Assalaamu'alaikum wr. wb.
Ada tips menarik yang sering ditawarkan oleh banyak orang dari Pak Rully Kustandar, melalui ebook "Berkebun Emas'-nya.
Kepada Pak Rully, saya minta izin membagi sedikit ilmunya kepada member KDE ya.
Berikut tulisan Pak Purwo yang bisa kita baca melalui link : http://purwo.com/2009/06/03/sedikit-bocoran-investasi-emas-cerdas-ala-kebun-emas.html#more-560Insya Allah, saya akan mengirimkan tulisan yang mengkritisi konsep "Berkebun Emas" itu pada message berikutnya. Semoga bermanfaat.Wassalaamu'alaikum wr. wb.
~AFF~
Sedikit Bocoran Investasi Emas Cerdas Ala Kebun EmasBerikut ini bocoran cara berkebun emas ala pak rully mentor entrepreneur university, masuk akal dan bisa diterapkan. Baca ringkasan nya dulu di sini sebelum beli ebooknya. Sebelumnya artikel ini sudah saya posting di blog, tapi karena begitu banyaknya artikel maka sudah bertumpuk-tumpuk. Semoga dengan ditampilkan di halaman blog ini menjadi semakin mudah untuk diakses bagi yang memerlukan.Banyak yang mengira sistem investasi berkebun emas adalah jaminan yang dijaminkan ulang, dan dijaminkan lagi, lalu dijaminkan lagi begitu seterusnya. Yang benar bukan demikian, bahkan kita memperbanyak barang jaminan jadi apabila terjadi kredit macet bank akan dengan mudah memperoleh ganti rugi dari jaminan berupa emas yang kita berikan karena nilai emas sangat likuid. Pernyataan pernyataan dari penulis mengenai persetujuan bank:
“Jangan khawatir dengan Bank, karena dengan konsep ini sama sekali tidak ada yang dirugikan. Saya sudah bicara dengan beberapa kepala cabang bank bahkan dengan Direktur salah satu Bank Syariah, mereka sangat antusias… karena ini merubah paradigma lama, bahwa kalau gadai itu lagi butuh uang, ini gadai menjadi pola investasi. Buat Bank ini merupakan peluang besar karena bisa meningkatkan omset penjualan produk gadainya… saya bahkan mau di Sponsori oleh salah satu Bank Syariah… Funtastic sekali pak…”Mengenai sistem gadai cerdas menurut pemahaman saya bisa dijelaskan sebagai berikut:
Kita gunakan asumsi sebagai berikut:
- invest rutin 25 gram:
- harga emas 25 gram = 9 jt
- anda punya tambahan uang 3.75jt
- nilai gadai 80% dari harga taksir
- harga taksir bank 300rb/gram
- biaya penitipan 2500/gram/bulan
Nilai taksir dan kondisi aktual di bank mungkin berbeda, yang terbaik adalah:
- nilai gadai tinggi
- biaya rendah
- waktu singkatMari kita mulai.
Beli emas batangan 25 gram, gadaikan anda dapat dana segar 6 jt.
300rb x 80% = 240rb x 25gram = 6jtsetor biaya titipan 1 tahun, 2500×25×12 bulan=750rb
Posisi investasi anda menjadi:
1. 25 gram -> 6jt, tambah 3 jt dana segar = 9jt -> beli emas lagi 750rb -> biaya titip
2. 25 gram
Kalau sudah ada dana tambahan 3.75 jt ulangi langkah diatas lagi, begitu seterusnya sesuai kebutuhan. Kalau sudah lima kali maka posisi menjadi:
1. 25 gram -> 6jt, tambah 3 jt dana segar = 9jt -> beli emas lagi 750rb -> biaya titip
2. 25 gram -> 6jt, tambah 3 jt dana segar = 9jt -> beli emas lagi 750rb -> biaya titip
3. 25 gram -> 6jt, tambah 3 jt dana segar = 9jt -> beli emas lagi 750rb -> biaya titip
4. 25 gram -> 6jt, tambah 3 jt dana segar = 9jt -> beli emas lagi 750rb -> biaya titip
5. 25 gram (disimpan)
Perhatikan biaya pembelian emas ke-2 dst, 2/3 modal adalah dari bank.Setelah waktu berlalu, harga naik 30 persen, jadi emas batangan 25 gram sekarang nilainya 12jt, ayo kita panen, langkahnya cukup dibalik saja yaitu:Jual emas nomor
5, maka anda mendapatkan dana segar 12 jt, dana segar ini kita pakai untuk menebus 2 emas lainnya. Ulangi sampai semua emas ditebus, dan jual semuanya.
Maka posisinya:penjualan emas 5 x 12 jt = 60 jt
tebus gadai 4 x 6 jt = 24 jt
sisa = 36 jt ——> sub total 1
Berapa modal anda?
1. beli emas pertama = 9 jt
2. beli emas ke 2-5 = 3jt x 4 = 12 jt
3. biaya titip 750rb x 4 = 3 jttotal modal = 24 jt ——> sub total 2
Keuntungan anda:-=[{sub total 1 - sub total 2 = 36 jt - 24 jt = 12 jt}]=-
Perbandingan keuntungan metode biasa vs metode cerdas dg modal awal
24 jt:Modal 24jt belikan emas sewaktu harga batangan 25 gram = 9jt, maka per gram berarti 360rb.24 jt : 360 rb dapat emas 66.66 gramKetika harga naik 30% kita jual menjadi rp 468 ribu/gram:66.66 * 468 ribu = 31,196,880 dikurangi modal 24 jt-={untung = 7,196,880}=-
Bandingkan dengan sistem cerdas, kuntungan hampir 2 kali lipat.Kalau harga naik 30% kurang dari satu tahun maka keuntungan lebih banyak lagi karena biaya jasa titip menjadi lebih rendah.Penjelasan di ebook lebih lengkap dan terperinci disertai juga dengan gambar ilustrasi dan masih ada beberapa tips menarik lainnya.
Note :jangan diambil mentah semua harus dipelajari betul2
As-Salam Griya Muslim On this auspicious day . We wish u all success,peace and happiness,material and spiritual - this year and always ..May the Allah make your life beautiful always ..Ameen. http://assalam-griyamuslim.blogspot.com/ Kami hadirkan promo paket agen QIRANI minimal pembelian per bulan 10 Pcs disc 30%.Anda sudah bisa memasarkan busana Qirani anak, remaja dan dewasa. mau jadi agen dengan mudah dan murah segera hub kami di 08125285158 Wida.
Sabtu, 31 Oktober 2009
Origin & Development of the Currency Exchange Market
Currency trading has a long history and can be traced back to the ancient Middle East and Middle Ages when foreign exchange started to take shape after the international merchant bankers devised bills of exchange, which were transferable third-party payments that allowed flexibility and growth in foreign exchange dealings.
The modern foreign exchange market characterized by periods of high volatility (that is a frequency and amplitude of a price alteration) and relative stability formed itself in the twentieth century. By the mid-1930s the British capital London became to be the leading centre for foreign exchange and the British pound served as the currency to trade and to keep as a reserve currency. Because in the old times foreign exchange was traded on the telex machines, or cable, the pound has generally the nickname "cable".
After the World War II, where the British economy was destroyed and the United States was the only country unscarred by war, U.S. dollar, in accordance with the Breton Woods Accord between the USA, Great Britain and France (1944) became the reserve currency for all the capitalist countries and all currencies were pegged to the American dollar (through the constitution of currencies ranges maintained by central banks of relevant countries by means of the interventions or currency purchases). In turn, the U.S. dollar was pegged to gold at $35 per ounce. Thus, the U.S. dollar became the world's reserve currency. In accordance with the same agreement was organized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rendering now a significant financial support to the developing and former socialist countries effecting economical transformation.
To execute these goals the IMF uses such instruments as Reserve trenches, which allows a member to draw on its own reserve asset quota at the time of payment, Credit trenches drawings and stand-by arrangements. The letters are the standard form of IMF loans unlike of those as the compensatory financing facility extends financial help to countries with temporary problems generated by reductions in export revenues, the buffer stock financing facility which is geared toward assisting the stocking up on primary commodities in order to ensure price stability in a specific commodity and the extended facility designed to assist members with financial problems in amounts or for periods exceeding the scope of the other facilities.
At the end of the 70-s the free-floating of currencies was officially mandated that became the most important landmark in the history of financial markets in the XX century lead to the formation of Forex in the contemporary understanding. That is the currency may be traded by anybody and its value is a function of the current supply and demand forces in the market, and there are no specific intervention points that have to be observed. Foreign exchange has experienced spectacular growth in volume ever since currencies were allowed to float freely against each other. While the daily turnover in 1977 was U.S. $5 billion, it increased to U.S. $600 billion in 1987, reached the U.S. $1 trillion mark in September 1992, and stabilized at around $1.5 trillion by the year 2000.
Main factors influences on this spectacular growth in volume are mentioned below. A significant role belonged to the increased volatility of currencies rates, growing mutual influence of different economies on bank-rates established by central banks, which affect essentially currencies exchange rates, more intense competition on goods markets and, at the same time, amalgamation of the corporations of different countries, technological revolution in the sphere of the currencies trading. The latter exposed in the development of automated dealing systems and the transition to the currency trading by means of the Internet. In addition to the dealing systems, matching systems simultaneously connect all traders around the world, electronically duplicating the brokers' market.
Advances in technology, computer software, and telecommunications and increased experience have increased the level of traders' sophistication, their ability to both generate profits and properly handle the exchange risks. Therefore, trading sophistication led toward volume increase.
The modern foreign exchange market characterized by periods of high volatility (that is a frequency and amplitude of a price alteration) and relative stability formed itself in the twentieth century. By the mid-1930s the British capital London became to be the leading centre for foreign exchange and the British pound served as the currency to trade and to keep as a reserve currency. Because in the old times foreign exchange was traded on the telex machines, or cable, the pound has generally the nickname "cable".
After the World War II, where the British economy was destroyed and the United States was the only country unscarred by war, U.S. dollar, in accordance with the Breton Woods Accord between the USA, Great Britain and France (1944) became the reserve currency for all the capitalist countries and all currencies were pegged to the American dollar (through the constitution of currencies ranges maintained by central banks of relevant countries by means of the interventions or currency purchases). In turn, the U.S. dollar was pegged to gold at $35 per ounce. Thus, the U.S. dollar became the world's reserve currency. In accordance with the same agreement was organized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rendering now a significant financial support to the developing and former socialist countries effecting economical transformation.
To execute these goals the IMF uses such instruments as Reserve trenches, which allows a member to draw on its own reserve asset quota at the time of payment, Credit trenches drawings and stand-by arrangements. The letters are the standard form of IMF loans unlike of those as the compensatory financing facility extends financial help to countries with temporary problems generated by reductions in export revenues, the buffer stock financing facility which is geared toward assisting the stocking up on primary commodities in order to ensure price stability in a specific commodity and the extended facility designed to assist members with financial problems in amounts or for periods exceeding the scope of the other facilities.
At the end of the 70-s the free-floating of currencies was officially mandated that became the most important landmark in the history of financial markets in the XX century lead to the formation of Forex in the contemporary understanding. That is the currency may be traded by anybody and its value is a function of the current supply and demand forces in the market, and there are no specific intervention points that have to be observed. Foreign exchange has experienced spectacular growth in volume ever since currencies were allowed to float freely against each other. While the daily turnover in 1977 was U.S. $5 billion, it increased to U.S. $600 billion in 1987, reached the U.S. $1 trillion mark in September 1992, and stabilized at around $1.5 trillion by the year 2000.
Main factors influences on this spectacular growth in volume are mentioned below. A significant role belonged to the increased volatility of currencies rates, growing mutual influence of different economies on bank-rates established by central banks, which affect essentially currencies exchange rates, more intense competition on goods markets and, at the same time, amalgamation of the corporations of different countries, technological revolution in the sphere of the currencies trading. The latter exposed in the development of automated dealing systems and the transition to the currency trading by means of the Internet. In addition to the dealing systems, matching systems simultaneously connect all traders around the world, electronically duplicating the brokers' market.
Advances in technology, computer software, and telecommunications and increased experience have increased the level of traders' sophistication, their ability to both generate profits and properly handle the exchange risks. Therefore, trading sophistication led toward volume increase.
Recognize your True Desires…
Fear and desire are the fundamental energies that drive our lives. We act either out of desire to achieve something, or out of a fear of not wanting to experience something. Attraction and repulsion are not merely forces of molecules, but also essential to human behaviour. One of the major driving forces in human life is desire.
If you look into your life, you can see most of the time we are driven by either desire of fear.
We have so many desires and many times we feel we don’t have the energy to fulfill them. According to the Jain tradition, the Divine sends us with enough energy and capacity to fulfill all our desires. But most of us don’t feel this way. Why?
There is a difference between our true desires and ‘borrowed’ desires. Our true desires are called our ‘needs’. Borrowed desires are called our ‘wants’. We have enough energy to fulfill our true desires or needs.
What are our true desires? During the Life Bliss Program Level 2, there is a session wherein people are asked to make a list of their desires, their needs and wants. Then they meditate on these desires. At the end of the meditation, they are asked to recollect from memory their list of desires. What they can recollect is usually a fraction of what they have written! It is as if they started with a large tree full of leaves, meaning their desires, and during this mediation the tree sheds almost all its leaves, as if the leaves were dried and dead.
What it retains glows like golden leaves. If you can understand which desire is innate and which is borrowed, spiritual growth happens automatically. Whatever is left in the people’s memories, those desires glows like gold. These desires are their true desires. They are the ones that carry the energy for their fulfillment! When our desires are our own true desires, when they reflect our real needs, when they express themselves in our inner energy, we don’t feel any desperation about trying to achieve them. The realization comes that, as a matter of natural course of events, these desires will be fulfilled. We are not driven and we are not troubled by them. We accept that they will happen. Be Blissful!
If you look into your life, you can see most of the time we are driven by either desire of fear.
We have so many desires and many times we feel we don’t have the energy to fulfill them. According to the Jain tradition, the Divine sends us with enough energy and capacity to fulfill all our desires. But most of us don’t feel this way. Why?
There is a difference between our true desires and ‘borrowed’ desires. Our true desires are called our ‘needs’. Borrowed desires are called our ‘wants’. We have enough energy to fulfill our true desires or needs.
What are our true desires? During the Life Bliss Program Level 2, there is a session wherein people are asked to make a list of their desires, their needs and wants. Then they meditate on these desires. At the end of the meditation, they are asked to recollect from memory their list of desires. What they can recollect is usually a fraction of what they have written! It is as if they started with a large tree full of leaves, meaning their desires, and during this mediation the tree sheds almost all its leaves, as if the leaves were dried and dead.
What it retains glows like golden leaves. If you can understand which desire is innate and which is borrowed, spiritual growth happens automatically. Whatever is left in the people’s memories, those desires glows like gold. These desires are their true desires. They are the ones that carry the energy for their fulfillment! When our desires are our own true desires, when they reflect our real needs, when they express themselves in our inner energy, we don’t feel any desperation about trying to achieve them. The realization comes that, as a matter of natural course of events, these desires will be fulfilled. We are not driven and we are not troubled by them. We accept that they will happen. Be Blissful!
The Top 10 Marketing Tips of All Time…
With more than a decade of experience in marketing, I’ve seen a lot of failures and far more successes when it comes to marketing.Today, the art of marketing is far more complex than it once was. However, many of the same basic principles still apply. Too often, professional marketers and small business owners overlook the basic techniques that have separated successful campaigns from those that never turn a profit. Here is my all time list of effective marketing tips.
Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.
Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.
Split test. Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.
Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.
Don’t sell on price. I’ve seen so many marketers fail because they sell on price along. This leads to a discounting war, lower profitability, and often bankruptcy. Rather, focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes insignificant.Consistent messaging. Consider the entire user experience before you launch a campaign. From email to website to offer, is the prospect having a consistent user experience? If they are, your campaigns stand above 98% of others.
Create value after the sale. As marketers, it’s our job to understand our market segment and build relationships, not dump people off at the front door of our store and walk away. Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, time of direct mail drop, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.Integrated Marketing Works Best. You can’t rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. It’s okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing if you will but what happens when that dries us? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.
Nothing can replace experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.Apply these helpful marketing tips if you want to be truly successful. These techniques and tips are applied by successful marketers on a daily basis. The result is an ever growing success rate of marketing success.
Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.
Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.
Split test. Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.
Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.
Don’t sell on price. I’ve seen so many marketers fail because they sell on price along. This leads to a discounting war, lower profitability, and often bankruptcy. Rather, focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes insignificant.Consistent messaging. Consider the entire user experience before you launch a campaign. From email to website to offer, is the prospect having a consistent user experience? If they are, your campaigns stand above 98% of others.
Create value after the sale. As marketers, it’s our job to understand our market segment and build relationships, not dump people off at the front door of our store and walk away. Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.
Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, time of direct mail drop, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.Integrated Marketing Works Best. You can’t rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. It’s okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing if you will but what happens when that dries us? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.
Nothing can replace experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.Apply these helpful marketing tips if you want to be truly successful. These techniques and tips are applied by successful marketers on a daily basis. The result is an ever growing success rate of marketing success.
6 Tips to Building Customer Loyalty…
As your customer base grows it's imperative that you maintain the same level of service that you provided when you first earned your customer's business. You have to anticipate their needs before they announce them, and put those actions in place. Meeting these expectations will cement your relationships, increase their satisfaction, and retain their business. Here are six customer expectations that are the cornerstone of outstanding service and increased sales:
1. Customers Expect Solid Information.Providing your customers with tangible information lets them know that you value them and respect their ability to make sound decisions. When they feel that they're respected, they're more open and willing to do more business with your company. One way to ensure they receive beneficial information is to ask probing questions during your conversations to uncover needs they may not have voiced. For instance, ask about the objectives they've set for their company, and the problems associated with attainingthem.
2. Customers Expect Options.Customers don't want to be told that there's only one way or one solution. They'll respond positively when they're given options. Options are essential because they create dialogue and discussion. Open dialogue can lead to more sales.
3. Customers Expect Single Source Service.Customers don't want to be transferred to every unit of your business to have their problems solved. They want to be able to do business with you with the slightest amount of discomfort. You must be easy to do business with. This means taking ownership of your customer’s requests, problem, etc., and ensuring that their needs are met to their satisfaction.
4. Customers Expect Superior Communication.They may not be the best communicators, but they expect communication excellence from you. So, if you tell them that you will call them back at a certain time, make sure that you do. Your responsiveness will create a bond of trust, and a communication comfort level.
5. Customers Expect Consulting.As the expert on your business' products and services, you are your customer only contact to determining how to use your product and/or service to get the best Return On Investment (ROI). You must take the time to ask pertinent questions aimed at finding how your customer is using your product and/or service. This will demonstrate your ability and knowledge as well as your intent to spend the necessary time with them to meet their specific needs.
6. Customers Expect A Seamless Relationship.The best businesses are those that believe in going the extra mile for their customers. They know that they have to reinforce why it's in the customers best interest to continue doing business with them. Building a relationship with your customers built on mutual trust and respect, takes time and effort, but remember retention is the best method of building profit. Stay in touch with your customers by keeping them informed of new events, product updates, passing on information that may be of interest, calling to say hello, etc.
Meeting these six customer expectations will help you gain customer loyalty, and customer loyalty will keep you in business
1. Customers Expect Solid Information.Providing your customers with tangible information lets them know that you value them and respect their ability to make sound decisions. When they feel that they're respected, they're more open and willing to do more business with your company. One way to ensure they receive beneficial information is to ask probing questions during your conversations to uncover needs they may not have voiced. For instance, ask about the objectives they've set for their company, and the problems associated with attainingthem.
2. Customers Expect Options.Customers don't want to be told that there's only one way or one solution. They'll respond positively when they're given options. Options are essential because they create dialogue and discussion. Open dialogue can lead to more sales.
3. Customers Expect Single Source Service.Customers don't want to be transferred to every unit of your business to have their problems solved. They want to be able to do business with you with the slightest amount of discomfort. You must be easy to do business with. This means taking ownership of your customer’s requests, problem, etc., and ensuring that their needs are met to their satisfaction.
4. Customers Expect Superior Communication.They may not be the best communicators, but they expect communication excellence from you. So, if you tell them that you will call them back at a certain time, make sure that you do. Your responsiveness will create a bond of trust, and a communication comfort level.
5. Customers Expect Consulting.As the expert on your business' products and services, you are your customer only contact to determining how to use your product and/or service to get the best Return On Investment (ROI). You must take the time to ask pertinent questions aimed at finding how your customer is using your product and/or service. This will demonstrate your ability and knowledge as well as your intent to spend the necessary time with them to meet their specific needs.
6. Customers Expect A Seamless Relationship.The best businesses are those that believe in going the extra mile for their customers. They know that they have to reinforce why it's in the customers best interest to continue doing business with them. Building a relationship with your customers built on mutual trust and respect, takes time and effort, but remember retention is the best method of building profit. Stay in touch with your customers by keeping them informed of new events, product updates, passing on information that may be of interest, calling to say hello, etc.
Meeting these six customer expectations will help you gain customer loyalty, and customer loyalty will keep you in business
Relaxing Tensions in Life (Part III)
Is there a difference between an ambitious attitude and a meditative attitude?
Yes. There is a difference. It is like darkness and light. Ambitions keep us always in the whirlpool of tensions with the hope that we will be happy. It wants us to be like others. Or it wants us to be better than others and in the process one becomes bitter. Can my house be like that of a rich man? Or can my house be better than that of my neighbour? You are always lost in comparison. But life is simple. Ambitions make it complex. Only if you stop the greedy game of going ahead of others, can you be happy. A meditative attitude is very different. Meditation awakens your awareness. Once your awareness is of high order, you realize the foolishness of comparison. You would not follow the others success to define your failure. You would see the beauty of ‘what is’ and not get lost in ‘what should be.’ You would see the uniqueness of yourself. Everyone is unique. Everyone is incomparable. You would learn the art of seeing beauty even in imperfection. You would participate in the miracle of life than being busy in judging life. You would listen to the music of life. You would listen to the mantra of life or the song of life. Your listening would be with your heart, without this inner and outer, music will not be heard. With this, your perception awakens to newer heights.
Learn to look at life differently;
Listen to the song of life;
Listen to the music of life.
Let your heart open and bloom;
Let your perceptions see the glory of the moment.
Let your life be the song of the divine;
Learn to look at your difficulties as divine surgeries.
Learn to convert your worry into wisdom;
Learn to convert frustration into fascination.
Learn to be more happy than right.
(Source: Looking at Life Differently by Swami Sukhabodhananda)
Yes. There is a difference. It is like darkness and light. Ambitions keep us always in the whirlpool of tensions with the hope that we will be happy. It wants us to be like others. Or it wants us to be better than others and in the process one becomes bitter. Can my house be like that of a rich man? Or can my house be better than that of my neighbour? You are always lost in comparison. But life is simple. Ambitions make it complex. Only if you stop the greedy game of going ahead of others, can you be happy. A meditative attitude is very different. Meditation awakens your awareness. Once your awareness is of high order, you realize the foolishness of comparison. You would not follow the others success to define your failure. You would see the beauty of ‘what is’ and not get lost in ‘what should be.’ You would see the uniqueness of yourself. Everyone is unique. Everyone is incomparable. You would learn the art of seeing beauty even in imperfection. You would participate in the miracle of life than being busy in judging life. You would listen to the music of life. You would listen to the mantra of life or the song of life. Your listening would be with your heart, without this inner and outer, music will not be heard. With this, your perception awakens to newer heights.
Learn to look at life differently;
Listen to the song of life;
Listen to the music of life.
Let your heart open and bloom;
Let your perceptions see the glory of the moment.
Let your life be the song of the divine;
Learn to look at your difficulties as divine surgeries.
Learn to convert your worry into wisdom;
Learn to convert frustration into fascination.
Learn to be more happy than right.
(Source: Looking at Life Differently by Swami Sukhabodhananda)
Relaxing tensions in Life… (Part II)
Steps to take in order to relax tensions in lifeMostly, tensions emerge from the way your mind languages your experience. For example, a student runs several miles and enjoys running but when it is made a punishment, running creates tension. Where does the tension come from? It is through the interpretations in one’s mind. Observe a surfer… the stronger the waves, the more does he enjoy it. He decided that he is going to enjoy the waves while surfing. When waves are strong, he is totally present in the moment. There are no interfering thoughts in him. In such space something in him makes him very alive to the life around him. Learn to be in the present. Be aware of the present in total. There is joy being in the present. Do not get lost either in the past or future. Learn to live from the ‘higher self’ and not from the ‘lower self.’ The ‘higher self’ encourages you, as it is filled with positiveness. The ‘lower self’ is an interfering self. It discourages you. It acts more like an obstacle. Learn to relax your body. Learn to relax your mind. When thoughts emerge, see them as a wonder. See the beauty of your thoughts. Do not fight with them. See them like a play. Slowly you create a synergy with your thoughts. Whenever possible, be without thoughts. Learn the art of being empty. Do not verbalize an experience. Thus your mind relaxes. (To be continued…)
Relaxing Tensions in Life… (Part I)
When one is in a state of tension for a long duration, there is an inner void. Your effort is to remove the dust from your eyes, as it is alien to your body. Similarly, incompletion is alien to you and it is natural that you put effort to remove it. You attempt to remove inner incompletion through indulgence. You feel different sensations would give you completion. The greed for sensations increases incompletion. The desire for more and more, makes you a wanting being rather than a complete being. During sleep there is no wanting, as you are complete. Please understand that it does not mean condemning your sense organs. Keep them alive and pure. You must realize that sensations are fine as long as you do not get addicted to them. An addiction happens in ignorance. Such ignorance spills through sense organs too. How do we relax tensions in life?Learn the art of balancing life. Do not pull all your eggs into one basket. Learn to open your body centre through exercise, yoga, deep breathing… learn to open your mind. There is joy when you learn and when you keep your mind open to new possibilities. Learn to open up your bliss centre. Reflect on this. A Prince met Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha’s ‘presence’ and ‘being’ inspired him to be a monk. The Prince was a great musician and led a luxurious life. After initiation, he went to the other extreme. He renounced everything. He started fasting vigorously and walked on thorns. Buddha enquired, ‘If the strands of the guitar are very loose, can you play good music?’ ‘No,’ replied the Prince. ‘If the strands of the guitar are very tight, can you still play good music?’ ‘No,’ replied the Prince again. ‘Don’t go to extremes, it only through right tuning of the strands that you can play good music. Similarly balance your life well and automatically music would flow into your life,’ advised Lord Buddha. (To be continued…)
Create a Big Vision…
To become a motivational leader, you start with motivating yourself. You motivate yourself with a big vision, and as you move progressively toward its realization, you motivate and enthuse others to work with you to fulfill that vision.
Set High Standards:You exhibit absolute honesty and integrity with everyone in everything you do. You are the kind of person others admire and respect and want to be like. You set a standard that others aspire to. You live in truth with yourself and others so that they feel confident giving you their support and their commitment.
Face Your Fears;
You demonstrate courage in everything you do by facing doubts and uncertainties and moving forward regardless. You put up a good front even when you feel anxious about the outcome.
You don't burden others with your fears and misgivings. You keep them to yourself. You constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and in the direction of your goals. And no matter how bleak the situation might appear, you keep on keeping on with a smile.
Be Realistic About Your Situation
You are intensely realistic. You refuse to engage in mental games or self-delusion. You encourage others to be realistic and objective about their situations as well. You encourage them to realize and appreciate that there is a price to pay for everything they want. They have weaknesses that they will have to overcome, and they have standards that they will have to meet, if they want to survive and thrive in a competitive market.
Accept Responsibility
You accept complete responsibility for results. You refuse to make excuses or blame others or hold grudges against people who you feel may have wronged you. You say, 'If it's to be, it's up to me.' You repeat over and over the words, 'I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible.'
Take Vigorous Action
Finally,you take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. It's not what you say but what you do that counts. The mark of the true leader is that he or she leads the action. He or she is willing to go first. He or she sets the example and acts as the role model. He or she does what he or she expects others to do.
Strive For Excellence
You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way. Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.First, see yourself as an outstanding person, parent, co-worker and leader in everything you do. Pattern your behaviour after the very best people you know. Set high standards and refuse to compromise them. Second, be clear about your goals and priorities and then take action continually forward. Develop a sense of urgency. Keep moving forward and you'll automatically keep yourself and others motivated.
Set High Standards:You exhibit absolute honesty and integrity with everyone in everything you do. You are the kind of person others admire and respect and want to be like. You set a standard that others aspire to. You live in truth with yourself and others so that they feel confident giving you their support and their commitment.
Face Your Fears;
You demonstrate courage in everything you do by facing doubts and uncertainties and moving forward regardless. You put up a good front even when you feel anxious about the outcome.
You don't burden others with your fears and misgivings. You keep them to yourself. You constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone and in the direction of your goals. And no matter how bleak the situation might appear, you keep on keeping on with a smile.
Be Realistic About Your Situation
You are intensely realistic. You refuse to engage in mental games or self-delusion. You encourage others to be realistic and objective about their situations as well. You encourage them to realize and appreciate that there is a price to pay for everything they want. They have weaknesses that they will have to overcome, and they have standards that they will have to meet, if they want to survive and thrive in a competitive market.
Accept Responsibility
You accept complete responsibility for results. You refuse to make excuses or blame others or hold grudges against people who you feel may have wronged you. You say, 'If it's to be, it's up to me.' You repeat over and over the words, 'I am responsible. I am responsible. I am responsible.'
Take Vigorous Action
Finally,you take action. You know that all mental preparation and character building is merely a prelude to action. It's not what you say but what you do that counts. The mark of the true leader is that he or she leads the action. He or she is willing to go first. He or she sets the example and acts as the role model. He or she does what he or she expects others to do.
Strive For Excellence
You become a motivational leader by motivating yourself. And you motivate yourself by striving toward excellence, by committing yourself to becoming everything you are capable of becoming. You motivate yourself by throwing your whole heart into doing your job in an excellent fashion. You motivate yourself and others by continually looking for ways to help others to improve their lives and achieve their goals. You become a motivational leader by becoming the kind of person others want to get behind and support in every way. Your main job is to take complete control of your personal evolution and become a leader in every area of your life. You could ask for nothing more, and you should settle for nothing less.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.First, see yourself as an outstanding person, parent, co-worker and leader in everything you do. Pattern your behaviour after the very best people you know. Set high standards and refuse to compromise them. Second, be clear about your goals and priorities and then take action continually forward. Develop a sense of urgency. Keep moving forward and you'll automatically keep yourself and others motivated.
Let work become an obsolete term
Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never be able to get out of it alive anyways. This saying has been doing the rounds on the internet. It sounds like a Sufi’s words with some amount of truth. We do take life a tad too seriously without even realizing the fact. In fact, we are tuned to taking it seriously right from our childhood.
At around four years, we are pushed into the more organized system of snatching away our thinking capabilities — schooling — and we start counting and adding and subtracting without even understanding why. By the time we pass out of 12th grade, we are in a mad race, filled with anxieties and fears about the future. We can’t even figure out when the race began or where it’ll end… but we still run.
We think we are running for our future, a secure future, for a future where there’ll be a big car, a posh house, branded clothes, foreign trips, cruises and the works. We run with the hope that this will ensure happiness. We run for money, for that is the symbol of security, or so we think, looking through the lens of an education system that taught us counting, addition and subtraction, instead of questioning. A few enjoy the run. But most run out of fear of being left behind. And somewhere from anonymity, a grungy mystic proclaims, “The past is gone, the future may never be mine, the present is all that I have.” He seems to be pointing towards the dilemma that keeps churning within… quite often without even being conscious of it. The anxieties of securing a ‘happy’ future (which may never happen) mixes well with the depression and tiredness of running a race that seems to end.
The mind is already numb and hypnotized by the clockwork routine of a morally loaded thing they call ‘work’, which we have come to accept as ‘our reason for existence’. No thinking, just mindless working, yes-bossing and then partying. And when the guru questions: What is work? We struggle to find an answer with words such as ‘what we do for a living’. The guru smiles and says: What is life then? We think, but words fail us. The guru smiles, for, there is no such thing as work. Birds fly in search of food everyday. They build nests when they need to. But no one pays them a wage, so it’s not work.
They just live life. They fly to be happy and fly when they need to, not because a slave driver orders them to or throws money at them. Life is the path we are running on. If we start enjoying the run, or if we run the path we want to, then ‘work’ shall become an obsolete term. We’ll enjoy every moment of it, even when we are sweating and tired… for it will be our life then. And money, of course, will follow. But, for that we need to shed our fear. We need to believe in our ability to fly. We need to let our mind fly and follow it, wherever it takes us.(Courtesy: Parvez Imam - Financial Chronicle {the writer is a psychiatrist, film maker and traveler}).
At around four years, we are pushed into the more organized system of snatching away our thinking capabilities — schooling — and we start counting and adding and subtracting without even understanding why. By the time we pass out of 12th grade, we are in a mad race, filled with anxieties and fears about the future. We can’t even figure out when the race began or where it’ll end… but we still run.
We think we are running for our future, a secure future, for a future where there’ll be a big car, a posh house, branded clothes, foreign trips, cruises and the works. We run with the hope that this will ensure happiness. We run for money, for that is the symbol of security, or so we think, looking through the lens of an education system that taught us counting, addition and subtraction, instead of questioning. A few enjoy the run. But most run out of fear of being left behind. And somewhere from anonymity, a grungy mystic proclaims, “The past is gone, the future may never be mine, the present is all that I have.” He seems to be pointing towards the dilemma that keeps churning within… quite often without even being conscious of it. The anxieties of securing a ‘happy’ future (which may never happen) mixes well with the depression and tiredness of running a race that seems to end.
The mind is already numb and hypnotized by the clockwork routine of a morally loaded thing they call ‘work’, which we have come to accept as ‘our reason for existence’. No thinking, just mindless working, yes-bossing and then partying. And when the guru questions: What is work? We struggle to find an answer with words such as ‘what we do for a living’. The guru smiles and says: What is life then? We think, but words fail us. The guru smiles, for, there is no such thing as work. Birds fly in search of food everyday. They build nests when they need to. But no one pays them a wage, so it’s not work.
They just live life. They fly to be happy and fly when they need to, not because a slave driver orders them to or throws money at them. Life is the path we are running on. If we start enjoying the run, or if we run the path we want to, then ‘work’ shall become an obsolete term. We’ll enjoy every moment of it, even when we are sweating and tired… for it will be our life then. And money, of course, will follow. But, for that we need to shed our fear. We need to believe in our ability to fly. We need to let our mind fly and follow it, wherever it takes us.(Courtesy: Parvez Imam - Financial Chronicle {the writer is a psychiatrist, film maker and traveler}).
Four Steps to Create Your Personal Success Plan…
Do you want to make your dreams and goals come true in a simple, easier and faster way? Are you really serious to be more successful? By following the four simple steps you will be able to achieve anything you want in your life...without sweat!
If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail. In order to be Successful, you must plan on getting what you really want in your life. Many people live their life without knowing where they are heading and that is why they are struggling in their life because they live their life without purposes or goals. You must create your own personal success plan if you truly want to live a fulfilling life.
Achieving what you want is not a complicated task, but it is also not easy. It all starts from creating your personal success plan and taking action according to this plan. It is just like a map, you will need a map if you travel across somewhere you do not know the direction. Creating a life plan is not difficult; it is as simple as these 4 steps below…
Step 1. Begin with the End in Mind... It does not matter where you come from; the most important key is to find out where you are going. You must find out what you want to achieve in your life. Think forward a few years and find out what kind of life you want to live. You cannot hit a target if you did not know where the target is.
Step 2. You need to set clear and specific Goals in your personal success plan. A goal is like an objective that will keep you focus in your life. Many people underestimate the power of goal setting. It is very effective tools that will shortcut your road to success. Make sure that you write down your goals on a piece of paper and take it along with you all the time. The difference between a dream and a goal is the written word.
Step 3. You must develop a strategy plan or your to-do list according to your goals. Your strategy plan is where you put down all your strategies that you can take in order to make your goals come true. This will help you to move forward in your life each and everyday.
Step 4. Finally, you need to take action following through the strategies you developed. Creating a personal success plan is not difficult, as long as you take the necessary action accordingly, you will produce the results you want. If you fail to produce the results you want, just change your strategies and try again. The key here is to take consistent action everyday. The baby steps... a little – little everyday adds up to big results.
If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail. In order to be Successful, you must plan on getting what you really want in your life. Many people live their life without knowing where they are heading and that is why they are struggling in their life because they live their life without purposes or goals. You must create your own personal success plan if you truly want to live a fulfilling life.
Achieving what you want is not a complicated task, but it is also not easy. It all starts from creating your personal success plan and taking action according to this plan. It is just like a map, you will need a map if you travel across somewhere you do not know the direction. Creating a life plan is not difficult; it is as simple as these 4 steps below…
Step 1. Begin with the End in Mind... It does not matter where you come from; the most important key is to find out where you are going. You must find out what you want to achieve in your life. Think forward a few years and find out what kind of life you want to live. You cannot hit a target if you did not know where the target is.
Step 2. You need to set clear and specific Goals in your personal success plan. A goal is like an objective that will keep you focus in your life. Many people underestimate the power of goal setting. It is very effective tools that will shortcut your road to success. Make sure that you write down your goals on a piece of paper and take it along with you all the time. The difference between a dream and a goal is the written word.
Step 3. You must develop a strategy plan or your to-do list according to your goals. Your strategy plan is where you put down all your strategies that you can take in order to make your goals come true. This will help you to move forward in your life each and everyday.
Step 4. Finally, you need to take action following through the strategies you developed. Creating a personal success plan is not difficult, as long as you take the necessary action accordingly, you will produce the results you want. If you fail to produce the results you want, just change your strategies and try again. The key here is to take consistent action everyday. The baby steps... a little – little everyday adds up to big results.
We Accepted the Challenge of Going to Moon… (Part II)
ALDRIN: As we’ve been discussing the events that have taken place, in the past two or three days here on board our spacecraft, we’ve come to the conclusion that this has been far more than three men on a voyage to the Moon. More still than the efforts of one nation. We feel that this stands as a symbol of the insatiable curiosity of all mankind to explore the unknown. Neil’s statement that the other day upon first setting foot on the surface of the Moon: “This is a small step for a man, but a great leap for the mankind,” I believe sums up these feelings very nicely. We accepted the challenge of going to the Moon. The acceptance of this challenge was inevitable. The relative ease with which we carried out our mission I believe is a tribute to the timeliness of that acceptance.
Today I feel we are fully capable of accepting expanded roles in the exploration of space. In retrospect, we’ve all been particularly pleased with the emblem of our flight, depicting the US eagle bringing the universal symbol of peace from the planet Earth to the Moon, that symbol being the olive branch. It was our overall crew choice to deposit a replica of this symbol on the Moon. Personally, on reflecting on the events of the past several days, a verse from the Psalms comes to mind to me: ‘When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him?’ COLLINS: This trip of ours to the Moon may have looked to you simple or easy.
I’d like to assure you that that has not been the case. The Saturn V rocket which put us into orbit is an incredibly complicated piece of machinery, every piece of which worked perfectly. This computer up above my head has a thirty-eight-thousand-word vocabulary, each word of which has been very carefully chosen to be the utmost value to us, the crew. This switch which I have in my hand now has over three hundred counterparts in the command module alone. In addition to that, there are myriads of circuit breakers, levers, rods and other associated controls. The SPS engine, our large rocket engine on the back end of our service module, performed flawlessly or we would have been stranded in lunar orbit.
The parachutes up above my head must work perfectly tomorrow or we will plummet into the ocean. We have always had confidence that all this equipment will work and work properly, and we continue to have confidence that it will do so for the remainder of this flight. All this is possible only through the blood, sweat and tears of a number of people. First, the American workmen who put these pieces of machinery together at the factory. Second, the painstaking work done by the various test teams during the assembly and the re-test after assembly. Finally, the people at the Manned Spacecraft Centre both in management, in mission planning and flight control and last, but not the least, in crew training. This operation is somewhat like the periscope of a submarine, all you see is the three of us, but beneath the surface are thousands of others, and to all those I would like to say thank you very much. (Source: The Folio Book of Historic Speeches)
Today I feel we are fully capable of accepting expanded roles in the exploration of space. In retrospect, we’ve all been particularly pleased with the emblem of our flight, depicting the US eagle bringing the universal symbol of peace from the planet Earth to the Moon, that symbol being the olive branch. It was our overall crew choice to deposit a replica of this symbol on the Moon. Personally, on reflecting on the events of the past several days, a verse from the Psalms comes to mind to me: ‘When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him?’ COLLINS: This trip of ours to the Moon may have looked to you simple or easy.
I’d like to assure you that that has not been the case. The Saturn V rocket which put us into orbit is an incredibly complicated piece of machinery, every piece of which worked perfectly. This computer up above my head has a thirty-eight-thousand-word vocabulary, each word of which has been very carefully chosen to be the utmost value to us, the crew. This switch which I have in my hand now has over three hundred counterparts in the command module alone. In addition to that, there are myriads of circuit breakers, levers, rods and other associated controls. The SPS engine, our large rocket engine on the back end of our service module, performed flawlessly or we would have been stranded in lunar orbit.
The parachutes up above my head must work perfectly tomorrow or we will plummet into the ocean. We have always had confidence that all this equipment will work and work properly, and we continue to have confidence that it will do so for the remainder of this flight. All this is possible only through the blood, sweat and tears of a number of people. First, the American workmen who put these pieces of machinery together at the factory. Second, the painstaking work done by the various test teams during the assembly and the re-test after assembly. Finally, the people at the Manned Spacecraft Centre both in management, in mission planning and flight control and last, but not the least, in crew training. This operation is somewhat like the periscope of a submarine, all you see is the three of us, but beneath the surface are thousands of others, and to all those I would like to say thank you very much. (Source: The Folio Book of Historic Speeches)
We Accepted the Challenge of Going to Moon… (Part I)
On Monday, 21 July 1969 Commander Neil Armstrong stepped off the ladder that led from the Eagle landing module of the Apollo 11 spacecraft and onto the surface of the moon. As he did so, he spoke the words that have since become famous: ‘That’s one small step for man – one giant leap for mankind. Edwin Aldrin joined him on the Moon, where they placed a plaque and an American flag. They also planted some seeds and collected rock samples. President Nixon spoke to them live via radio during their historic moonwalk. A few days later, with the Earth still some 118,000 miles away, Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins switched on their colour television camera and made their last transmission from space which is given below.
ARMSTRONG: A hundred years ago, Jules Verne wrote a book about a voyage to the Moon. His spaceship Columbia, took off from Florida and landed in the Pacific Ocean after completing a trip to the Moon. It seems appropriate to us to share with you some of the reflections of the crew as the modern day Columbia completes its rendezvous with the planet Earth in the same Pacific Ocean tomorrow. The responsibility of this flight lies first with history and with the giants of science who preceded this effort. Next with the American people who have, through their will, indicated their desire. Next, four administration and their congresses for implementing that will, and then to the (space) agency and industry teams that built our spacecraft: the Saturn, the Columbia, the Eagle and the little EMU (extravehicular mobility unit), the spacesuit and backpack that was our small spacecraft out on the lunar surface. We’d like to give a special thanks to all those American who built those spacecraft, who did the construction, designed the tests and out their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people, tonight we give a special thank you, and to all the other people that are listening and watching tonight, God bless you (To be continued…)
ARMSTRONG: A hundred years ago, Jules Verne wrote a book about a voyage to the Moon. His spaceship Columbia, took off from Florida and landed in the Pacific Ocean after completing a trip to the Moon. It seems appropriate to us to share with you some of the reflections of the crew as the modern day Columbia completes its rendezvous with the planet Earth in the same Pacific Ocean tomorrow. The responsibility of this flight lies first with history and with the giants of science who preceded this effort. Next with the American people who have, through their will, indicated their desire. Next, four administration and their congresses for implementing that will, and then to the (space) agency and industry teams that built our spacecraft: the Saturn, the Columbia, the Eagle and the little EMU (extravehicular mobility unit), the spacesuit and backpack that was our small spacecraft out on the lunar surface. We’d like to give a special thanks to all those American who built those spacecraft, who did the construction, designed the tests and out their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people, tonight we give a special thank you, and to all the other people that are listening and watching tonight, God bless you (To be continued…)
Improve Your Communication with Body Language
Body language is a reflection of a person’s non-verbal communication. It includes movements or expressions that are so subtle the person may not even be aware of it themselves. Albert Mehrabian conducted a research in 1971 and concluded that there are three elements in any face to face communication.
1. Words (7%) 2. Tone of voice (38%) 3. Body language (55%)
The actual words spoken only account for 7% of the communication, while body language makes up 55%. Just as how you can’t really afford the luxury of time to allow others to have a better impression of you, the amount of time you have to build rapport at the start is relatively short too.
Therefore, understanding body language gives you a huge edge in communication ability, and allows you to build rapport with people within a much shorter time.
One of the best ways to assess if someone you are meeting for the first time is positive or negative towards you is to observe their body actions, and notice if they will “mirror” you. Mirroring means to move or gesture in the same way.
Mirroring is to tell others that you are similar, and similarities bring people together. If you have been to a sports event where everyone in the same section is cheering for the same team, you would feel the strong vibes in the atmosphere.
Similarly, if you were relocated to work or live in a foreign land where the language is different, and you meet someone who speaks your language, there is a high chance rapport would be established very quickly.
Mirroring is also a way of showing acceptance and building rapport, something that we do subconsciously all the time. Just be more observant towards people the next time you are out, and you will notice mirroring taking place everywhere. It could be between couples, groups of friends, families, and even strangers.
So if you want to build up rapport with someone quickly, do try this proven method of subtle mirroring of their gestures, body actions, and even words. You might just surprise yourself with the results that come from it.
A note to remember though, the key here is to be subtle with your mirroring. The last thing you want is to break rapport by irritating others with your excessive copying. Therefore, when you are mirroring the other person, create a lag time before subtly following any change in their posture.
1. Words (7%) 2. Tone of voice (38%) 3. Body language (55%)
The actual words spoken only account for 7% of the communication, while body language makes up 55%. Just as how you can’t really afford the luxury of time to allow others to have a better impression of you, the amount of time you have to build rapport at the start is relatively short too.
Therefore, understanding body language gives you a huge edge in communication ability, and allows you to build rapport with people within a much shorter time.
One of the best ways to assess if someone you are meeting for the first time is positive or negative towards you is to observe their body actions, and notice if they will “mirror” you. Mirroring means to move or gesture in the same way.
Mirroring is to tell others that you are similar, and similarities bring people together. If you have been to a sports event where everyone in the same section is cheering for the same team, you would feel the strong vibes in the atmosphere.
Similarly, if you were relocated to work or live in a foreign land where the language is different, and you meet someone who speaks your language, there is a high chance rapport would be established very quickly.
Mirroring is also a way of showing acceptance and building rapport, something that we do subconsciously all the time. Just be more observant towards people the next time you are out, and you will notice mirroring taking place everywhere. It could be between couples, groups of friends, families, and even strangers.
So if you want to build up rapport with someone quickly, do try this proven method of subtle mirroring of their gestures, body actions, and even words. You might just surprise yourself with the results that come from it.
A note to remember though, the key here is to be subtle with your mirroring. The last thing you want is to break rapport by irritating others with your excessive copying. Therefore, when you are mirroring the other person, create a lag time before subtly following any change in their posture.
The Wedding Portrait…
Many of us set out to make changes in our lives, such as losing weight, giving up smoking, spending more time with the kids, being a better leader etc. Yet we fail more often than succeed. Those who succeed associate more pleasure than pain with the change. Thos following story exemplifies this message.
Imagine the situation: the bride-to-be is having afternoon tea with her friends two weeks before the wedding. The waiter brings the dessert trolley over.
He removes the cover to reveal the chocolate cake, the cream éclairs, the double-layered strawberry sponge and asks, “Would you care for the dessert?” Though her head is nodding yes, she manages to say, “No, thank you,” to the waiter. How does she manage to resist the temptation? It is because she is thinking of her wedding portrait. She is thinking of the moment when all her family and friends hear the celebrant pronounce them married. She is thinking of her husband walking her back up the aisle towards the large wooden mahogany doors and as the doors open, there waiting outside is the photographer.
The photographer who is going to take the wedding portrait that is going to sit on their television set for the rest of their lives! The wedding photo that their friends will look at.
The wedding photo that the whole family will ask to see.
The wedding photo a few years later the children will look at and say, “Mummy, you were so beautiful on your wedding day!” the wedding photo that later still the grandchildren will see and say, “Grandma, were you really that thin once?” It is these thoughts that allow our bride to say no to the waiter.
This story illustrates what it takes to make changes. You must associate more pleasure than pain with the change you are making. In psychology, this is hedonism. In Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP), it is referred to as the pain-pleasure principle. The bride-to-be associates more pleasure with looking slim in the wedding photo than she associates with the pain of missing out on a delicious but fattening desert.
by Robin Speculand.
Imagine the situation: the bride-to-be is having afternoon tea with her friends two weeks before the wedding. The waiter brings the dessert trolley over.
He removes the cover to reveal the chocolate cake, the cream éclairs, the double-layered strawberry sponge and asks, “Would you care for the dessert?” Though her head is nodding yes, she manages to say, “No, thank you,” to the waiter. How does she manage to resist the temptation? It is because she is thinking of her wedding portrait. She is thinking of the moment when all her family and friends hear the celebrant pronounce them married. She is thinking of her husband walking her back up the aisle towards the large wooden mahogany doors and as the doors open, there waiting outside is the photographer.
The photographer who is going to take the wedding portrait that is going to sit on their television set for the rest of their lives! The wedding photo that their friends will look at.
The wedding photo that the whole family will ask to see.
The wedding photo a few years later the children will look at and say, “Mummy, you were so beautiful on your wedding day!” the wedding photo that later still the grandchildren will see and say, “Grandma, were you really that thin once?” It is these thoughts that allow our bride to say no to the waiter.
This story illustrates what it takes to make changes. You must associate more pleasure than pain with the change you are making. In psychology, this is hedonism. In Neuro-Linguistics Programming (NLP), it is referred to as the pain-pleasure principle. The bride-to-be associates more pleasure with looking slim in the wedding photo than she associates with the pain of missing out on a delicious but fattening desert.
by Robin Speculand.
Choosing Confidence…
Carefully examining a display in the drugstore, a man asked the pharmacist, 'Do you really guarantee this hair-restorer?'The pharmacist responded, 'Better than that, sir.
We give a comb with every bottle.
' Wouldn't you love to have that kind of confidence? One man quipped, 'When it comes to believing in myself, I'm an agnostic.'
One of the greatest problems many people experience is lack of confidence. Some don't believe in their ability to speak in public, others are afraid to try something they've never done before, and still others do not have the confidence to overcome their shyness.
Do you know that you can become more confident? One effective technique is to learn to do what you're afraid to do. I led a seminar a few years ago where I asked for three volunteers to speak to the group the next day. One young woman named Judy was the first to raise her hand. She explained to me later why she did so:
'When you asked for three volunteers,' Judy said, 'I felt a knot of fear in my stomach. I've never done anything like this before and I've never really believed I could. But the fear was telling me something,' she continued. 'So because I felt so anxious, I decided that this was something I had to do.
But I must to tell you, I'm terrified!' She made up her mind to do that which she was afraid to do. And the following day, Judy's five-minute talk was superb! She was honest and genuine, speaking right from her heart.
Now she is more confident about her ability to speak in public. People who are confident have choices. People who are fearful too often avoid much of life because they are afraid to venture into unknown territory.
Jim Loehr said, 'With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.'When you make what you're afraid to do what you choose to do, you will soon have the confidence to do whatever you choose!
We give a comb with every bottle.
' Wouldn't you love to have that kind of confidence? One man quipped, 'When it comes to believing in myself, I'm an agnostic.'
One of the greatest problems many people experience is lack of confidence. Some don't believe in their ability to speak in public, others are afraid to try something they've never done before, and still others do not have the confidence to overcome their shyness.
Do you know that you can become more confident? One effective technique is to learn to do what you're afraid to do. I led a seminar a few years ago where I asked for three volunteers to speak to the group the next day. One young woman named Judy was the first to raise her hand. She explained to me later why she did so:
'When you asked for three volunteers,' Judy said, 'I felt a knot of fear in my stomach. I've never done anything like this before and I've never really believed I could. But the fear was telling me something,' she continued. 'So because I felt so anxious, I decided that this was something I had to do.
But I must to tell you, I'm terrified!' She made up her mind to do that which she was afraid to do. And the following day, Judy's five-minute talk was superb! She was honest and genuine, speaking right from her heart.
Now she is more confident about her ability to speak in public. People who are confident have choices. People who are fearful too often avoid much of life because they are afraid to venture into unknown territory.
Jim Loehr said, 'With confidence, you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.'When you make what you're afraid to do what you choose to do, you will soon have the confidence to do whatever you choose!
Serenity…
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
A person becomes calm in the measure that one understands themselves as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as one develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, one ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.
The calm person, having learned how to govern themselves, knows how to adapt themselves to others; and they, in turn, reverence their spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of them and rely upon them. The more tranquil a person becomes, the greater is their success, their influence, their power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find their business prosperity increase as one develops a greater self control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a person whose demeanor is strongly equable.
The strong, calm person is always loved and revered. They are like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the eternal calm!
How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character! It is a question whether the great majorities of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control flow few people we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!
A person becomes calm in the measure that one understands themselves as a thought evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as the result of thought, and as one develops a right understanding, and sees more and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and effect, one ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised, steadfast, serene.
The calm person, having learned how to govern themselves, knows how to adapt themselves to others; and they, in turn, reverence their spiritual strength, and feel that they can learn of them and rely upon them. The more tranquil a person becomes, the greater is their success, their influence, their power for good. Even the ordinary trader will find their business prosperity increase as one develops a greater self control and equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a person whose demeanor is strongly equable.
The strong, calm person is always loved and revered. They are like a shade-giving tree in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call serenity is the last lesson of culture; it is the flowering of life, the fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money seeking looks in comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of truth, beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the eternal calm!
How many people we know who sour their lives, who ruin all that is sweet and beautiful by explosive tempers, who destroy their poise of character! It is a question whether the great majorities of people do not ruin their lives and mar their happiness by lack of self-control flow few people we meet in life who are well-balanced, who have that exquisite poise which is characteristic of the finished character!
'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well'
I had been working much too long on this job. I guess things could have been worse. I certainly wasn't doing hard labour. But going door to door asking questions as a representative of the federal government wasn't the most satisfying position either. It was August. It was hot. I had to wear a tie. 'Hello. My name is Bob Perks and we are doing a survey in this neighbourhood.' 'I'm not interested! Good bye!'
You can't imagine how many times I heard that. I finally caught on and began with 'Before you slam the door, I am not selling anything and I just need to ask a few questions about yourself and the community.' The young woman inside the doorway, paused for a moment, raised her eyebrows as she shrugged her shoulders confused by my rude introduction. 'Sure. Come on in. Don't mind the mess. It's tough keeping up with my kids.' It was an older home in a section of the valley where people with meager income found affordable shelter. With the little they had, the home looked comfortable and welcoming.
'I just need to ask a few questions about yourself and family. Although this may sound personal I won't need to use your names. This information will be used’. She interrupted me. 'Would you like a glass of cold water? You look like you've had a rough day.' 'Why yes!' I said eagerly. Just as she returned with the water, a man came walking in the front door. It was her husband. 'Joe, this man is here to do a survey.' I stood and politely introduced myself. Joe was tall and lean. His face was rough and aged looking although I figured he was in his early twenties. His hands were like leather.
The kind of hands you get from working hard, not pushing pencils. She leaned toward him and kissed him gently on the cheek. As they looked at each other you could see the love that held them together. She smiled and titled her head, laying it on his shoulder. He touched her face with his hands and softly said 'I love you!' They may not have had material wealth, but these two were richer than most people I know. They had a powerful love; the kind of love that keeps your head up when things are looking down. 'Joe works for the borough.' she said. 'What do you do?' I asked.
She jumped right in not letting him answer. 'Joe collects garbage. You know I'm so proud of him.' 'Honey, I'm sure the man doesn't want to hear this.' said Joe. 'No, really I do.' I said. 'You see Bob, Joe is the best garbage man in the borough. He can stack more garbage on the truck than anyone else. He gets so much in one truck that they don't have to make as many runs', she said with such passion. 'In the long run,' Joe continues, 'I save the borough money. Man hours are down and the cost per truck is less.' There was silence. I didn't know what to say. I shook my head searching for the right words. 'That's incredible! Most people would gripe about a job like that. It certainly is a difficult one.
But your attitude about it is amazing.' I said. She walked over to the shelf next to the couch. As she turned she held in her hand a small-framed paper. 'When we had our third child Joe lost his job. We were on unemployment for a time and then eventually welfare. He couldn't find work anywhere. Then one day he was sent on an interview here in this community.
They offered him the job he now holds. He came home depressed and ashamed. Telling me this was the best he could do. It actually paid less than we got on welfare.' She paused for a moment and walked toward Joe. 'I have always been proud of him and always will be. You see I don't think the job makes the man. I believe the man makes the job!' 'We needed to live in the borough in order to work here.
So we rented this home.' Joe said. 'When we moved in, this quote was hanging on the wall just inside the front door. It has made all the difference to us, Bob. I knew that Joe was doing the right thing.' she said as she handed me the frame.
It said: If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.' Martin Luther King 'I love him for who he is. But what he does, he does the best. I love my garbage man!'
You can't imagine how many times I heard that. I finally caught on and began with 'Before you slam the door, I am not selling anything and I just need to ask a few questions about yourself and the community.' The young woman inside the doorway, paused for a moment, raised her eyebrows as she shrugged her shoulders confused by my rude introduction. 'Sure. Come on in. Don't mind the mess. It's tough keeping up with my kids.' It was an older home in a section of the valley where people with meager income found affordable shelter. With the little they had, the home looked comfortable and welcoming.
'I just need to ask a few questions about yourself and family. Although this may sound personal I won't need to use your names. This information will be used’. She interrupted me. 'Would you like a glass of cold water? You look like you've had a rough day.' 'Why yes!' I said eagerly. Just as she returned with the water, a man came walking in the front door. It was her husband. 'Joe, this man is here to do a survey.' I stood and politely introduced myself. Joe was tall and lean. His face was rough and aged looking although I figured he was in his early twenties. His hands were like leather.
The kind of hands you get from working hard, not pushing pencils. She leaned toward him and kissed him gently on the cheek. As they looked at each other you could see the love that held them together. She smiled and titled her head, laying it on his shoulder. He touched her face with his hands and softly said 'I love you!' They may not have had material wealth, but these two were richer than most people I know. They had a powerful love; the kind of love that keeps your head up when things are looking down. 'Joe works for the borough.' she said. 'What do you do?' I asked.
She jumped right in not letting him answer. 'Joe collects garbage. You know I'm so proud of him.' 'Honey, I'm sure the man doesn't want to hear this.' said Joe. 'No, really I do.' I said. 'You see Bob, Joe is the best garbage man in the borough. He can stack more garbage on the truck than anyone else. He gets so much in one truck that they don't have to make as many runs', she said with such passion. 'In the long run,' Joe continues, 'I save the borough money. Man hours are down and the cost per truck is less.' There was silence. I didn't know what to say. I shook my head searching for the right words. 'That's incredible! Most people would gripe about a job like that. It certainly is a difficult one.
But your attitude about it is amazing.' I said. She walked over to the shelf next to the couch. As she turned she held in her hand a small-framed paper. 'When we had our third child Joe lost his job. We were on unemployment for a time and then eventually welfare. He couldn't find work anywhere. Then one day he was sent on an interview here in this community.
They offered him the job he now holds. He came home depressed and ashamed. Telling me this was the best he could do. It actually paid less than we got on welfare.' She paused for a moment and walked toward Joe. 'I have always been proud of him and always will be. You see I don't think the job makes the man. I believe the man makes the job!' 'We needed to live in the borough in order to work here.
So we rented this home.' Joe said. 'When we moved in, this quote was hanging on the wall just inside the front door. It has made all the difference to us, Bob. I knew that Joe was doing the right thing.' she said as she handed me the frame.
It said: If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.' Martin Luther King 'I love him for who he is. But what he does, he does the best. I love my garbage man!'
Be creative, not damaged by stress…
Evolving a path for one-self, depending on his own need, the wise aspirant would divine the spirit of the message that “there are no pockets in a shroud” (to quote George Appleton). Also comprehending the practical need for particular materialistic comforts and needed security he would be enabled to bring himself to evolve that intelligent approach, based on right priorities (“first things first”). Essentially, this also is skilful integration of all activities, which would ensure that not even one activity or involvement would have the effect of retarding or annulling the benefits, assiduously acquired to improve one’s potential, in any aspect of human endeavor. Along with those stressful pursuits, necessarily having to be gone through in this world of men and matter, he would discover also those simultaneous and parallel pursuits, which can e interwoven with life, living transactions, and relationships. Thus, all types of stress including impact of hard work, unfairness or absurdities encountered and those “dreary intercourse of daily life” (to quote Wordsworth), would not ever serve to damage or dampen the spirit. Evolving thus that right approach involving healthy life style, particular habits and nutritious inputs for the psychosomatic system, he would also obtain the supreme virtue of “letting go” or tranquility.
This also is contentment, not merely concerning wealth but also on stress-inducting excessive craving even with regard to knowledge and study. Acquisition of all needed virtues to live an integrated life is however, through application and practice as also would be those needed relaxation and effective meditation techniques.
The entire process would also naturally include those positive habits, conceived of by Stephen Covey, such as being ‘proactive’ and not reactive, prioritizing, thinking of “win/win” as the ultimate solution, “seeking first to understand and then to be understood”, relying on “interdependence” etc.
An ongoing approach, as above, is dexterity in action. This approach is not merely stress management but actually, in the final analysis, stress dissolution (stress busting). From this stage, especially with the objectives too obtained (including materialistic acquisitions and needed comforts), the journey thenceforth would be one of peace, accomplishment and true fulfillment.
This also is contentment, not merely concerning wealth but also on stress-inducting excessive craving even with regard to knowledge and study. Acquisition of all needed virtues to live an integrated life is however, through application and practice as also would be those needed relaxation and effective meditation techniques.
The entire process would also naturally include those positive habits, conceived of by Stephen Covey, such as being ‘proactive’ and not reactive, prioritizing, thinking of “win/win” as the ultimate solution, “seeking first to understand and then to be understood”, relying on “interdependence” etc.
An ongoing approach, as above, is dexterity in action. This approach is not merely stress management but actually, in the final analysis, stress dissolution (stress busting). From this stage, especially with the objectives too obtained (including materialistic acquisitions and needed comforts), the journey thenceforth would be one of peace, accomplishment and true fulfillment.
The Butterfly…
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body (and head) and small, shrivelled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract with time. Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings.
It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved it's freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body (and head) and small, shrivelled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract with time. Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled wings.
It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved it's freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.
How to sell yourself better…
Everyone knows that before you can sell your ideas, products, or services, you have to sell yourself.
The question is: How do you do that best? To sell yourself is largely a matter of getting other people to like you. If they like you, people will do all kinds of things for you. The advantage is tremendous.
They will accept your ideas, buy your products, and follow your lead. However, if they don’t like you, they will go out of their way to avoid you.
What is that makes people like you? That is a tough question.
Ask a dozen people and you will probably get a dozen of different answers. About the only common link is that most of them will say a pleasant personality is the key. In selling yourself, then, begin by showing others you are a pleasant person. To do so, here are five guidelines that will help:
1. Don’t boast about yourself or your achievements. Instead, focus on other people and their accomplishments. Let them have the spotlight. Since most people love to talk about themselves they will admire you for listening.
2. Look for something good in everyone you meet. When you find it, comment on it. Sincere compliments are always welcome.
3. Be considerate of everyone no matter who they are. How you treat others, especially those who don’t seem to count much, says much about what kind of person you are.
4. Smile often. A smile radiates happiness. Smiles are also contagious. The more you smile, the more everyone else smiles too.
5. Don’t volunteer your opinions, especially on sensitive issues. You will avoid many arguments and you will actually find it much easier to convince others of your point-of-view
By following these five guidelines you can go a long way toward successfully selling yourself to other people. Why not start practicing today?
The question is: How do you do that best? To sell yourself is largely a matter of getting other people to like you. If they like you, people will do all kinds of things for you. The advantage is tremendous.
They will accept your ideas, buy your products, and follow your lead. However, if they don’t like you, they will go out of their way to avoid you.
What is that makes people like you? That is a tough question.
Ask a dozen people and you will probably get a dozen of different answers. About the only common link is that most of them will say a pleasant personality is the key. In selling yourself, then, begin by showing others you are a pleasant person. To do so, here are five guidelines that will help:
1. Don’t boast about yourself or your achievements. Instead, focus on other people and their accomplishments. Let them have the spotlight. Since most people love to talk about themselves they will admire you for listening.
2. Look for something good in everyone you meet. When you find it, comment on it. Sincere compliments are always welcome.
3. Be considerate of everyone no matter who they are. How you treat others, especially those who don’t seem to count much, says much about what kind of person you are.
4. Smile often. A smile radiates happiness. Smiles are also contagious. The more you smile, the more everyone else smiles too.
5. Don’t volunteer your opinions, especially on sensitive issues. You will avoid many arguments and you will actually find it much easier to convince others of your point-of-view
By following these five guidelines you can go a long way toward successfully selling yourself to other people. Why not start practicing today?
The confidence factor
When ever we think about the confidence factor few people come to our mind, those who through their confidence and perseverance achieved great heights in their life.
Let us now read a poem quoted by The South African President Mr. Nelson Mandela on his inaugural speech in 1994.
Mr. Nelson Mandela was confined to a prison cell for more than 25 long years for his views against Apartheid. In this long period of time his confidence would have been severely tested several times, but it’s the tribute to his faith and conviction that he ultimately triumphed and went on to be elected for the highest position of his country.
Confidence has to be established in ones self as a continuous habit. Through out the journey of life it will be tested severely by pain, fear and uncertainties.
These factors like pain, fear, risks and worries constitute the path of life and through the constant struggle a mental battle we have to win them.
Let us read this quote of Mr. Mandela, he is a man who accepted the challenge and won it over, read it slowly and have it in your mind…
Our deepest fear is not that we are Inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears Our presence automatically liberates others.
Source: A Return to love by Marianne Williamson(As quoted by president Nelson Mandela in 1994)
Let us now read a poem quoted by The South African President Mr. Nelson Mandela on his inaugural speech in 1994.
Mr. Nelson Mandela was confined to a prison cell for more than 25 long years for his views against Apartheid. In this long period of time his confidence would have been severely tested several times, but it’s the tribute to his faith and conviction that he ultimately triumphed and went on to be elected for the highest position of his country.
Confidence has to be established in ones self as a continuous habit. Through out the journey of life it will be tested severely by pain, fear and uncertainties.
These factors like pain, fear, risks and worries constitute the path of life and through the constant struggle a mental battle we have to win them.
Let us read this quote of Mr. Mandela, he is a man who accepted the challenge and won it over, read it slowly and have it in your mind…
Our deepest fear is not that we are Inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that frightens us.
We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us it’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fears Our presence automatically liberates others.
Source: A Return to love by Marianne Williamson(As quoted by president Nelson Mandela in 1994)
Alexander the Great…
Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. He now longed to reach home to see his mother's face and bid her his last adieu. But, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit Him to reach his distant homeland. So, the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.
He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail."
With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes.
"My first desire is that", said Alexander, "My physicians alone must carry my coffin." After a pause, he continued,
"Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury".
The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued.
"My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin". The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes.
But no one dared bring the question to their lips... Alexander's favourite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart.
"O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"
At this Alexander took a deep breath and said:
"I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. Lessons to learn from last 3 wishes of King Alexander...
I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure any body.
They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.
So let not people take life for granted. The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell People that not even a fraction of gold will come with me.
I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.
And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world". With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .
He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail."
With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes.
"My first desire is that", said Alexander, "My physicians alone must carry my coffin." After a pause, he continued,
"Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury".
The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued.
"My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin". The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes.
But no one dared bring the question to their lips... Alexander's favourite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart.
"O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"
At this Alexander took a deep breath and said:
"I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. Lessons to learn from last 3 wishes of King Alexander...
I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure any body.
They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.
So let not people take life for granted. The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell People that not even a fraction of gold will come with me.
I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.
And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world". With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .
Jumat, 30 Oktober 2009
3 Strategies to Maximizing Your Leadership Traits
(By Conrad Jones)Whenever most people think about leadership and the success that is attached to it, they often only consider one side of the equation. Most people view leadership as the ability to motivate others to do what you require them to do, but the missing half is also that apart from leading others, you lead yourself to success.
Being a respectable leader is more than simply being at the forefront of the crowd. A leader must play a part. Too often, we simply acknowledge that someone looks or sounds like a leader and too rarely do we really look at the actions that leader performs -- which is the real test of leadership.
However, in order to grow to be respectable leaders ourselves, we need to concentrate on actions more readily than simple appearances. We will discuss three simple steps to better leadership, so just think of these as actions that you should take regularly.
Step 1) You Need To Be Alert For New Opportunities. If you stopped and gives some thought about the world's inventors, explorers, and agents of social change who have achieved greatness, you might easily agree that some of them were successful because they are lucky to be in the right place at the right time. And while that does have its merits, the truth is, if they did not have their eyes opened at the time those opportunities showed up, it would not have mattered if they were in the right place---they would not have succeeded
Step 2) Develop Your Inner Detective. If you keep your mind open, you will often find that life gives you an abundance of clues to help you find answers to challenges and situations that you may need to deal with from time-to-time as a leader. Practice the art of exploring beneath the surface and constantly ask questions that can reveal valuable insights. Of course you do realize by now that this is an extension of the third step in that you are seeking new knowledge. But this also means that sometimes you will need to move away from the regular paths of conventional knowledge to uncover newer ways and ideas of getting results.
Sometimes you will want to move away from the bestsellers list in the bookstore and read something else that people are not talking about. Most of the times, some folks only read the bestsellers to keep up with the popular conversations and not to learn and grow from what they read. Don’t be a slave to popular leadership culture; seek out the unconventional thinkers, teachers, and writers, those who help you explore other avenues of reaching your leadership goals and deepening your well of understanding and experiences.
Step 3) Finally, never let negativity be your last word on the subject. If your final words are negative than no matter how hopeful you may be about the potential of a project or action the lasting impression you give to others is one of negativity. Accentuate the positive and you are more likely to see a positive outcome.
If you follow these action steps not only you will be a better leader but also lead yourself to a more successful life.
Being a respectable leader is more than simply being at the forefront of the crowd. A leader must play a part. Too often, we simply acknowledge that someone looks or sounds like a leader and too rarely do we really look at the actions that leader performs -- which is the real test of leadership.
However, in order to grow to be respectable leaders ourselves, we need to concentrate on actions more readily than simple appearances. We will discuss three simple steps to better leadership, so just think of these as actions that you should take regularly.
Step 1) You Need To Be Alert For New Opportunities. If you stopped and gives some thought about the world's inventors, explorers, and agents of social change who have achieved greatness, you might easily agree that some of them were successful because they are lucky to be in the right place at the right time. And while that does have its merits, the truth is, if they did not have their eyes opened at the time those opportunities showed up, it would not have mattered if they were in the right place---they would not have succeeded
Step 2) Develop Your Inner Detective. If you keep your mind open, you will often find that life gives you an abundance of clues to help you find answers to challenges and situations that you may need to deal with from time-to-time as a leader. Practice the art of exploring beneath the surface and constantly ask questions that can reveal valuable insights. Of course you do realize by now that this is an extension of the third step in that you are seeking new knowledge. But this also means that sometimes you will need to move away from the regular paths of conventional knowledge to uncover newer ways and ideas of getting results.
Sometimes you will want to move away from the bestsellers list in the bookstore and read something else that people are not talking about. Most of the times, some folks only read the bestsellers to keep up with the popular conversations and not to learn and grow from what they read. Don’t be a slave to popular leadership culture; seek out the unconventional thinkers, teachers, and writers, those who help you explore other avenues of reaching your leadership goals and deepening your well of understanding and experiences.
Step 3) Finally, never let negativity be your last word on the subject. If your final words are negative than no matter how hopeful you may be about the potential of a project or action the lasting impression you give to others is one of negativity. Accentuate the positive and you are more likely to see a positive outcome.
If you follow these action steps not only you will be a better leader but also lead yourself to a more successful life.
Change Begins with Choice…
Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge.
Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause.
As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today.
Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree.
You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause.
As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today.
Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree.
You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Get Up…
Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. A baby giraffe falls 10 feet from its mother's womb and usually lands on its back. Within seconds it rolls over and tucks its legs under its body. From this position it considers the world for the first time and shakes off the last vestiges of the birthing fluid from its eyes and ears. Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces its offspring to the reality of life. In his book, "A View from the Zoo", Gary Richmond describes how a newborn giraffe learns its first lesson.
The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it. The late Irving Stone understood this. He spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing novelized biographies of such men as Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, Sigmund Freud, and Charles Darwin. Stone was once asked if he had found a thread that runs through the lives of all these exceptional people. He said, "I write about people who sometime in their life have a vision or dream of something that should be accomplished and they go to work. "They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified, and for years they get nowhere. But every time they're knocked down they stand up. You cannot destroy these people. And at the end of their lives they've accomplished some modest part of what they set out to do."
The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels. When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it. The late Irving Stone understood this. He spent a lifetime studying greatness, writing novelized biographies of such men as Michelangelo, Vincent van Gogh, Sigmund Freud, and Charles Darwin. Stone was once asked if he had found a thread that runs through the lives of all these exceptional people. He said, "I write about people who sometime in their life have a vision or dream of something that should be accomplished and they go to work. "They are beaten over the head, knocked down, vilified, and for years they get nowhere. But every time they're knocked down they stand up. You cannot destroy these people. And at the end of their lives they've accomplished some modest part of what they set out to do."
Twelve Steps to Conquer Fear…
Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision. Perseverance is making the decision to have courage every day, day after day.The late M. Scott Peck said that the absence of fear is not courage – the absence of fear is brain damage! No fear requires no courage – big fear requires big courage.In today’s world, a successful life requires the courage to take risks, and the determination to persevere through all difficulties.
Today, I’d like to share a dozen ideas for confronting your fears with courage.Recognize the difference between anxiety, fear, and worry. Anxiety is a generalized sense of dread – the black cloud on the horizon.Fear is a reaction to a specific object or event – the raging storm overhead right now.
Worry is the projection of fear into the future – a forecast of more raging storms tomorrow.We use those terms interchangeably, but properly diagnosing your emotional state can help you avoid becoming your own worst enemy.Anxiety is the most painful emotion because it has no object, and thus there is no sense of control over the emotion.
Thus, the mind strives to transform anxiety into fear, giving the illusion of control by identifying the object to be feared. The higher your anxiety level, the more apt you are to inappropriately assume that events or people are to be feared (paranoia is anxiety on steroids).When you catch anxiety building, take a deep breath and calm down – the world is a much friendlier place than the anxious mind wants to acknowledge.Fear is a Fantasized Experience Appearing Real. It is also a Fabulous Excuse for Avoiding Responsibility. Don’t let fantasized dangers prevent you from pursuing your most authentic goals and dreams and from becoming the person you are meant to be.Talk to your fear – what’s it trying to tell you. Are you unprepared for something? Are you on the wrong path?
Give fear a name and it becomes just a problem – it’s easier to solve problems than it is to conquer fear. For example, if you are afraid of losing a job, the problem is that you have not made yourself indispensable.Of course, no one is indispensable, but the more you work on making yourself valuable at work, the safer your job will be. And if you lose the job anyway, those efforts will help you land an even better job all the quicker.Talk back to your fear. Fear is a cowardly emotion that will back down when it is confronted with strength and resolve.Caring is the root of courage. When you care enough about something, you will find the courage to do what you must do to conquer your fear.
When confronting fear, catalog the things you really care about – there is no more powerful source of motivation.Fear breeds in ignorance. If you’re struggling with your fears, go to the library, pick up the telephone, Google something. When you shine a light on the shadows, you often find that the monster of fear dissolves into a mouse of timidity.Fear can be a prison more confining than any iron bars. Action is an emotional hacksaw that can set you free. It doesn’t have to be a grand sweeping action that resolves all your fears once and for all (in fact, it won’t be), but what can you do right now that will help you confront your fear?Be today, see tomorrow. Here’s what I mean by that. When you are afraid of the future, keep your attention in the present, on the work that’s right in front of you, and let tomorrow take care of itself. But when the source of your fear is right there at the door, keep your vision on that future time when everything has worked out far better than you ever would have imagined.Internalize the Promise of The Self- Empowerment Pledge: “I will do the things I’m afraid to do. Sometimes that will mean asking for help to do that which I cannot do by myself.”Consider the words of Jonathan Swift: Keep your fears to yourself, share your courage with others
Today, I’d like to share a dozen ideas for confronting your fears with courage.Recognize the difference between anxiety, fear, and worry. Anxiety is a generalized sense of dread – the black cloud on the horizon.Fear is a reaction to a specific object or event – the raging storm overhead right now.
Worry is the projection of fear into the future – a forecast of more raging storms tomorrow.We use those terms interchangeably, but properly diagnosing your emotional state can help you avoid becoming your own worst enemy.Anxiety is the most painful emotion because it has no object, and thus there is no sense of control over the emotion.
Thus, the mind strives to transform anxiety into fear, giving the illusion of control by identifying the object to be feared. The higher your anxiety level, the more apt you are to inappropriately assume that events or people are to be feared (paranoia is anxiety on steroids).When you catch anxiety building, take a deep breath and calm down – the world is a much friendlier place than the anxious mind wants to acknowledge.Fear is a Fantasized Experience Appearing Real. It is also a Fabulous Excuse for Avoiding Responsibility. Don’t let fantasized dangers prevent you from pursuing your most authentic goals and dreams and from becoming the person you are meant to be.Talk to your fear – what’s it trying to tell you. Are you unprepared for something? Are you on the wrong path?
Give fear a name and it becomes just a problem – it’s easier to solve problems than it is to conquer fear. For example, if you are afraid of losing a job, the problem is that you have not made yourself indispensable.Of course, no one is indispensable, but the more you work on making yourself valuable at work, the safer your job will be. And if you lose the job anyway, those efforts will help you land an even better job all the quicker.Talk back to your fear. Fear is a cowardly emotion that will back down when it is confronted with strength and resolve.Caring is the root of courage. When you care enough about something, you will find the courage to do what you must do to conquer your fear.
When confronting fear, catalog the things you really care about – there is no more powerful source of motivation.Fear breeds in ignorance. If you’re struggling with your fears, go to the library, pick up the telephone, Google something. When you shine a light on the shadows, you often find that the monster of fear dissolves into a mouse of timidity.Fear can be a prison more confining than any iron bars. Action is an emotional hacksaw that can set you free. It doesn’t have to be a grand sweeping action that resolves all your fears once and for all (in fact, it won’t be), but what can you do right now that will help you confront your fear?Be today, see tomorrow. Here’s what I mean by that. When you are afraid of the future, keep your attention in the present, on the work that’s right in front of you, and let tomorrow take care of itself. But when the source of your fear is right there at the door, keep your vision on that future time when everything has worked out far better than you ever would have imagined.Internalize the Promise of The Self- Empowerment Pledge: “I will do the things I’m afraid to do. Sometimes that will mean asking for help to do that which I cannot do by myself.”Consider the words of Jonathan Swift: Keep your fears to yourself, share your courage with others
Corporate Branding Strategy – The Tips for Branding Success…
One important question for many businesses is what makes a corporate branding strategy successful? Whether a company is looking to create its own brand or to make it over, ensuring success is a top most goal.
A powerful corporate brand serves to create confidence in your business and your product and service offerings. This confidence should not only be felt by the business owner or the management team but should also be present among employees and, more importantly, the customers. While it may be difficult to weigh intangible values such as confidence, a good way to measure customer’s perception of your corporate brand is through sales performance. Logically, when you have successfully built an effective brand it will translate to more business - the end goal of any corporate branding strategy.
There are several important considerations in order to develop an effective corporate branding strategy. First, you need to have a thorough understanding of your customers or your target market, your business offerings including your competition. Thorough research on these areas is the first step to identifying how to best position your business.
For any corporate branding strategy to be successful, it needs the attention and commitment of the company’s leadership. Confidence in the corporate brand should start at the highest level of management in order to reach all shareholders effectively. If people involved with your business believe in what you offer, this will undoubtedly create an interest in customers. They will want to give your product or your service a try because they associate with your brand a certain confidence that you will deliver what you promise.
Because your corporate brand is a powerful tool, it needs to deliver the right message about your company. That is why you need to plan your corporate branding strategy carefully not only to save time and money but, more importantly, to ensure that your brand is conveying the values of your business as effectively as possible.
If there is one other thing that your corporate branding strategy should have, it is consistency. Delivering the same message about your business every time across all medium - whether it is print, broadcast or the Internet - is the key to establishing a recognizable and enduring brand similar to successful brands among others.
Lastly, your corporate branding strategy will not work if your goals are only set for a short period. Time is an important element in corporate branding. It took a lot of time for big brands to get where they are, so you need a solid corporate branding strategy that will survive the test of time.
In today’s crowded business market, companies - whether big or small - are competing more than ever to deliver their message. As companies launch all kinds of advertising and marketing campaigns to lure consumers, it becomes more difficult for one message to stand out. Additionally, the increasing cost of marketing a new product or service makes it critical for a company to come up with an efficient strategy to promote its business. Companies utilize corporate branding in order to bring out their message effectively and efficiently.
A powerful corporate brand serves to create confidence in your business and your product and service offerings. This confidence should not only be felt by the business owner or the management team but should also be present among employees and, more importantly, the customers. While it may be difficult to weigh intangible values such as confidence, a good way to measure customer’s perception of your corporate brand is through sales performance. Logically, when you have successfully built an effective brand it will translate to more business - the end goal of any corporate branding strategy.
There are several important considerations in order to develop an effective corporate branding strategy. First, you need to have a thorough understanding of your customers or your target market, your business offerings including your competition. Thorough research on these areas is the first step to identifying how to best position your business.
For any corporate branding strategy to be successful, it needs the attention and commitment of the company’s leadership. Confidence in the corporate brand should start at the highest level of management in order to reach all shareholders effectively. If people involved with your business believe in what you offer, this will undoubtedly create an interest in customers. They will want to give your product or your service a try because they associate with your brand a certain confidence that you will deliver what you promise.
Because your corporate brand is a powerful tool, it needs to deliver the right message about your company. That is why you need to plan your corporate branding strategy carefully not only to save time and money but, more importantly, to ensure that your brand is conveying the values of your business as effectively as possible.
If there is one other thing that your corporate branding strategy should have, it is consistency. Delivering the same message about your business every time across all medium - whether it is print, broadcast or the Internet - is the key to establishing a recognizable and enduring brand similar to successful brands among others.
Lastly, your corporate branding strategy will not work if your goals are only set for a short period. Time is an important element in corporate branding. It took a lot of time for big brands to get where they are, so you need a solid corporate branding strategy that will survive the test of time.
In today’s crowded business market, companies - whether big or small - are competing more than ever to deliver their message. As companies launch all kinds of advertising and marketing campaigns to lure consumers, it becomes more difficult for one message to stand out. Additionally, the increasing cost of marketing a new product or service makes it critical for a company to come up with an efficient strategy to promote its business. Companies utilize corporate branding in order to bring out their message effectively and efficiently.
What Constitutes A Good Life?
The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a bank account or a home.
Here's the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living a good life. Here's what we must ask constantly, "What for me would be a good life?" And you have to keep going over and over the list.
A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I've got a short list.
1) Productivity. You won't be happy if you don't produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity. What's the reason for the seasons and the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and the miracle of life? It's to see what you can do with it. To try your hand, other people have tried their hand; here's what they did. You try your hand to see what you can do. So part of life is productivity.
2) Good friends. Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don't deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It's extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you.
A few years ago I lost one of my dearest friends. He died at age 53 - heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if they would allow me one phone call, I would call David. Why? He would come and get me. That's a friend. Somebody who would come and get you.
Now we've all got casual friends. And if you called them they would say, "Hey, if you get back, call me we'll have a party." So you've got to have both, real friends and casual friends.
3) Your culture. Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.
4) Spirituality. It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don't be careless about the spiritual part of your nature; it's what makes us who we are, different from animal, dogs, cats, birds and mice.
5) Don't miss anything. My parents taught me not to miss anything. Don't miss the game. Don't miss the performance, don't miss the movie, don't miss the show, don't miss the dance. Go to everything you possibly can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possibly can. This has served me so well to this day.
Just before my father died at age 93 if you were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn't be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at church, he was somewhere every night.
Live a vital life. Here's one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.
6) Your family and the inner circle. Invest in them and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho.
So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I'd call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel I'd have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I'd call Papa and they'd bring him the phone. I'd say, "Papa I'm in Israel." He'd say, "Ina! Son, how are things in Ina?" He'd talk real loud so everybody could hear - my son's calling me from ina. I'd say, "Papa last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." He'd say, "Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." Now everybody knows the story. It only took 5 - 10 minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93.
If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter's kiss on his face all day, he's a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife's arms around his body he's invincible all day. It's the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don't miss that opportunity.
Here's the greatest value. The prophet said, "There are many virtues and values, but here's the greatest, one person caring for another." There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that's one of life's greatest expressions. So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that you desire.
Here's the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living a good life. Here's what we must ask constantly, "What for me would be a good life?" And you have to keep going over and over the list.
A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I've got a short list.
1) Productivity. You won't be happy if you don't produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity. What's the reason for the seasons and the seeds, the soil and the sunshine, the rain and the miracle of life? It's to see what you can do with it. To try your hand, other people have tried their hand; here's what they did. You try your hand to see what you can do. So part of life is productivity.
2) Good friends. Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don't deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It's extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you.
A few years ago I lost one of my dearest friends. He died at age 53 - heart attack. David is gone, but he was one of my very special friends. I used to say of David that if I was stuck in a foreign jail somewhere accused unduly and if they would allow me one phone call, I would call David. Why? He would come and get me. That's a friend. Somebody who would come and get you.
Now we've all got casual friends. And if you called them they would say, "Hey, if you get back, call me we'll have a party." So you've got to have both, real friends and casual friends.
3) Your culture. Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.
4) Spirituality. It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don't be careless about the spiritual part of your nature; it's what makes us who we are, different from animal, dogs, cats, birds and mice.
5) Don't miss anything. My parents taught me not to miss anything. Don't miss the game. Don't miss the performance, don't miss the movie, don't miss the show, don't miss the dance. Go to everything you possibly can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possibly can. This has served me so well to this day.
Just before my father died at age 93 if you were to call him at 10:30 or 11:00 at night, he wouldn't be home. He was at the rodeo, he was watching the kids play softball, he was listening to the concert, he was at church, he was somewhere every night.
Live a vital life. Here's one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.
6) Your family and the inner circle. Invest in them and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho.
So Papa would go there and have breakfast and I'd call him just to give him a special day. Now if I was in Israel I'd have to get up in the middle of the night, but it only took five minutes, ten minutes. So I'd call Papa and they'd bring him the phone. I'd say, "Papa I'm in Israel." He'd say, "Ina! Son, how are things in Ina?" He'd talk real loud so everybody could hear - my son's calling me from ina. I'd say, "Papa last night they gave me a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." He'd say, "Son, a reception on the rooftop underneath the stars overlooking the Mediterranean." Now everybody knows the story. It only took 5 - 10 minutes, but what a special day for my father, age 93.
If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter's kiss on his face all day, he's a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife's arms around his body he's invincible all day. It's the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don't miss that opportunity.
Here's the greatest value. The prophet said, "There are many virtues and values, but here's the greatest, one person caring for another." There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that's one of life's greatest expressions. So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that you desire.
Living with an Attitude of Gratitude…
(Author: April Mims)
Creating an attitude of gratitude is one of the easiest steps we can take to improve our lives. The happiness that we create for ourselves by showing our appreciation has far-reaching effects, both for ourselves and for those we come into contact with. The potential for gratitude to spread beyond those people also increases significantly – it can be highly contagious. There are so many different ways that we can express an attitude of gratitude. Here are just a few:Say “thank you”. This is the most basic and well-known way to show appreciation to others. Saying “thank you” is a great way to express your gratitude and can be done in several different forms. You can say it in person, over the phone, in a note, or in an email. Using this when it’s least expected can have significant results in lifting someone’s spirits. For example, a quick note to your child’s teacher thanking her for her hard work and patience might give her the boost of energy that she needs right when she needs it most. You may never know what effect this has had on her, but it will have an effect.
Stop complaining about your life. Even as tough as life can be sometimes, remember that there is always someone that has things worse than you do. Constant complaining about what is wrong in your life will keep you focused on that. The opposite is true as well – focusing on what is right in your life will keep you focused on that. Focusing on the negative will bring you down while focusing on the positive will lift you up.
Focus on what you have, not what you don’t have. This is very closely related to not complaining about your life. Being grateful for what you do have keeps you in a positive place, whereas focusing on what you don’t have keeps you in a negative place. Focusing on what you do have, regardless of how little or how much that may be, is a great expression of gratitude.
Model your attitude. Modelling your attitude of gratitude is a great way to spread it to others. We’ve all heard the Golden Rule to “treat others the way you want to be treated”. Showing your appreciation to others shows them that you like to be treated this way too. An attitude of gratitude can be quite infectious!
Be satisfied with simple things and be mindful of little things. Being grateful for the little things in our lives is just as important (if not, more so) than being grateful for the big things. Our lives are filled with little things every day that we can be grateful for. What about that front row parking spot you found when you were running late? Or the beautiful weather outside? How about the store clerk that went out of her way to help you? This may take a little practice, but there are many little things throughout the day that we can be grateful for if we take the time to notice them.
Give to someone else. This is the best way to spread your gratitude of attitude. There are so many different ways to give to someone else. You could volunteer your time to help those less fortunate or give you time to children by mentoring them. The possibilities are endless but could make a huge difference in someone’s life without you evening knowing it. If they in turn give to someone else, the cycle could continue without end.
Keep a gratitude journal. Let’s just be honest here: there are some days when it is hard to find anything to be grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal can help with that. There are pre-printed journals so you can just fill in the blanks or you can make your own. The important thing is to find at least 5 things each day to be grateful for, no matter how big or small those things are. A gratitude journal can serve two purposes: it will help you stop and remember what you are grateful for or it can serve as inspiration on days when you find it difficult to find anything to be grateful for by reading over past days.
Practice random acts of kindness. This can be one of the most fun and rewarding ways to live a life of gratitude, especially when it’s done anonymously. Surprise someone with something unexpected. You may never know what it meant to them but it will likely make their day. Try putting a note in your child’s lunch or bringing treats to the office to share. Even a small gesture can mean so much to someone.
Living a life of gratitude is one of the easiest ways to live a happier life. It takes very little effort to show someone you appreciate them but will mean so much to them. There are so many ways to make gratitude a part of our life and to spread that attitude to others. Make today the day you start living a life of gratitude and spread your light to the rest of the world!
Creating an attitude of gratitude is one of the easiest steps we can take to improve our lives. The happiness that we create for ourselves by showing our appreciation has far-reaching effects, both for ourselves and for those we come into contact with. The potential for gratitude to spread beyond those people also increases significantly – it can be highly contagious. There are so many different ways that we can express an attitude of gratitude. Here are just a few:Say “thank you”. This is the most basic and well-known way to show appreciation to others. Saying “thank you” is a great way to express your gratitude and can be done in several different forms. You can say it in person, over the phone, in a note, or in an email. Using this when it’s least expected can have significant results in lifting someone’s spirits. For example, a quick note to your child’s teacher thanking her for her hard work and patience might give her the boost of energy that she needs right when she needs it most. You may never know what effect this has had on her, but it will have an effect.
Stop complaining about your life. Even as tough as life can be sometimes, remember that there is always someone that has things worse than you do. Constant complaining about what is wrong in your life will keep you focused on that. The opposite is true as well – focusing on what is right in your life will keep you focused on that. Focusing on the negative will bring you down while focusing on the positive will lift you up.
Focus on what you have, not what you don’t have. This is very closely related to not complaining about your life. Being grateful for what you do have keeps you in a positive place, whereas focusing on what you don’t have keeps you in a negative place. Focusing on what you do have, regardless of how little or how much that may be, is a great expression of gratitude.
Model your attitude. Modelling your attitude of gratitude is a great way to spread it to others. We’ve all heard the Golden Rule to “treat others the way you want to be treated”. Showing your appreciation to others shows them that you like to be treated this way too. An attitude of gratitude can be quite infectious!
Be satisfied with simple things and be mindful of little things. Being grateful for the little things in our lives is just as important (if not, more so) than being grateful for the big things. Our lives are filled with little things every day that we can be grateful for. What about that front row parking spot you found when you were running late? Or the beautiful weather outside? How about the store clerk that went out of her way to help you? This may take a little practice, but there are many little things throughout the day that we can be grateful for if we take the time to notice them.
Give to someone else. This is the best way to spread your gratitude of attitude. There are so many different ways to give to someone else. You could volunteer your time to help those less fortunate or give you time to children by mentoring them. The possibilities are endless but could make a huge difference in someone’s life without you evening knowing it. If they in turn give to someone else, the cycle could continue without end.
Keep a gratitude journal. Let’s just be honest here: there are some days when it is hard to find anything to be grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal can help with that. There are pre-printed journals so you can just fill in the blanks or you can make your own. The important thing is to find at least 5 things each day to be grateful for, no matter how big or small those things are. A gratitude journal can serve two purposes: it will help you stop and remember what you are grateful for or it can serve as inspiration on days when you find it difficult to find anything to be grateful for by reading over past days.
Practice random acts of kindness. This can be one of the most fun and rewarding ways to live a life of gratitude, especially when it’s done anonymously. Surprise someone with something unexpected. You may never know what it meant to them but it will likely make their day. Try putting a note in your child’s lunch or bringing treats to the office to share. Even a small gesture can mean so much to someone.
Living a life of gratitude is one of the easiest ways to live a happier life. It takes very little effort to show someone you appreciate them but will mean so much to them. There are so many ways to make gratitude a part of our life and to spread that attitude to others. Make today the day you start living a life of gratitude and spread your light to the rest of the world!
How To Deal With Challenges…
Wherever you are and however much of an adventure you are having, it is safe to say that more than likely that you will be faced with challenges and obstacles on a regular basis. This is what life is made up of. Some of us though seem to have the knack of making it all seem so easy, while others get caught up in the negativity of the challenge and only see problems ahead of them.
Challenges can consume you if you let them. You can, on the other hand choose to focus on your strengths instead and see challenges as a part of life, which is exactly what they are. If you allow yourself to focus on the difficulty of the challenge, that is what's going to grow in size, yet if you focus on solutions for your dilemma, the chances are you will find one or even more possibilities for solving your problem. Through trying times, we do not want to believe that some good can come out of our challenging periods. Yet, if we look back on the difficult times in our lives, whether it be about a relationship, one's business, an addiction, financial problems or other ... have we not learnt more as a result of each challenge? Have we not grown and become stronger, more compassionate human beings?
I am not saying that we need deny the severity of the challenge and the pain it may be causing. It is essential to feel the emotion that has surfaced to be able to accept the challenge and what it means to us. Give yourself time, but then put on your obstacle boots, do what you have to do about it, do all you can do and when that is done and no more can be achieved at that time, let it go and trust that it will be taken care. Wait and be patient for the right time and then take another step forward. Do not expect that all challenges can be solved immediately. Some need time and there always seems to be a reason for this. When challenges arise do not think you are being singled out and punished. Challenges are the stuff life is made of. However, how you choose to overcome the challenge will determine your rate of success.
In the words of Mark Victor Hansen, “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what! Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful.”
Challenges can consume you if you let them. You can, on the other hand choose to focus on your strengths instead and see challenges as a part of life, which is exactly what they are. If you allow yourself to focus on the difficulty of the challenge, that is what's going to grow in size, yet if you focus on solutions for your dilemma, the chances are you will find one or even more possibilities for solving your problem. Through trying times, we do not want to believe that some good can come out of our challenging periods. Yet, if we look back on the difficult times in our lives, whether it be about a relationship, one's business, an addiction, financial problems or other ... have we not learnt more as a result of each challenge? Have we not grown and become stronger, more compassionate human beings?
I am not saying that we need deny the severity of the challenge and the pain it may be causing. It is essential to feel the emotion that has surfaced to be able to accept the challenge and what it means to us. Give yourself time, but then put on your obstacle boots, do what you have to do about it, do all you can do and when that is done and no more can be achieved at that time, let it go and trust that it will be taken care. Wait and be patient for the right time and then take another step forward. Do not expect that all challenges can be solved immediately. Some need time and there always seems to be a reason for this. When challenges arise do not think you are being singled out and punished. Challenges are the stuff life is made of. However, how you choose to overcome the challenge will determine your rate of success.
In the words of Mark Victor Hansen, “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what! Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful.”
What to say and what not to say when giving a speech
Are you interested in learning what it takes to become a public speaker? On the other hand, would you just like to learn how to communicate better with your family and friends when you talk to them? Either way you must learn what is appropriate and what is not appropriate when it comes to speaking.
We all want to make sure that we are not only getting the target audience to listen to us, but we also want to make sure that what we are saying is getting through.
Here is how to grab the attention of most anyone you are speaking to, regardless if you are speaking to an audience of people or just on a one to one basis: Just be honest!
Nothing is more important to ethical speaking than honesty. Being straight-forward is vital. When it comes to speaking with people there is an unspoken assumption that your words are to be trusted and that you are being truthful.
Although this indeed is an assumption, it is one of the few assumptions that is necessary. Without it there is no basis for communication, no reason for one person to believe what another person is saying. And once that bond between speaker and listener is broken, it can never be mended.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that there are certain situations where speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is impossible or inadvisable. In any case where “laying it all out” would be tactless or imprudent then some adjustments of the speech will have to be made.
For example, consider a presidential press secretary who denies the facts about war plans or war movements due to national security. Or how about when a father is giving her young daughter an explanation of why exactly her mommy and him are not together anymore. Very few people would find this kind of “non-truth telling” unethical. It just can't be helped.
Of course deciding on what not to say out of care can only be decided by you and with having carefully assessed the situation about the “speech” that you are about to give to an individual or a group. Do not create a lie to hurt anyone. Do not create a lie to hide from your wrongdoings. Rather, use your best judgment call so as not to hurt others when speaking.
We all want to make sure that we are not only getting the target audience to listen to us, but we also want to make sure that what we are saying is getting through.
Here is how to grab the attention of most anyone you are speaking to, regardless if you are speaking to an audience of people or just on a one to one basis: Just be honest!
Nothing is more important to ethical speaking than honesty. Being straight-forward is vital. When it comes to speaking with people there is an unspoken assumption that your words are to be trusted and that you are being truthful.
Although this indeed is an assumption, it is one of the few assumptions that is necessary. Without it there is no basis for communication, no reason for one person to believe what another person is saying. And once that bond between speaker and listener is broken, it can never be mended.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that there are certain situations where speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is impossible or inadvisable. In any case where “laying it all out” would be tactless or imprudent then some adjustments of the speech will have to be made.
For example, consider a presidential press secretary who denies the facts about war plans or war movements due to national security. Or how about when a father is giving her young daughter an explanation of why exactly her mommy and him are not together anymore. Very few people would find this kind of “non-truth telling” unethical. It just can't be helped.
Of course deciding on what not to say out of care can only be decided by you and with having carefully assessed the situation about the “speech” that you are about to give to an individual or a group. Do not create a lie to hurt anyone. Do not create a lie to hide from your wrongdoings. Rather, use your best judgment call so as not to hurt others when speaking.
15 Steps to a More Productive Workday 1
Freelance designers, as well as those who work for small design studios, often face the challenge of getting the most productivity out of their time and achieving maximum efficiency. While this can be a struggle for anyone in a more “typical” job, freelancers have added distractions, unique challenges, and no one to hold them accountable.
To be a successful freelancer you’ll have to place a priority on productivity and find ways that work for you. Each of us is unique and no process will work for everyone, but all of us have plenty of things that we can do to improve our workflow.
In this article I’ll cover some of the lessons that I have learned through my own experience. For me, productivity is a constant goal, and always interested in finding new ways to get more out of my time. I’m far from perfect in these areas, but making consistent improvements. Hopefully some of these things will help you in your own work.
1. Have a Task List for the DayThe best way to have an unproductive day is to work throughout the day without a clear definition of what you need to accomplish. Simply having a to-do list will go a long way in keeping you on track. One of the problems with freelancing is that there is usually a million different things that you could be doing on any given day. While all of these things may be helpful to your business in some way, they’re not all equal in terms of importance and urgency. Without a task list you run the risk of working all day on things that seem like they are benefiting your business, but in the end you’re not focusing your efforts on the right tasks
2. Prioritize TasksOne of my biggest frustrations in my daily work is that it seems like I’m never able to do everything I want to do in a day. In this case, a task list is likely to have a few things left untouched at the end of the day. Because of this, it’s important to not only create a task list, but also to prioritize the items that you’re looking to get done. Your tasks will differ from day-to-day, but it’s likely that you’ll have a few very important things that must get done, and then some others with varying levels of importance and urgency. My personal approach with prioritizing is to simply to set the tasks that must get done, and then I also list a few stretch goals for the day. If and when I get all of the most important items done for a particular day, at that point I can move on to the stretch goals, which usually carry less urgency than my main tasks. This way I don’t finish my work early and have nothing to do, and I also don’t have too much on my plate that causes adverse effects when I can’t get everything done.
3. Place More Emphasis on Finishing Tasks Rather than Starting New OnesMost freelancers have a few different projects going on at all times. On top of that, each project may have several different tasks that need to be done, and you may even have some of your own personal projects that require time. With all of these things fighting for your attention at once, it’s tempting to dig in to new tasks before completing others. By doing this you’ll usually be costing yourself more time and effort later when it comes to finishing those tasks and projects. In order for a freelancer to keep the income flowing, it’s critical that projects are getting finished. Being able to finish a project will help you to get paid sooner and allow you to move on to another project. From my experience, when I’m struggling with too much to do, it’s best if I can devote time to tasks and projects that are near completion. Being able to get things crossed off the list feels good and helps to reduce stress and create a more productive environment.
4. Know the Strongest Times of Your Work DaySome people work best early in the mornings, others prefer afternoons or evenings. Everyone has times of the day that are stronger than others in terms of focus and productivity. I tend to get up early, but I’m not at my peak for the first few hours of the day. I’ve found that rather than fighting this and trying to get more done at the start of my day, I’m better off to use that time for tasks that are less demanding mentally. During the times when I struggle to concentrate I’ll clean out my email inbox, moderate and respond to comments on my blog, evaluate my overall process on current projects, or anything that requires time but not the highest amount of mental focus. With this approach I’m able to make productive use of my least productive times of the day, and that will save my best hours for more taxing activities like working on a client’s website or writing articles. With the varied tasks of a freelancer, there are always plenty of things that need to get done that require different levels of intensity in terms of work and focus. If you can match your best times for work with the most intense tasks, and your least productive times with more routine tasks, you’ll get more out of your day.
5. Give Yourself Some FlexibilityI’ve already talked about the importance of having prioritized tasks and the use of different times of the day, but it’s also important to not get so rigid with this that you don’t leave yourself some room for flexibility. There will be some days that don’t go quite as planned and when you don’t feel like you do most other days. Allow yourself to have some flexibility to change things around according to the circumstances.
6. Have a Specified Ending Time for WorkOne of the biggest challenges that I face throughout the week is knowing when to end my work day. When you’re working for someone else it’s much easier to make a clear break, but as a freelancer there is always a temptation to keep working. With so many things to do and your income riding on getting things done, it seems like you will be more productive by working longer days. But from my experience I’ve found that I often feel like I get the most done when I have something going on that forces me to end the day at a specific time. With a set ending time it’s easier to get moving quickly and to get more productivity out of each hour, since they are limited. Without a set ending time I often find myself working with a little bit less efficiency since I feel like I have plenty of time. On those days I wind up with less time away from work and I often don’t seem to get that much more accomplished, even with the extra hours of work.(To be continued…)
To be a successful freelancer you’ll have to place a priority on productivity and find ways that work for you. Each of us is unique and no process will work for everyone, but all of us have plenty of things that we can do to improve our workflow.
In this article I’ll cover some of the lessons that I have learned through my own experience. For me, productivity is a constant goal, and always interested in finding new ways to get more out of my time. I’m far from perfect in these areas, but making consistent improvements. Hopefully some of these things will help you in your own work.
1. Have a Task List for the DayThe best way to have an unproductive day is to work throughout the day without a clear definition of what you need to accomplish. Simply having a to-do list will go a long way in keeping you on track. One of the problems with freelancing is that there is usually a million different things that you could be doing on any given day. While all of these things may be helpful to your business in some way, they’re not all equal in terms of importance and urgency. Without a task list you run the risk of working all day on things that seem like they are benefiting your business, but in the end you’re not focusing your efforts on the right tasks
2. Prioritize TasksOne of my biggest frustrations in my daily work is that it seems like I’m never able to do everything I want to do in a day. In this case, a task list is likely to have a few things left untouched at the end of the day. Because of this, it’s important to not only create a task list, but also to prioritize the items that you’re looking to get done. Your tasks will differ from day-to-day, but it’s likely that you’ll have a few very important things that must get done, and then some others with varying levels of importance and urgency. My personal approach with prioritizing is to simply to set the tasks that must get done, and then I also list a few stretch goals for the day. If and when I get all of the most important items done for a particular day, at that point I can move on to the stretch goals, which usually carry less urgency than my main tasks. This way I don’t finish my work early and have nothing to do, and I also don’t have too much on my plate that causes adverse effects when I can’t get everything done.
3. Place More Emphasis on Finishing Tasks Rather than Starting New OnesMost freelancers have a few different projects going on at all times. On top of that, each project may have several different tasks that need to be done, and you may even have some of your own personal projects that require time. With all of these things fighting for your attention at once, it’s tempting to dig in to new tasks before completing others. By doing this you’ll usually be costing yourself more time and effort later when it comes to finishing those tasks and projects. In order for a freelancer to keep the income flowing, it’s critical that projects are getting finished. Being able to finish a project will help you to get paid sooner and allow you to move on to another project. From my experience, when I’m struggling with too much to do, it’s best if I can devote time to tasks and projects that are near completion. Being able to get things crossed off the list feels good and helps to reduce stress and create a more productive environment.
4. Know the Strongest Times of Your Work DaySome people work best early in the mornings, others prefer afternoons or evenings. Everyone has times of the day that are stronger than others in terms of focus and productivity. I tend to get up early, but I’m not at my peak for the first few hours of the day. I’ve found that rather than fighting this and trying to get more done at the start of my day, I’m better off to use that time for tasks that are less demanding mentally. During the times when I struggle to concentrate I’ll clean out my email inbox, moderate and respond to comments on my blog, evaluate my overall process on current projects, or anything that requires time but not the highest amount of mental focus. With this approach I’m able to make productive use of my least productive times of the day, and that will save my best hours for more taxing activities like working on a client’s website or writing articles. With the varied tasks of a freelancer, there are always plenty of things that need to get done that require different levels of intensity in terms of work and focus. If you can match your best times for work with the most intense tasks, and your least productive times with more routine tasks, you’ll get more out of your day.
5. Give Yourself Some FlexibilityI’ve already talked about the importance of having prioritized tasks and the use of different times of the day, but it’s also important to not get so rigid with this that you don’t leave yourself some room for flexibility. There will be some days that don’t go quite as planned and when you don’t feel like you do most other days. Allow yourself to have some flexibility to change things around according to the circumstances.
6. Have a Specified Ending Time for WorkOne of the biggest challenges that I face throughout the week is knowing when to end my work day. When you’re working for someone else it’s much easier to make a clear break, but as a freelancer there is always a temptation to keep working. With so many things to do and your income riding on getting things done, it seems like you will be more productive by working longer days. But from my experience I’ve found that I often feel like I get the most done when I have something going on that forces me to end the day at a specific time. With a set ending time it’s easier to get moving quickly and to get more productivity out of each hour, since they are limited. Without a set ending time I often find myself working with a little bit less efficiency since I feel like I have plenty of time. On those days I wind up with less time away from work and I often don’t seem to get that much more accomplished, even with the extra hours of work.(To be continued…)
Five Steps to Success in Everything You Do
If you follow these 5 steps, no doubt you will get everything you want!
1. What you need first is to have a strong desire. A desire like a fire! Not like a little flame you have to stir to get some heat going. No, you need a strong desire, you must really want to have what you long for! If you want something badly, but you didn't get it until now, it is your desire was not strong enough! You must really feel the desire to have it in your bones, in your flesh, in your heart. The desire is the starting point, because without passion nothing can happen.
2. Now you need to set goals. Why? To know where to go! Without goals your desire will get you nowhere. A goal gives you a reason, a purpose. The word goal means to go all the way to get there! Your goal is your direction where your desire will take you. If you're able to see with your mind's eye what you want, you will have it. So the more details you see, the more concrete is your mental image, the more likely you will get exactly what you long for! Goals get your energy running. Goals generate the necessary activity to bring you towards the realization of your dream. A good goal is a statement of what you want, in a positive, clear, concrete way and with emotion (remember the fire! Without emotion, without fire, no outcome!). A goal should be written down, to give it more energy, and should be stated in the present time. You write your goal down as if you got it already. And start to act as if you were already there!
3. You must believe in yourself. You must really be conscious of the fact that you are worth to have what you desire and that you are able to get it, that you got everything you need to realize your dream. Yes you can! Maybe you do not know for now how to get there, but believe in the fact that you will learn step by step how to do it and that you will be guided on your way by coincidences and synchronicity.
4. A strong desire, a clear positive goal, a strong believe in yourself, what else does it need to make your dreams come true? Positive thinking! The most beautiful dream, the strongest desire and the clearest goal will bring you nowhere if you destroy yourself with a negative belief system. If you have this lousy habit of seeing everything rather black than white, of fearing the worst, of expecting bad things to happen, this mindset will bring you what you ask for: black, fear, bad. A positive mindset lifts you up to the level of universal creation and the universe will conspire with you to give you what you long for.
5. Consistency. Yes, it is easy to start things. It is easy to quit. But it takes consistency to stay on your road. Did you ever taste the freedom which lies in the fact that, after years and years of practicing the same thing, you became an expert in something? With your eyes closed you can answer any question on the subject and produce almost any result you want? You are an expert now because you did the same thing hundreds of times, over and over again. And now you know! What a freedom! Consistency, not giving up, always going on in the same direction, this brings you freedom at last. Why? Because you don't need to think and to search anymore on your subject. It became a habit and you have space free in your mind to learn new more demanding stuff. Stay on your road, go on and on, every step will take you to more freedom, happiness and mastery of your life!
These are the five crucial steps to succeed in whatever you want.
1. What you need first is to have a strong desire. A desire like a fire! Not like a little flame you have to stir to get some heat going. No, you need a strong desire, you must really want to have what you long for! If you want something badly, but you didn't get it until now, it is your desire was not strong enough! You must really feel the desire to have it in your bones, in your flesh, in your heart. The desire is the starting point, because without passion nothing can happen.
2. Now you need to set goals. Why? To know where to go! Without goals your desire will get you nowhere. A goal gives you a reason, a purpose. The word goal means to go all the way to get there! Your goal is your direction where your desire will take you. If you're able to see with your mind's eye what you want, you will have it. So the more details you see, the more concrete is your mental image, the more likely you will get exactly what you long for! Goals get your energy running. Goals generate the necessary activity to bring you towards the realization of your dream. A good goal is a statement of what you want, in a positive, clear, concrete way and with emotion (remember the fire! Without emotion, without fire, no outcome!). A goal should be written down, to give it more energy, and should be stated in the present time. You write your goal down as if you got it already. And start to act as if you were already there!
3. You must believe in yourself. You must really be conscious of the fact that you are worth to have what you desire and that you are able to get it, that you got everything you need to realize your dream. Yes you can! Maybe you do not know for now how to get there, but believe in the fact that you will learn step by step how to do it and that you will be guided on your way by coincidences and synchronicity.
4. A strong desire, a clear positive goal, a strong believe in yourself, what else does it need to make your dreams come true? Positive thinking! The most beautiful dream, the strongest desire and the clearest goal will bring you nowhere if you destroy yourself with a negative belief system. If you have this lousy habit of seeing everything rather black than white, of fearing the worst, of expecting bad things to happen, this mindset will bring you what you ask for: black, fear, bad. A positive mindset lifts you up to the level of universal creation and the universe will conspire with you to give you what you long for.
5. Consistency. Yes, it is easy to start things. It is easy to quit. But it takes consistency to stay on your road. Did you ever taste the freedom which lies in the fact that, after years and years of practicing the same thing, you became an expert in something? With your eyes closed you can answer any question on the subject and produce almost any result you want? You are an expert now because you did the same thing hundreds of times, over and over again. And now you know! What a freedom! Consistency, not giving up, always going on in the same direction, this brings you freedom at last. Why? Because you don't need to think and to search anymore on your subject. It became a habit and you have space free in your mind to learn new more demanding stuff. Stay on your road, go on and on, every step will take you to more freedom, happiness and mastery of your life!
These are the five crucial steps to succeed in whatever you want.
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