Java EE vs. Java SE

Java SE

Java SE's API provides the core functionality of the Java programming language. It defines everything from the basic types and objects of the Java programming language to high-level classes that are used for networking, security, database access, graphical user interface (GUI) development, and XML parsing.

In addition to the core API, the Java SE platform consists of a virtual machine, development tools, deployment technologies, and other class libraries and toolkits commonly used in Java technology applications.

Java EE

The Java EE platform is built on top of the Java SE platform. The Java EE platform provides an API and runtime environment for developing and running large-scale, multi-tiered, scalable, reliable, and secure network applications.

10 Regrets No One Has At The End Of Life

Life is fleeting and for most of us, the time we pass away is unknown. When the time comes to depart this life, wouldn't you want to have experienced wonder? Challenged yourself and been challenged by situations that saw you rise?

How would it feel to be able to look back and think that you'd made the most of your life and are at peace with how you lived it? To be able to look at the risks, the knocks, the falls and triumphs and know your heart and soul was out there on the court, playing for keeps every single time.

Here's a neat little list of 10 deathbed confessions you will never hear (and why) to inspire you into kick-butt action!

1. I wish I hadn't connected with myself as much as I did.
Meditation, yoga, and mindfulness bring people to a level of consciousness and deep fulfillment that makes each moment a perfect possibility. It's hard to lead a positive life with a negative mindset. Looking within is an ultimate step to living a happy life.

2. I wish I'd spent more time on Facebook.
Seriously, life is so much more enjoyable when your five senses are involved. See, taste, touch, smell, hear. You can only do this when you're out there in the real world.

3. I wish I hadn't treated others with compassion.
When we give selflessly to the world, the universe gives wonderful things back to us in abundance. When we show compassion, we invite compassion to be shown to ourselves. To enrich another's life without expectation is to experience true freedom.

4. I sure wish I hadn't told my husband/wife that I loved them so much.
To travel through life with a partner, a soul mate, a best friend is a wonderful experience. Love never runs out, so the more you give, the more there is to give. The more you accept, the more there is to accept. Never be afraid to say it if you mean it. Go fearlessly where love is involved because you can't wear it out. And if you do leave a loved one behind, your legacy of giving love will forever be cherished.

5. I wish I hadn't spent so much time with my children.
Just as you are a child who would like to be cherished, so too do your children want the same. Your influence helps to shape them today and the influence they make themselves in the future. It's easier for you to support your child today than it is for them to heal from hurt when they are older. Make it count.

6. I really, really, really wished I'd spent more time in the office.
This is among the top two regrets of the dying as documented by Bronnie Ware from Inspiration and Chai. Now that we have more equal numbers in the workforce, it's imperative that we realize that no second chance is coming around. Simplify your life, leave space, and make conscious choices. You do not need the amount of money (and stress) that you think you do.

7. I wish I hadn't experienced Mother Nature as much as I did.
There is nothing as uncontrollable nor as grounding as Mother Nature in her finest. When asked where people feel their most free, the answer almost always involves being outdoors. There is a great reason for this. The energy, and the freedom that nature provides is unparalleled. Like the piece of grass that grows between the cracks of pavement, the endless swell crashing to the shore or the huge swaying trees in an old growth forest. She nourishes, invigorates, and frees those that go and dwell in her.

8. I wish I hadn't treated my body so well.
We may own five or more cars in our lifetime, get them serviced, and make sure the oil is checked every few thousand miles or so, yet we have one vehicle to really live that life in and sometimes we don't treat it one quarter as good. The health and wellness of our physical self is imperative to being able to live life to the fullest. Take steps towards achieving whole health and you will never regret it.

9. I wish I hadn't followed my dreams.
Following your dreams can be really scary. Fear holds more people back from finding their calling finding their calling and living the happiest and most connected life than any other obstacle. Not all dreams are fulfilled, however, the path you are taken on is always the right one for you and overcoming obstacles are what make a man or woman. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”

10. I wish I hadn't spent as much time with the ones I love.
Enjoy their company. Share time, joy, stories, connection and warmth. Call your friend, hug your husband. Support and love one another for sorrow shared is half and happiness shared is doubled.

Remember this...

Take time once in a while to just enjoy the moment...

When someone tries to surprise you, let them think they got away with it...

Always try to do what you are taught it can sometimes lead to beautiful things...

Try to give a gentle lift to a friend in need...

Search for the best route to what you're hoping for...

No goal is too hard to attain when you persevere...

Sometimes it's better to watch from a distance and plan your next move carefully...

Get to know someone first before accepting that he may be your enemy...

Be careful what you put into your body, health is too important to ignore...

Present yourself well and mind your manners...

Remember, no matter how much you resemble your siblings, you are still unique.

Whenever possible, jump and clap for joy!

Always keep in mind that the world is filled with marvels... look for them

You never know what awaits around the next bend.

Be kinder than necessary

For everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS IS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR AND A BAD MEMORY.

A sharp tongue can cut your own throat.

If you want your dreams to come true, you mustn't oversleep.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge.

One thing you can give and still keep...is your word.

You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself

If you lack the courage to start, you have already finished.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless 'You' do.

Your mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what you might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

So love the people who treat you right.. Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Sometimes we get so busy with our own lives and problems that we may not even notice that we've let them fly away.

Sometimes we are so caught up in who's right and who's wrong that we forget what's right and wrong.

Happiness is...

How do we explain this paradox and what are some simple things we can do to bring more happiness into our lives?

The causes of our moods are complex, and not entirely under our control. About 40% of happiness derives from our genes. You are born with a certain temperament that makes you more likely to see the sunshine or the clouds. Researchers call this our biological set-point. Some of us are naturally more optimistic or extroverted, which helps us connect with others and get out in the world, leading to more opportunities for happiness, and a stronger support system. When good things happen, they make us happier for a while, but then we adjust our expectations and begin to take them for granted. Researchers call this hedonic adaptation and estimate that it takes, on average, about two years to adapt back to our regular happiness level after a major positive life event. In that time, we can go from being giddy in love to complaining that our partner won¡¯t do the dishes, or from celebrating our new home to complaining about the utility bill.

Despite these limitations, there are things you can do that have been proven to increase your enjoyment of life. Some involve a change of mental focus. Others involve building certain types of relationships, and still others involve learning and practicing new habits and ways of behaving. To be happy in the long-term, we may have to stretch ourselves in the short-term. A willingness to try new things, or to see old things in new ways, may be a prerequisite for lasting happiness.

Below are some rules you can follow for a happier life:

Focus on Lasting Meaning, Not Momentary Feelings

Things that make us feel good in the moment may actually end up being unhealthy for us, creating guilt, remorse and negative consequences down the road. All types of addictions fall into this category, as does mindless materialism, and grabbing things for ourselves without considering others or giving back. We may feel good or have a rush of excitement in the moment, but in the long run, we worsen our mood with debt, health problems, shame and guilt, or ruined relationships. Feeling good in the moment, and the next, and the next, is not much in our control; life has its inevitable mundane moments and ups and downs. On the other hand, if we focus on building a meaningful life in which we act authentically and are guided by our core values and the things that intrinsically inspire us, we can achieve more lasting happiness. The feeling may not be as intense as a momentary high, but it is deeper and more enduring. When we build authentic relationships and contribute to our family and community, we feel good about ourselves, even when we face financial or health problems.

Build and Nurture a Support Network

Research has long shown that loving relationships with partners, friends, and family make us happier and healthier. Having loved ones we trust, who will support and comfort us through the hard times, makes us feel good about ourselves and more hopeful about the future. The good news is that you don¡¯t need a village¡ªjust a few people who genuinely care about you can be enough. When it comes to social support, quality trumps quantity. So focus on deepening your relationships by supporting others and being more willing to be vulnerable with friends, if they are open to it. And spend less time with superficial friends unless you are doing meaningful things with them, such as volunteering or supporting each others¡¯ careers. Remember also that building relationships takes time and you may have to face setbacks in the quest to find true friends or partners.

Deliberately Savor the Good Times

Our brains have a natural negative bias. Survival is more important to our brains than happiness, leading to a natural threat focus. Good and peaceful moments are quickly forgotten or missed because we are worrying about some impending deadline or relationship problem. We need to practice every day to rewire our brains for happiness. This means deliberately focusing attention on the positive parts of our day, such as a morning hug from our spouse, a goal we accomplished, or the cute bird in the tree outside our window.  Research also shows that we can extend our enjoyment of special times by deliberately thinking about them, taking photos and displaying them on our desks or in our homes, and talking about them to others. (Facebook and blogs are useful tools for this type of sharing.) Reading about others¡¯ meaningful experiences can also give us a piece of the happiness pie, especially if they are people we care about.

Find a Way to Feel In Control

A key piece of the happiness puzzle is autonomy. We all have a natural need to feel in control of our lives and decisions. If the circumstances of our lives are largely out of our control, we have a harder time feeling happy. The exception is if we are religious or spiritual. Feeling that a powerful and benevolent higher power has our best interests at heart and that everything happens for a good reason can allow the fear-focused parts of our brains to let go and relax. If we are not religious or spiritual, we can still feel a sense of control by trusting in our our support network, or in our own ability to adapt and learn new skills, or by seeing ourselves as competent. Focusing on past successes can help. It can also help to create new experiences of challenge and competency. This is the idea behind wilderness camps or empowerment weekends that end with a fire walk. But you don¡¯t have to go to extremes to feel competent and in control simply setting some specific, manageable goals and tracking your progress in accomplishing them can have the same effect.

Indulge Your Curiosity

When we have a fixed idea of how things need to be in order for us to be happy, we actually limit our happiness. Similarly, if we keep doing the same things and never challenge ourselves, hedonic adaptation will kick in and we will find ourselves stuck in a rut. Our brains naturally seeks novelty and challenge. Happiness creeps up on us in unexpected moments when we find something new and interesting, or when we follow our interests and let things unfold. When I moved to Marin County, some of my happiest times were when I explored a new trail and found a grove of wildflowers or a mountain stream. Another way to create happy experiences is to look at familiar things in new ways like the day I decided to take photos of the rustic mailboxes in my old neighborhood, or when I found interesting pictures of rusty and refurbished objects on Pinterest. Research by Todd Kashdan shows that curious people are happier and rate their lives as more meaningful.

3 Lessons You Can Learn From Failure

Gratitude gladiator, here’s the deal: Life will leave you heartbroken. It’s guaranteed. And just to make this a real downer—this heartbreak will probably happen more than once.

You will get hurt.
You’ll have regrets and wish you could do it over.
You’ll wince in shame and crouch beneath the weight of mediocrity.
You will fail.
This is a given.

You will be dis-invited. Worse yet, you’ll be denied outright.
You’ll show up late and lose out with him or her or them.
You'll give up too soon and cry heavy, hot tears of frustration.

Misplaced anger and rage will fill your heart and you’ll say things you wish you hadn’t.
You’ll want to take it back, but it will be too late.
People will criticize you and judge you and compare you to your competition.

Doubt will paralyze you and an undeniably rich opportunity will pass by.
You’ll wish you had said:
I love you, don't go. I didn’t see it before but I was wrong and I’m sorry.

There will be scars.
And they will be on display.
But instead of failure after failure, you will (finally) learn the lesson.
You will mine this heartbreaking experience for the gem of wisdom.

You’ll drink it with dear thirst and curiosity and rise to your rightful, magnificent glory.
You will rise again the way you most desire.
And this time pride will be your wing-woman.

You will never, ever, as long as you live, escape heartbreak, failure, or pain.
This is absolutely certain. It is the Universe’s benevolent way of helping us ascend to a higher consciousness. To grow.
Pain and failure is certain.

So this begs the question “Why spend any time trying to avoid the unavoidable?”
Peel the ancient armor from your skin, your protection is not as necessary as you think. Status quo is an illusion and you’ve been duped.
Shift your energy instead to getting the most out of life.

Really, failure can be an opportunity to learn + grow + s-t-r-e-t-c-h your beliefs and abilities.

Here are three heart-smartening ways you can make the most of your dust-ups:

1. (Finally) learn the lesson the Universe is trying to teach you.
When we make the same mistakes and fail in the same way over and over and over, it’s usually The Universe trying to teach us something. And it’ll keep trying until we get it. What lesson are you not learning? That you shouldn’t date married men? That you shouldn’t work in that industry? That you shouldn’t have more than two drinks at networking events? Take a clear-eyed look at your failures and learn the lesson you’re being taught.

2. Re-evaluate your desires.
Sometimes we fail because we don’t really want that thing we’re going after. We engage in self-sabotage because we’re chasing something for the wrong reason—we’ve been told it’s what we want, everybody else is chasing it, we’re good at this thing. If you’re failing again and again at something, check in with yourself. Do you really, actually want this? Maybe what you want is something different and it’s in a different direction.

3. Take a (mini) break and focus your efforts elsewhere for a minute.
If you just made a royal mess of your personal life, take a deep cleansing breath, close your Match.com account, and spent a month really focusing on networking and promoting your services. If you just lost a big client, take two weeks to drink green juice and run in the hills. Point your energy in another—equally important—direction for a little bit. You’ll regain your confidence while still building towards the life you want.

You’ll fail. It’s a given. But you can get back up and keep going.

7 Ways To Control Your Anxiety So It Doesn't Control You

If you regularly struggle with stress and anxiety, the holidays might take your angst up a notch. Let's see: holiday parties, hosting duties, cooking, parties at your kids’ school, shopping for gifts, spending more money, getting your cards in the mail in time, traveling ... YIKES!

This time of year can be stressful even for a person with the brightest outlook. The holidays tend to shine a light on our lives and if you already feel anxious (or if your life is a far cry from a Hallmark Christmas movie), the holiday season can be even tougher. How can you find some enjoyment and keep your anxiety in check? Try my seven steps for a less anxious you. (Use these tips year round, too!)

1. Stop comparing yourself to others.
When you compare your life to others, you are giving up your power. Everyone is on a different path. People have wins or hardships at different points in their lives. People have difficulties they don’t share. You might think others have it better, but you don’t have the full story. It can be easy to compare your life to others with social media showcasing what everyone is doing at every minute of the day (and usually people post about the good things!), but I have an easy trick to take your power back.

Next time you begin to compare yourself to someone else, tell yourself this: “I only compare me to me.” And switch your brain back to focusing on you. Only compete with yourself to be a better you or have an improved life. How can you be a better you? Ask yourself: What's a better thought you can choose? What's a positive thing you can tell yourself? What are you doing right? How can you do more of that? Comparing yourself is passive and gets you nowhere. Focusing on you is active and can get you where you want to be.

2. Don't disregard gratitude.
You might be groaning about gratitude as it's a word that pops up a lot (especially this time of year), but gratitude is the secret to a happier, less anxious you. When you focus on what you have instead of what you don't have and take time to relish in all the good things in your life, you can’t help but feel good. When you practice gratitude, you start training your brain to scan for all the wonderful things about your life and doing so improves your mood little by little.

3. Make sure you aren't going around trying to please everyone else while sacrificing your wants and needs.
It isn’t selfish to set boundaries, say no when you need to, and lead the kind of life you desire. You aren’t good to anyone else if you're running on empty. Take care of you and make sure you invest in your own well-being. When is the last time you did something that you enjoy? Can you even name three things you love doing and the last time you did them? Get them on your calendar today.

4. Forget perfect.
I call myself a recovering perfectionist. Today I focus on my priorities and what matters to me most, and I toss the notion of perfect out the window. Perfection is elusive and not obtainable. Pursuing perfection sets you up to feel defeated. Accept that you'll have days that are far from perfect and learn to laugh at the funny things that go wrong at exactly the wrong time. Life is so much more enjoyable when you expect it to be flawed and fabulous than roll out in some tidy perfect order. Let go and enjoy.

5. Grab that journal.
Maybe you have no idea where to start. Yet studies show the act of writing down our thoughts and feelings can be extremely cathartic. Just start writing, even if it's a list of your thoughts. Pen and paper can help you process what you're feeling and provide you with a non-judgmental place to vent, express, or gain awareness. You really can write your way to a better mood!

6. Move your body. You never regret a good sweat.
I'm not just saying this as a fitness coach. Exercise is scientifically proven to elevate your mood. It releases endorphin and it can give you mental clarity. If anxiety is driving your moods, it might be more challenging to get yourself to exercise, but once you do, I guarantee you'll feel better—especially if you commit to exercising regularly. There is just something about exercise that gives you a sense of accomplishment that you can use to tackle other challenges in your life.

7. Connect with other people.
If you struggle with anxiety, you may not feel like putting yourself into social situations or being around other people, but isolating yourself socially is the worst thing you can do. Connecting with other can help you realize that everyone has struggles and people are there for you. Isolation can make a negative mood worse. See a friend, call a family member or just smile at strangers passing by. Connection can give you an outlet to talk and an immediate lift.

Try these seven things, plan for seven hours of sleep and fuel your body with good for you food. Actively working to reduce your anxiety level will put you in the control seat and give you hope. You can find ways to enjoy the holidays this season if you proactively take steps to reduce your anxiousness and stress. Your holiday may not be perfect—but here’s a little secret: No one’s holiday is perfect. Aim for enjoyable moments and find joy in life's small pleasures.

Testing the MySQL Server

After the data directory is initialized and started the server, perform some simple tests to make sure that it works satisfactorily.


B:\mysql\bin\mysqladmin -u root -p version

Installing MySQL 5.7.10 on Windows 7 Using a Zip Archive

• Extract the main archive to the desired install directory (B:)
• Create an option file

• Choose a MySQL server type
• Initialize MySQL
• Start the MySQL server
• Secure the default user accounts

Now is Always The Time To:

STEP OUT OF THE RUSH AND INTO YOUR OWN LIFE
Dare to slow down. Just do it. Here’s help. See that even at a million miles an hour anxious thoughts and feelings still take you no-where. If you want to find what is timeless, dare to live as though you have all the time in the world. Go ahead. Step out of the rush. Step out Now.

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE EXPERIENCE
The way you feel toward what you meet in life is a direct expression of who you are. And who you are is exactly the same as what you secretly value. Being willing to see you feel the way you do, because you treasure what you do, is what it means to take responsibility for your life.

REFUSE TO BE SELF COMPROMISING
Drop any thought or action that creates conflict in the present moment for the promise of a better feeling to come. Your True Nature is Now. There is no later. You can’t be divided and be content. Choose to be whole. Begin by consciously refusing to compromise yourself.

REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD
It may feel like it, but you’re not the only one who suffers! That’s why you mustn’t be afraid to take a good look at — and really consider — another human being. This will help you be less wrongly concerned with the way you feel about yourself — which will come as welcome relief. Remember, you’re not the only one in the world.

GO BEYOND THE BEST THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN
Anybody can do what everybody else does — which is usually the minimum to get the maximum. You do more. Take the step you’re sure you can’t. You’ll discover that the “you” who could not is only a thought that believes it can not. See this. Then get going beyond yourself.

REALIZE THERE’S NO GAIN IN BLAME

Eclipse platform overview

The Eclipse platform itself is structured as subsystems which are implemented in one or more plug-ins.  The subsystems are built on top of a small runtime engine. The figure below depicts a simplified view.

Workbench

The term Workbench refers to the desktop development environment. The Workbench aims to achieve seamless tool integration and controlled openness by providing a common paradigm for the creation, management, and navigation of workspace resources.

Each Workbench window contains one or more perspectives.  Perspectives contain views and editors and control what appears in certain menus and tool bars.  More than one Workbench window can exist on the desktop at any given time.

mysql error 2003(HY000): can't connect to mysql server on 'localhost'

run mysqld as administrator

10 Obstacles to overcome in 2016

1. Distractions.
2. Fear of failure.
3. Discomfort with the difficulty/confusion.
4. Excuses to give up.
5. Perfectionism.
6. The urge to switch.
7. Interruptions.
8. Not enough time.
9. Being tired.
10. Negative self-talk.

What is checksum in java?

A checksum or hash sum is a small-size datum from a block of digital data for the purpose of detecting errors which may have been introduced during its transmission or storage. It is usually applied to an installation file after it is received from the download server. By themselves checksums are often used to verify data integrity, but should not be relied upon to also verify data authenticity.

The actual procedure which yields the checksum, given a data input is called a checksum function or checksum algorithm. Depending on its design goals, a good checksum algorithm will usually output a significantly different value, even for small changes made to the input. This is especially true of cryptographic hash functions, which may be used to detect many data corruption errors and verify overall data integrity; if the computed checksum for the current data input matches the stored value of a previously computed checksum, there is a very high probability the data has not been accidentally altered or corrupted.

Checksum functions are related to hash functions, fingerprints, randomization functions, and cryptographic hash functions. However, each of those concepts has different applications and therefore different design goals. Checksums are used as cryptographic primitives in larger authentication algorithms. For cryptographic systems with these two specific design goals, see HMAC.

Check digits and parity bits are special cases of checksums, appropriate for small blocks of data (such asSocial Security numbers, bank account numbers, computer words, single bytes, etc.). Some error-correcting codes are based on special checksums which not only detect common errors but also allow the original data to be recovered in certain cases.

Packages included in Eclipse IDE for Java EE and Java Developers

Eclipse IDE for Java EE Developers package includes:

• Data Tools Platform
• Eclipse Git Team Provider
• Eclipse Java Development Tools
• Eclipse Java EE Developer Tools
• JavaScript Development Tools
• Maven Integration for Eclipse
• Mylyn Task List
• Eclipse Plug-in Development Environment
• Remote System Explorer
• Code Recommenders Tools for Java Developers
• Eclipse XML Editors and Tools

Eclipse IDE for Java Developers package includes:

• Eclipse Git Team Provider
• Eclipse Java Development Tools
• Maven Integration for Eclipse
• Mylyn Task List
• Code Recommenders Tools for Java Developers
• WindowBuilder Core
• Eclipse XML Editors and Tools

20 habits to be happy

1. Surround yourself with other happy people. 
2. Smile when you mean it. 
3. Cultivate resilience. 
4. Try to be happy. 
5. Be mindful of the good. 
6. Appreciate simple pleasures. 
7. Devote some of your time to giving. 
8. Let yourself lose track of time. 
9. Spend money on other people. 
10. make a point to listen. 
11. Uphold in-person connections. 
12. Look on the bright side. 
13. Unplug. 
14. Get spiritual. 
15. Make exercise a priority. 
16. Go outside. 
17. Sleep more. 
18. Start a new hobby. 
19. Walk the walk. 
20. Spend time with your pets.

.NET Framework Initialization Error

Have you ever gotten an error when trying to run certain application .exe files and found out you couldn't run it because there was an error? Installing this version of the .NET Framework should solve your problem. Click Here to get the download link.

Microsoft .NET Framework 4 is licensed as Freeware for Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) operating system / platform from components without restrictions. Microsoft .NET Framework 4 4.6.1 is available to all software users as a free download (Freeware).

3 steps to change your blog's favicon

Step 1: Go to Blogger and find the drop down list and click on Layout

Step 2: Find the Favicon at the left top of your Layout click on Edit

Step 3: Choose the File you want to display as your Favicon and Save

7 Tips To Bounce Back After Eating A Bit Too Much

1. Start the day with hot water and lemon.
This works wonders for your digestive system, especially if you ate some not-so-decent food the night before. It will help to boost your immune system, balance your pH levels and stimulate the elimination of toxins from your body.

2. Hydrate all day long.
When you're feeling low energy from having too much sugar, alcohol or otherwise energy-draining substances, it's all too easy to reach for coffee to make it through the day. I get it. I love coffee. But caffeine can make you even more dehydrated and tired, so fuel up with pure H2O and keep a water bottle by your side all day long. You’ll rejuvenate every cell of your body and help flush out your system.

3. Give your digestive system a break.
One thing I always do when I’ve over-indulged is give myself a day of soups and smoothies. This gentle cleanse can give your body a break from chewing and digesting solid foods and give your whole system a rest. The key is to make the soups and smoothies yourself so you can pack them with detoxifying veggies! Add dark leafy greens to your smoothies, and use garlic and onions in your soups.

4. Move your body.
Exercise is one of the best ways to feel better quickly. Go for a run, a bike ride, a long walk or practice yoga (twists and inversions are especially great for detoxing). This will help release toxins from your system, give you an endorphin boost, and leave you feeling refreshed and renewed quickly.

5. Sweat it out in a sauna.
A sauna or steam room (ideally followed by a cold plunge or cold shower) can help you to further flush out toxins, improve your circulation and help you relax and de-stress. It can also brighten up your complexion, and even help get rid of puffy eyes if you’re fatigued!

6. Focus on what you can include.
Instead of feeling like you need to jump on a cleanse every time you indulge, focus instead on what you can add in to your diet. Getting extra water and dark leafy greens (packed with health-supporting nutrients) into your day, no matter what else you've indulged in, can make a world of difference in helping you find balance.

7. Forgive yourself. It’s all good. Really.
We’re human and we live a little sometimes. Enjoy yourself, have fun, balance it out with some extra self care, and let it go. Most of our post-indulgence suffering comes from wishing we hadn’t done it. So breathe, release yourself from any guilt, and get yourself outside for some fresh air and exercise!

100 questions to ask myself

1. Where is my heart guiding me?

2. What do I need to say that others have left unspoken?

3. Are there any skills or talents I'm not utilizing?

4. What is my personal blind spot; what have I been unwilling to look at?

5. Where have I been worrying too much about what others think?

6. What new patterns and habits can I invite into my life?

7. Where have I been more focused on how I look, rather than how I feel?

8. What concerns am I willing to release?

9. What am I committed to changing?

10. What is my body craving?

11. What commitments to my self can I honor?

12. What new habit can I start?

13. How do I want to feel?

14. What signs have I been misinterpreting or ignoring?

15. What lessons am I learning right now?

16. Where can I surrender?

17. Where can I take responsibility for my outcome?

18. What challenges from my past can I celebrate overcoming?

19. Where can I ask for help, and who can I let in?

20. What expectations am I ready to release?

21. How is life asking me to grow right now?

22. How have I let fear dictate my actions?

23. What can I remove from my life?

24. What have I been avoiding out of fear?

25. Where can I show more of my true self?

26. What area of my life have I become disenchanted with, and what is that trying to tell me?

27. What has my intuition been trying to tell me?

28. Where do I feel broken? What steps will I take to release this internal pain?

29. What am I learning on the way to reaching my goal?

30. What did I love to do as a child that I can do today?

31. Where have I blocked myself from feeling?

32. Where have I been focusing too much on the outcome?

33. Where in my life do I feel forced to take action?

34. What current situation in my life have I been resisting?

35. In what ways can I appreciate myself more?

36. What flaw that I hide from others can I reveal?

37. What long-term success am I working to create?

38. What healthier habits can I start?

39. What can I do with my current limitations?

40. What dream have I ignored, but keeps coming back?

41. What situation in my life turned out to be a giant blessing in disguise?

42. Where have I been settling?

43. And what actions step can I take to raise my standards?

44. What is my fear trying to tell me?

45. In what ways can I be kinder to myself?

46. What have I given up on that still wants to be pursued?

47. Where have I been forcing myself to heal faster than what feels right?

48. How have I been cheating on my future by thinking thoughts of my past?

49. What "flaw" can I accept today?

50. Where have I been hesitating to take action?

51. What has the universe been asking me to release?

52. What past situation have I been romanticizing?

53. How has my past hurt my ability to move forward?

54 . What plan feels forced or like it no longer fits in my life? Can I let it go?

55. What emotion have I been hiding?

56. What are my instincts trying to tell me?

57. What does my ideal life look and feel like?

58. What area of my life can I take more of a leadership role in?

59. Where can I be more unapologetic about what brings me joy?

60. Where have I been playing it safe?

61. What action step can I take despite my insecurity or lack of confidence?

62. How am I standing in my own way?

63. What stories am I telling myself that are holding me back?

64. What do I feel most guilty about?

65. When do I feel most alive?

66. What have I denied myself that I really want?

67. Who can I forgive?

68. What relationship am I not feeling the way I want to feel in?

69. What am I avoiding right now in my life?

70. What have I stopped doing that I want to start again?

71. What do I need to say but have not voiced?

72. How do I measure my success?

73. What barriers do I create that keep me from what I want?

74. What in my life am I forcing?

75. What have I denied myself that I really want?

76. What insecurity can I love today?

77. Can I consider a more fun-loving approach?

78. What project can I give new life to?

79. What is the silver lining of my current situation?

80. What relationship can I remove myself from?

81. What patterns keep repeating in my life, and what can I learn from them?

82. What drama can I disengage with?

83. What miracle have I recently witnessed?

84. How can I be more honest with those who are close to me?

85. What dream have I been ignoring?

86. What recent situation do I blame myself for?

87. Where can I stop second-guessing my own judgment?

88. What desire do I need to revisit?

89. Where have I allowed "no" to stop me?

90. What act of kindness can I do right now?

91. What promise can I keep to myself?

92. Where can I be more courageous with my heart?

93. Where can I be more understanding?

94. Where has scarcity or lack-based thought prevented me from doing what I love?

95. When I listen to my heart, what does it say?

96. What payoff is no longer pleasing me?

97. What action step can I take today that my future self will hug me for?

98. What change can I make today?

99. What little act of kindness can I do today?

100. What new beginning am I being guided to?

20 things to let go of in order to reach unlimited happiness

1. Let go of all thoughts that don't make you feel empowered and strong.

2. Let go of feeling guilty for doing what you truly want to do.

3. Let go of the fear of the unknown; take one small step and watch the path reveal itself.

4. Let go of regrets; at one point in your life, that “whatever” was exactly what you wanted.

5. Let go of worrying; worrying is like praying for what you don't want.

6. Let go of blaming anyone for anything; be accountable for your own life. If you don’t like something, you have two choices, accept it or change it.

7. Let go of thinking you are damaged; you matter, and the world needs you just as you are.

8. Let go of thinking your dreams are not important; always follow your heart.

9. Let go of being the “go-to person” for everyone, all the time; stop blowing yourself off and take care of yourself first … because you matter.

10. Let go of thinking everyone else is happier, more successful or better off than you. You are right where you need to be. Your journey is unfolding perfectly for you.

11. Let go of thinking there's a right and wrong way to do things or to see the world. Enjoy the contrast and celebrate the diversity and richness of life.

12. Let go of cheating on your future with your past. It’s time to move on and tell a new story.

13. Let go of thinking you are not where you should be. You are right where you need to be to get to where you want to go, so start asking yourself where you want to go.

14. Let go of anger toward ex lovers and family. We all deserve happiness and love; just because it is over doesn’t mean the love was wrong.

15. Let go of the need to do more and be more; for today, you've done the best you can, and that's enough.

16. Let go of thinking you have to know how to make it happen; we learn the way on the way.

17. Let go of your money woes — make a plan to pay off debt and focus on your abundance.

18. Let go of trying to save or change people. Everyone has her own path, and the best thing you can do is work on yourself and stop focusing on others.

19. Let go of trying to fit in and be accepted by everyone. Your uniqueness is what makes you outstanding.

20. Let go of self-hate. You are not the shape of your body or the number on the scale. Who you are matters, and the world needs you as you are. Celebrate you!

5 Ways To Turn Your Wildest Dreams Into Reality

We can achieve our wildest dreams and we can shoot past moon, too. (In fact, no one would have made it to the moon if it weren’t for a crazy dream.) Our hopes can become our reality if we take steps to get there. Here are five ideas:

1. Surround yourself with people who encourage you.

Do you have people in your life who berate you? Or who imply that you aren't good enough? Drop 'em! There's no reason to be around folks who do not support you. The amazing thing about being human is that we can choose our friends. Pick wisely.

Of course there are people with whom we must have relationships, perhaps difficult bosses or energy sucking family members. So maybe you don't share your life's aspirations with them. Shorten the time spent you spend with them or steer your conversations when you're around them to other topics.

2. Hold yourself accountable.

Talk about your goals openly. Tell people your dreams so that you can hold yourself to them. The more you discuss your hopes, the faster you'll want to get there, and the harder you'll work toward them.

3. Start with smaller goals and get bigger.

Think about your biggest, in-my-wildest-dreams goal. Work backward from there. Create a ladder of smaller goals, until you get to the bottom rung, the first and tiniest step toward dream realization. Go for that one first, then start the climb. Give yourself a pat on the back for each achievement on the way up.

4. Celebrate what's going right in your life.

It's amazing how forcing a smile eventually turns genuine. Smiling begets more smiling. Guess what else? People like to be around happy people! The happier you are in your life, the more success you'll have, guaranteed. If you aren’t content with where your life is, make a change. Another idea: write down a list of all the things you have to be grateful for. Then, the next day, try to add three things to that list. Add three different things each day.

5. Take note of your accomplishments.

Struggling with Number 4? Turn your list into a journal: Write down why you should be proud of yourself. It will change your mood and your life.

Remember that some of life's wants can be achieved through hard work and determination. So work hard in pursuit of your dreams. Prepare yourself to say yes when opportunity knocks. Be the best version of yourself that you can show that to the world. Dream big, and reach for the stars.

Clinging and Craving

Craving comes up in our society frequently in terms of drug or alcohol addiction, but Buddha saw craving as a much deeper problem. In fact, he saw craving as the base for all suffering. Clinging and attachment are what we do once we get something we crave. We hold on, or try to, and its in that clinging that we create so much problem for ourselves. Craving and attachment can be open and obvious as we see in drug and food addiction, but it’s more often subtle, such as the craving of expectation and the clinging to results, the clinging to the sense of self and what we think we are. Attachment to ideas and perceptions about ourselves leads to disappointment, conflict with others, and internal agitation.

We are all addicts, experiencing craving and clinging that leads to suffering, discontent, disappointment, sadness, depression, confusion, angst, and on and on. But as you discover the many ways you crave, see where you cling, and you understand the processes at work, little by little wisdom sets it. Your grip can loosen until eventually you let go of what you had craved and clung to.  Understanding the impermanence of everything is also key in letting go. This is waking up.

What Buddha Said

(Upakkilesa Sumyutta: Defilements)
At Savatthi. “Monks, any desire-passion with regard to form is a defilement of the mind. Any desire-passion with regard to feeling… perception… fabrications… consciousness is a defilement of the mind. When, with regard to these five bases, the defilements of awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation. The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct knowing of those qualities worth realizing.”
(SN 27.8: Tanha Sutta — Craving)
At Savatthi. “Monks, any desire-passion with regard to craving for forms is a defilement of the mind. Any desire-passion with regard to craving for sounds… craving for aromas… craving for flavors… craving for tactile sensations… craving for ideas is a defilement of the mind. When, with regard to these six bases, the defilements of awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation. The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct knowing of those qualities worth realizing.”
(SN 27.10: Khandha Sutta — Aggregates)
You’ll notice above the words desire-passion are also mentioned. Desire and craving can be thought of synonymously, as can passion and attachment, or clinging. Be mindful if you just had an internal tension in response to that.

Question What the Buddha Said and What We’ve Been Taught
We often hear that it’s good to be passionate about your work, your family, etc. We hear that we need desire. Is this true? Let’s question both what Buddha said and what we’ve been taught over the years.  Can we have desire or be passionate about something without clinging and attachment that leads to suffering? Can we enjoy life experiences with open hands, without yearning for more enjoyment, and without clinging to the current happy moment? Can understanding the causes of craving end the suffering caused by it?

Meditations
Set aside time for meditation every day, either sitting or moving, or both. Make sure you’re in a comfortable, safe place, with the likeliness of interruption minimal. You can deviate from the instructions below, but do try them out. You don’t need memorize everything below. Read through the sutta snippets above and the directions below daily before each session.
Sitting meditation:
• Set aside time each day for up to an hour. Any amount of time will be of benefit.
• Once settled into a comfortable position, bring your awareness to the top of your head and bring it slowly down to your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, hips, legs, and feet. Note any sensations, lack of sensations, etc. Take your time doing this.
• After your initial body scan, bring your awareness to your breath. Follow the breath in and out. Is the breath even or inconsistent? Are you breathing one, long permanent breath, or a series of breaths? What is the feeling at the end of the breath? What is the feeling of the beginning of the next breath? Is breathing an ongoing, ever-changing process? Does the depth and feel of the breath change? Explore the breath in this way, in and out, in and out . . .
• Inevitably, at some point, body sensations, thoughts, emotions, outside sounds are bound to interrupt your exploration of the breath. Note what arose in your experience. Is there a desire to stay with the thought, emotion, idea, etc.? Note when desires arise, whether they are mental or from physical desires.
• In the last five minutes or so, bring your awareness to the top of your head again, repeat the same slow body scan you did before. Has anything changed? Are there new body sensations that have arisen? Do you lack feeling in areas that you previously felt? Did any body parts fall asleep? Is anything tingling?
• Before you rise, recall what you explored, reflect about the interruptions you had from focusing on the breath.  How often did thoughts of self arise? Did desire arise, the urge to do something in particular? Is concentration on the breath as the mind settles, or was this a session of a busy mind? Do you notice a desire for meditation to be a certain way? Do you have expectations about mediation?
• Repeat this mediation every day

Moving Meditation

• Moving meditation can be done through walking, yoga, tai chi, or simply moving your body in a designated, safe area.
• Bring your awareness to the top of your head and bring it slowly down to your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, hips, legs, and feet. Notice any sensations, lack of sensations, etc. Take your time doing this.
• Begin your movements in your preferred form. Pay attention to how each  muscle feels as you move. Notice your breath, in and out. Keep your movements small and deliberate, your attention on your body, as you move your arms or legs. Notice how muscles contract and release. Is there tension in your body anywhere? Can you relax the muscles you are not using?
• Continue using your body and movements as your point of concentration.
• Notice how desire or intention arise as you change body movements. Notice if the desire to be better, more flexible, more balanced arises.
• If thoughts arise, not whether the thought is a desire, expectation, or need.
• Just take note of any mental activity that breaks your concentration, then let them go and return to your movement meditation.

Bringing Meditation into Daily Living
Often in sitting or moving meditation, especially after weeks, months, or years of practice the mind settles and concentration on the breath increases. Little by little, mindfulness arises in daily living as we go about our activities. Life becomes a vibrant place of exploration, while meditation becomes a place of quiet and focused attention. Because of that, as we look more deeply under the hood of life, it gets easier to see our processes at work while going through our day than it sometimes does during meditation.

Hopefully if you’ve been following along each week, you are experiencing more mindfulness throughout your day and not just on the cushion, chair, or in movement meditation. Consciously make  a point several times during the day to stop and  notice what is arising internally in your experience, feelings of I, what types of thoughts and emotions you’re experiencing, etc.
Now let’s examine under the thoughts, feelings, and emotions and see if there is craving or clinging driving our experiences.

When you experience an event that causes happiness to arise, examine more closely. Is there clinging to the feeling? Is there expectation for the feeling to last? When you eat a food you really enjoy, stop between bites and notice if there is expectation, a desire for more? Is the desire for more, for any type of thing you desire, ever completely satisfied? Look closely and see where else craving, desire, and clinging arise? Can you be with the feeling of craving without giving in? What happens when you resist? What happens when you try to satisfy a craving? Don’t judge yourself. Just observe.

If you experience something unpleasant, how does the feeling of me arise? Do you feel protective of that feeling? What happens if you try to let go of it? If you have physical pain, does the feeling of aversion, of wanting to make it go away, arise? How does this encourage a sense of self? Examine any expectations about the situation? What happens if you accept physical pain? Is aversion, the pushing away a kind of clinging? Can you see the more you resist the more you actually cling to the situation?

Can you see the ways that craving, clinging, expectation, and desire may create suffering, dissatisfaction, frustration, or anxiety? Instead of resisting any unpleasantness that you discover around clinging, can you sit with it, try to hold it in your mind? What happens to anything you try to hold in your mind with full attention?

Ask these questions s as you explore your daily life. If someone makes you angry, examine how the emotion feels in the body, notice what happens in the mind, see if there is any craving, desire, or expectation about yourself and the other person. Instead of reacting, be mindful to what you are experiencing. See how much you can let go. Do the same for any experience that causes happiness to arise. Is there clinging or desire beneath it? Can you let go of the desire for me, be ok with happiness being fleeing? Can you enjoy without clutching it tightly?

40 Ways to Let Go and Feel Less Pain

Eckhart Tolle believes we create and maintain problems because they give us a sense of identity. Perhaps this explains why we often hold onto our pain far beyond its ability to serve us.

We replay past mistakes over and over again in our head, allowing feelings of shame and regret to shape our actions in the present. We cling to frustration and worry about the future, as if the act of fixation somehow gives us power. We hold stress in our minds and bodies, potentially creating serious health issues, and accept that state of tension as the norm.

“If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace.”

There will never be a time when life is simple. There will always be time to practice accepting that. Every moment is a chance to let go and feel peaceful. Here are 40 ideas to get started:

Let Go Of Frustration with Yourself/Your Life

1. Learn a new skill instead of dwelling on the skills you never mastered.

2. Change your perception—see the root cause as a blessing in disguise.

3. Cry it out. Crying away your negative feelings releases harmful chemicals that build up in your body due to stress.

4. Channel your discontent into an immediate positive action—make some calls about new job opportunities, or walk to the community center to volunteer.

5. Use meditation or yoga to bring you into the present moment (instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.)

6. Make a list of your accomplishments - even the small ones - and add to it daily. You’ll have to let go of a little discontentment to make space for this self satisfaction.

7. Visualize a box in your head labeled “Expectations.” Whenever you start dwelling on how things should be or should have been, mentally shelve the thoughts in this box.

8. Engage in a physical activity. Exercise decreases stress hormones and increases endorphins, chemicals that improve your state of mind.

9. Focus all your energy on something you can actually control, instead of dwelling on things you can’t.

10. Express your feelings through a creative outlet, like blogging or painting. Add this to your to-do list and cross it off when you’re done. This will be a visual reminder that you have actively chosen to release these feelings.

Let go of Anger and Bitterness

11. Feel it fully. If you stifle your feelings, they may leak out and affect everyone around you—not just the person who inspired your anger. Before you can let go of any emotion you have to feel it fully.

12. Give yourself a rant window. Let yourself vent for a day before confronting the person who troubled you. This may diffuse the hostility and give you time to plan a rational confrontation.

13. Remind yourself that anger hurts you more than the person who upset you, and visualize it melting away as an act of kindness to yourself.

14. If possible, express your anger to the person who offended you. Communicating how you feel may help you move on. Keep in mind that you can’t control how to offender responds; you can only control how clearly and kindly you express yourself.

15. Take responsibility. Many times when you’re angry, you focus on what someone else did that was wrong—which essentially gives away your power. When you focus on what you could have done better, you often feel empowered and less bitter.

16. Put yourself in the offender’s shoes. We all make mistakes; and odds are you could have easily slipped up just like your husband, father, or friend did. Compassion dissolves anger.

17. Metaphorically throw it away; i.e., jog with a backpack full of tennis balls. After you’ve built up a bit of rush, toss the balls one by one, labeling each as a part of your anger. (You’ll need to retrieve these—litter angers the earth!)

18. Use a stress ball, and express your anger physically and vocally when you use it. Make a scrunched up face or grunt. You may feel silly, but this allows you to actually express what you’re feeling inside.

19. Wear a rubber band on your wrist, and gently flick it when you start obsessing on angry thoughts. This trains your mind to associate that type of persistent negativity with something unpleasant.

20. Remind yourself these are your only three options: remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it. These acts create happiness; holding onto bitterness never does.

Let Go Of Past Relationships

21. Identify what the experience taught you to help develop a sense of closure.

22. Write everything you want to express in a letter. Even if you choose not to send it, clarifying your feelings will help you come to terms with reality as it is now.

23. Remember both the good and the bad. Even if appears this way now, the past was not perfect. Acknowledging this may minimize your sense of loss. As Laura Oliver says, “It’s easier to let go of a human than a hero.”

24. Un-romanticize the way you view love. Of course you’ll feel devastated if you believe you lost your soul mate. If you think you can find a love that amazing or better again it will be easier to move on.

25. Visualize an empowered single you—the person you were before meeting your last love. That person was pretty awesome, and now you have the chance to be him or her again.

26. Create a space that reflects your present reality. Take down his pictures; delete her emails from your saved folder.

27. Reward yourself for small acts of acceptance. Get a facial after you delete his number from your phone, or head out with friends after putting all her things in a box.

28. Hang this statement somewhere you can see it. “Loving myself means letting go.”

29. Replace your emotional thoughts with facts. When you think, “I’ll never feel loved again!” don’t resist that feeling. Instead, move on to another thought, like “I learned a new song for karaoke tonight.”

30. Use the silly voice technique. According to Russ Harris, author of The Happiness Trap, swapping the voice in your head with a cartoon voice will help take back power from the troubling thought.

Let Go Of Stress

31. Use a deep breathing technique, like ujayii, to soothe yourself and seep into the present moment.

32. Immerse yourself in a group activity. Enjoying the people in your life may help put your problems in perspective.

33. Consider this quotation by Eckhart Tolle: “Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.” Questioning how your stress serves you may help you let it go.

34. Metaphorically release it. Write down all your stresses and toss the paper into your fireplace.

35. Replace your thoughts. Notice when you begin thinking about something that stresses you so you can shift your thought process to something more pleasant—like your passion for your hobby.

36. Take a sauna break. Studies reveal that people who go to sauna at least twice a week for 10-30 minutes are less stressed after work than others with similar jobs who don’t.

37. Imagine your life 10 years from now. Then look 20 years into the future, and then 30. Realize that many of the things you’re worrying about don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.

38. Organize your desk. According to Georgia Witkin, assistant director of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, completing a small task increases your sense of control and decreases your stress level.

39. Use it up. Make two lists: one with the root causes of your stress, and one with actions to address them. As you complete these tasks, visualize yourself utilizing and depleting your “stress supply.”

40. Laugh it out. Research shows that laughter soothes tension, improves your immune system, and even eases pain. If you can’t relax for long, start with just ten minutes watching a funny video on YouTube.

It’s a long list, but there’s much left to be said! Can you think of anything to add to this list—other areas of life where we need to practice letting go, and other techniques to start doing it right now?

Personal Development

• Discover what makes me truly happy
• Money
• A comfortable home
• Good health

• Release negative emotions and limiting beliefs
• Where the negative emotions come from
• What cause these limiting beliefs

• Release any feelings of inadequacy
• Allow myself to make mistakes
• Discover my life purpose
• Learn not to take what others do or say personally
• Figure out my priorities

春有百花秋有月...

春有百花秋有月，夏有凉风冬有雪，若无闲事挂心头，便是人间好时节。

--宋．无门慧开

这一首诗偈，是无门慧开禅师写的，对如何做人处世、安身立命做了一个很好的开示。「春有百花秋有月，夏有凉风冬有雪」，春天的百花开了，秋天的月亮特别皎洁，夏天吹拂着徐徐凉风，冬天飘着皑皑白雪，春夏秋冬四季分明的更替，就像我们生老病死的过程。在现实生活里，经年累月酸甜苦辣的日子，假如我们能将生老病死的无常、荣辱得失的好坏，都不挂在心上，那就是人间最好的时节了。
　　
　　人并不是拥有良田千顷、广厦千间就能快乐满足的，真正的快乐是：心里有智慧，没有挂碍！一个人即使钱财再多，名位再高，若有人我的挂碍，有人我的是非，有名闻利养的百般计较，家事、国事、心事太多，心理压力就太重。钱财越多，名位越高，徒然越放不下，又有什么意义？
　　
　　一个学生功课压力太大，他会受不了；一个公务员的事务太忙，也会压得喘不过气来。我们要学习举重若轻的心胸，减少心上的压力，才能轻松自在，真实体会到人生的意义！
　　
　　所以「若无闲事挂心头，便是人间好时节」，什么是人间好时节？只要我们心好。看人一切都好，不但父母爱我，子女孝顺我，朋友对我好。你感到人好，你自然就会待人好；你感到事好，做起事来就会得心应手；你感到境好，走在路上，躺在椅上，一切都是那么美好！真是「心中无事一床宽，眼内有沙三界窄」。
　　
　　一个人光是要求世间好、环境好、朋友好，是没有用的，要先求自己好。要能从心好起，才能感受到世界一切都美好。事好、人好、话好，无一不好，那便是人间好时节了！

Web Development Programming Languages

PHP
PHP is the undisputed king of server-side languages in use on the Internet today – running on 75% of all web servers – and is the power behind WordPress, Wikipedia, and even the user-facing part of Facebook.

As a server side language, the code is processed before it reaches the user’s browser, so all they see is the final page and none of the original PHP code. PHP is mainly used in conjunction with MySQL to pull information from a database, manipulate it and present it to the user.

PHP is general-purpose and comes as standard with most web servers – if you’ve ever heard the term MAMP/WAMP/LAMP, the P generally stands for PHP (the rest is Windows/Mac/Linux, Apache, and MySQL).

MySQL
Another component of standard web server installations, MySQL is a free, open source database server. It’s not a programming language as such, but it is a new language to learn if you want to talk to databases so it’s a key component of modern websites. Although MySQL is actually a command-line language, there are common GUI tools available such as PHPMyAdmin for managing databases more easily.
Again, MySQL is what powers WordPress  - so all your posts and content are actually stored inside a MySQL database.

Javascript
Not to be confused with Java, the full object oriented software programming language we introduced last week, Javascript is the daddy of interactive webpages. It’s a scripting language that’s run locally on the user’s browser, allowing webpages to respond to user interactions such as clicking on elements and timing events. To cover everything Javascript is capable of would be impossible – suffice to say if there’s something interactive on a site, and it isn’t Flash – it’s more than likely Javascript.
It’s worth mentioning JQuery at this point too. JQuery is a Javascript-framework which lets you write less code and gives you greater browser compatibility, and is quickly becoming the standard for modern webpages. It’s particularly useful for targeting specific parts of a webpage using familiar CSS terms and doing something with them, such as showing or hiding them. Although JQuery is made from Javascript, it introduces its own unique language components too, so just because you know Javascript doesn’t mean you can automatically use JQuery (you could also argue that you don’t need to know much Javascript to be able to use jQuery). We’ll definitely be looking at this one at some point.

Perl
Perl used to be a major force in web programming but has since been relegated to mostly just text-processing applications. It’s incredibly fast at processing text, but not of much use on the modern Internet. It’s something that all hackers have in the box of tricks though, so it’s worth checking out at some point.

To give you an idea of the power of Perl, here’s the complete code that was created to crack DVD encryption. Yes, it is rather cryptic:

Ruby
Ruby, and its web application framework Ruby On Rails, powers some pretty major websites such as Groupon, Shopify (a commerce platform), and the front-end of Twitter. It’s a full object oriented language that’s interpreted by the server and then sent as a finished HTML page to the browser – much like PHP (yet also completely different, *sigh*). It has a number of key advantages though, namely in rapid development, less code repetition, and speed.

Unfortunately, most web servers do not support Ruby out of the box, so unless you’re able to configure your own server as you wish, you need to use a hosting service such as Heroku.

Python
Python is another full object-oriented high-level strongly-typed language. Adjectives used to describe Python typically include fun, easy to use, and a good learning tool – but ultimately there’s very few real-world Python web applications. It certainly sounds like a good place to start though, especially if you’re the kind of person who’s into Linux and open source / community-driven projects. Just don’t expect to be making any actual webpages with this, and there appears to be a rivalry with the Ruby community.

ASP.net
This is Microsoft’s contribution to the web language arena, predictably popular in corporate environments and nowhere else. It’s closely integrated into the .Net family, and you need specific Windows hosting to run ASP.net web applications, which in my experience is far more effort than it’s worth. Stay away from this one unless you have a really good reason not to.

So, Which Should You Learn?
If you want to create a modern, interactive website, a combination of PHP, MySQL, and possibly JQuery/Javascript for interactivity. That’s not to say the languages such as Ruby and Python aren’t worth investigating as a learning exercise – which we certainly will be doing at some point – but if your time is limited and you seriously want to start learning useful real-world skills then the PHP/MySQL combo is the best place to start.

The Way of Non-Attachment

Q: I understand that Buddhism is unique in its concept of God.

A: Buddhism does not see God as the creator. That's why we don't often use the word "god," because it's not as though there's a Being that's creating everything we see around us.

To the Buddhist way of looking, creation is just karma. When something good happens to you, it's not God, and when something bad happens to you, it's not God. It's cause and effect, but there's no way you can find a beginning, a "first cause." Imagine that science came up with proof of the Big Bang. You still would want to know what caused the Big Bang. You can never come to a beginning.

What Buddhism would call God is this: When you find out what the real nature of things is, you find something sacred, something Divine that's the common ground of everything — that's the real source of everything.

But Buddhism never gives you an answer to the question of what created the world, because it's not considered a question there's an answer to. If you knew what created it, you'd still have to ask, What created that?

Q: What is the essence of Buddhist practice?

A: Buddhist practice is designed to teach us to let go of asking for something, or anything.

Q:  "To be without desire."

A:  Yes.

Q:  "To be without desire."And how can you achieve that unless you desire to be without desire. Isn't that kind of a Catch-22?

A:  Not really. You just let go, and all will find it's place. You can't stop the mind. You can't stop desire. All you can do is just keep coming back to stillness. The whole point of Buddhist practice is to be still and let go of things.

Since the desire to be at peace can make you unpeaceful, all you can do is just accept wherever you are, whatever is there, and not get caught up in it. All you can do is let go.

You can't make yourself not angry, but you can let go of harboring the angry thoughts. You can't stop wanting ice cream, but you can stop thinking about it by thinking about something else. You can't stop yourself from wanting to feel peaceful, but that's just another thought, like everything else, that you let go of.

You can have all kinds of thoughts that come up. If you don't give them energy, they fade away on their own.

Q: I understand that Buddhism looks at Four Noble Truths. Could you explain those to us, please.

A: Buddha came to the conclusion that all human suffering was caused by attachment. So the First Noble Truth is: "Suffering exists." And the Second Noble Truth is: "We only suffer when we ask for something to be different than it is."

The Third Noble Truth tells us that "Nirvana exists."

Q: The opposite of suffering.

A: Yes. To say Nirvana exists means there can be a cessation of suffering. And since suffering is caused by desiring things to be different, if you let go of desire, you find Nirvana. You find out that what you want is already there, and that it's what all Beings long for.

The Fourth Noble Truth is that there is an Eight-Fold Path, and that path is basically Buddhist training. Through the Eight-Fold Path, you can find Nirvana.

Q: Do all Buddhists follow the Eight-Fold Path.

A: No, not today. There are many different pathways. It's different in Tibet, different in Japan... Not every practice works for everybody. That's natural.

Here, we're in a meditation tradition. What we emphasize is a meditation technique in which you just try to be still and present and aware. We simply focus on stillness.

Other traditions, like Nichiren, use chanting or repetition of a mantra. The central practice of Pure Land Buddhism, for example, involves repetition of Namo Amitabha Buddha (Homage to the Buddha of Boundless Compassion and Wisdom).

So Buddhism is not so much a religion as it is a path. That's what the Buddha said. It's a way to help Beings find the truth.

Q: And the truth is?

A: And the truth is?The truth is that everything that really matters is always there and doesn't ever change. If you let go, there's always joy there. And that's something that nothing can really stop. No condition can really stop it. When we stop clinging, there's joy.

Reality is a story we are always telling ourselves. When we feel lousy, it's because we are telling ourselves a lousy story, a story about how bad it's going to be, how depressing it is. Asking ourselves, "Why is this happening to me?"

But Buddhism doesn't attempt to answer that question, because it's not a question we can know the answer to. It simply asks us to cease from evil — from acts that cause increase of suffering — and to do good and purify our hearts.

Q：So where does "belief" or "faith" enter in?

A：From a Buddhist point of view, you can believe that green goblins control the universe if you want. It doesn't matter. As long as you live in ways that promote good and provide service, you'll do okay.

It's not what you believe. It's what you do.

The Eight-fold Path：

1. Right Understanding Learning the nature of reality and the truth about life.
2. Right Aspiration Making the commitment to living in such a way that our suffering can end.
3. Right Effort Just Do It. No Excuses.
4. Right Speech Speaking the truth in a helpful and compassionate way.
5. Right Conduct Living a life consistent with our values.
6. Right Livelihood Earning a living in a way that doesn’t hurt others.
7. Right Mindfulness Recognizing the value of the moment; living where we are.
8. Right Concentration Expanding our consciousness through meditation.