Gadgets, once exclusively the domain of teenage boys now has an appeal to both boys and girls alike. Chances are, these Christmas ideas are items that will feature on many a teenager’s top 10 wish list, if they do not already have them all.

Games Consoles

Nintendo Wii is particularly desired because it takes gaming to a whole new level being that body movement becomes a key component in playing many of the games.

Wii Fit. If your teenager already has a Wii, the Wii Fit is a must have. As the name suggests it promotes fitness. As such it involves the use of a platform on which you will twist and turn and shift your weight to achieve the objectives of the games, and lose some calories in the process. This is great fun for all the family.

PlayStation 3 and X-Box 360 remain the other two strong contenders in the market. All three consoles are Christmas ideas that will make great presents. However, with the Wii bringing with it greater interactivity and being pitched as not only a multiplayer console but also as a family friendly multiplayer console, Nintendo have cleverly and successfully created a new niche in the games console market that has made it all the rage and brought families that end up playing together, closer together.

iPod or iPhone

Since the iPod first arrived on the market, it has been a must have. The latest incarnation, the iPod Touch and its mobile phone expanded big brother – the iPhone, ensure this demand is still going strong. If the budget fits, either these are Christmas ideas that you can be sure are high up in the gadget loving teen’s wish list if they have not got an iPod or iPhone already. And even if they do already have the iPod, they most likely are wanting to upgrade to an iPhone.

When it comes to mp3 players, the iPod leads the pack. Many competitors have entered the market, but iPod remains the King of mp3 players. With the latest incarnation, rather than using physical controls, the controls on the iPod Touch are activated by using the touch screen interface of the iPod.

The iPhone takes the iPod touch, and propels it into the mobile phone market. As well as having phone functionality, it also obviously has a built in microphone for speaking and recording. There is also has a built in 2.0 megapixel camera – great for taking pictures of special moments while on the move and emailing them off to your contacts.

Handheld Games Consoles

The Nintendo DS Lite and the PlayStation Portable (PSP) are the younger siblings to the “grown up” home game consoles. The main reason these are desired and are also great Christmas ideas for presents, is that you can take them wherever you go. Fantastic for use when on the move, especially during long boring journeys.

The Nintendo DS Lite is particularly popular as it has a wide choice of games. It also boasts a touch screen interface, bringing with it a whole new element to entertainment and gaming. The main feature PSP has as a standard feature that DS Lite does not, is built in media capability – but unless there is a really strong desire to buy movies to watch on the go, this feature probably does not really matter.

Games for Above Consoles

To be lighter on the pocket, and assuming that the teenager in question already has one of the above consoles, you can simply buy them a game for that console. Before purchasing a game, you might want to try to find out what type of game they like first, or if they have been talking about their desire for a new game recently. This should enable you to be discreet, yet ensure that you gift them a game that they will really appreciate.

So there you have it, 3 gadgets and games. Christmas ideas that make fantastic gifts for the technology and gadget loving teenage boy or girl that are sure to put a smile on their face.

It might not seem like such a big deal–staying present when things are going well. I mean, easy, right? Maybe and maybe not.

“The tension was mounting on the teebox at the par-5 eighth hole at Conway Farms,” PGATour.com reported on Sept. 14, just before Jim Furyk became the sixth player in PGA Tour history to break 60. [The 8th was his 17th hole that day].

As a budding golfer married to one who’s been playing his entire life, I often see glimpses of exceptional play, but the magnitude of Mr. Furyk’s score of 59 for 18 holes was very rare and earned him membership in an exclusive club formed in 1977, when Al Geiberger became the first to shoot 59 on the PGA Tour.

Staying Present

The technical ability necessary to achieve such a score is high, but what struck me most was the focus and presence of mind required to manage the pressure Mr. Furyk must have felt as he made his way toward one of golf’s most elusive goals.

If you know my work in the world, you know I help people regain power under pressure. Usually, we’re looking at situations where things are going badly: conflict, stress, and relationship struggles with employees, partners, and family members. But what about when things are going well–I mean really well? Might it be even more challenging to stay in the moment when we are courting the possibility of perfection?

As a rank beginner, I’m just trying to keep the ball in the air. But experienced golfers often speak of how hard it is to keep it going when they’re playing at their best. The better the round goes, the more the prospect of “the choke” threatens. Suddenly you’re not thinking about the shot you’re playing but of what could go wrong. The better things get, the harder it is to stay focused.

Other sports have similar elusive goals and clutch moments. In baseball everyone, including the fans, feels the tension mounting, inning by inning and out by out, as their pitcher strives for the no-hitter or–even more rare–the perfect game.

When Life Is Good

What about when life is going well? Do you have difficulty enjoying the flow state, knowing that, inevitably, things will change? Are there moments when you find yourself waiting for what might go wrong? I’ve written about the challenges of being “publicly happy.” Maybe one reason is that we fear we might choke and ruin it all by talking about it.

Mr. Furyk said that to stay present that day “was a mental battle and a mental grind.” To take the pressure off, he talked with fellow golfer Gary Woodland, who joked about football. Laughter and the easy banter lightened the moment, and Furyk was able to stay loose and remain focused.

Can we apply the same technique to life–not take things so seriously, but rather be aware and grateful for what’s happening now? When conflict and problems arise, and they will, they invite us to appreciate even more the days when energy flows freely.

Don’t think about the next shot. Stay present to this one. Live, laugh, and let yourself be here now, in this ki moment. It’s the only one you really have.

Success with PowerPoint presentations boils down to consistently doing a handful of simple, commonsense things. Try these 7 tips on your next PowerPoint presentation and I promise your life will be much easier the next time you’re in front of a crowd:

1. Choose a PowerPoint template that uses high contrast between background and text. Like white letters on a dark blue background. Or vice versa. Otherwise your audience can’t read it.
2. Use lots of pictures to break up the monotony of page after page of text. Shoot for a picture or two on each page. Sprinkle in some humor if you can. Otherwise your audience will go to sleep.
3. Use text sparingly in as large a font as practical. Lots of text in small font will quickly lose the attention of your audience. Don’t turn your back to read the text off the slide out loud to them. Your audience can read without your help. The text should be a way to jog your memory at a glance about a point that you want to make and that you can expound upon. Bring some value to the presentation. Otherwise, why are you there?
4. Stand up and speak up when you’re giving a presentation. You’ll command more attention and respect this way. Force yourself to use a louder voice than you normally would. This will give you authority and keep the whispers and side conversations to a minimum.
5. Ask questions of your audience. Invite questions back to you. Get the audience engaged. If they know they might have to answer a question, then they’ll pay more attention and they’ll remember what you said better.
6. Withhold all props until the last third or quarter of the presentation. If you immediately give out widgets to pass around and play with, you’ll lose your audience right out of the box. Gizmos have a high cool factor and everyone gets excited once they’re loose in the crowd. It’s the number one train wreck causer if you don’t use them right.
7. Don’t give out copies of the presentation until the end. This one is a little more controversial because many people want a handout that they can use to take notes on as you go along. In fact some will demand a handout at the beginning, and may get a little irate if you don’t give them one. Resist the urge to give in and pass them out. I have had too many presentations derailed by folks flipping through to the end of the handout and asking questions out of order. If taking notes is necessary, then they can use their notepad and staple their notes to the handout afterward.