overall life easier to manage. It can also greatly improve your productivity. If you’ve never tried to simplify things before, it really is a great feeling.

10. Set Daily Goals

In the morning, before you start your day, create a list of 3 goals that you find fulfilling and meaningful. Make sure they adhere to your set of principles and beliefs. Tackle the hardest things first! Don’t make this list too long. By placing too many things on the list, you’ll feel the urge to multi-task, which is not good, or you’ll feel overwhelmed, which isn’t good either. By trying to do less, you’ll end up doing more.
Doing all of these things at once may seem daunting, but you can pick one thing at a time and slowly incorporate the ideas into your life. Life is about the journey, not the destination. Living a life of purpose gives both fulfillment and meaning to your journey.

Insulting Insults- put downs criticism

Insulting Insults

A demitasse would fit his head like a sombrero.
A guy with your IQ should have a low voice too!
A half-wit gave you a piece of his mind, and you held on to it.
A sharp tongue is no indication of a keen mind.
After meeting you, I've decided I am in favor of abortion in cases of incest.
All of your ancestors must number in the millions; it's hard to believe that many people are to blame for producing you.
All that you are you owe to your parents.


Why don't you send them a penny and square the account?
Alone: In bad company.
And there he was: reigning supreme at number two.
Any friend of yours ... is a friend of yours.
Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental!
Anyone who told you to be yourself couldn't have given you worse advice.
Are you always so stupid or is today a special occasion?
Are you brain-dead?
Are your parents siblings?
As an outsider, what do you think of the human race?
As useless as rubber lips on a woodpecker. ~ Earl Pitts ~
As welcome as a rattlesnake at a square dance. ~ Robert Reinhold ~
At least you are not obnoxious like so many other people - you are obnoxious in a different and worse way!
Before you came along we were hungry. Now we are fed up.
Believe me, I don't want to make a monkey out of you. Why should I take all the credit?
Better at sex than anyone, now all he needs is a partner.
Brains aren't everything. In fact, in your case they're nothing!
Calling you stupid would be an insult to stupid people.
Can I borrow your face for a few days while my ass is on vacation?
Careful now, don't let your brains go to your head!
Converse with any plankton lately?
Diarrhea of the mouth; constipation of the ideas.
Did the mental hospital test too many drugs on you today?
Did you eat paint chips when you were a kid?
Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?
Did your parents have any children that lived?
Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you'd had enough oxygen at birth?
Do you have to leave so soon? I was about to poison the tea.
Do you want do die stupid?
Do you want me to accept you as you are or do you want me to like you?
Doesn't know the meaning of the word fear, but then again he doesn't know the meaning of most words.
Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent!
Don't get insulted, but is your job devoted to spreading ignorance?
Don't let your mind wander -- it's too little to be let out alone.
Don't mind him. He has a soft heart and a head to match.
Don't thank me for insulting you. It was my pleasure.
Don't think, it may sprain your brain!
Don't you have a terribly empty feeling ---- in your skull?
Don't you love nature, despite what it did to you?
Don't you need a license to be that ugly?
Don't you realize that there are enough people to hate in the world already without your working so hard to give us another?
Ever since I saw you in your family tree I've wanted to cut it down.
Every girl has the right to be ugly, but you abused the privilege.
Everyone is gifted. Some open the package sooner.
Excellent time to become a missing person.
Fat? You're not fat, you're just ... fat.
For two cents I'd give you a piece of my mind - and all of yours.
Forgot to pay his brain bill.
Go ahead, tell them everything you know. It'll only take 10 seconds.
Go fart peas at the moon !!
Grasp your ears firmly and remove your head from your ass.
Has reached rock bottom and shows signs of starting to dig.
Has the IQ of lint.
Have you considered suing your brains for nonsupport?
He can open his mail with that nose!
He can think without moving his lips!
He comes from a long line of real estate people -- they're a vacant lot.
He does the work of three men: Moe, Larry, and Curly.
He doesn't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt. --From "Steel Magnolias"
He has a mechanical mind. Too bad he forgot to wind it up this morning.
He has a mind like a steel trap -- always closed!
He has depth, but only on the surface. Down deep inside, he is shallow.
He has more faces than Mount Rushmore.
He has one brain cell, and it is fighting for dominance.
He is always lost in thought -- it's unfamiliar territory.
He is dark and handsome. When it's dark, he's handsome.
He is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot.
He is living proof that man can live without a brain!
He is so conceited his eyes behold each other perfectly.
He is so short his hair smell like feet

He is so short, when it rains he is always the last one to know.
He is so old that his blood type was discontinued. ~ Bill Dana ~
He is the kind of a man that you would use as a blueprint to build an idiot.
He named the street he owned after his wife.

What a grand statement of his love for her; for she was cold, hard, cracked, and only gets plowed around the holidays.
He smells the coffee, but can't find the pot / a cup.
He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.
Heard your family went to a restaurant where they serve crabs just so they could bring you along.
He'd steal the straw from his mother's kennel.
Hello - tall, dark and obnoxious!
Here's 20 cents. Call all your friends and bring back some change!
He's got that far away look. The farther he gets, the better he looks.
He's just visiting this planet.
He's not stupid; he's possessed by a retarded ghost.
He's so dense that light bends around him.
He's so fat, he has the only car in town with stretch marks.
He's so short he can sit on a piece of toilet paper and dangle his feet.
He's the first in his family born without a tail.
He's the only man who, if told to screw himself, could do it.
He's the reason brothers and sisters shouldn't marry.
Hey, act your age -- senile!
Hey, I heard you went to the butcher and asked for 10 cents worth of dog meat and he asked you if you wanted it wrapped or if you would eat it on the spot.
Hey, I remember you when you had only one stomach.
Hi! I'm a human being! What are you?
His brain waves fall a little short of the beach.
His men would follow him anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity.
His origins are so low, you'd have to limbo under his family tree.
His personality's split so many ways he goes alone for group therapy.
His suitcase doesn't have a handle.
How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?
How many years did it take you to learn how to breathe?
I always wanted to be a troubleshooter but now I see you are not worth it!
I believe in respect for the dead; in fact I could only respect you if you WERE dead.
I bet your brain feels as good as new, seeing that you've never used it.
I bet your mother has a loud bark!
I can tell you are lying. Your lips are moving.
I can tie a coffee bean to my butt and swim across the Columbia River and make a darker stain than that (about weak coffee.)
I can't seem to remember you name, and please don't help me!
I can't talk to you right now; tell me, where will you be in ten years?
I certainly hope you are sterile.
I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take all the credit?
I don't consider you a vulture. I consider you something a vulture would eat.
I don't know what makes you so stupid, but it really works!
I don't know who you are, but whatever it is, I'm sure everyone will agree with me.
I don't mind that you are talking so long as you don't mind that I'm not listening.
I don't think you are a fool. But then what's MY opinion against thousands of others?
I don't want you to turn the other cheek. It's just as ugly.
I feel sorry for you because you are so homely but I feel even sorrier for other people because they have to look at you.
I hear the only place you're ever invited is outside.
I hear what you're saying but I just don't care.
I hear you are an officer. Your rank is - just plain rank!
I hear you are being accepted into an exclusive club cause they need someone to snub.
I hear you are connected to the Police Department -- by a pair of handcuffs.
I hear you are very kind to animals so please give that face back to the gorilla.
I hear you changed your mind! What did you do with the diaper?
I hear you were born on a farm. Any more in the litter?
I hear you were born on April 2; a day too late!
I heard that your brother was an only child.
I heard you got a brain transplant and the brain rejected you!
I heard you went to have your head examined but the doctors found nothing there.
I know you are nobody's fool but maybe someone will adopt you.
I know you're a self-made man. It's nice of you to take the blame!
I know you're not as stupid as you look. Nobody could be!
I like you. People say I've no taste, but I like you.

I like your approach, now let's see your departure.
I reprimanded my son for mimicking you. I told him not to act like a fool.
I thought of you all day today. I was at the zoo.

I understand you, but thousands wouldn't!
I used to think that you were a big pain in the neck. Now I have a much lower opinion of you.
I want nothing out of you but breathing, and very little of that!
I will defend to your death my right to my opinion.
I wonder how many angels could dance on his head?
I worship the ground that awaits you.
I would ask you how old you are but I know you can't count that high.
I would have liked to insult you, but with your intelligence you wouldn't get offended.
I would like the pleasure of your company but it only gives me displeasure.
I wouldn't piss in his ear if his brain was on fire!
I'd hate to see you go, but I'd love to watch you leave!
I'd like to give you a going-away present ... but you have to do your part.
I'd like to have the spitting concession his grave.
I'd like to help you out. Which way did you come in?
I'd like to leave you with one thought ... but I'm not sure you have a place to put it!
I'd like to see things from your point of view but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass. (Thanks, llaje)
I'd love to go out with you, but my favorite commercial is on TV.
I'd rather pass a kidney stone than another night with you.
I'd slap you senseless ... but I can't spare three seconds!
If brains were rain, you`d be a desert.
If I ever need a brain transplant, I'd choose yours because I'd want a brain that had never been used.
If I had a face like yours, I'd sue my parents!
If I promise to miss you, will you go away?
If I said anything to you that I should be sorry for, I'm glad.
If I want any shit outta you I'll squeeze your head.
If I want your stupid opinion, I'll beat it out of you.
If I wanted to hear from an ass, I'd fart.
If I were as ugly as you are, I wouldn't say hello, I'd say boo!
If idiots could fly, this would be an airport.
If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.
If manure were music, you'd be a brass band.
If sex were fast food, you'd have an arch over your head.
If she was cast as Lady Godiva the horse would steal the show.
If truth is stranger than fiction, you must be truth!
If we were to kill everybody who hates you, it wouldn't be murder; it would be genocide!
If what you don't know can't hurt you, she's practically invulnerable.
If you act like an ass, don't get insulted if people ride you.
If you don't like my opinion of you - improve yourself!
If you ever tax your brain, don't charge more than a penny.
If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you get change back.
If you had another brain like the one you've got, you'd still be a half-wit.
If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.
If you were a body of water, you'd be a kiddie pool.
If you were twice as smart, you'd still be stupid.
If your brain were chocolate, it wouldn't fill an M&M.
Ignorance can be cured. Stupid is forever.
I'll never forget the first time we met - although I'll keep trying.
I'm blonde, what's your excuse?
I'm busy now. Can I ignore you some other time?
I'm glad to see you're not letting your education get in the way of your ignorance.
I'm going to memorize your name and throw my head away.
I'm not as dumb as you look.
In the land of the witless, the half-wit is king.
Instead of being born again, why don't you just grow up?
Is that your nose or are you eating a banana?
It is mind over matter. I don't mind, because you don't matter.
It is such a shame to ruin such beautiful blonde hair by dying your roots black.
You're so ugly, you had tinted windows on your incubator.
You're the best at all you do - and all you do is make people hate you.
Yours is a prima facie case of ugliness. And your body is ugly too.
It's hard to get the big picture when you have such a small screen.
I've come across decomposed bodies that are less offensive than you are.
I've had many cases of love that were just infatuation, but this hate I feel for you is the real thing.
I've hated your looks from the start they gave me.
I've only got one nerve left, and you're getting on it.
I've seen people like you, but I had to pay admission!
Judging by the old saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you," he's practically invulnerable.
Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent!
Keep talking. I always yawn when I'm interested.
Learn from your parents' mistakes - use birth control!
Let's play horse. I'll be the front end and you be yourself.
Let's play house. You be the door and I'll slam you.
Look, don't go to a mind reader; go to a palmist; I know you've got a palm.
Make a mental note . . . oh, I see you're out of paper!
Make somebody happy. Mind your own business.
Man alive! But I wish you weren't.
Moonlight becomes you - total darkness even more!
Never enter a battle of wits unarmed.
Nice to see you on your feet. Who sent the derrick?
No one will ever know that you've had a lobotomy, if you wear a wig to hide to the scars and learn to control the slobbering.
Nobody says that you are dumb. They just say you were sixteen years old before you learned how to wave good-bye.
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time.
Of all the people I've met you're certainly one of them.
Ordinarily people live and learn. You just live.
Pardon me, but you've obviously mistaken me for someone who gives a damn.
People can't say that you have absolutely nothing! After all, you have inferiority!
People clap when they see you - their hands over their eyes or ears.
People say that you are outspoken but not by anyone that I know of.
People say that you are the perfect idiot. I say that you are not perfect but you are doing all right.
Perhaps your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
Please breathe the other way. You're bleaching my hair.
She could eat a watermelon through a picket fence!
She had a mouth dirtier than a wicker toilet seat.
She has a nice butter face. Everything looks nice, but her face.
She thinks the rearview mirror is for putting on make-up.
She was another one of his near Mrs.
She's a lot like train tracks - she's been laid across the country.
She's got a body that won't quit and a brain that won't start.
She's got more chins than the Hong Kong telephone book.
She's like Taco Bell. When people see her, they run for the border.
She's so ugly they used to put a pot roast in her lap so the dog would play with her.
She's so ugly, she'd make a freight train take a dirt road!
Sit down and give your mind a rest.
Slit your wrists - it will lower your blood pressure.
So stupid, he moves his lips when watching TV.
So ugly, robbers give him their masks to wear.
So, a thought crossed your mind? Must have been a long and lonely journey.
Some day you will find yourself - and wish you hadn't.
Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, but he just gargled.
Some folks are so dumb, they have to be watered twice a week.
Some people are has-beens. You are a never-was.
Some people don't hesitate to speak their minds because they have nothing to lose.
Somebody else is doing the driving for that boy!
Someday you'll go far, if you catch the right train.
Someone said you are not fit to sleep with pigs. I stuck up for the pigs.
Someone said you are not fit to sleep with pigs. I stuck up for you and said, 'oh yes she is.'
Someone took a photo of you once but it didn't turn out. You could be seen too clearly.
Take a vacation; go to Club Dead.
Take off that mask! Don't you think it's a little early for Halloween?
Talk is cheap, but so are you.
That's a very meaty question and I'd like to give it a very meaty answer -baloney!
The closest she/he'll ever get to a brainstorm is a slight drizzle.
The cream rises to the top. So does the scum.
The going got weird and he turned pro.
The inbreeding is certainly obvious in your family.
The next time you shave, could you stand a little closer to the razor?
The only thing he brought to this job was his car.
The overwhelming power of the sex drive was demonstrated by the fact that someone was willing to father you.
The thing that terrifies me the most is that someone might hate me as much as I loathe you.
The twinkle in his eyes is actually the sun shining between his ears.
The wheel is still spinning but the hamster died.
There are only two things I dislike about her - her face.
There are several people in this world that I find obnoxious and you are all of them.
There is no vaccine against stupidity.
They just invented a new coffin just for you that goes over the head. It's for people who are dead from the neck up.
They said you were a great asset. I told them they were off by two letters.
They say opposites attract. I hope you meet someone who is good-looking, intelligent, and cultured.
They say space is a dangerous place . . . especially if it's between your ears!
They say that travel broadens one. You must have been around the world.
They say that two heads are better than one. In your case, one would have been better than none.
They say truth is stranger than fiction. Look, your mother gave birth to you.
They shot him through the stupid forest, and he didn't miss a tree.
Thinking isn't your strong suit, is it? --from "Lost In Space"
This is no battle of wits between you and me.

I never pick on an unarmed man.


Too bad stupidity isn't painful.
We all spring from apes but you didn't spring far enough.
We do not complain about your shortcomings but about your long stayings.
We heard that when you ran away from home your folks sent you a note saying, "Do not come home and all will be forgiven."
We know that you would give your life for us. Promises, promises!


We know that you would go to the end of the world for us. But would you stay there?
We know you could not live without us. We'll pay for the funeral.
We'll get along fine as soon as you realize I'm God.
Well, I'll see you in my dreams - if I eat too much.
What color is the sky in your world?
What he lacks in intelligence, he more than makes up for in stupidity.
Whatever anyone says to you goes in one ear and out the other because nothing is blocking traffic.
Whatever is eating you - must be suffering horribly.
What's the latest dope - besides you?
When God was throwing intelligence down to the Earth, you were holding an umbrella.
When I look into your eyes, I see the back of your head.
When you die, I'd like to go to your funeral but I'll probably have to go to work that day. I believe in business before pleasure.
When you die, you should have your brain donated to science. I hear they're trying to come up with the perfect vacuum.
When you feel terrific, notify your face.
When you fell out of the ugly tree, you hit every branch on the way down.
When you get run over by a car it shouldn't be listed under accidents.
When you pass away and people ask me what the cause of your death was, I'll say your stupidity.
When you were a child your mother wanted to hire someone to take care of you but the Mafia wanted too much.
When you were born, God admitted that even He could make a mistake!
Whom am I calling "stupid"? I don't know.

What's your name?
Why don't you go to the library and brush up on your ignorance?
With a mind like yours, who needs a body?

Worst-dressed sentient being in the known universe.
Would you like some cheese and crackers to go with that whine?
Would you like to replace my business partner who died this morning? I'll arrange it with the undertaker.
You always have your ear to the ground. So how's life in the gutter?
You are a man of the world -- and you know what sad shape the world is in.
You are about as useful as a windshield wiper on a goat's ass.
You are as strong as an ox and almost as intelligent.
You are down to earth but not quite far down enough.
You are living proof that manure can grow legs and walk.
You are no longer beneath my contempt.
You are not as bad as people say - you are worse!
You are pretty as a picture and we'd love to hang you.
You are so boring that you can't even entertain a doubt.
You are so dishonest that I can't even be sure that what you tell me are lies!
You are so dumb you sit on the TV and watch the sofa.
You are so fat that I hear you were arrested three times for jaywalking when all the time you were just standing on the corner waiting for the light to change.
You are so stupid you got hit by a parked car
You are such a smart-ass I bet you could sit on a carton of ice cream and tell what flavor it is. (Thanks, Erin and Justin Keller)
You are the kind of person who, when one first meets you, one doesn't like you. But when one gets to know you better, one hates you.
You could throw her in the river and skim ugly for two days.
You don't sweat much, for a fat girl.

You grow on people - like a wart!
You have a face only a mother could love - and she hates it!
You have a good weapon against muggers - your face!
You have a lot of well-wishers. They would all like to throw you down one.
You have a speech impediment ... your foot.
You have a striking face. Tell me, how many times were you struck there?
You have an inferiority complex - and it's fully justified.
You have no trouble making ends meet. Your foot is always in your mouth!
You liked your first chin so much, you added two more.
You make me believe in reincarnation.

Nobody can be as stupid as you in one lifetime.
You must have a low opinion of people if you think they're your equals.
You must have gotten up on the wrong side of the cage this morning.
You possess a mind not merely twisted, but actually sprained.
You remind me of the ocean - you make me sick.
You say that you are always bright and early.

Well OK, we know you are early.
You should be the poster child for birth control.
You should do some soul-searching. Maybe you'll find one.
You should have been born in the Dark Ages; you look terrible in the light.
You should toss out more of your funny remarks; that's all they're good for.
You started at the bottom - and it's been downhill ever since.
You used to be arrogant and obnoxious. Now you are just the opposite. You are obnoxious and arrogant.
You were born because your mother didn't believe in abortion; now she believes in infanticide.
You were the answer to a prayer. Your parents prayed that the world would be made to suffer and here you came along.
You will never be able to live down to your reputation!
Your conversation is like the waves of the sea. It makes me sick!
Your dog is so stupid, he chases parked cars.
Your family tree is good but you are the sap.
Your mouth is getting too big for your muzzle.
Your teeth are like stars - they come out at night.
Your verbosity is exceeded only by your stupidity.
You're a habit I'd like to kick; with both feet.
You're acquitting yourself in a way that no jury ever would.
You're like one of those "idiot savants," except without the "savant" part.
You're nobody's fool. Let's see if we can get someone to adopt you.
You're not yourself today. I noticed the improvement immediately.
You're so dumb you thought Taco Bell was a phone company.
You're so fat when you jumped up you got stuck.
You're so fat you got baptized at Sea World.
You're so fat you laid down in the ocean and Spain claimed you as the New World.
You're so fat you saw 90210 on a scale.
You're so fat you use hoola-hoops to keep your socks up.
You're so fat, when you wear a yellow rain coat people scream ''taxi''.
You're so low you could milk a pregnant snake!
You're so old you drove a chariot to school.
You're so slow it takes you an hour and a half to watch "Sixty Minutes."
You're so small, you pose for trophies.
You're so stupid you threw a rock at the ground and missed.
You're so stupid you trip over the cord of a cellular phone!
You're so ugly when you went to a haunted house they offered you a job.
You're so ugly you almost look like your mother.
You're so ugly you have to trick or treat over the phone.
You're so ugly you make blind kids cry.
You're so ugly your husband goes everywhere alone.
You're so ugly your husband takes you with him everywhere he goes so he doesn't have to kiss you bye.
You're so ugly, when you walk into taco bell, EVERYONE runs for the border!
You're very smart. You have brains you never used.
You've got your head so far up your ass you can chew your food twice.
You've never been outspoken; no one has ever been able to.

How do you respond if a friend, family member or colleague makes a racist joke?

How do you respond if a friend, family member or colleague makes a racist joke? The main goal is to exit the encounter with your integrity intact.

Don't Laugh

Say you're at a department meeting and all of a sudden your boss makes a crack about a certain ethnic group being bad drivers. What do you do? Your boss doesn't know it, but your husband is a member of that ethnic group. You sit in the conference room simmering with indignation. You'd like to let your boss have it, but you need your job and can't risk alienating him. Accordingly, the best response here is to do and say nothing. Don't laugh. Don't tell your boss off. Your silence will speak for you. It will let your supervisor know that you don't find his racially-tinged humor funny. If your boss doesn't take the hint and makes another racist joke later on, give him the silent treatment again. The next time he makes a non-racist joke, be sure to laugh heartily. This positive reinforcement will teach him the kinds of jokes appropriate to tell you.

Leave Before the Punch Line

Sometimes you can sense a racist joke coming on. Perhaps you and your in-laws are watching television together. The news features a segment about an ethnic minority. "I don't get those people," your father-in-law says. "Hey, did you hear the one about the…" And that is your cue to leave the room. This is arguably the most non-confrontational move you can make. Yet, you're taking your fate into your own hands by refusing to be party to racism. Why take the passive approach? Perhaps you're certain that your father-in-law is set in his ways. You know he's prejudiced against certain groups and has no intentions of changing. Given this, you'd rather not fight with him over the issue. Why else avoid confrontation? Perhaps your relationship with your in-law is already tense, and you've decided that this battle is not one worth fighting.

Question the Joke-Teller

You're lunching with an old friend when she abruptly launches into a joke about a priest, a rabbi and a black guy entering a bar. You listen to the joke in its entirety but don't laugh because it played on racial stereotypes, and you don't find such generalizations funny. You care for your friend dearly, though. Rather than making her feel judged, you want her to see why her joke was offensive. Consider this a teachable moment. "Do you really think that all black guys are like that?" you ask her. "Well, a lot of them are," she answers. "Really?" you say. "Actually, that's a stereotype. I read a study that said black guys weren't any more likely to do that than others." Remain calm and clear-headed. Keep questioning your friend and peppering her with facts until she sees that the generalization used in the joke isn't valid. At the end of the conversation, she'll rethink telling that joke again.

Turn the Tables

Your run into your neighbor at the supermarket. She spots a woman from a certain ethnic group with several children. Your neighbor proceeds to joke about how birth control is a dirty word for "those people." You don't laugh. Instead, you repeat a stereotypical joke you've heard about your neighbor's ethnic group. As soon as you finish, explain that you don't buy into the stereotype; you just wanted her to understand what it feels like to be the butt of a racist joke herself. Mind you, this is a risky move. The goal here is to give the joke-teller a crash course in empathy, but you may very well end up alienating the joke-teller if she doubts your motive was to get her to see that stereotypes hurt. Moreover, because this isn't the nicest way to get your point across, use this method only with thicker-skinned people you believe will respond well to having the tables turned on them. For all others, you'll likely need to be more direct.

Speak Your Mind

If you've got nothing to lose by having a direct confrontation, go for it. The next time an acquaintance tells a racist joke, say that you don't find such jokes funny and request that he not repeat such jokes in your presence. Expect the joke-teller to tell you to lighten up or accuse you of being "too PC." Explain to your acquaintance that you think he's an okay guy but feel such jokes are beneath him. Break down why the stereotypes used in the joke aren't true. Let him know that prejudice hurts. Tell him that your mutual friend who belongs to the group being stereotyped wouldn't appreciate the joke. If the joke-teller still doesn't see why this type of humor isn't appropriate, agree to disagree but make it clear that you won't listen to such jokes in the future. Create a boundary.

 * Data is taken from other online source

Which part of a speech carries the greatest impact?


Which part of a speech carries the greatest impact?
In 1967, psychologist Albert Mehrabian analyzed the way a speaker’s attitudes and feelings impact on an audience. He researched what proportion of the perceived attitudes/feelings is in the verbal content (the meaning of the words)? How much is in the vocal content (tones)? How much is in the visual content (body language)? The results were startling as shown in the following figure:








Reference: Making Presentations Happen (Page 7) by Michael Brown, 2004

Steps involved in starting business in India

Registration Requirements:
No:
Procedure
Time to complete:
Cost to complete:
1
Obtain director identification number (DIN) online from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal (National)
1 day
INR 100
2
Obtain digital signature certificate online from private agency authorized by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (National)
3 days
INR 1,500
3
Reserve the company name online with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) (National)
2 days
INR 500
4
Stamp the company documents at the State Treasury (State) or authorized bank (Private)
1 day
INR 1,300 (INR 200 for MOA + INR 1,000 for AOA for every INR 500,000 of share capital or part thereof + INR 100 for stamp paper for declaration Form 1)
5
Get the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (National)
5 days
INR 14,133 (see comments)
6
Make a seal (Private)
1 day
INR 350 (cost depends on the number of seals required and the time period for delivery)
7*
Obtain a Permanent Account Number (PAN) from an authorized franchise or agent appointed by the National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) or the Unit Trust of India (UTI) Investors Services Ltd., as outsourced by the Income Tax Department (National)
7 days
INR 67 (INR 60 application fee + 12.36% service tax + INR 5 for application form, if not downloaded)
8*
Obtain a Tax Account Number (TAN) for income taxes deducted at source from the Assessing Office in the Mumbai Income Tax Department
7 days
INR 57 (INR 50 application fee + 12.36% service tax)
9*
Register with the Office of Inspector, Shops, and Establishment Act (State/Municipal)
2 days
INR 6,500 (INR 2000 + 3 times registration fee for trade refuse charges)
10*
Register for Value-Added Tax (VAT) at the Commercial Tax Office (State)
12 days
INR 5,100 (registration fee INR 5000 + stamp duty INR 100)
11*
Register for Profession Tax at the Profession Tax Office (State)
2 days
No cost
12*
Register with Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (National)
12 days
No cost
13*
Register for medical insurance at the regional office of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (National)
9 days
No cost

* Takes place simultaneously with another procedure.
  [Source]
source
Detailed Steps and Explanation of procedure to start Business in India


Procedure 1.
Obtain director identification number (DIN) online from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs portal (National)
Time to complete: 1 day
Cost to complete: INR 100
Procedure:The process to obtain the Director Identification Number (DIN) is as follows:
1. Obtain the provisional DIN by filing application Form DIN-1 online. This form is on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs 21st Century (MCA 21) portal. The provisional DIN is immediately issued.
The application form must then be printed and signed and sent for approval to the ministry by courier along with proof of identity and (address):
a. Identity proof (any of the following): Permanent Account Number card, driver’s license, passport, or voter card;
b. Residence proof (any of the following): driver’s license, passport, voter card, telephone bill, ration card, electricity bill, bank statement;
2. The concerned authority verifies all the documents and, upon approval, issues a permanent DIN. The process takes about 4 weeks.


Procedure 2.
Obtain digital signature certificate online from private agency authorized by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (National)
Time to complete: 3 days
Cost to complete: INR 1,500
Procedure: To use the new electronic filing system under MCA 21, the applicant must obtain a Class-II Digital Signature Certificate. The digital signature certificate can be obtained from one of six private agencies authorized by MCA 21 such as Tata Consultancy Services. Company directors submit the prescribed application form along with proof of identity and address. Each agency has its own fee structure, ranging from INR 400 to INR 2650.


Procedure 3.
Reserve the company name online with the Registrar of Companies (ROC) (National)
Time to complete: 2 days
Cost to complete: INR 500
Procedure: Company name approval must be done electronically. Under e-filing for name approval, the applicant can check the availability of the desired company name on the MCA 21 web site.
The ROC in Mumbai has staff members working full time on name reservations (approximately 3 but more if the demand increases). A maximum of 6 suggested names may be submitted. They are then checked by ROC staff for any similarities with all other names in India.
The MCA receives approximately 50-60 applications a day. After being cleared by the junior officer, the name requests are sent to the senior officer for approval.
Once approved, the selected name appears on the website. Applicants need to keep consulting the website to confirm that one of their submitted names was approved.
In practice, it takes 2 days for obtaining a clearance of the name if the proposed name is available and conforms to the naming standards established by the Company Act (1 day for submission of the name and 1 day for it to appear on the
MCA website).


Procedure 4.
Stamp the company documents at the State Treasury (State) or authorized bank (Private)
Time to complete: 1 day
Cost to complete: INR 1,300 (INR 200 for MOA + INR 1,000 for AOA for every INR 500,000 of share capital or part thereof + INR 100 for stamp paper for declaration Form 1)
Procedure: The request for stamping the incorporation documents should be accompanied by unsigned copies of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and the payment receipt.
The company must ensure that the copies submitted to the Superintendent of Stamps or to the authorized bank for stamping are unsigned and that no promoter or subscriber has written anything on it by hand. The Superintendent returns the copies, one of which is duly stamped, signed, and embossed, showing payment of the requisite stamp duty. The rate of stamp duty varies from state to state.
According to Article 10 and Article 39 of the Indian Stamp Act (1899), the stamp duty payable on the Memorandum and Articles of Association for company incorporation in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is as follows:
a. Articles of Association: INR 1000/- for every INR 500,000/- of share capital (or part thereof), subject to a maximum of INR 50,000,000;
b. Memorandum of Association: INR 200;
c. Form-1 (declaration of compliance): INR 100.
Once the memorandum and articles of association have been stamped, they must be signed and dated by the company promoters, including the company name and the description of its activities and purpose, father-"s name, address, occupation, and the number of shares subscribed. This information must be in the applicant’s handwriting and duly witnessed.


Procedure 5.
Get the Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar of Companies, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (National)
Time to complete: 5 days
Cost to complete: INR 14,133 (see comments)
Procedure: The following forms are required to be electronically filed on the website of the Ministry of Company Affairs:
e-form 1; e-form 18; and e-form 32.
Along with these documents, scanned copies of the consent of the initial directors, and also of the signed and stamped form of the Memorandum and Articles of Association, must be attached to Form 1.
The fees for registering a company can be paid online by credit card or in cash at certain authorized banks. One copy of the Memorandum of Association, Articles of Association, Form 1, Form 32, Form 18 and the original name approval letter, consent of directors and stamped power of attorney must be physically submitted to the Registrar of Companies. The certificate of incorporation is sent automatically to the registered office of the company by registered or rush mail.
The registration fees paid to the Registrar are scaled according to the company’s authorized capital (as stated in its memorandum):
a. INR 100,000 or less: INR 4,000. If the nominal share capital is over INR 100,000, additional fees based the amount of nominal capital apply to the base registration fee of INR 4,000:
b. For every INR 10,000 of nominal share capital or part of INR 10,000 after the first INR 1,00,000, up to INR 500,000: INR 300;
c. For every INR 10,000 of nominal share capital or part of INR 10,000 after the first INR 500,000, up to INR 5,000,000: INR 200;
d. For every INR 10,000 of nominal share capital or part of INR 10,000 after the first INR 5,000,000, up to INR 1 10,000,000: INR 100;
e. For every INR 10,000 of nominal share capital or part of INR 10,000 after the first INR 10,000,000: INR 50.
The payment of fees can be made:
1. offline: one can upload all incorporation documents and generate the payment challan. Against this challan, the applicant must obtain a demand draft for filing fees amount in favour of -" the Pay and Accounts Office, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, New Delhi" and this demand draft is payable in Mumbai. The applicant must make the payment at specified branches of certain banks. It takes around one week for clearance of payment. Only after the clearance of payment does the ROC accept the documents for verification and approvals;
2. online: the applicant makes the payment by credit card and the system accepts the documents immediately. Please note that in Mumbai, the ROC requests for pre-scrutiny of documents for any corrections, before they are uploaded. Once the documents have been uploaded, they can then be approved without any further correction. The online filing mechanism requires only one copy of scanned documents to be filed (including stamped MOA, AOA, and POA).
Schedule of Registrar filing fees for the articles and for the other forms (l, 18, and 32):
a. INR 200 for a company with authorized share capital of more than INR 100,000 but less than INR 500,000;
b. INR 300 for a company with nominal share capital of INR 500,000 or more but less than INR 2,500,000;
c.INR 500 for a company with nominal share capital of INR 2,500,000 or more.


Procedure 6.
Make a seal (Private)
Time to complete: 1 day
Cost to complete: INR 350 (cost depends on the number of seals required and the time period for delivery)
Procedure: Although making a company seal is not a legal requirement for the company to be incorporated, companies require a seal to issue share certificates and other documents. The cost depends on the number of words to be engraved, the number of seals required, and the time period for delivery. The cost can range from INR 300 to INR 500.


Procedure 7.
Obtain a Permanent Account Number (PAN) from an authorized franchise or agent appointed by the National Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) or the Unit Trust of India (UTI) Investors Services Ltd., as outsourced by the Income Tax Department (National)
Time to complete: 7 days
Cost to complete: INR 67 (INR 60 application fee + 12.36% service tax + INR 5 for application form, if not downloaded)
Procedure: Under the Income Tax Act, 1961, each person must quote his or her Permanent Account Number (PAN) for tax payment purposes and the Tax Account Number (TAN) for depositing tax deducted at source. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has instructed banks not to accept any form for tax payment (challan) without the PAN or TAN, as applicable. The PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number issued on a laminated card by an assessing officer of the Income Tax Department.
In order to improve PAN-related services, the Income Tax department (effective July 2003) outsourced their operations pertaining to allotment of PAN and issuance of PAN cards to UTI Investor Services Ltd, which was authorized to set up and manage IT PAN Service Centers in all cities where there is an Income Tax office. The National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) has also launched PAN operations effective June 2004, setting up TIN Facilitation Centers.
The PAN application is made through the above mentioned service centers using Form 49A, with a certified copy of the certificate of registration, issued by the Registrar of Companies, along with proof of company address and personal identity. A fee of INR 60 (plus applicable taxes) applies for processing the PAN application. IT PAN Service Centers or TIN Facilitation Centers will supply PAN application forms (Form 49A), assist the applicant in filling out the form, collect filled-out forms, and issue an acknowledgement slip. After obtaining PAN from the Income Tax department, UTIISL or NSDL as the case may be, will print the PAN card and deliver it to the applicant.
The application for PAN can also be made online but the documents still need to be physically dropped off for verification with the authorized agent. For more details see(www.incometaxindia.gov.in , www.utiisl.co.in , and www.tin.nsdl.co.in )


Procedure 8.
Obtain a Tax Account Number (TAN) for income taxes deducted at source from the Assessing Office in the Mumbai Income Tax Department
Time to complete: 7 days
Cost to complete: INR 57 (INR 50 application fee + 12.36% service tax)
Comment: The Tax Account Number (TAN) is a 10-digit alphanumeric number required of anyone responsible for deducting or collecting tax. The provisions of Section 203A of the Income Tax Act require that all persons who deduct or collect tax at the source must apply for a TAN. The section also makes it mandatory for the TAN to be quoted in all tax-deducted-at-source (TDS) and tax-collected-at-source (TCS) returns, all TDS/TCS payment challans, and all TDS/TCS certificates issued.
Failure to apply for a TAN or to comply with any of the other provisions of the section is subject to a penalty of INR 10,000/- . The application for allotment of a TAN must be filed using Form 49B and submitted at any TIN Facilitation Center authorized to receive e-TDS returns.
Locations of TIN Facilitation Centres can be found at www.incometaxindia.gov.in and http://tin.nsdl.com The processing fee for both applications (a new TAN or a change request) is INR 50 (plus applicable taxes). After verification of application, the same is sent to the Income Tax Department and upon satisfaction the department issues the TAN to the applicant.
The national government levies the income tax. Since outsourcing, any authorized franchise or agent appointed by the National Securities Depository Services Limited (NSDL) can accept and process the TAN application. The application for a TAN can be made either online through the NSDL website (www.tin-nsdl.com) or offline.
Upon payment of the fee by credit card, the hard copy of the application must be physically filed with the NSDL.


Procedure 9.
Register with the Office of Inspector, Shops, and Establishment Act (State/Municipal)
Time to complete: 2 days
Cost to complete: INR 6,500 (INR 2000 + 3 times registration fee for trade refuse charges)
Procedure: A statement containing the employer-"s and manager-"s names and the establishment’s name (if any), postal address, and category must be sent to the local shop inspector with the applicable fees.
According to Section 7 of the Bombay Shops and Establishments Act,-(1948), the establishment must be registered as follows: – Under Section 7(4), the employer must register the establishment in the prescribed manner within 30 days of the opening of the business. – Under Section 7(1), the establishment must submit to the local shop inspector Form A and the prescribed fees for registering the establishment. – Under Section 7(2), after Form A and the prescribed fees are received and the correctness of the statement on the form is satisfactorily audited, the certificate for the registration of the establishment is issued on Form D, according to the provisions of Rule 6 of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Rules of 1961.
Since the amendments in the Maharashtra Shops and Establishment (Amendment) Rules, 2003 dated 15th December 2003, the Schedule for fees for registration and renewal of registration (as per Rule 5) is as follows:
a. 0 employees: INR 100;
b. 1 to 5 employees: NR 300;
c. 6 to 10 employees: INR 600;
d. 11 to 20 employees: INR 1000;
e. 21 to 50 employees: INR 2000;
f. 51 to 100 employees: INR 3500;
g. 101 or more employees: INR 4500.
Hence in the given case the registration fees would be INR 2000, as there are 50 employees In addition, an annual fee (three times the registration and renewal fees) is charged as trade refuse charges (TRC), under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act,-(1888).


Procedure 10.
Register for Value-Added Tax (VAT) at the Commercial Tax Office (State)
Time to complete: 12 days
Cost to complete: INR 5,100 (registration fee INR 5000 + stamp duty INR 100)
Procedure: Beginning April 1, 2005, the sales tax was replaced by the VAT, which requires registration by filing Form 101.
The authorized representative signing the application must be available at the Sales-Tax Office on the day of application verification. The applicant goes to the Sales-Tax Office and up to the registration counter. The clerk at the counter verifies that the applicant has all the required documents and gives the applicant a token (waiting number). After a short wait, the applicant-"s number is called and the applicant approaches the desk of a sales-tax officer.
There, all the information on Form 101 is manually entered into the system by the officer. Within 10 minutes, the system generates a Tax Identification Number (TIN) Thereafter, the company is considered fully registered to pay taxes. However, the applicant must wait between 10 and 15 days to receive the VAT registration certificate by mail.
In addition to Form 101, other accompanying documentation includes:
1) Certified true copy of the memorandum and articles of association of the company;-
2) Proof of permanent residential address. At least 2 of the following documents must be submitted: copy of passport, copy of driver’s license, copy of election photo identity card, copy of property card or latest receipt of property tax from the Municipal Corporation, copy of latest paid electricity bill in the name of the applicant;-
3) Proof of place of business (for an owner, in the case of Doing Business): Proof of ownership of premises viz. copy of property card, ownership deed, agreement with the builder or any other relevant documents;-
4) One recent passport-sized photograph of the applicant;-
5) Copy of Income Tax Assessment Order with PAN or copy of PAN card;-
6) challan on Form No. 210 (original) showing payment of registration fee at INR 5000 (in case of voluntary RC) and INR 500 (in other cases).
The whole process will be put online by the spring of 2009. This means that rather than physically having to go to the office, companies will fill in all their details online for Form 101 and then go to the office only so that the Sales Tax Office can verify the above listed-documentation.


Procedure 11.
Register for Profession Tax at the Profession Tax Office (State)
Time to complete: 2 days
Cost to complete: No cost
Procedure: According to section 5 of the Profession Tax Act, every employer (not being an officer of the government) is liable to taxation and shall obtain a certificate of registration from the prescribed authority. The company is required to apply to the registering authority using Form 1.
The registration authority for the Mumbai area is located at Vikarikar Bhavan, Mazgaon in Mumbai.
Depending on the nature of the business, the application should be supported with such documents as proof of address, details of company registration number under the Indian Companies Act (1956), details of the head office (if the company is a branch of company registered outside the state), company deed, certificates under any other act, and so forth.


Procedure 12.
Register with Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (National)
Time to complete: 12 days
Cost to complete: No cost
Procedure: The Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act (1952) applies to an establishment, employing 20 or more persons and engaged in any of the 183 industries and classes of business establishments, throughout India excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The applicant fills in an application and is then allotted a social security number. The Provident Fund registration focuses on delinquent reporting, underreporting, or non-reporting of workforce size. Provident Fund registration is optional if the workforce size is not more than 20. The employer is required to provide necessary information to the concerned regional Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) in the prescribed manner for allotment of Establishment Code Number. No separate registration is required for the employees.
Nevertheless, all eligible employees are required to become members of the Fund and individual account number is allotted by the employer in the prescribed manner. As per an internal circular, the code number is to be allotted within 3 days of submission, if the application is complete in all respects. However, in many cases applicants have received the intimation letter with the code number in 12 to 15 days. An online application facility is not provided so far.


Procedure 13.
Register for medical insurance at the regional office of the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (National)
Time to complete: 9 days
Cost to complete: No cost
Procedure: Registration is the process by which every employer/factory and every paid employee is identified for insurance purposes and their individual records are set up for them.
As per the Employees’ State Insurance (General), Form 01 must be submitted by the employer for registration. It takes 3 days to a week for the Employer Code Number to be issued. The-" "intimation letter""- containing the Code Number is mailed to the employer and that takes an additional couple of days.
The Employee-"s individual insurance is a separate process that is initiated upon the employer-"s registration. The employer is responsible for submitting the required declaration form and employees are responsible for providing correct information to the employer. The employee temporary cards (ESI Cards) are issued on the spot by the local offices in many places.
The temporary cards are valid for 13 weeks from the date of the employees’ appointment. It takes about 4 to 5 weeks to get a permanent ESI card.

* This content is copied from online source