What are Dividends and When they're Issued ?

Even those people who have made investments that paid dividends may still be a little confused as to exactly what dividends are, however… after all, just because a person has received a dividend payment doesn't mean that they fully appreciate where the payment is coming from and what its purpose is.

If you have ever found yourself wondering exactly what dividends are and why they're issued, then the information below might just be what you've been looking for.

Defining the Dividend
Dividends are payments made by companies to their stock holders in order to share a portion of the profits from a particular quarter or year. The amount that any particular stock holder receives is dependent upon how many shares of stock they own and how much the total amount being divided up among the stockholders amounts to. This means that after a particularly profitable quarter a company might set aside a lump sum to be divided up amongst all of their stockholders, though each individual share might be worth only a very small amount potentially fractions of a cent, depending upon the total number of shares issued and the total amount being divided. Individuals who own large amounts of stock receive much more from the dividends than those who own only a little, but the total per-share amount is usually the same.

When Dividends Are Paid ?
How often dividends are paid can vary from one company to the next, but in general they are paid whenever the company reports a profit. Since most companies are required to report their profits or losses quarterly, this means that most of them have the potential to pay dividends up to four times each year. Some companies pay dividends more often than this, however, and others may pay only once per year. The more time there is between dividend payments can indicate financial and profit problems within a company, but if the company simply chooses to pay all of their dividends at once it may also lead to higher per-share payments on those dividends.

Why Dividends Are Paid?
Dividends are paid by companies as a method of sharing their profitable times with the stockholders that have faith in the company, as well as a way of luring other investors into purchasing stock in the company that is paying the dividends. The more a particular company pays in dividend payments, the more likely it is to sell additional common stock… after all, if the company is well-known for high dividend payments then more people will want to get in on the action. This can actually lead to increases in stock price and additional profit for the company which can result in even more dividend payments.


Getting the Most Out of Your Dividends
In order to get the most out of the dividends that you receive on your investments, it is generally recommended that you reinvest the dividends into the companies that pay them. While this may seem as though you're simply giving them their money back, you're receiving additional shares of the company's stock in exchange for the dividend. This will increase future dividend payments (since they're based upon how much stock that you own), and can set you up to make a lot more money than the actual dividend payment was for since increases in stock prices will affect the newly-purchased stock as well.

About The Author
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website

Beautiful Thought by Lord Buddha

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."

The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"

So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."

After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.

The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.

After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.

This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water.

Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless."

Having 'Peace of Mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS
EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU
NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NICE
BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE.

Doing, doing -- never being...OSHO

You have gained -- now let it be, enjoy it. Live it!

And then you will see: a different dimension comes to your being.

- OSHO

RETIRE WHEN YOUR WORK IS DONE.

WHEN YOU SEE that a work has given you balance, that you have attained happiness, don't ask for more; when you feel good don't ask for more; when you are surrounded by a well-being don't ask for more. Retire, enjoy it. Revel in it. Dance with it. Don't ask for more. The mind is always asking for more.

The mind says, "Okay, this is good, that I am feeling a certain well-being, but more is possible. So first I should attain the more." Then you miss that which was possible; that which had already become actual, you miss.

And if you listen to this mind, which goes on for more and for more and for more, it will lead you to the end, to the extreme. And suddenly you fall into hell, and you are miserable, unhappy.

Whatsoever you gain, make it a criterion: if you are feeling good, if you are feeling well, if you are feeling blissful, silent, peaceful, a certain delight around you, life has become a song for this moment -- then sing it! Don't ask for more! Chew it, absorb it.

Don't ask for more. Retire... that is the meaning of retire. Now stop further efforts -- enough! You have gained -- now let it be, enjoy it. Live it! And then you will see: a different dimension comes to your being.

There are two dimensions. One is horizontal... more, more, more -- that is the horizontal dimension. You move in a line. You are on the point A; you want to be on the point B. When you are on the point B, you want to be on the point C. Soon you will reach to XYZ. And from Z is hell. Z is the door of hell.

But you cannot stop, the mind goes on. The mind says, "Look, you are on C, and D is possible. So why waste time on C, go to D. Then E becomes possible, so go to E." No moment to enjoy, no moment to celebrate, no moment to retire and be.

Doing, doing -- never being... because being means that C is enough, now enjoy it. You have earned the bread for today -- now retire. But the mind says, "What about the safe in the bank? It is still half-filled. You have to fill it completely...."

OSHO

STRESS MANAGEMENT Part-2

THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO STRESSES:

A) When exposed to stress in our environment, we generally experience many physiological reactions. Initially your blood pressure soars, your pulse races and you even begin to sweat. These are part of general pattern of reactions referred to as the ‘fight-or-flight syndrome’, a process controlled through the sympathetic nervous system, which is prepares our bodies for immediate action.usually, these responses are brief and soon return to normal level.

B) When we are exposed to chronic sources of stress, this reaction is only first in a longer sequence termed by Hans selye (1976) the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), consists of three stags, they are,
1) Alarm reaction
2) Resistance
3) Exhaustion

1) Alarm Reaction

In this stage the body prepare itself for immediate action. Arousal of the sympathetic nervous system releases stress hormones that help to prepare our body to meet threats or danger. This is also known as fight-or-flight response. In this there are more bodily response than the mental.

The hypothalamus in the brain signals the adrenal gland. The adrenal gland in turn releases adrenaline into the blood stream. The adrenaline increases the heartbeat and breathing become shallower. Blood flows from skin and *viscera to muscles and brain. The blood takes nourishment like (blood sugar) to the parts of the body, which are in need of extra energy to respond to the danger. Due to this redistribution, we look pale and our hands and feet become cooler. Physiologically the person who turns white, are more prepared to fight, than who are red in the face. That does not mean that the latter will be cool. They are just not in the best physiological state to do so! Blood pressure is raised and the capillaries of the skin and viscera are narrowed.

Foot notes: *Viscera -Internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)

It is these sensations that we feel immediately in our body. However we don’t feel all that is going on. Other hormones also are released. For instance ACTH (Adreno Corticotrophin Hormone) activates the adrenal glands. This enables the release of corticoids into the blood stream, which carry massage to other glands and organs.

The spleen, for instance is mobilized to release more red blood cells into to the blood stream. These carry oxygen and nourishment that are needed to provide for the extra demand of the body during this alarm stage. The ability of blood to clot is increased, in preparation for damage resulting from fighting.

The liver releases vitamins such as B and C and sucrose and it is carried to the muscles by the redistributed blood. The stomach released hydrochloric acid (Hcl), which is only does normally to digest food.

Another response is muscular tension especially of the lower back, shoulders and neck. This may lead to what is known as tension&headache.this tension remains even after the other changes due to alarm reaction decrease. As a result, people believe that the tension is the main indicator of stress. Becoming aware of tension and dealing with it can be the first step in gaining control.

Nor-adrenaline is another hormone, which is sereated.this brings with, feelings of *euphoria and satisfaction what can be termed positive stresses.

2.Resistance

If stress is prolonged, however the resistance stage begins. During this stage, arousal is lower than the alarm stage, but the body continues to draw on resources at an above-normal rate in order to cope effectively with the stresses. Continued exposure to the same stresses or additional stresses drains the body resource like like nutrients and vitamins and that lead to the third stage exhaustion.

Foot note: *Euphoria: - A feeling of great (usually exaggerated) elation

3.Exhaustion

In the above resistance stage the body can remain only for short duration. When the pressure remains beyond that, new symptoms begin to emerge. These are similar to those of alarm stage. as aresult,the body becomes increasingly vulnerable to disease and organic dysfunction.

In our life situation we cannot avoid stress completely, but to some extend we can mange or avoid or at least see that it is not collapsing us. Certain situation we will be exposed to a sudden tragedy, that may cause so much of physiological excitement, it is possible by reduce the frequency or intensity of the alarm stage, but cannot eliminate entirely. Nor we should try to; it is a normal protective mechanism. We should also try to reduce the resistance stage. The reason is that when stress occurs too often or for too long, the body has no opportunity to recover. The body needs time to re-build the lost or depleted resources. When there is no opportunity to happen this. The body enters the stage of exhaustion. The repeated exhaustion has to be prevented to protect the life.

A quick review of physiological stress

Feeling “stressed out” is not just a state of mind. High levels of stress can have severe consequences. The hormones overload. Such as adrenalin and cortisol are produced in excess, they can cause many physiological changes.
For e.g. major trauma such as love failure, divorce, family/occupational conflicts, lack of control over situation, pollution etc.

These above leads to the fallowing body changes,
1.memory loss
2.increased insulin levels leading to higher fat deposits
3.high blood pressure
4.bone loss/weakness
5.weakened muscles/tensing of muscles
6.stunted growth
7.weakened immune system
8.arteriosclerosis
9.depression
10.shallower, quicker breathing
11.excess production of adrenaline
12.faster heart beat
13.reduction of blood supply to hands and feet
14.increased blood flow to the muscles
15.sharpening of all senses
16.reduction of tension in bowels and stomach functions


COGNITIVE APPRAISAL OF STRESSES OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF STRESS:

When confronted with the same potentially stress-inducing situation, some person experience stress, where as other do not. Why?

It involves individual cognitive appraisals, stress occurs only to the extent that the persons involved to perceive

1) that the situation is somehow threatening to their important goals and

2) that they will be unable to meet, or cope with, these dangers or demands (lazarus&folkman, 1984;largarsetal 1985). To understand the nature of stress, it is necessary to consider the emotional and physiological reactions it involves the external conditions that produce it and the cognitive processes that play a role in its occurrence.

Stress is generally associated with negative and unpleasant emotions. is there any difference between stress and emotion?

Stress may be consider as an appraisal of situation in which a threat exceeds one’ resources. The result of this stress appraisal is emotion. The most common stress related emotions are fear, anger and sadness.

Psychological stress and physical stress are not the same. They are related. To call a condition as stress the psychological appraisal as stress is important. That is the prescription that some event is stressful is important. It is the psychological stress that generates physical stress in many situations.


A quick review of psychological stress
The mental/emotional changes occurs are
Of course all those above physiological changes also have an effect on the brain and this can cause an alert mental state, leading to:
1. Faster activity of the brain
2. Improvement of decision-making
3. Short-term judgment
4. Improved memory powers
5. Sharper focusing of attention

A quick general review of stress

Over all let us look how stress affects or making changing within oneself. And what are the medical or scientific terms involved in it, as a bird eye view:
*These fallowing are the steps in the stress reaction:
Step-1
When a person faces a stressful or threatening situation, cells in the brain can secrete a CORTICOTROPHIN releasing hormone or CRH.
Step-2
CRH signals the brain’s pituitary gland to produce ADRENOCORTICORTROPHIN hormone. Or ACTH.
Step-3
Scientists suspect that CRH also affects behavior directly by acting on certain brain regions.
Step-4
ACTH, meanwhile, passes through the bloodstream and causes the adrenal glands –located just above the kidneys –to produce CORTISOL, the best known of the stress hormones.
Step-5
CORTISOL increases the amount of glucose available to fuel the body’s cells, prevents the immune system from overreacting to injuries, and also ensures that the brain dose not secrete too much CRH. That keeps the stress response from spiraling out of control.

*(SOURCE: SCEINTIFIC AMERICAN; ULTIMATE VISUAL DICTIONARY; ESTHER STERBERG, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH; MARK SMITH, DUPONT MERSK; MARY DALLMAN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SAN FRANCISCO.)

Stress as a positive sign:
Stress is good, it is necessary for anybody for a healthy living, many among us think that stress is negative, it is not so, stress which is beyond our manageable limits cause some negative effect in us, on the same time stress which is under our manageable limits help us to live a better life, so stress that are under our control are the positive sign.

For- e.g. -1
Stresses protect us from many of our life situation.

When one is on the road, about to face or expect an accident that is going to occur certainly, in such situation the stress act as a natural intelligence to protect us from great damage, that time the whole body and mind function as a whole, and our system is instantly ready to face the consequences, this stage is called resistance stage.

In the resistance stage, there is a surge of hormones like cordisol, aderenaline and noradrenaline, your arteries harden and your blood suddenly has more clotting power to prevent blood loss in the event of an injury.

e.g. –2
Stress is needed in a situation like, sports, making speeches and taking examinations etc.
The stress response puts people on their mettle, increases alertness, improves sight, strengthens muscles and reduces reaction times. More importantly the stress response increases our ability to stand and fight to turn and flee and to mobilize all our resources to archive what ever we decide to do.

Another positive is the zest. That stress adds to life by stimulating the senses and the passions. Many people need challenge in their life and would be unhappy without it.

Stress only has positive effect if one is tactfully managing it or keep it under control.


Negative impact of stress.
The stress causes so many negative signs among the individual level. When a person allows the stress to remain the body or mind, when there is no chance to take a necessary steps or managing techniques to release the stress out of the system, that time the stress responses are remain within our system, be it mind or body and slowly start producing negative reaction in various levels. So one need to act at once than and there to release the stress and get rid of the negative symptoms by adapting a suitable or most appropriate methods.

The negative impact of stress in the individual, can be of three levels,
1.undesirable or unsuitable behaviors
2.potential difference in energy and performance levels
3.weakening of the health. Mind and body wise.

The most important stresses that will produce a long negative impact on us are a) acute stress b) chronic stress. These are the stresses that can be more damaging. In general the negative stress tends to be cumulative, it feeds on itself. If the stress is not released today it cumulate itself for the future course of time.

We can see the connection between stress and disease. The chronic stress cause so many negative impact like heart attack, high blood pressure etc.

Because cholesterol is a hormone released under stress. It now seems quite likely that high cholesterol levels, with their accompanying higher risk of heart and blood vessel disease, reflect too much distress (negative stress) rather than our diet –says Montgomery and Evans

According to recent research at university medical centre, Chicago, people who worry a lot are more likely to develop Alzheimers.high levels of stress hormones may damage regions in the brain for memory. There is also evidence to show that severe stress can derail the immune system.

CAUSES OF STRESS
What factors contribute stress?
A wide range of conditions and events seem to capable of generating such feelings. Amongst the most important of these are major stressful life events, such as the death of a loved one or love failure or a painful divorce; the minor hassles of every day life; conditions and events relating to work; and certain aspects of physical environment such as noise, crowd, culture, family etc. and it is also comes from within such as our beliefs, racial, attitudes and expectation about the world, isolation.

The part-3 will be posted soon