Ancelotti: Real Madrid are playing poorly

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti openly admitted that his side are in a period of poor form after Saturday's 1-0 loss at Athletic Bilbao.

Los Blancos were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal and their defeat at San Mames means that Barcelona can displace them at the top of La Liga with a win over Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Gareth Bale went desperately close to cancelling out Aritz Aduriz's headed opener for Athletic when his long-range cross-cum-shot struck the post but, for the most part, Madrid struggled to break their Basque opponents down.

Indeed, Ancelotti was the first to admit that Madrid, who have scored 75 goals in La Liga this season but just one in their last two games, are not at the top of their game right now.

"I think we pushed hard in the second half and we were attacking all the time," the Blancos boss told reporters.

"The team has a problem in that we need to have a clearer idea of what we're doing in attack.

"We don't circulate the ball fast enough and the strikers are not getting any chances.

"It's weird to say that Real Madrid have troubles in attack because we have scored many goals but it's true.

"My team is playing poorly and I have to take all the responsibility.

"But I will not give up because the league is complicated and it is not finished. We will work hard to turn things around."

Madrid next face Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday before resuming their Liga title challenge at home to Levante on Sunday.

Tottenham join Alderweireld race

Tottenham have expressed an interest in Atletico Madrid's Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld, currently on-loan at top four rivals Southampton. The 26-year-old is set to command a fee of £10m.

Barcelona monitoring Henderson

Jordan Henderson is a top target for Barcelona, who are looking to land the 24-year-old on a free transfer. The Liverpool midfielder, tipped to skipper the side once Steven Gerrard moves to LA, has 18 months left on his current deal.

Pogba agrees PSG deal

Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly won the race to sign Juventus superstar Paul Pogba. The 21-year-old is set to leave Turin in the summer and will head back to native France, snubbing the likes of Manchester United.

Coping with Fear in Your Relationship

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is another way to deal with fear:

1. Name the underlying fear. 

Some examples are: Fear of falling apart, fear of rejection, fear of not being understood, fear of being judged, fear of being alone, fear of loss, fear of change, fear of aging, fear of being overwhelmed, fear of your needs being ignored, fear of boredom, fear of lack of control, fear of failure, and fear of helplessness.

2. Tell your partner that you have some fear arising inside of you, and share those fears. 

Own your fears instead of blaming your partner. For example, say ‘I am feeling afraid of a loss of control of our finances’ instead of ‘You always have to be the boss with our money.’

3. Listen to your partner’s fears. 

Do not try to minimize, negate or ‘fix’ the fears. Do not try to bully your partner’s fear into submission. Do not belittle, humiliate, shame, and threaten the fear. Do not make snide remarks such as ‘Oh, you are always afraid of something,’ or ‘Why can’t you just relax and be happy for once?’ By trying to run the fear out of town, this technique to try to avoid a difficult conversation will backfire and leave you with a bigger mess.

4. Recognize that your partner’s fears are likely to trigger your own fears. 

For example, if your partner voices a fear of boredom, you may interpret this to mean that he or she is judging you as not being interesting enough, and you may feel a deep fear of rejection. It is important that you do not take over the whole discussion with your reaction-fear, and leave no space for your partner’s fear. On the other hand, it is also important that you make some room for your own fear, letting your partner know how you feel.

5. Focus on the fear and do not get detoured into specific details of the relationship. 

For example, don’t let ‘I feel fear of loss of control of our finances’ turn into ‘Why can’t you stop spending money on golf?’ Plan to discuss concrete and practical relationship issues at another time, when fear is not running the show. (And then stick to that plan!)

6. Contain the fears within boundaries. 

Recognize that these ‘fear’ talks will occur regularly throughout the course of the relationship, but keep each discussion within a reasonable time limit, such as 10 to 20 minutes. Kindly support each other to move on and enjoy life once the fears have been named and heard. Don’t set the boundary with anger and bullying by saying things like ‘Aren’t we done with this yet? Can’t you just let it go already?’ If one person is not done processing, gently but firmly plan for another time to talk the next day.

No one is very good at this. It goes against our lifelong patterns that have been set up to push fear away. Even if we move slowly in this direction, however, it can lead to a triumph of love over the destructive potential of fear, and make the difference between a relationship living or dying. That is not to say that love and acceptance transforms fear into rainbows and butterflies. Even within the arms of love, fear is still raw, painful, and deeply unsettling. But when fear becomes an accepted ‘citizen’ in the relationship, it is no longer the enemy. It’s just the colicky baby that needs your time and attention once in a while.

Roma keen on Sagna

Bacary Sagna is said to be fed up with the lack of first-team opportunities he has been afforded this season at Manchester City. Roma manager Rudi Garcia is keen to bring him to Serie A in the summer.

City line up ambassadorial role for Yaya

Manchester City are considering offering Yaya Toure a prestigious job behind the scenes at the club when he decides to retire. The Ivorian has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal.

Gomez could miss Europa League clash with Roma

Fiorentina striker Mario Gomez has avoided another lengthy lay-off after injuring his ankle in the 2-1 Coppa Italia victory at Juventus on Thursday but could still miss the club's Europa League clash with Roma.

Gomez has been blighted by injuries since joining the club from Bayern Munich in 2013 and was absent for much of his debut season with a knee ligament problem, before a thigh issue then sidelined the Germany international earlier this season

There were fears the problem could lead to yet another prolonged spell out of action, however, the Serie A outfit confirmed on Friday that Gomez will only be out for two weeks. The 29-year-old is now likely to miss league fixtures against Lazio and Milan, but could also sit out the Europa League last-16 first-leg clash at home to Roma on March 12.

The news continues a frustrating campaign for the player, with his goals tally for the campaign a measly seven in 23 appearances in all competitions, with six of those coming in his last seven games.

Commitment is a bit of an illusion. Here's why...

You may have noticed Michael my mentor said, that fear of commitment is so often just a dread of cutting off other options - and thereby feeling trapped.

But the funny thing is that, of course, now is all we ever have. Sure, decisions in the present affect the future, but we never really have to say 'forever' about anything, because we don't actually know what will happen in the future.

When I help smokers quit, I like to take pressure off by reminding them that they don't need to "be sure they'll never smoke again". Why? Because that's too much pressure.

All they need know is that right now it's not what they do. I don't need to say to myself: "I will definitely never smoke!" I doubt I will, but I don't need to think about not smoking far out into the future - right now, it's not what I do.

It's the same with anything. We never have to say 'forever' because life is a series of present moments. Really think about this; maybe what works now won't work in ten years, but maybe it will. The fact is, all of life is an exploration and wanting absolute certainty all of the time about everything is for narrow thinkers.

Trying not to make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all, and here I'm reminded of the words of the Joni Mitchell song:

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone..."

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell shares #Mikolinton cares

Overcome fear of commitment and get the real benefit of relationships

Fear of commitment is like a cruel negative voice inside your head. It's constantly whispering to you about your choices. It might be about your relationship choices. Or it might even be about something as trivial as deciding which restaurant to go to. This fear is the bugbear of decision making in general. Why? Because it constantly ambushes you with a 'what if?'

Anxiety about the future and the 'what if?' question

Now at first sight the 'what if?' question looks useful. You are considering your options. 'Shall I get into a long term relationship with this person?', for example. That's a very big question, which will have a major impact on your life. It is only sensible to think through the implications of your choice. 'What if it doesn't work out?' 'What if I meet someone else?' But we're talking of a much more serious risk.

How you can get trapped by your worries about what will happen

You see, undue anxiety about how things will turn out actually locks you into an unending series of 'what if?' dilemmas. Whatever decisions you make in life, trivial or serious, there are alwaysconsequences you cannot possibly foresee, no matter how carefully you examine your options. You want to be sure, before you make your decision, that it is the right one. That's understandable, of course, but actually, it's simply impossible.

Overcoming fear and making good decisions

What is possible is to make the best decision that you can, having informed yourself as well as you can about the implications. When you are clear about the outcome you prefer, and what it will take to make that outcome more likely, you can go ahead and get on with your chosen course of action.

So making good decisions is really about being able to relax with uncertainty, with not being in control of absolutely everything. And overcoming fear of pledging yourself to a relationship, conquering that fear of commitment - or indeed any other major decision - will actually free you up to really make the most of the opportunities that life presents.

To your relation Bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Commitmentphobes - please read!

It's a strange thing MICHAEL, as you may have noticed, that sometimes we most fear what we most need - in case it doesn't work out.

The irony is that fear of commitment may mask a desperate desire for the intimacy and security that comes from a healthy long-term relationship.

It may be that, deep down, the person fears being rejected themselves or feels that the consequences of a future relationship breakdown will be all the worse the more time they invest in that relationship.

Maybe they have experienced feeling trapped in a relationship before or perhaps they have a history of painful breakups, of hurting and being hurt. Or they may have witnessed the rocky relationships of parents and have the 'blueprint' that 'no relationship ever works out'.

The next few blogs will dig into fear of commitment and what can be done about it.

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Commitment? Check. Commitment? Check. Commitment? Boom!

Oh how hard it is to escape the vicious cycle of insecurity in relationships.

Wanting to peg someone down too quickly to see whether they're 'committed' is like trying to insist cabin crew serve you their delicious vacuum-packed fare during take off. Give it a chance!

Telling someone you love them on the first date, planning your retirement together, or talking about 'us' and 'we' prematurely applies too much pressure and saps the spontaneity and fun from the early stages.

Having to 'know how they feel' may be fair enough down the line, but asking them too soon where they see this relationship going can make them feel like they're being interrogated in a job interview.

What to do: Hold off for a while until you know each other better. Everything that exists in our Universe, as far as I know, has a time scale - including love. Don't be too quick to establish yourselves as a longstanding couple when you've known each other just a few weeks.

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Is desperation for certainty ruining your relationship?

You know MICHAEL, I think overcoming relationship insecurity is partly about becoming less controlling. This may sound strange, but feeling that: 'This relationship must be exactly as I think it should be!' is a form of over-control. A sign of insecurity in relationships is when the desire for certainty becomes too strong.

Having to know whether your partner really loves you, having to know this or having to know that puts a lot of unnecessary strain and tension into the relationship. The fact is, we all have to live with uncertainty.

Insecure people can still feel insecure even when they are told they are loved. Wanting what is not possible (complete and utter certainty in all and everything forever) is not possible because imagination can still make up doubts. So stop looking for certainty where it doesn't apply.

Self-assurance comes from starting to relax with uncertainty. Wanting to know for certain that someone will be with you forever prevents you enjoying the here and now. Nothing in life is certain.

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Is the past controlling your relationship's present?

MICHAEL he said, have you ever taken an instant disliking/liking to someone merely because they reminded you of someone else who you disliked/liked?

Some people do this with whole relationships.

Because they were in a relationship with someone who was abusive, very critical or dishonest, or who left them, they respond to a new partner defensively or angrily when, in fact, the new partner is not really like the old one at all.

If you suspect you have been making faulty unfair comparisons between your current partner and a former one, then write a list of all the destructive traits of your former partner.

Write next to this list all the ways your current partner is different and review this list regularly. This will help you to stop assuming that the future has to be like the past.



To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Is the past controlling your relationship's present?

MICHAEL he said, have you ever taken an instant disliking/liking to someone merely because they reminded you of someone else who you disliked/liked?

Some people do this with whole relationships.

Because they were in a relationship with someone who was abusive, very critical or dishonest, or who left them, they respond to a new partner defensively or angrily when, in fact, the new partner is not really like the old one at all.

If you suspect you have been making faulty unfair comparisons between your current partner and a former one, then write a list of all the destructive traits of your former partner.

Write next to this list all the ways your current partner is different and review this list regularly. This will help you to stop assuming that the future has to be like the past.


To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

Refuse the poison of perfectionism in your relationships

We all know that fairy tales in real life may not look like fairy tales as presented by Mr Disney.

Prince Charming may have a crooked nose, and your princess may have pigeon toes.

What am I wittering about? Being so fussy that you miss genuine relationship opportunities. I talked above about being too desperate, but it can work the other way. Expecting people to be perfect, then getting mad when their behaviour doesn't exactly accord with your imagination of how they should be is, frankly, nuts.

If people don't 'live up to' your self-made image of them, is that their fault? If you have too-tight parameters for how your love should be before you meet him or her, then you may be positioning yourself out of the market. Sure, there are things we all prefer, but some people are so specific:

"He must have green eyes (and two of them!)."

"He must wear designer jackets."

"He must have a body of a Greek god, the mind of Albert Schweitzer, and the car of a London financier."

"He must have a dollar-shaped beauty spot on his left buttock."

I kid you not; some people (usually younger people) cut off their own options to this extent.

They may defend this with: "Why should I accept anything less?!" But this misses the point that, so often, something can seem to have all the right 'parts', but when those parts are put together, you find they don't really work as well as expected.

What to do: Open your mind to the possibility that you could be mistaken in assuming you can only have a relationship with a person who fits exactly what you have imagined. And remember that you are having a relationship with a real-life person, not a phantasm of your own making.

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert) shares #Mikolinton cares

The oldest relationship mistake in the book?

I hope you like stories MICHAEL because there is an old Sufi tale that tells us a lot about a major relationship mistake.

It goes like this. Some villagers find an eagle, a bird they had never seen before. Because it was unfamiliar, they didn't feel it was like a 'real bird' at all. So they cut its beak, trimmed back its feathers, and clipped off its talons, at last deciding that now it looked like a 'proper bird'. Of course, it could no longer fly.

There you go, short and sweet, but rather profound I hope you agree.

Treating your new partner like a project that you need to work on, like something to 'improve', is disrespectful and can make the person feel like you don't appreciate them for who they are or even know them at all. Trying to get someone to wear more trendy clothes, go for the jobs you recommend, act how you think they should, begs the question: what did you see in this person to begin with?

What to do: Remember the story of the villagers and the eagle.

Dating someone new should be fun, exciting, and enjoyable. If you can monitor and influence your own behaviour during this 'getting to know' phase, then you have much more hope of getting to know whether you and they really will work together without needing to blame anyone if it doesn't work out.

Knowing what may be wrong can help us all understand more how to find what is right.

To your relationship Joy,

#Mark Tyrell (my senior relationship coach expert)  shares #Mikolinton cares

ADEOLA MUYIWA writes: MARTIN LUTHER - An Antinomian....

Let's take a voyage thru times to converse with great divines. I do know of puritans whose lives leave behind, marks of indellible graces. I read of the reformers who sailed against the drift of currents and tides. I sat side by side with Calvin, his theological offspring, John Gill and the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon. I also dined with WatchMan Nee, whose life was an emblem of the cross, I, in my spirit, shook hands with these great men, but then i discovered they all had something in common....

Justification had been, before Martin Luther heralded it. It was confined within the walls of Augustine's seminary'. even in the whirl wind of papacy, there was a gentle voice that uttered grace, with indecipherable tones, only caught in the ears of a monk. Upon the deluge of the revival of grace, upon the numerous writings of this great reformer, the present age of 'proudly ignorant', quoted Him out of context.....

Martin wrote, "Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong..." ( from Dr. Martin Luther's Saemmtliche Schriften, Letter No. 99, 1 Aug. 1521)...

It's proper to place such statements under serious scrutiny. But what's my point in all this. When u preach a non-fictitious grace, u must be ready to be concluded under antinomianism.

Martin used great metaphors and powerful hyperboles in His writing. That man was drowning helplessly in the waters of grace. With the same spirit, he wrote most of his treatises. Do u wanna know the greatest of saints whose beards were even devoted to God, meet the reformers and the puritans.

This was the continuation of that mischievously extracted text..

" but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides.."... This was the purport of martin's note, not for license. But rather to acknowledge how so great sinners we are, and how so great salvation we have received.

Have u read John Bunyan's Grace and Law, spurgeon's 'forgiveness, all of Grace, putting away of sin, Have u taken time to study John Knox and Gill's materials. When you re thru, then u can conclude, ALL GRACE PREACHERS ARE ANTINOMIANS.

What do they all have in common.....they preached Grace, wrote Grace, spoke Grace, lived Grace and Died in Grace. I hear someone say, These guys preached Holiness with Grace...I tell you, when they needed to preach holiness, they would rather preach Christ. Take a quick stroll on Andrew's Murrays books.

WatchMan dined with a family, and while praying, the couple mentioned, 'God give us patience'..what a humble prayer from teary eyes. WatchMan Nee after the prayer, reacted, ' I assure you, God will NEVER answer that prayer'. he has nothing left to offer than the Christ he has given the world. Christ in you is ur patience, He is your Love, He is your peace, He is your Holiness. This is whole essence of the grace message. That all the demands of God, are supplied in the Grace He freely gave.

You know wat?? Have no repentance for preaching grace in its undiluted form. Regard it not, when people call you an antinomian, smile over it when they say, you give license to sin. Nod your head in apparent agreement when they say, you are turned aside to the doctrines of the nicolatians.

This one thing I have in common with religion, I preach Holiness. The 'How' of our Holiness are two parallel lines. They tell you to work it out, I tell you to look on Him, who works it in you. The working out is not in your prayers and self-denials, it is in your constant gaze at that one Man. He is Christ. That's God's All. God has nothing else to give. Only Christ.

Let me say this, i need not append a footnote to my write-up that, "this isn't a license to sin", all i need tell u is, SIN MORE. it's a proof of who of u re. It only shows u re yet to taste the real grace that saves from sin. I am yet to see a believer who embraced grace as a way of Life, defeated constantly by sin. I do not pity a soul who sins less, yet sees no need for a saviour. I wud rather rejoice in a sinning soul who showed His need for a saviour.

I love the concluding part: Luther wrote:

"If you are a preacher of grace, then preach a true and not a fictitious grace; if grace is true, you must bear a true and not a fictitious sin. God does not save people who are only fictitious sinners. Do you think that the purchase price that was paid for the redemption of our sins by so great a Lamb is too small? Pray boldly—you too are a mighty sinner"

I'm tired of people trying to modify Grace, I have heard of several versions, that which mingles with the deadly mix of the Law; that which smells rancid; another which sours; i have heard of a kind that is not mighty to save, it needs the help of impotent man. I have also heard of a gospel that needs to be fine tuned, and sand-papered with our eloquence and grammar in order not to sound licentious.

My Life for this truth. I do not care much about this word, Grace. It means a lot to me because, Grace is Christ. Wen u take christ out of it, it becomes a five lettered word...

Live in this consciousness. There is nothing called HyperGrace. Grace must be 'hyper' to save. Grace is amazing, Grace is Hyper, Grace is super abundant, Grace is Free! Grace is excessive!! Call it anything. That makes it grace. but preach it right.

Luther was no antinomian!

Who do you always go for Mr / Ms wrong?

If you don't do this yourself FRIEND, I bet you know a friend who does.

But let's not get too blamey. Anyone can mistakenly get together with a 'psycho'. Early on, they may be all charm and attentiveness (and you may be conveniently averting your eyes from early telltale signs - such as 24-hour surveillance on your house).

So you can't always blame yourself for getting mixed up with the psycho, but feel free to blame yourself for:

* Staying with a psycho once the signs become obvious.

* Deliberately going for someone with 'dysfunctional features' that match characteristics of someone with whom you had a past destructive relationship and then later wondering where it all went wrong

Of the two points just covered, the first one is more forgivable (since I'm in a refreshingly judgemental mood), because it can feel harder to break free once you're in. But the second one?

What to do: If you're chronically pursuing mates (to use the National Geographic term) who are obviously flawed to the extent that relationships will be painful and doomed, then at least admit this to yourself and don't be surprised that 'relationships always go wrong'. Knowing your patterns is the first step to changing them.

Don't feel too bad if you do this, it's such a common mistake

And if it's a friend who does this, why not forward them the link?

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell #Mikolinton cares

The wrong sort of games in relationships

If you're a Seinfield fan FRIEND, you might know this line. I'll try not to misquote here, but one of the characters says to Seinfeld, "You shouldn't play games in relationships!" to which he replies, "What's the point of dating without games? How do you know if you're winning or losing?"

If we view too much of life through a competitive lens, we come to treat everything like a tussle, a chance to score points and get ahead.

Trying to make someone want you more by acting 'standoffish', ignoring them, or trying to make them jealous is, of course, all about manipulation. If a relationship starts off on a basis of game playing, don't expect any winners long-term.

What to do: If you want a good quality relationship, be honest and upfront so you can both 'win' together. And refuse to be drawn into their games if that's what they do. They'll stop soon enough when they realise you aren't playing.

To your relationship bliss,

#Mark Tyrell #Mikolinton cares

LIKKLE T Drops another Single - Beautiful People (Happy People)

Genre: afro Reggae

Title: Beautiful People (Happy People)


This is a song I recommend you start your days with. With this song, your motivation towards any movement or hustle shall be brought alive. Its a daily morning chune you can't afford to miss listening to before you step outta your shelter.


Trust me, this is an evergreen song composed and performed by Likkle Tee and produced by soulnexus, for working class hustlers (Bankers, civil workers, private workers, entrepreneurs, even the Gees)


Good songs unfolding, trust me.


Click here to download

ALERT!!! MIKOLINTON IS BACK AGAIN

Hello everyone, I am sorry that i have been off for a while now. I had different commitments. If you care to know, these were the things I was involved in during the course of this little break:

1) Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF) State Conference

 I was at the National Secretariat of NCCF in Plateau State for about 4 days where i learnt and trained myself spiritually. For me, to be spiritually grounded is life. I was blessed by Bro Mohammad Jibril. Had a wonderful time in God';s presence. 

The theme? "Behold, I come Quickly". As a drama minister, I also was used by God to bless his children through the group ministration where i played the role of Pastor Tolu: A man who followed God all the way even after his youth service year. It was an impacting experience I must say.

2) Football Matches

I played two football matches. A home and away fixture against Dadinko FC. First leg ended 5 - 1 in favor of Jos North Football Team (my team). I scored 3 goals and made 2 assists I this match. Th e return leg ended 5 - 3 in favor of Dadinkowa Fc. 

It was an amazing match. I made an assist that led to a sumptuous goal. we were 4 goals down in first half. It took us time to understand the field because it was a seven aside field. In all, it was an amazing time.

3) Surfing Scholarship Positions and Reading articles for self development

I tried checking on different sites to get scholarship positions. I also invested some time in self development. 

That's how it has been. Am so sorry. 

And oohhh!!! I did't tell you, i had a twisted wrist from the matches. Consequently, I am on bandage at the moment.

You can like me enough to call or text or send chat messages to check up on me, i will appreciate.

Love you ALLL...

5 Brutal Truths About Loving A Taurus (As Written By A Taurus)

The good, the bad, and the Taurus-ey.

Those born under the sign of the bull are described as patient and hardworking yet stubborn and possessive. Being in a relationship with a Taurus means not only finding out what makes the Taurus swoon, but also what makes them tick. Here are 5 brutal truths you should know before hitching yourself to a Taurus. (And if you're already in a relationship with one or ARE one yourself, maybe these sound eerily familiar.)

1. We won't stop arguing until we get our point across. 

My boyfriend and I argue about everything and nothing. Our tiffs are as silly as what flavor ice cream to buy for movie nights (I opt for bubblegum sherbet; he prefers vanilla) and whether we think the YouTube video we're watching is sexist. But no matter the fight, a Taurus always wants to get his or her point across and we're really not concerned whether we're right or wrong. (Pssst: We're not particularly proud of this trait because it makes us feel guilty for being so stubborn, but to be fair, we're usually not the ones to start the argument!)

2. We're easily jealous.

 A Taurus often finds herself thinking: "What if my boyfriend finds someone better?" (I'm also a professional at getting jealous of random girls I've never met!) Meeting our guy's female friends and getting to know them helps a Taurus get rid of those feelings of possessiveness and jealousy.

3. We don't often lose our tempers but when we do, it's BAD. 

Yes, Tauruses (Tauri?) are patient, but on those rare occasions when we actually lose our sh*t, we resemble a hurricane that won't quit hurrican-ing until you see our point. (See #1). (And we'll be sure to bring it up in later arguments because we're nice like that.) 

4. We're fiercely independent. 

As a Taurus, we prefer to do things by ourselves and by our own rules and schedules. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is as spontaneous as they come. Although there are moments when I find his gestures sweet and romantic, part of me is annoyed by the disruption in my color-coded and perfectly-labeled calendar. (Where do I insert "Spontaneous Date" between "Finish 1500-word article" and "Doctor Who Marathon"?) This trait also means that if a Taurus has a problem, we prefer to solve it on our own without your help.

5. But despite all of the above, we're loyal as hell. 

An important aspect in every relationship is faith and trust and if a Taurus decides to trust you that means you've most definitely earned it and we'll stay loyal to you for the long-haul. But betray our trust? You'll be lucky if we ever speak to you again. After all, we forgive, but we never forget.

Curvy Women Make Baby Geniuses (Says Science )

In news that is going to make North West very happy someday, a study has found that curvy women actually make smarter babies, thanks to all that extra fluff

The study by Pittsburgh University and lead researcher, Professor Will Lassek, found that "fat banks" in the area of a woman’s hips, thighs, and butt are pretty much the golden ticket when it comes to passing on smarts to babies during breast-feeding. As Lassek explained, “The fat in these areas is a depot for building a baby's brain. You need lots of fat to make a nervous system, and the fats in these areas are also enriched in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is a particularly important component in the human brain."

Lassek went on to explain that women have evolved in such a way so as to "accumulate these fats and hold on to them," until they give birth. It is then that these "brain-building, breast-milk lipids," leave the body via nursing and why women lose weight they do nurse on a regular basis. See? It's all making sense now, isn't it?

Women's bodies, on average are made up of 30 percent fat, whereas men’s bodies are made up of only 10 percent. It is speculated that due to the fact that the human brain has increased in volume from 400ml to 1200ml over the past five million years, it would only make sense that women are fatter now than they were then. The weight gain is based on the evolutionary fact that it’s necessary to provide adequate brain capabilities to their offspring.

It is also suggested that the reason many men prefer a woman with curves is because they inherently know those women will reproduce babies that are "likely to be cleverer," according to Cambridge University’s reproductive biologist, David Bainbridge.

Far too often women criticize themselves for their "imperfect" bodies, when in actuality, their bodies are just the shape they were meant to be. Women are supposed to be heavier around the hip area for certain evolutionary and biological reasons. 

Even if you're not planning on having kids, you're just sort of stuck with what Mother Nature gave you. 

5 Reasons Your Best Friend Would Make A PERFECT Boyfriend

Why dating your best friend may be your best bet to finding true love.

There's nothing quite like feeling a spark of attraction between you and someone you just met, but lately, we've been wondering whether it's better to date a friend, or at least somebody we've known longer than just a couple of weeks, and who knows more about us than just our name and phone number. Sure, the transition from friend-to-boyfriend might feel a little weird at first, but we think that the benefits of dating one might just overrule the awkwardness.

1. He's familiar with your bad side.

Let's face it, during the first few months of dating someone new, it's easy to hold yourself together and pretend like you don't have a dark side (everybody has one). You downplay your insecurities in hope that he won't see you as clingy, and you suppress the fact that you occasionally get moody, jealous, or pointlessly angry. As a friend, he will not only be aware of your personal weaknesses, but he will know how to respond to them in a way that is constructive to the relationship and to your desire to improve yourself.

On that same note, you'll be aware of his bad fashion sense, his corny jokes, and his strange fondness for period pieces before you start dating him. Heck, you might even love him all the more for the quirks you would find annoying in anybody else.

2. You're more or less aware of each other's relationship history.

Chances are, you'll feel less self-conscious about the number of guys in your past if your boyfriend already knows about them before deciding to date you. Even better, you'll probably have an inkling of an idea about why his past relationships didn't work out. That way, both of you will have a sense of each other's relationships styles and issues and will be better prepared to deal with potential conflicts.

3. You're comfortable with each other.

It takes a few weeks (if not longer) to feel completely at ease with somebody new. Should you eat ice cream from the container in front of him? Should you reveal that you're a twenty something who still rereads Harry Potter on occasion? When dating someone who started out as a friend, you can skip the neurotic "I need to impress him" phase and go straight to wearing no makeup and nerding out together on Saturdays spent indoors.

4. It's exciting.

Dating a friend might seem less glamorous than falling in love at first sight, but what's more suspenseful than decoding a friend's flirty mixed signals for signs of romantic intentions? If the relationship goes well, you'll be swept away at how a good friend turned out to be an even better boyfriend. Trust us, you'll swear off the random guys you meet during happy hour forever!

5. There's always something to talk about.

We've all dated someone with whom we spent more time getting hot-and-heavy than in actual conversation. The moment of truth inevitably arrives during a long car ride, when you have no choice but to put on the radio because the two of you have no common interests. Aren't you ready for someone who still makes for good company even after the passion starts to plateau? Plus, just imagine the energy that you and a friend-turned-boyfriend will share after months (even years!) of pent-up romantic tension.

Do you agree with this?

Transparency in Marriage (A GREAT CONCERN FROM A MARRIED WOMAN)

My opinion is that in a marriage everything should be out in the light - nothing should be hidden. (John 3:20) If we truly love and respect our spouses this should just be a natural outflow of that love and respect. As a believer, authenticity and transparency should be our lifestyle. (I have been discovering the truth of this, and the necessity of this, more and more this past year and a half.) This mutual transparency should be a high priority in our marriages. 

I believe that authenticity and transparency brings about a vulnerability in marriage that can strengthen the relationship in a very unique and lasting way. 

A marriage is made up of two {imperfect} people. Like it or not we can never be perfect and we did not marry a perfect spouse. Because of this truth we are going to fail and make mistakes again and again. I desire to be a help meet to my husband and in doing so to bring out the best person that he can be. However, if he is not transparent and sharing his weaknesses, his faults, his failures with me then I cannot really come alongside him the way God intended me to be able to do.

 The same is true of myself, if I am not sharing my weaknesses with my husband, he cannot lead me and guide me the way God intended him to. It is a tragedy when couples deny one another the blessing of being able to encourage each other in weaknesses. One benefit of marriage is the encouragement that can come in building one another up. When one spouse is stumbling, the other can reach out and help to hold him or her up. (Proverbs 18:24, James 5:16, Hebrews 10:24, Romans 12:10) 

I am sure that technology and social media are having an affect on many marriages. We do live in a technology, social media driven culture, and as many benefits and blessings as there are to it; it can also come with a price and be a curse. It is easier than ever for husbands and wives to carry on secret, hidden relationships and private lives via this technology. We need to guard against this, and we can by being open and honest about everything.

 There must be complete transparency in our marriages in every area - including social networking and email. My husband knows my passwords (a lot can hide in the dark behind passwords - guard against this) to everything, and he reads my facebook and blog. He has open access to my email and any of my social media outlets - nothing is hidden. The same is true for his accounts. 

This is not because we do not trust each other, but instead because we respect each other and want our lives to be open and bare. I try not to befriend a male on facebook without first running it by Jim, and I just do not send private messages or emails to males. What starts up as something innocent has the potential to snowball into something catastrophic. I would rather just not even touch that. 

Proverbs 18:21 says Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose. I take this verse very, very seriously. I love words. I love writing, but I must be careful that my words are fruit not poison. I try very hard to never publicly, or even friend-to-friend speak ill of my husband (or children for that matter). 

I believe one day I will be held accountable for my words - this goes for my written and typed words as well. I try not to ever write anything on facebook or my blog that I would not say to Jim's face. Our arguments are private and not for other people to participate in. Something like this could make a great foot-hold for Satan, so I choose to {mostly} make my words sweet and upbeat. 

My biggest piece of advice for transparency in marriage is to be honest about everything, keep nothing hidden (no bank accounts, receipts, spending habits, friendships, passwords, etc. - NOTHING) and to communicate openly and often. Not talking with one another is a big step in the wrong direction. If social media and technology is driving a wedge between you and your spouse and bringing up areas of insecurity and mistrust into your relationship then just get rid of it. They are not worth sacrificing what could be your beautiful, vibrant marriage!

The Importance of Transparency in your Marriage.

'A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.’ –Dalai Lama

What is the meaning of transparency?

It means openness, honesty and clarity. When someone is very sneaky and secretive you do not trust him as everything about him has an aura of mystery. When a person is frank and candid you believe in him. It is more so in married life.

When there are secrets in your life which your spouse does not know, it makes you uncertain and apprehensive about his\her reaction when he\she comes to know about it. When someone else brings it to his\her notice, there is a big show down and it also brings into your marriage distrust and suspicion.

Can’t I have anything personal?

Should I confess everything to him\her?

She\he never understands my problems and so I find it comfortable to hide it from him\her.

He\she is secretive and so I too feel like hiding things from him\her.

Married life is built on trust and honesty and these qualities are as important as love and care. When there is transparency in married life, it brings immense comfort to your interaction with your spouse and your love for each other matures to even deeper love.

What are the things you normally hide from your spouse?

Your past love life?

Your money matters and savings?

Your friendship with the opposite sex?

Your past life is your secret.

You might have a past love and feel uneasy about the reaction of your spouse when he\she knows about it. Will your confession ruin your marriage and bring in suspicion and mistrust into it? Your doubts are very natural and true.

What is the nature of your spouse? Is he\she understanding and a caring person? Do you feel that you are cheating him\her by not confessing your past life with him\her? If you are hundred percent confident of your spouse you can confess about your past and tell him\her that it is over and done with. You feel the burden of guilt lessening and your love for your spouse increases for his\her considerate reaction .

But if your spouse is basically suspicious by nature and over possessive, your confession about your past life might stir up a hornet’s nest. He\she becomes doubtful of your every action and he\she makes your life nightmarish by questioning your whereabouts, checking your mobile phones and also spying on your mild interaction with the opposite sex. It is better to hide your past if you feel your spouse will react in such a negative way and lead your present married life with honesty and transparency.

Money matters are hidden and concealed

Money has become a top marriage destroyer in recent times. Everyone wants money as it is a status symbol. But it is sad that couples vie with each other in hiding money matters. Husband hides his money dealings from his wife and wife hides hers from her husband.

Why this lack of transparency in money matters? The fault lies with both. You do not acknowledge that your spouse is an individual with her\his own personal whims and wishes. Your spouse might want to help her\his family, but when you interfere, she\he does not want to do it with your knowledge and hides it from you and keeps you in the dark.

You must accept that he\she has certain duties to fulfill and should not intrude into it. When you overlook and accept the money dealings of your spouse, he\she does it openly and you need not break your head about where the hard earned money of your spouse is draining away.

Too much of friendship

The world has become so modern that you find it easy to be overly friendly with your colleagues of opposite sex without the knowledge of your spouse. You never know that you are digging the grave for your marriage when you do it.

It is very natural to be friendly with your colleagues when you work together. That is how it should be, but when you become too friendly with your colleague and feel like confiding in him, you are cheating your spouse emotionally. Your friendship should not cross the line and your spouse should know about him\her.

When you talk for long hours in a low tone when at home with your colleague\friend, your spouse naturally feels doubtful. When you get a call from your colleague, talk in a normal tone in the presence of your spouse which makes it a true friendship. When the call is over you can casually inform your spouse what you talked about. This is transparency for you!

‘Life is filigree work. What is written clearly is not worth much, it's the transparency that counts.’- Louis- Ferdinand Celine

When you argue that you have your personal life to lead and your spouse must accept it, you are asking for trouble. You should be frank with your spouse and he\she should also be truthful to you and when your interaction is transparent, it gives your married life the much needed clarity and clearness.

Top 15 reasons why couples break up

If we consider the history of the institution of marriage, all of us would agree that it started at the time of creation itself. Man and woman are different both biologically and in mental makeup. However, the creation would not continue if man and woman do not come together. The physical and emotional needs unite man and woman and marriages take place. Till the beginning of the twentieth century, joint families and lifetime single marriages were quite prevalent. Divorces were few and far in between. 

However, things started changing as more and more women took up careers and achieved financial independence. The dependence of women on men declined and even small disagreements were magnified to a large extent that they were considered to be impinging on the individuality. 

Let us consider the top 15 reasons why couples break up.

1. Desire to be independent.
2. Getting attracted to another person.
3. Infidelity.
4. Physical incompatibility.
5. Less attracted to the person in a sexual way.
6. Lack of proper body maintenance, like becoming too fat.
7. Conflict in tastes and desires.
8. Continuous nagging.
9. Comparing the man or woman to others constantly
10. Imparting unsolicited advice all the time
11. Addiction to alcohol or drugs
12. Deterioration in the health of one spouse or suffering from incurable ailments like HIV
13. Physical and mental abuse and exhibiting sadistic tendencies
14. Ignoring or showing disrespect to friends and relatives of one spouse Impotency or inability to bear children.

The above reasons are all chief causes for a marriage breakup. Sometimes, one reason alone might be enough for separation, while in several cases, a combination of a few of them lead to divorce. In this list, getting attracted to another person and infidelity might appear similar, but there is one important difference between them.

 In the former, the man or the woman might become more interested in another person and might think of leading a life of marriage with that person as a better option to the current life. In this case, the decision for separation from the present spouse could be taken before a physical contact with the other person. On the other hand, infidelity is actual extra-marital relationship, which is a sure marriage breaker in several cases.

In certain marriages, when the man and woman become united without a physical relationship before the marriage, the physical incompatibility might become apparent when the marriage is consummated, leading to separation. Similarly, the impotency in man or the inability of the woman to bear a child either immediately after the marriage or after several years could result in a divorce. 

The reduction in physical desire after a few years had also been a cause for the breakup of the marriage. If the health of the man or the woman deteriorates sharply or if they contract incurable diseases like HIV, the marriage might fail. Even the neglect by a spouse of maintaining the physical fitness and becoming too fat or too weak could break a marriage.

Physical and mental abuse is another major reason for divorces. Sadistic tendencies in either spouse that lead to continuous physical or mental torture usually ends in parting of ways. Too much addiction to alcohol or drugs had also led to marriage failures in several cases. 

Too much nagging by a spouse, and this is usually done more by women than men, had resulted in marriage breakup very often. The other similar reasons are comparing the man or the woman with other persons continuously and hurting the sentiments or creating an inferiority complex could also lead to divorce.

Even imparting unwarranted and unsolicited advice too often is considered as interference in the individuality, leading to disagreements. A joke is there that the psychiatrist charges you for the same advice that the wife gives you free. Too much of anything could spoil even a good relationship. 

Similarly, conflict in tastes and interests that were ignored during courtship or were considered trivial, assume a bigger shape after marriage and lead to fights. If the man or the woman ignore or show disrespect to the friends and relations of the other, that results in misunderstanding and creates irritation. Slowly, the couple starts drifting apart in such circumstances and finally part ways totally.

Finally, the financial independence achieved by women had brought in a change in their attitude. They feel that their individuality must be respected and should not be interfered with. Their economic dependence on men is much less or non-existent compared to olden days when women stayed at home. Further, the separate careers result in men and women working in different places, thus increasing not only the physical distance but also the mental distance. 

This invariably leads to separation. All these causes, either singly or in combination, end up in the couple breaking up. However, an understanding approach and a give-and-take policy would avoid divorces, if both men and women take a more tolerant attitude.

Mourinho: I refused to speak to Chelsea players

Jose Mourinho has revealed that he did not speak to his Chelsea players after their humiliating FA Cup loss to Bradford on Saturday.

The Blues threw away a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge to lose 4-2 to the League One outfit and Mourinho was left fuming at his players’ collapse.

As such, the Portuguese has revealed that he refused to give a team-talk at full-time, such was his disdain for his side’s display.

“What did I say to the players? Nothing. Not a word. It wasn't a moment to speak to them,” he told reporters.

Mourinho refused to solely blame his players for the defeat, however, and admitted that he must take a share of the blame, despite claiming that his side “switched off” after taking a 2-0 lead.

“I blame myself the same as the players," he added. "I think we should share between us. But if I am the boss, the boss has more responsibilities.

“But at half-time it was 2-1 and then we spoke about the danger of the situation. We spoke about how they play, we repeated at half-time what we spoke in the preparation of the match.

“Maybe you don't believe but we prepared in the same way we prepare for a Premier League match - the same power point presentation, same analysis, the same information, we prepare exactly the same way.

“We respect them - at least I respect them - in the way we prepared for the game but at half-time the players thought 'We are going to score, not them' and when they scored for 2-2, after that the game became crazy.”

Mourinho also batted away the suggestion that the result would force him into the transfer market, despite links with the likes of Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa.

“This result doesn't alter my plans in the transfer market,” he said. “I'm happy to go with the squad I have. This is Chelsea always thinking and being proud of thinking of numbers and Financial Fair Play and so on.

“We cannot now go to the market and spend money. I am completely with the club. I share this idea. I don't think we are going to the market, unless someone makes a market with us.”

Neymar: Ronaldo should be punished

Barcelona star Neymar says he understands Cristiano Ronaldo's frustration boiling over after he was shown a red card during Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Cordoba.

The Portuguese seemed rattled throughout the contest, with video footage appearing to show him throwing a punch at Jose Angel Crespo, which went unnoticed by the referee.

But Ronaldo was later punished for kicking out at Edimar Fraga in another moment of indiscipline, which resulted in him being sent off.

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner later apologised on social media for losing his temper, but he has received the support of Neymar.

"It is difficult because sometimes there is provocation," he said. "It happened to Zinedine Zidane, it happened to me. Nobody has the coolness to remain calm 100 per cent of the time.

"We must think with our heads. I think he should be punished.

"It is the referee's responsibility to protect players on the pitch, particularly when they are targeted by hard challenges. Hard tackles must be punished."

Neymar has been one of Barcelona's shining lights amid a turbulent campaign at Camp Nou, with boardroom upheaval followed by reports of a dispute between Lionel Messi and coach Luis Enrique.

The Brazil captain has scored 19 goals in 25 games in all competitions and eased the goalscoring burden on the Argentine.

The 22-year-old was asked whether the presence of his South American team-mate could hinder his own bid to become the best player in the world, but he says Messi's influence is only positive.

"I have no problem. I've shared a dressing room with Ronaldinho and I never had problems with him. I've played with many great players. Messi is the best player in the world and I'll always have huge respect for him."

Valdes lets in soft goal on debut for Man Utd Under-21s

Victor Valdes got his first run out in Manchester United colors as the club's Under-21s beat Liverpool 2-1 on Monday night.

But the Spain goalkeeper will be disappointed to have conceded a soft goal on what was essentially the only time he was called into action in the full 90 minutes.

With half-time approaching and, after comfortably fielding two low balls in his first 42 minutes of action, he was beaten at the near post by a Jerome Sinclair drive as the visitors cancelled out Nick Powell's header.

United won it thanks to Paddy McNair's powerful strike shortly after half-time, but Valdes was barely called into action for the rest of the game on what was his first appearance of any description since injuring his knee last March.

It was the Red Devils' first victory in five U21s Premier League matches, following two defeats and two draws in their last four outings.

Valdes signed an 18-month deal with United earlier in January after training with Louis van Gaal's side for several weeks.

The Spain goalkeeper was set to move to Monaco after running down his contract at Barcelona, but the switch was called off by the Ligue 1 club after he was injured during last year's match against Celta Vigo.

He had been linked with a move to Liverpool in the final days of the summer transfer window, and continuing into September and October, but eventually joined United.

Out-of-favour midfielder Anderson, expected to leave the club on a free at the end of the season, played 88 minutes on Monday, while Darren Fletcher, who has courted interest from West Ham in recent days, was not named in the squad.