Forgive me if I reminisce a little!

The other day I heard a song that I’d not heard for ages. It took me back a few years, I can tell you!

And while I was mentally reliving years gone by, I realised how relevant this song still is to us all today! Some things just never change!

I’m talking about a song called ‘I Whistle a Happy Tune’, written by the brilliant Rodgers & Hammerstein and sung by the British governess Mrs Anna Leonowens in the hit musical ‘The King And I’. The musical was based on the true experiences of Anna and this song explains how she dealt with her private fears when she found herself in new and strange surroundings.

She taught these techniques to her young son  –  and now I’m explaining them to you!

This is a song that was copyrighted way back in 1951 but, take a look at the lyrics below and you’ll see that it’s aimed well and truly at all of us anxiety sufferers!

See what you think:

Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect,

And whistle a happy tune so no one will suspect I’m afraid.

While shivering in my shoes, I strike a careless pose

And whistle a happy tune and no one ever knows I’m afraid.

The result of this deception is very strange to tell,

For when I fool the people I fear,

I fool myself as well!

I whistle a happy tune and every single time,

The happiness in the tune convinces me that I’m not afraid.

Make believe you’re brave and the trick will take you far.

You may be as brave as you make believe you are!

©Rodgers & Hammerstein 1951

This could have been written especially for you!!

It sums up exactly what I’m always telling anxiety sufferers:

• That if you behave as if you are confident (even if you don’t feel it inside) then you’ll trick your brain into believing you really ARE confident.

• That your body language is important to the way you feel and how people treat you. Stand tall (‘hold my head erect’) and be counted!

• That if you use distraction techniques (the whistling of a tune or such like) you’ll take your mind off any scary thoughts you may be having.

• That people can’t always tell you’re feeling anxious even if you’re convinced they can.

• That appearances can be deceptive (striking the ‘careless pose’). Look cool and collected and that’s how people will see you.

• That positive happy thoughts (‘the happiness in the tune’) can usually override negative ones and help to reduce your anxiety levels.

• That always having a ‘little trick’ in reserve (like whistling a happy tune, for example, even if it’s just silently in your head!) is an excellent stand by to have for those times when you need some extra help.

And we all know what a difference any of the above things can make to help you in anxious situations!

Have a think about how you deal with scary situations. Do you have a ‘happy tune’ you can call upon? If not, maybe you might find it helpful. Who knows, maybe you might find that actually it’s THIS song that stays in your head, ready for when you need it most!

Good luck, and happy whistling!

Yes, Salt was a fun action-adventure genre film, even if you have to suspend disbelief that a drink of water can beat up beefy men. Okay, you know it’s fake, but you love to watch Angelina Jolie. When you want to get back to reality, which requires real muscle, nothing in the sports world beats free horse racing videos.
There are two types of horse racing fans, those who love to bet on horses and those who just like to watch and be inspired by the beauty and grace of these spectacular four-footed athletes. Yes, betting the Trifecta, Exacta, or Daily Double and turning in a winning ticket is what turns on a lot of people, but if it weren’t for the beauty and majesty of horse flesh in ultimate competition, they might be racing jackrabbits.
Here’s the latest selection of free horse racing videos:
Man o’War (1917-47), the greatest Thoroughbred racehorse of all time
Secretariat (1970-89), the 1973 Triple Crown champion
Forego (1970-97), winner of eight Eclipse Awards including Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse, and Champion Sprinter.
Affirmed (1975-2001), famed rival of Alydar, and most recent winner of the Triple Crown in 1978.
John Henry (1975-2007), the Eclipse Award Horse of the Year for 1981 and 1984, and the greatest money earner of all time.
Bernardini (2003-), son of A.P. Indy, who won the 2006 Preakness Stakes by 5-1/4 lenghts in a time of 1:54:65 in the same race that saw Kentucky Derby winner Barbara fatally injured.
Curlin (2004-), highest North American money earner, $ 10.5 million, and winner of the 2007 Preakness Stakes, 2007 Breaders’ Cup Classic, and 2008 Dubai World Cup.
Rags to Riches (2004-), the first filly to win the Belmont Stakes in over a century (2007), defeating horse of the year Curlin.
Street (2004-), winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby.
Zenyatta (2004-), the retired female champion racehorse who won 19 consecutive races.
Uncle Mo (2008-), the leading contender for the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
General horse racing videos – YouTube has a growing collection of some of the best horse racing videos of all time, featuring some of the greatest horse racing legends to ever set foot on any racetrack. YouTube is also the place to get videos on all aspects of the sport, from the bugle call at the start to the photofinish and the victory ceremony, along with training and breeding videos at all levels. Some videos feature a jockey cam, or a collection of horse racing accidents and oddities like starting gate tractor malfunctions. How about a video of the craziest horses ever seen? YouTube categories include horses, horse mating, horse breeding, horse racing, horse jumping, horse riding, and horse training. Never mind Horse With No Name, that’s a song.
View any or all of these free <a href=”http://ezinemark.com/goto.php?url=http://www.horseracegame.com/videos.php”>horse racing videos</a> and experience the majesty of thoroughbred horse racing. For more information on how to view horse racing videos online, check out the following website:  www.horseracegame.com.

There are many type of dog training and many objectives, from basic obedience training to specialized areas including police dog, search and rescue, assistance to people with disabilities and entertainment.

Basic Obedience
This is the fundamental type of training in dogs and all dogs must have some form of obedience training. Basic obedience training makes life simple to your dog and eliminates confusion. Your dog will know his place in the world and understand right from wrong. Dogs seem to really appreciate and thrive on this black and white view of the world.

Entertainment
This form of training capitalizes on tricks to please an audience. They are excellent in resisting distractions coming from various people and even the environment. Some of the tricks being taught are standing, heeling, and moving objects. Training dog for show is hard work, but a lot of fun.

Police Dog
Police dogs were first used in 1899 by the Belgian police force. They serve and protect our communities’ daily, performing skills like protection, narcotics locating, and tracking criminal or missing persons. It takes special dogs and very special trainers to create productive policing teams. This is achieved through intensive and careful training.

Assistance to People with Disabilities
Many people who are blind, handicapped, or those with medical conditions take on the task of training their own assistance dogs. For some, this is the best option, because the dog can be trained to mitigate a disability specific to that particular person. Assistance dog training is quite expensive especially if one prefers a professionally trained and certified pet. One may also opt to take on the task of training them though.

Search and Rescue
A search and rescue dog is trained to locate that scent and help their handlers find people who are lost or missing. With great senses of smell, these types of dog find missing people through air scenting. This simply means tracking down people through their smell by sniffing through the air. Ground smelling may also be used.