The Inspirational Blog

Beat Procrastination This New Year

2008-01-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

Procrastination, a long word. Is this bothering you? I believe that procrastination is something or a condition that bothers almost anyone at one point or another. Usually the way I fight procrastination is to give myself the extra 'push' to do what I am suppose to do. For Example, if it is a jog which I want to do, then I just put on my jogging attire, my music and get out of the house. The longer I stay not moving out of the house, the probability of not going for that jog will get higher. This article shares some steps which you may find useful to help you fight procrastination.

It’s a New Year with probably yet another long list of resolutions. But will you actually do them? Or are you the type of person that has the best of intentions and sets goals but can never seem to get started on them, or you half-start them and never find the time or motivation to finish them?

Well don't worry, you're not alone! We all suffer from procrastination at some point in our life. The good news is that there is a cure. Just think “SNOW” and follow these 4 steps:

STEP 1: STOP

The reason you procrastinate is because the emotional force or feeling isn’t strong enough to propel you to take action forward. A positive feeling is being counteracted by a negative feeling, making you feel neutral, unmotivated and leaving you sitting on the fence. The problem comes when we feel guilty about it. This adds to the emotional hot pot! So the first step is to simply STOP rather than struggle.

STEP 2: NOTICE

Be observant. What is it that you’re actually avoiding? What is driving the negative emotion or feeling for the activity at hand? What are you afraid might happen? Writers are notorious procrastinators. With good intentions they’ll sit down in front of the key board, but will quickly become distracted by the pile of washing in the corner, that layer of dust on the shelves and those dishes that need washing. For writers, usually it’s the fear of not writing anything readable that stops them from writing at all. This is the counter-force. Notice what your counter-force is.

STEP 3: ORDER

When you bring order into a situation, it is incredible how it can make things feel a little simpler. So the best thing to do is to is take out a piece of paper and simply write a list of all the steps involved. The secret is to break them down into really detailed small steps (e.g., take the file off the shelf, place it on the table, open it to page 10, etc.). You’ll find yourself whizzing through your list and it’s this momentum that carries you through the rest of the task.

STEP 4: WHISTLE

Yes, you read correctly. Once you’ve written your list, simply take the first step and whistle while you work. Try it doing it now without smiling! You’ll notice that it quickly shifts your mood and makes you realize how ridiculous you’re being. It’ll help you take that all important first step, and then motivate you to move on to the next one. By taking small steps forward, before you know it you’ll have finished completely. And what’s more, you would have done it with a smile on your face too!

Finally, don’t let procrastination hold you back from reaching your goals and highest potential this year. If you’d like some extra support and inspiration to stay motivated and on track, why not sign up for my free downloadable One Big Gulp! Kit, which you will find at http://www.onebiggulp.com/. Remember, it’s your life, your choice, so live your greatest life!

About the Author: Gabriella Goddard is a leading success coach and author of the top selling book Gulp!: the 7 day crash course to master fear and break through any challenge. Her clients include senior executives, career professionals, TV presenters, authors and entrepreneurs. She invites readers to sign up for her free One Big Gulp! Kit at http://www.onebiggulp.com/.

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Success

2007-05-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

Success is speaking words of praise,
In CHEERING other people's ways,
In DOING just the best you can,
With every task and every plan,
It's SILENCE when your speech would hurt,
POLITENESS when your neighbor's curt,
It's DEAFNESS when the scandal flows,
And SYMPATHY with others' woes,
It's LOYALTY when duty calls,
It's COURAGE when disaster falls,
It's PATIENCE when the hours are long,
It's found in laughter and in song,
It's in the silent time of prayer,
In happiness and in despair,
In all of life and nothing less,
We find the thing we call SUCCESS ...

- Author Unknown -

Firedog Across America Contest

2007-05-08T07:24:00.000-07:00

An interesting and meaningful email which I received just last week and I would like to share it with you. Something we can do for the firefighters. Everyone worldwide is invited to vote for the grand winner.

My name is Matt Navitsky and I'm getting in touch with The Inspirational Blog on behalf of Circuit City's firedog services. The "firedog Across America" contest was launched by Circuit City this past winter to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to America's firefighters. Now we need help selecting the $100,000 grand prize winner. On top of that, every vote cast will result in a $1 donation to the voter's chosen firehouse. We'd be thrilled if you could let The Inspirational Blog readers know about the contest so they can help raise money for America's fire safety professionals.

Over 5,000 inspirational essays were submitted to www.firedog.com between December 6, 2006 and March 31, 2007, describing the ways in which these everyday heroes go above and beyond the call of duty. From helping communities recover after tragedies, to touching the hearts of those in need, these stories are truly inspiring. Circuit City recently visited the finalists and created a video story for each to help bring the essays to life. Videos for all finalists can be viewed here: http://web.firedog.com/acrossamerica/vote.aspx.

Now that the ten finalists have been selected, we need everyone's help deciding who the grand prize winner will be. Each of the ten finalist firehouses will receive $20,000 for much-needed equipment and the corresponding essay writer will receive a home "techover" worth $10,000, courtesy of Circuit City's firedog (SM) services team.

And as a firedog Across America finalist, these ten firehouses are now eligible to win additional funding during this final stage of the campaign when America votes for a $100,000 grand prize winner. Until May 13, Americans can visit www.firedog.com to view all ten firehouse finalists' stories (also pasted below) and vote for their favorite. Each vote will result in a donation of $1 to the voter's chosen firehouse. At the culmination of the voting stage, the firehouse with the most votes will win the grand prize. The winner will be announced the week of May 14, 2007.

Circuit City developed firedog across America to kick off its new service, firedog, a one-stop shop for consumers' technology needs: www.firedog.com. Circuit City's firedog technicians install, optimize, repair, and make technology purchases simple so consumers don't have to waste time with piles of manuals and tricky cables.

As part of the December launch, Circuit City and firedog also presented $100,000 donations to both the FDNY Foundation, which supports New York City Fire Department initiatives, and the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation for its efforts in helping children of law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta were on hand to receive the donations.

Again, we wanted to share information about the firedog Across America contest with The Inspirational Blog in hopes that you'd let your readers know about it and help us honor and generate donations for America's fire safety community. I've included the list of ten finalist firehouses below. Please let me know if you decide to encourage your readers to vote for their favorite at http://www.firedog.com/ or if I can provide you with further information.

If you do decide to share the contest with your readers, visit our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/circuitcityfiredog where you'll find the ten finalist videos available for embedding. There is also a banner available for your use. If you'd like me to send it, please let me know.

Best,
Matt

Matt Navitsky
Fleishman-Hillard
On behalf of firedog
202-659-5897

Building Self-Confidence

2007-03-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Something I received in my email a few days back which I like to share with you.

Very often, before other people will start to have faith in you, you have to have confidence in your own abilities. Self-confidence is a very powerful state of mind that other people quickly notice and easily respect. So how can you develop a high-level of self-confidence?

Consider these steps:

First, choose to concentrate on your strengths rather than on your weaknesses. Confidence comes from within. You have to concentrate on the positive things about yourself. Remember the past is over; you can only change the future. If you have trouble doing this, write down ten positive things about yourself. People often find it very helpful to actually see the words.

Concentrate on your potentials. These are the reasons why you should love yourself and believe in yourself. Give yourself credit for every successful or good thing that you do. Next, remind yourself of past successes. Confidence builds on past success. The more you do this, the more convinced you'll be that it's possible to succeed again. Most people unfortunately can't help focusing on what they did wrong in the past. This failure to forget and let go damages their self-confidence.

Also, learn to take risks. Risk is a crucial part of life; it is necessary before any great success can be achieved. If you spend your life avoiding risk, you'll never experience all that life has to offer.

Cultivate an enthusiasm for trying out new things. Once you get past that initial barrier, you'll find that it's very empowering. Yes, you will fail sometimes but the lessons and experiences are invaluable. As you do and try more, your confidence level increases because you realise that you become more and more knowledgeable. Approach new experiences as opportunities to learn instead of occasions to win or lose.

Next, use self-talk as an opportunity to contradict destructive beliefs. For example, if you catch yourself expecting perfection, tell yourself that you can't do everything perfectly; that it's only possible to do your best.

And visualize your future success. Our minds cannot distinguish the difference between something real and something vividly imagined. What will your future look like, smell like, taste like, and feel like? Who will be with you, and where will you be? How will you be feeling? Placing this much vivid detail into your mind increases the likelihood of success, and supports greater confidence!

Read this too: How to Build Confidence and Peace of Mind

7 Ways To Stay Motivated

2007-02-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

You know what it’s like. You set yourself a goal, something you want to achieve. You are excited and ready to take on the world, and then a few months later you can’t even be bothered to spend 10 minutes working towards achieving it. Well welcome to being human! It is so easy to go from excitement to complete apathy but there are things you can do to ensure you stay motivated towards your goal and following are seven great ones!

1. Is Your Reason WHY Large Enough?

When I wanted to lose weight setting a goal to look great in clothes was not big enough, what didn’t help was the fact that I loved who I was and what I looked like, but my health had begun to show signs of being affected by my excess weight and this is the WHY I used to ensure I stayed on track. I started with 6 weeks of no diary, no wheat and red meat only once a week. Do you think I needed a big why to stay committed to such a regime??!! I knew that health is my true wealth. Having been unwell for 6 months and hardly able to walk had taught me that without my health my goals were useless. So maintaining a healthy body that would allow me to enjoy the fulfillment of my goals was the big WHY that kept me on track.

Stop and think about your reason WHY? What reason is big enough to keep you motivated at times when you want to give up and/or give in?

2. Create a visual and emotional image of what you want

Writing your goals down is an essential tool but not always enough to keep focused. Writing your goals down and having a visual image of you completing that goal adds fuel to the motivational fire. Writing goals down, having a visual image of your completed goal AND connecting this image with your emotions is the power of 3 that will ensure your motivation remains high. At any point during the day, or at any time when you are feeling in need of encouragement, you can simply stop, close your eyes, see your goal and evoke all the emotions achieving that goal holds for you. Nothing is more powerful!

3. Questions to ask before, during and after!

It is important to know not only why you are doing something but also WHAT. What achieving this goal will provide for yourself and your family. It is easy to believe that what you want is to make a million, but for many it is the lifestyle and the time freedom that this money has the potential to provide that will be the real motivation.

Spend time asking yourself questions that will help you identify what achieving your goal will provide. Questions such as:

•What will it bring me?

•What will it do for me, my family, and/or friends?

•What kind of lifestyle will I be able to have?

•What sacrifices will I need to make?

•What will be the impact on my current routine?

•What will be the impact on my family?

•What outcome do I want to achieve?

•What contributions will I be able to make

Motivation and staying motivated is easy when you know what the achievement of your goal will provide for you and we only really lose motivation when we lose sight of our goal or end result.

4. Creating a visual representation of what you want

Keep the motivational fires burning by creating a collage with the family of what your end result will look like, or paint a picture, write a poem, sing a song, or whatever creative endeavor excites you enough to complete it.

Whatever you create keep it in a place where you can see it constantly, I remember listening to someone talk about sticking a poster of making their first 100,000 on their ceiling so that as they woke up it was the first thing they saw each morning, and the last image in their mind before falling asleep.

Leave yourself reminders on your fridge door, on your bathroom mirror, in your car. The more places you are able to leave yourself little notes and reminders about what you want to achieve the better. Doing this will help your unconscious mind bring you the results you desire, whilst also supporting you in staying focused and motivated towards achieving your goal.

5.Get Support from people around you

Support from family and friends is important but also consider what other support is available to you. Books, mentoring, work colleagues, life coaching, forums – these are all things that can support you as you work towards achieving your goal. Also think about WHO can support you in staying motivated, can you buddy up with someone, do you have a boss or lecturer who will be happy to help you keep accountable.

One thing I recommend is that you tell as many people as you know about what you want to achieve, this has the effect of keeping you motivated to complete your goal because you have told so many people. However, a word of caution is needed here because it is easy for people to trample your dreams and fail to support you. You must first pick and choose carefully those people you know will want to support you, but also you must gain enough inner personal strength to be able to continue no matter what negative comments may come your way.

6.Develop Inner Personal Strength

Ultimately, the person who will determine whether you stay motivated and achieve your goal will be you. Your thoughts will determine your behavior which determines your results. Developing a strong inner personal strength about your ability to achieve and your ability to motivate yourself when you are in an unproductive state of mind is essential. Being able to see setbacks and failures as opportunities for continued growth and upset and emotional turmoil as opportunities to discover what you want and need, will determine how you view life. One of the best ways to inner personal strength is to read and listen to audios that inspire and motivate you. Continued learning is an essential part of being able to stay motivated.

7. Support from Continued Learning

If you are going to need to learn new skills to ensure you complete your goal then you it is a good idea to identify what learning you will need to undertake as early as possible. If you have planned out how you will achieve your outcome then you will already be aware of any areas where you need to strengthen your skills or out source to others who will be able to fulfill what you need.

There is nothing worse than getting halfway towards the completion of a goal and to be stopped because you are not able to complete something because of lack of knowledge and/or skills. This is a surefire way of dampening your excitement and your motivation.

Make a list of what you can and can’t do and who might be able to help you. Knowing this in advance can help you avoid getting frustrated because things aren’t getting done. If you are serious about developing your personal and professional life then I recommend getting yourself a Mentor or Life Coach, to ensure you stay on track.

You should also look at continued learning as it relates to your own personal development, continuing with your own personal development will ensure you are able to work through set backs quickly and stay motivated.

Staying motivated when you are looking to achieve your goals is essential for ultimate success. I have provided you with seven practical ways to achieve continued motivation and I recommend you use them all. Some of them such as creating a collage will be activities you perform occasionally, but others, such as continuing your personal development will be a continuous learning process. There is not one single thing that will determine your success in staying motivated but a combination of many, finding the combination that is right for you will change from goal to goal and will be an ongoing (fun filled) exploration.

About the Author: Diane Corriette runs the Personal Growth Podcast Directory. Listen to inspirational and motivational podcasts. If you create podcasts in the self-improvement area why not submit them to http://www.personalgrowthpodcastdirectory.com

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zones

2007-02-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Let's face it, there will always be things we fear in life. Some of us fear the obvious "biggies" like heights, spiders, fires or flying. However, many of us develop fears around things that shouldn't hinder us, but often do. Do you fear rejection? Taking risks? Failure? Success?

All of us have the tendency to form "comfort zones" around ourselves: boundaries between what makes us feel comfortable, and uncomfortable. Comfort zones are not always bad. Sometimes they can prevent us from doing something stupid or reckless. Most often, however, our comfort zones are built on a belief that may or may not be true. If you've experienced a particularly painful rejection in the past, you might create a comfort zone that will prevent you from "sticking your neck out there" and being rejected again. In this case, the comfort zone itself isn't the problem. The underlying belief that you will be rejected again is the problem.

Just because you've been rejected in the past does not mean you will be rejected again in the future. That particular comfort zone will cause you to act in ways that are counterproductive to your own success in life. You will dread meeting new people, getting involved in relationships or even applying for new jobs. Deep inside, part of you will be expecting to be rejected again, and you will do whatever you can to limit the possibility of that happening. Pain isn't fun to experience, and it's amazing how our minds will avoid it at all costs!

Maybe you're not even aware of most of your comfort zones. Take a look at your life as it is right now. Are you making as much money as you'd like? Are you happy with your job? Do you love meeting new people and getting to know them? Are you able to set new goals for yourself and achieve them? If you answered yes to these questions, you probably aren't being hindered in any way by your comfort zones. If you answered no to any of these questions, you might have some issues to work through.

Here is a simple way to discover if your fears are holding you back: make a list of the worst possible things you can imagine happening. What are your deepest fears? What aspects of your life don't you enjoy? And why? If you don't enjoy meeting new people, ask yourself why that is. What is the worst thing you can imagine happening regarding meeting someone new? Be honest with yourself. You don't have to show this list to anyone.

Once you know what you are truly afraid of, ask yourself what the consequences would be if your worst fear were to be realized. And could you live with those consequences? Using the rejection example again, what would be the consequences of being rejected again? Would you be able to live with that? I think you'll be surprised at how small most of the consequences are, and how easily we could live with them if we had to.

Fear has a way of making itself much bigger in our minds than it is in reality! We work ourselves into a sweat, terrified of the "what ifs" -- when in fact, the outcome would be no big deal really. As with most other things, we'd simply pick ourselves up and continue on our way.

Once you know what your fears are, and you understand and accept the consequences, immediately do the thing you fear most. Yes, that's right, I'm encouraging you to step out of your comfort zones! Refuse to let fear control you. Tell your fear, "Thanks for trying to protect me, but I'm going to do it anyway." And then just do it. Then do it again. And again. The first few times you step out of your comfort zones, you WILL be uncomfortable. Expect that and accept it. Fear won't vanish overnight. But it will go away after your mind understands that the fear is groundless.

Now, just because you conquer your fears and expand your comfort zones doesn't mean you should become reckless either. There is a big difference between blindly leaping into the unknown, and taking a calculated risk. Before acting, take a few minutes to think about the action you want to take, consider the consequences, and ask if you're willing to accept them. If you are, go for it. If you're not, that's all right! Don't feel like you have to push yourself beyond what you'd be willing to accept. You can put the issue on the back burner for awhile and reconsider it later.

The point is to stop letting fear make your decisions, and start making them yourself. It will take some time to get used to this new way of thinking, but before long you'll automatically begin questioning your fear and stop letting it control you. Once that happens, there is no telling the levels of success and happiness you can reach!

About the Author: Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer specializing in self-improvement and personal development concepts. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for free articles on positive thinking, goal-setting, self-esteem, personal growth, and more.

My Short Essay About the Philippines

2007-01-31T05:07:00.000-08:00

An inspiring message I receive in my email which I would very much like to share with you. This article is said to be written by a Korean student studying in the Philippines. I do not know how true this is but I think it is worth a read. I did not make any changes to the article or the grammar as I think what is most important is the content of the article. I too saw a lot of street kids when I was in Philippines and it certainly is sad to see these young kids peddling between cars trying to make a meager living.

My Short Essay About the Philippines
Jaeyoun Kim

Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines. Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines.

Let me first talk about my country, Korea. It might help you understand my point. After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.

Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia. We envy Filipinos. Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine. Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.

Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.

40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.

In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked to him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea . So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.

Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off. Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.

My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people. I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to mass and work for Church. They pray everyday.

However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines.

Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighborhood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.

When I was in Korea, I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed.

My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pasangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat. They said that they would not take the boat again because they were sympathized the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.

My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.

I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.

I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country.

Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines . Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.

That's all I really want to ask you Filipinos.

How to Build Confidence and Peace of Mind

2007-01-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

Copyright © 2006 Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. Adapted from Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway ®. Article used by permission of Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

A very powerful and useful email I received a few days back which I like to share with you. I like point 4 especially. I remember when I was on business trip to the Philippines, my role required me to make presentation to educate people on air pollution. Was I ever ready to make the first presentation? The truth is I was never ready. Did I have the fear of conducting the presentation? I had and I still have. But I found out that the best way to fight the fear and be ready, is in the doing. The more I do what I fear, the more chance I have in controlling that fear.

There are few of us who escape feelings of fear and self-doubt as we go about our life. Not to worry! We can all learn how to create within us a wonderful sense of confidence and peace of mind as we face all situations in our lives. Here are very powerful tools to help us push through the fear and self-doubt in order to create a beautiful and satisfying life ...

1. Build your sense of trust in yourself. Your first task is to build the trust that whatever happens in your life, you can handle it all. Right now, think of something about any area of your life that is bothering you and repeat to yourself ten times the important words, "Whatever happens, I'll handle it." I suspect you will immediately begin to feel a sense of peace within your being. These are important words to have when the "what if" come up. "What if I lose my job? I'll handle it." "What if I get sick? I'll handle it." "What if something happens to my marriage? I'll handle it." And what does "I'll handle it" mean? It means, "I'll learn from it. I'll grow from it. I'll make it a triumph!"

2. Do your very best, then let go of the outcome. To help you let go, develop the trust that "It's all happening perfectly." This calming affirmation is a shortened version of: "I've done my best, but even if things don't go the way I want them to go, I will simply find a way to be enriched by whatever life brings me. I will learn and grow from it all. Therefore, it truly is all happening perfectly." Repetition over and over again of this wonderful affirmation, will definitely quiet the negative chatter of the mind and help you let go of the outcome. Peace at last!

3. Stop complaining. Complaining is a big clue that you are not taking responsibility for your experience of life. Instead of seeing life's obstacles as problems, see them as opportunities, opening the door to growth. When you can control your reactions to whatever life hands you, you have the upper hand. You now have a choice: You can create your own misery ... or you can create your own sense of growth and wellbeing. That's power! Every time you have the opportunity to stretch your capacity to handle the world around you, the more powerful and confident you will feel.

4. Yes, "Feel the fear and do it anyway. "Often we think, "I'll do it when I am not so afraid." But in reality, it works the other way round. The "doing it" comes before the fear goes away. The only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it. Action is the key. Once you have done something you have feared a number of times, guess what happens ... the fear of that particular situation goes away. And it's then time to further expand the comfort zone and move on to the next situation you fear. That's what growth is all about. And as your confidence builds, it will become easier and easier to "feel the fear and do it anyway!"

5. When making decisions, adopt the "no-lose" philosophy. The "no-lose" philosophy tells us that "I can't lose - regardless of the outcome of the decision I make. I look forward to the opportunities for learning and for growing that either choice gives me." Remember, if you learn through your "mistakes," there are no mistakes! In this way, the "no-lose" approach to decision-making guarantees that all your decisions will be the right decisions.

6. Know that you count. Know that your presence makes a difference. If you don't understand this very important fact, act as if you do make a difference! Just keep asking yourself the "act-as-if" question in all areas of your life: "What would I be doing if I were really important here?" Make a list and then take action. Soon you will "live into" the realization that you really are important.

7. Commit 100% to all areas of your life. That means when you are at work or with your family and friends, or meeting new people, or volunteering in the community ... or whatever ... give it all you've got, holding nothing back. When you commit to giving 100%, your sense of focus, excitement, participation, enjoyment, fulfillment, and happiness come alive. What a glorious feeling that is!

8. Say "thank you" a lot. Saying "thank you" is a wonderful way to make important connections in all areas of your life. The words "thank you" can also help you appreciate and focus on all the good that is around you, thus helping you release any feelings of anger and resentment you may be holding. You can see why the words "thank you" are two of the most powerful words ever spoken.

If you, step by step, begin incorporating into your life these tips, your sense of confidence and peace of mind will grow and grow. Remember: there is plenty of time...but now is definitely the time to begin!

Get a Copy of Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D

A Simple Recipe For Success – Never Accept Limitation by Oluwafisayo A.

2007-01-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

A great article! This article reminds me of Morris Goodman, "The Miracle Man." At the peak of his life, when he took his new airplane for a test flight, his airplane crashed due to an accident. With his neck broken at C1 and C2, his spinal cord crushed, and every major muscle in his body destroyed, Morris was no longer able to perform any bodily function except to blink his eyes. His injuries were too severe for him to survive. Not only did he survive the crush, rebuilt his body but also his mind and outlook on life. Today, Morris is a highly sought after speaker. He truly demonstrated the power of faith, courage and determination against his 'limitation'.

Beethoven composed some of the world’s best music. His handicap? He was deaf. One of the world’s greatest leaders was US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His handicap? He served from a wheelchair.

Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, a double pneumonia and scarlet fever left her paralyzed with polo. She had to wear a brace and the doctors said she would never walk again. But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith, she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, “I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth.” At age nine, against the doctors’ advice, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors said she never would. At age 13, she entered her first race and came out last. She entered the second race and third and fourth, she kept coming out last until one day, she came out first.

At the age of 15, she went to Tennessee State University and met a coach names Ed Temple. She told him “I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth.” Temple said, “With your spirit, nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you.”

The day came. She was at the Olympics where you are matched with the best of the very best. Wilma was matched against Jutta Heine who had never been beaten. The first event was the 100meter race. Wilma beat Jutta and won her first Olympic gold medal. The second event was the 200meter race and for the second time, Wilma beat Jutta to claim the second gold medal. The third event was the 400meter relay and she was again racing against Jutta. In the relay, the fastest person always ran the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed baton easily. When it was Wilma’s turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shooting off; she picked up the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta again and for the third time, claimed the gold medal.

History was made. A paralytic woman became the world’s fastest woman on the earth at the 1960 Olympics.

One of the greatest injustice anyone can do to his destiny is to have a fatalistic approach to destiny and to accept the forces of limitation. Great men realize that to become achievers, one has to become a master at the act of turning scars into stars. Henry David Thoreau said; “What a man thinks of himself; that is what determines, or rather indicates, his fate.”

Never accept limitation. That is a recipe for achievers that never fail to hit the mark.

© Oluwafisayo Akinlolu, 2007.

About the Author: Oluwafisayo is the Publisher of Achiever’s Digest Web-blog. Read more of his “Success Leaves Clues” articles at http://achieversdigest.com

Establishing Dreams and Goals by Jim Rohn

2007-01-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

A good article I received in my email a few years back about Dreams and Goals. It is challenging to dream and not only to dream, but to set goals to live out those dreams that we have. The part which catches my heart is, "Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families."

(Excerpted from Week Six of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful! And that is what we will discuss in detail this week: How to dream dreams and establish goals to get those dreams.

What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts (you get to do this in the workbook exercises this week).

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel Great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what Our dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams. Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.

Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.

Hubli's Plant Doctor

2006-12-26T07:05:00.000-08:00

An email which I received of an inspiring story of a man's selfless effort, time and money to make a difference to the environment and for people around him.

Setting himself a target of a thousand trees each year, Dr Mahantesh Tapashetti has greened his neighbourhood and surrounding areas in Hubli by himself. Many residents appreciate his work, and the Forest Department has been happy to support him, supplying trees for his care and planting them each year. Shree Padre reports.

The mortuary near the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital in Hubli presents a very unusual look; whereas in all other mortuaries, one cannot find any shade nearby where friends and relatives can take shelter while post-mortems of the recently deceased are carried out, here at the KIMS mortuary, there is plenty of shade for those in grief. The man behind this 'thankless job' is a busy ENT surgeon, Dr. Mahantesh C. Tapashetti, who has been silently planting and taking care of plants at public places in Hubli. Thanks to his 'treatment', in the last 12 years, Hubli has grown richer by 12,000 trees - an astonishing figure for a single individual's efforts.

Every day, he spares at least one hour for his dear plants. His car is always equipped with materials like twine, scissors and chicken mesh. On his 'check-up rounds', seeing a bent plant, he stops the vehicle and ties it back to its support. If the shoot is within reach of goats, he wraps a thin chicken mesh around it. "If you just take care of these plants for one year, that will suffice. After that, they grow without any problem", he explains.

Examples of Dr Tapashetti's plant doctoring are evident all around town. Earlier, there was not even a single tree around the playground at Dr.Joshi English Medium School . Today, 25 big trees encircle it, lending beauty and shade at the campus. This was one of the oldest 'adoptions' of the good doctor. "This land is strewn with rocks. As such, it required Herculean efforts to save the plants in the beginning", he reminisces while showing us around. When he was the Rotary President years ago, he got 1500 trees planted near the then-new bus-stand. These are growing very nicely now. BVB Engineering College , Santhosh Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, Vishweshwara Nagara, Nrupatunga Hills and Central School are some other areas where this doctors 'plant children' are raising their heads. Peltoforma trees planted decade ago on the edge of Central College have grown very big, providing shade for the students and teachers who relax here sitting on the cement rings constructed around the basins.

Once when Dr Mahantesh was passing by KIMS Medical College , the gardeners were trimming the fence. Amidst the ornamental shrubs, there were many trees like neem too, and the shoots of these trees were also being trimmed every year! Mahantesh went inside and discussed this with the authorities. This en-masse trimming had been the practice since the last 30 years, he learned! He persuaded the authorities otherwise; the trees which were allowed to grow since then have attained a height of 10-12 metres in only the last three years.

Greenery around revived tank

Three years ago, the Santhosh Nagar tank was silted. It was being encroached upon from all around by hutment dwellers. Unless something was done, Dr Tapashetti realised, the tank would go useless in a few years. He brought the alarming state of affairs to the municipal member Rayanagoudara. Luckily, the member took it seriously, evacuated all the encroachers, and got the tank desilted. Now this tank is full of water.

At the same time the plant doctor got trees planted all around the tank area. Seeing them today, it is very difficult to believe that these are just three years old. "Yes, we have irrigated each one of them throughout the summer. We had employed a labourer for this purpose specifically. In the last year, the rainfall was very meagre. So these plants had to be irrigated continuously for 14 months. Three kodas (a water vessel that is common in the state) of water to each plant, daily. When water was not available nearby, we got it in tankers too." Dr Tapashetti personally accompanies the tankers, making sure that water is distributed to each plant. Not only that, on some occasions, he physically carries kodas containing water on both his shoulders, as farmers do in villages.

A thousand plants each year - that's this plant doctor's target. The Forest Department happily co-operates with him by supplying and planting them. Neem, Pongamia, Rain Tree, Peltoforma etc are the main varieties he gets. "The forest department", he says, "has recognised my interest. 'Which area you would take up this year, doctor?' they ask me. In the area I suggest, they provide and plant the trees neatly. For my convenience in taking care [of these plants], I have selected most of the places within one kilometer of my residence."

Surprisingly, not all residents welcome his efforts. "Some house owners protest planting trees in front of their homes", he says. "We try to convince them. If they aren't willing, we don't plant there. Because if we plant against their wish, they themselves might cut them off." A particular problem area is Nrupathunga hill, the only hill in Hubli, covering approximately 50 acres. It appears green only during the monsoon months. Trees are very scarce. If only it is possible to develop a thick forest on this hill, it would have augmented the declining groundwater table of a bigger part of Hubli around it. But Mahantesh has stopped his afforestation efforts on the hills. "As we go on planting from one side, people start cutting from the other."

Wherever Mahantesh starts his 'after-care' of plants, the first step he takes is to arrange to harvest rain for the new plant. A simple furrow and trench does the job, and ensures the survival and growth rate of the plant. He explains, "seeing these structures, engineers complain that I am damaging their roads. But if they care to see and understand it properly, these tiny structures don't do any harm to pedestrians or vehicles passing by. Nor to the road as well." This low-effort technique to retain in-situ moisture is one of the secrets of Dr Tapashetti's plants health and growth.

Year-round activity

Planting trees is only a monsoon activity for many NGO's and social workers, but Mahantesh spends the whole year on his mission. In between, he always keeps an eye out for public places where the next year's planting programme could begin. Meeting public officials, convincing them, taking their permission, etc. is all done in the pre-monsoon months. And after taking care of the plants for one year intensively, he shifts his attention to the next area.

His wife, Dr Vijayalakshmi, a Professor at KIMS Medical College , recalls a memorable incident that happened a decade ago. "Our son Chandrasekhar was three years old. Father and son had gone to Nrupathunga hill. Mahantesh was so involved in inspecting the plants that he forgot the boy. This little boy came back alone walking all the way, half a kilometer on the road. Even now, when I recall the incident of such a small boy returning alone on road, my body shivers for a while." She adds, "now it's okay [to say this]. All our three children are grown-up."

How did this unusual interest get started? The doctor's memory takes him back to his native city of Bagalkot, which now lies submerged by the waters of the Alamatti dam. Mahantesh recalls, "there is a nasty disease of the nose by name Atrophic Rhinitis. Some glands at the inner side of the nose secrete a liquid that keeps it moist. Drying up of these glands causes this disease. The nose loses its ability to smell, and a bad odour starts emanating. Such patients are kept away by the rest of society. There is no cure for this. It's not clearly known why this disease occurs. But it affects mainly poor people, who lack good nutrition. Its occurrence is more in dry areas than in Malnad where there are abundant trees. So I felt that planting more and more trees would at least bring down the incidence of this disease."

While at Bagalkot, he planted 200-300 plants in three years. These trees, planted on a barren area falling in the campus of Basaveshwara Dental College have grown considerably now.

His year-round tending of plants and care requires substantial resources. How does the doctor meet these? "Once in a while I collect a little money from well-wishers who would contribute happily. For example, Reddy's Laboratories of Hyderabad paid for one year's care of all the plants near Santhosh Nagar tank. Some close friends too join hands and pitch in. The rest is from my pocket. God has given me a good opportunity to earn, you see", he explains.

Though many Hublians see and appreciate his work, Dr Tapashetti is a bit disappointed because he has not been successful in getting some like-minded to match his spirit and vision. Two years ago, Mahanthesh founded the Green India Club. However, this has remained a sort of one-man's organization. His interest, however, has not diminished, despite the failure to find similar minds to work alongside him. Sheshachala Karpoor, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Hubli Municipality, says, "I have known Dr Mahantesh's mission for a decade. There is no great soul like his in the whole of Hubli. A silent worker, he never goes in search of publicity. Have you ever seen a busy doctor like him physically digging a pit and carrying water on his shoulders elsewhere in this country?" ?

Dr Tapashetti can be reached at 79, 3rd Cross, Adarsh Nagar, Hubli 580032, or online at ashwini_sac@yahoo.co.in

The 13 Characteristics of Successful People by Jeffrey J. Mayer

2006-12-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

I got this email today which I would like to share with you.

I've spent many years studying successful people and have identified the skills, talents, and characteristics that enable them to succeed. As you look at and study these skills, talents, and characteristics, you'll realize that you possess many of them yourself. Some of these skills and talents are more dominant than others and will play a greater part in your being, or becoming, a success in the business of life. These are the things you do well. The things you do easily and effortlessly. These are your strengths. When you find you need a skill or talent you don't have, just go out and look for a person or group of people with the skills, talents, and training you need. Skills and talents that complement your own. These people will become your teammates, colleagues, co-workers, professional advisors, and friends. With these combined skills and talents organizations grow, prosper, and become successful.

These are the five things you'll find every successful person has in common:

1. They have a dream.
2. They have a plan.
3. They have specific knowledge or training.
4. They're willing to work hard.
5. They don't take no for an answer.

Remember: Success begins with a state of mind. You must believe you'll be successful in order to become a success.

The following is a list of the skills, talents, and characteristics you'll find in successful people:

1. Successful People Have a Dream. They have a well-defined purpose. They have a definite goal. They know what they want. They aren't easily influenced by the thoughts and opinions of others. They have willpower. They have ideas. Their strong desire brings strong results. They go out and do things that others say can't be done.

Remember: It only takes one sound idea to achieve success.
Remember: People who excel in life are those who produce results, not excuses. Anybody can come up with excuses and explanations for why he hasn't made it. Those who want to succeed badly enough don't make excuses.

2. Successful People Have Ambition. They want to accomplish something. They have enthusiasm, commitment, and pride. They have self-discipline. They're willing to work hard and to go the extra mile. They have a burning desire to succeed. They're willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Remember: With hard work come results. The joy in life comes with working for and achieving something.

3. Successful People Are Strongly Motivated Toward Achievement. They take great satisfaction in accomplishing a task.

4. Successful People Are Focused. They concentrate on their main goals and objectives. They don't get sidetracked. They don't procrastinate. They work on the projects that are important, and don't allow those projects to sit until the last minute. They're productive, not just busy.

5. Successful People Learn How to Get Things Done. They use their skills, talents, energies, and knowledge to the fullest extent possible. They do the things that need to be done, not just the things they like to do. They are willing to work hard and to commit themselves to getting the job done.

Remember: Happiness is found in doing and accomplishing, not in owning and possessing.

Anecdote: Many years ago I was asked: "Jeff, do you like pleasing habits or pleasing results?" As I pondered that probing question, and squirmed in my chair like a worm at the end of a hook, I felt as if I had painted myself into a corner. A few moments later I answered: "I like pleasing results." From that moment on my life changed. I began to do the things that were difficult, because they enabled me to achieve my goals.

6. Successful People Take Responsibility for Their Actions. They don't make excuses. They don't blame others. They don't whine and complain.

7. Successful People Look for Solutions to Problems. They're opportunity minded. When they see opportunities they take advantage of them.

8. Successful People Make Decisions. They think about the issues and relevant facts, give them adequate deliberation and consideration, and make a decision. Decisions aren't put off or delayed, they're made now!

SuccessTip: Spend more time thinking and planning before you make your decision, and you'll make better decisions.

SuccessTip: When you don't get the expected results from the decision you've made, change your course of action. Decisions should never be carved in stone.

9. Successful People Have the Courage to Admit They've Made a Mistake. When you make a mistake, admit it, fix it, and move on. Don't waste a lot of time, energy, money, and/or other resources trying to defend a mistake or a bad decision.

Remember: When people are wrong, they may admit it to themselves. If they are handled gently and tactfully, they may admit it to others and even take pride in their frankness and broad-mindedness. But people become very defensive and angry when others try to cram their mistakes down their throats.

10. Successful People Are Self-Reliant. They have the skills, talents, and training that are needed in order to be successful.

11. Successful People Have Specific Knowledge, Training, and/or Skills and Talents. They know the things they need to know to be successful. And when they need information, knowledge, or skills and talents that they don't possess, they find someone who does possess them.

12. Successful People Work with and Cooperate with Other People. They have positive, outgoing personalities. They surround themselves with people who offer them help, support, and encouragement. They are leaders.

13. Successful People Are Enthusiastic. They're excited by what they're doing, and that excitement is contagious. They draw people to them because these people want to work with them, do business with them, and be with them.

A-B-C Method of Managing Attitudes

2006-12-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

As an airport skycap checked through a customer at curbside, he accidentally knocked over the man's luggage. He quickly collected the fallen bags and apologized for the mishap. Unappeased, the traveler burst into an angry tirade, raging and swearing at the skycap for his clumsiness. Throughout the traveler's rant, the baggage handler simply apologized and smiled. The angry man continued to berate the skycap, until he finally headed off to catch his plane. Even then the baggage handler remained calm and passively smiled.

The next customer in line witnessed the incident and marveled at the skycap's professionalism and control. "I have never seen such restraint and humility," he said. "How do you keep your cool when somebody is attacking you so viciously?"

"It's easy," the skycap answered. "He's going to Denver, but his bags are going to Detroit."

That is certainly ONE way of managing attitudes, but here is a more constructive approach.

Have you heard of the A-B-C method of managing your attitude? It's simple and effective.

"A" stands for the "Activating Event." Let's say you get stuck in traffic. The traffic jam is the activating event.

"B" stands for your "Belief System." You believe that traffic is only getting worse and you'll have more and more days like this ahead.

"C" stands for the "Consequence of the Event." You become angry. You want to honk your horn. Your stomach is tied in knots and you bang the dashboard with your fist.

The problem is...most people jump directly from "A" to "C." They get stuck in traffic and become angry. They think the traffic jam made them upset. They don't realize that they didn't HAVE to get angry. They skipped an important step!

Let's try it again:

"A" - you get stuck in traffic.

"B" - you believe that you were given some unexpected and extra time to spend in solitude, to listen to a great tape or to plan your day.

"C" - the consequence is that you feel gratitude for the gift of time.

I have a friend who is fond of saying, "A traffic jam has no power to make us angry. It just stops our car." He is aware that between the activating event and the consequence is something that we control: our beliefs about what is happening.

The next time you have a problem -- at home or at work, big or small -- decide to manage your attitude toward it. Practice the A-B-C method. You probably can't change "A," the activating event. But try changing "B," your beliefs about the problem. When you change your beliefs, you also change "C," the consequences of the situation.

It's as simple as A-B-C. Manage your beliefs, and you'll manage to be a lot happier!

__________

Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com.

Motivation Equation And Orientation by Kurt Mortensen

2006-12-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

A good article on motivation; whether it is externel or internal. Motivation can be either a push or pull factor. Find out which can be more lasting and use it to motivate your team.

When we break motivation down to its most fundamental level, it’s either inspiration-oriented or desperation-oriented. Whatever action we take, we are moving either toward something we favor or away from something we disfavor.

The majority of the world uses desperation as a motivator. Desperation is like a cattle prod forcing you to move forward and take action. You can motivate anyone on your team with desperation. The problem is that motivation spurred by desperation does not last. When desperation is the motivator, sales reps are in an “away from” mentality.

This kind of motivation is fleeting, arising only when threat, fear or discomfort is present. If you want motivation to last, you need to rely on inspiration. When your team is motivated by inspiration, they’re moving of their own initiative because they want to and are excited to, rather than because they are being forced to. Motivation becomes long term when it taps into a person’s inner recesses.

While the inspiration approach is certainly the more appealing of the two motivational methods, sometimes there has to be an element of “desperation.” I don’t mean that you want to cause your team members to feel despair, but sometimes things that push us away have to be present just as much as things that draw us near. The main reason for this recommendation is that if inspiration isn’t quite enough, your prospects may just simply fall into inactivity. That is, they fall into a comfort zone.

I’ve developed a grid that maps out the different motivators, their varying degrees and the effects they have on others. Draw a horizontal and an intersecting vertical axis on your paper. On the left of the horizontal axis, write “Desperation.” On the right of the horizontal axis, write “Inspiration.” At the top of the vertical axis, write “Internal” and at the bottom of the vertical axis, write “External.” In the Internal Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “A.” In the External Inspiration quadrant, write the letter “B.” In the Internal Desperation quadrant, write the letter “C.” In your last quadrant, External Desperation, write the letter “D.”

The central region is the comfort zone, where we experience complacency. How do you get someone on your team to move outside the middle? Let’s start with the short-term, easy form of motivation, quadrant D, where we find external desperation. You apply an external pressure to force someone into action. In other words, your team members must do what you say or they’re fired. “Hit these numbers or pack your bags.” Sure, it will work temporarily, but long-term consequences will result.

The next area of the Motivation Equation is quadrant C, where we find internal desperation. Desperation motivation can be made internal if you can use your prospects’ sense of duty or obligation to get them to move. Internal motivation works something like this: “I’m getting paid, so I guess I have to do this. If I don’t do this, the team will miss its quota.” You can see that in both of these examples, the person is acting of her/his own initiative but only out of obligation or to avoid a worse consequence.

So, is there a place for either of these latter two motivational approaches? Yes, but use them sparingly. Most teams will not put up with this treatment unless they know it is tough love. Every once in a while, when other things have failed, you can use these types of motivation. You have to let your team know not only that there are positive consequences for their actions, but if they don’t perform, there may be negative consequences as well. There has to be a baseline or a standard from which to evaluate the situation. Your team members can’t think that no matter what they will always have a job. Let’s face it—sometimes we all need a kick in the pants.

When we do resort to this approach, it’s usually a negative circumstance based on desperation. Just don’t go overboard or take it to the extreme. Make sure before you use any negative reinforcement that your sales rep has the tools s/he needs to get the job done. Does s/he need more training? Does s/he know exactly what you expect and how to do it?

The next quadrant is quadrant B, where we find external inspiration. Here, it is still external factors that influence you, but this time in a positive way. You are inspired and energized rather than acting simply to avoid pain. External inspiration is getting on the right motivational track because it can grow into internal inspiration. Sometimes, this quadrant is referred to as “borrowed light.” It’s OK to be guided and inspired by borrowed light until you’ve lit your own flame. At least this kind of motivation keeps you progressing in a positive way. Even with external influences, this type of motivation can produce long-term effects because it is inspiring and thus begins to tap into your inner emotions.

The best type of motivation is internal motivation, as shown in quadrant A. This quadrant is what we call passion. There’s no stopping the person who has found inspiration that is purely internally driven. You can wind her/him up and s/he’ll go on forever.

Hopefully, this chapter has given you lots of ideas on how to help individual team members as well as your team as a whole feel more motivated. As I said earlier, this material will apply to certain people in certain situations and will help them learn to find the right tools. The point is, you possess the knowledge and are equipped to take on any situation. Review this chapter anytime you need to give your team a boost, or even just to keep current momentum going. Of course, any of these suggestions may be adapted to suit your team’s specific needs.

Questions

1. Why is the mindset of your sales force the foundation of your success?

2. What are three ways in which you can praise and recognize your team? How will you implement these strategies?

3. Gallup Consulting Group has spent more than two decades interviewing hundreds of thousands of salespeople in an effort to help corporate clients form and develop their sales teams. Its findings suggest that the top four qualities of top-tier producers are: 1) solid closing skills; 2) self-motivation; 3) strong work ethic and 4) excellent people and relationship skills. How can you implement these four qualities into your sales team?

About The Author: Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal. Go to http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid and explode your income today.

Dream

2006-12-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

An article that I received a few days back in my email which I like to share.

"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve." Would you agree with the statement that a dream is born from an idea-a simple idea conceived in the mind?

Back in the 19th century two brothers had an idea which eventually became their passionate and consuming dream. Their relentless pursuit of that dream was rewarded with an accomplishment that changed world travel.

On Friday December 17, 1903 at 10:35 AM, the Wright brothers (Wilbur and Orville) achieved their dream. They flew "the world's first power-driven, heavier-than- air machine in which man made free, controlled, and sustained flight." This memorable feat took place at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on a cold windy morning.

The dream started with an idea that was planted in their minds by a toy given to them by their father. In the words of the boys, "Late in the autumn of 1878, our father came into the house one evening with some object partly concealed in his hands, and before we could see what it was, he tossed it into the air. Instead of falling to the floor, as we expected, it flew across the room till it struck the ceiling, where it fluttered awhile, and finally sank to the floor." This simple toy made of bamboo, cork and stretched rubber bands, fascinated the Wright brothers and sparked their life long interest in human flight.

The Wright brothers were great thinkers. They enjoyed learning new things. Initially, they recycled broken parts, built a printing press and opened their own printing office. Their interest moved to bicycles and in 1893, they opened the Wright Cycle Company where they sold and repaired bicycles. But Wilbur (the older brother) had his mind set on something more exciting. He decided to seriously pursue flying.

The brothers spent many hours researching, testing their machines and making improvements after unsuccessful attempts at human flight. What started out as a hobby soon became a passion. With determination and patience they realized their dream in 1903.

The next time you hear or see an airplane or travel on one, remember where it all started. A simply idea conceived in the minds of two young men who did not finish high school. Believe it or not, they did not have a University degree in Aeronautical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or any other subject.

They were not scientists in the true sense of the word. In fact, many of their peers who did not witness their accomplishment, had trouble believing that two bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio did what they claimed.

What idea or ideas are YOU working on? Have you said you can't do this or that because you are not a scientist? Have you limited yourself by saying you are not smart enough? Or have you joined the majority in saying that everything has already been invented or discovered?

Since the introduction of the first generation of personal computers in 1981, we are able to do many things more efficiently. With a super computer between your ears and the personal computer at your finger tips, your dream can be achieved. First, give birth to that dream with an idea. A simple idea that ANYONE of us can conceive!

How To Use Goals As A Time Management Tool

2006-12-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

You’ve heard the saying, “If you do not know where you are going, how will you know when you get there.” Imagine the aggravation of traveling by automobile to another state for a conference, meeting or preferably a vacation, without a map as a guide, the convenience of map quest or have the privilege to have On Star in your automobile to determine the best route to take to get to your destination. You would travel unnecessary routes, waste time and increase your stress level 100 percent. Why would you do this to yourself?

Well, you do it to yourself in your business if you do not have clearly defined goals which pave a way to your desired destination or outcome. Let’s explore three simple ways to use goals as a time management tool.

Define Goals

The Webster Dictionary defines goals as a purpose; objective. I define goals as a route, plan or series of steps to get to a desired destination or outcome. You must have clear goals stating what you would like to accomplish in your business. What are your goals? What would you like to accomplish within the next three, six or twelve months? If you do not have a least five concise, clear goals written down you must do it now. Define your short term and long term goals. Without a direction or plan you will spend your days and time aimlessly without being productive. Don’t get stuck working in your business, work on your business.

Know The End Before You Began

Upon completion of defining your goals, it is best to know the end before you began. What will be the desired result of your goal? For example, one of my goals was to have a monthly e-zine, the monthly e-zine is the desired result, the end. In order to reach that result, I had to brainstorm on the necessary steps needed to get to the end. I studied other e-zines publications, auto responders, researched topics and wrote articles, created and included an opt-in box on my web page for subscribers. Those steps became my road map, my atlas to get to my desired outcome. It also broke my goal down to smaller reachable tasks that I could include in my daily schedule. How do you eat an elephant? One piece at a time!

Take Daily Action Steps

You must commit to completing daily tasks towards your goals until successful completion. You’ve defined your goal, mapped out the steps, now get out your planner and block time everyday to work on your tasks. Do not add the tasks to your “to do list”, actually put it in your schedule so that you are expected to work on it no matter what else is going on. If I schedule writing articles from 9:00 am – 10:00 am, I will not do anything else during this time, I will not answer the telephone or check email messages. Time blocked on your schedule should be uninterrupted time avoiding all time wasters. Develop a habit to plan your next day’s schedule at the end of your current work day, this will keep you organize, monitor your time and increase your productivity.

© 2006 Bridgette Boudreaux

About The Author: Business Coach, Bridgette Boudreaux, teaches small business owners to get it all done in 6 hours or less daily! If you’d like to accelerate your business productivity and increase revenue while finding time for family & fun stuff with Bridgette’s simple but powerful 5 Step System, call today to schedule a FREE half-hour phone consultation at 512-351-4842. Learn more now at http://www.YourTime2Soar.com

A Clever Dog

2006-12-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

A very interesting analogy which brings out one very important point of Human - contentment. Should we be contented with our life and what we have or should we continue to strive for excellent? I think there should be a balance. We must be grateful for what we already have and yet at the same time to strive to be a better person. It also touches on some important qualities of a leader, someone who must be willing to serve others and who must know when to give appreciation to his team members.

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he saw a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again.

So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well."

The butcher looks inside and, lo and behold, there is a ten dollar Note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut up shop and follow the dog.

So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes To a level crossing.

The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then he waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.

The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable.

The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat.

Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now, open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus.

The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog Looking at the scenery. Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on 2 back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth.

Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step.

Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door. He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it. There's no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden.

He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him. The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are You doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."

Reflection:
Some people will never be satisfied with what they've got.

Lesson from The Story :

When it comes to the work place, Employers do not know how to appreciate their people who have served them loyally through the years. I've seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation.

Employers with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others. They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior.

They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools, and everyone but them knows it.

They are never satisfied because they could not be satisfied even if their people perform well.

They don't listen to the opinion and ideas of their subordinates.

Why? Because of their pride and insecurity. People of this kind will never be satisfied. Why? Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, the self can never be satisfied.

Happy and productive people are always those who are "others-centered" rather than "self- centered."

The greatest idea of leadership is not someone who throws his weight around. Rather, he is a servant.

Leadership - The Test Of A Clear Vision

2006-12-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

An informative article about vision. Indeed, one of the important qualities of a leader is to be able to put forth the vision clearly to the whole organisation and moving everyone in an unified direction towards the vision.

Many leaders assume that everyone understands their vision. Often there is a big gap between their vision and what the people they lead see as the vision. Unfortunately many leaders don’t take the time to actually find out how well they have expressed their vision to their team.

When the vision is uncertain, people tend to default to doing whatever vision seems best to them. In a medium sized organization I heard one of the vice presidents gave his opinion on a branding issue and then casually mentioned how it aligned with the vision. However, the vision he articulated was very different from the CEO’s vision. In fact the vice presidents view of the CEO's vision was 180 degrees from what the CEO had articulated as his vision. This was not the vice president's fault. I’m sure the CEO thought he had communicated the vision clearly, but the test of a well-communicated vision is whether or not the people responsible for implementing the vision correctly understand it.

A very simple way to test your organization’s vision alignment is ask people to write down the vision anonymously on a piece of paper in a short paragraph. Keeping the process anonymous helps people concentrate more on articulating the vision and less on worrying about getting it wrong or any repercussions from an incorrect answer . Once you get the feedback read over each and every vision statement.

If everyone comes back and states the vision exactly as you feel you’ve communicated it, consider yourself fortunate. Most of the time this will not be the case. You will probably discover that what people see as the vision, is not what you thought you communicated. By taking this information and attempting to discover the sources of the miscommunication you can prepare yourself to better communicate your vision in the future.

About The Author: Leadership501 is a website with resources for leaders and people in management positions. Please visit http://www.leadership501.com to learn more about how to develop a clear vision for your organization.

101 Ways To Motivate, Energize And Inspire Your Team

2006-12-06T06:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a long list of effective and simple incentives for your team.

At the conclusion of an incentive program, it is important to assess how successful it was. Did you get the results you wanted? One of the best ways to judge the program’s effectiveness, besides considering your own observations, is to get feedback from the reps and administrators involved. You want to be sure that your directions were communicated clearly and at the right intervals, that the rewards were appealing and sparked interest and drive, that your team members felt supported and prepared to take on the challenges being presented, that the program boosted morale, team effort, energy and creativity,etc.

What were the weaknesses, if any? Did the program meet or fall short of participants’ expectations? And of course, you must consider the bottom line impact on sales. Another important thing that cannot be overlooked is whether there may have been any outside influence that you did not have any control over. For example, has the industry experienced an increase in pricing? Was the product or service new, or has there been longstanding consumer awareness and recognition of it? Have there been any fluctuations in the company’s marketing campaigns? All of these questions can basically be broken down into different areas, such as goals, budget or administration. In each area, identify what worked and what didn’t so you have concrete information to help you develop your next incentive program.

I have outlined a list of different activities and they have been categorized for your convenience.

Group Building

1. Movie day—bring popcorn
2. Water-skiing/Lake trip
3. Join the city softball team
4. Go watch a professional team sport
5. Miniature golf
6. Volunteer opportunities
7. Cold-calling contest
8. Work-at-home week
9. Have the CEO address the sales staff
10. Racecar contest
11. Bring in a comedian for sales training
12. Fun, harmless practical jokes
13. Joke of the day to start a meeting
14. Bring in take-out for reps staying late
15. Laser tag
16. Ropes course
17. Bowling
18. Free lunch for the first sale of the day
19. VM broadcast about someone’s personal success
20. Company Olympics

Company Socials

21. Luau
22. Fiesta
23. Ice cream social
24. Barbeque
25. Pizza party
26. Customer appreciation day
27. Four-day weekend
28. Bring in donuts
29. Company newsletter about the success of the week
30. Dress up like Santa and hand out gifts
31. Thanksgiving or other holiday party

Esteem Building/Awards

32. Best phone demeanor
33. Best dresser
34. Most creative close
35. Best sales week
36. Most improved
37. Best team player
38. Most cold calls
39. Most new clients
40. Best customer service
41. Top attitude
42. Special note or email
43. Telegram
44. FedEx special note
45. Thank-you card
46. Personal pat on back
47. Lead part of a training meeting
48. Personal goal-setting meeting
49. Suggestion box
50. Personal call from CEO

Simple compliments like…

51. You’re incredible.
52. You’re a good…
53. I believe in you.
54. Great job!
55. You made my day.
56. Hug.
57. Thank you for …
58. I’m proud of you.
59. Perfect.
60. You’re awesome!
61. Well Done.
62. Great!
63. Excellent!
64. I knew you could do it.
65. I trust you.
66. Spectacular!
67. Outstanding!
68. I’m your biggest fan.

Friendly gestures like…

69. Smile
70. Warm handshake
71. Pat on the back

Individual Building

72. Daily contact with praise
73. Let them off to take their children to school on the first day
74. Free calls on company cell phones
75. Motivational plaque
76. Health club membership
77. Lotto wheel
78. Drive CEO’s car for the week
79. Shirt/Hat with logo
80. Special parking spot
81. Photo with CEO
82. Remodel office
83. Disneyland trip
84. Porsche for weekend

Personal Development

85. Books
- As a Man Thinketh
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Swim With the Sharks
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- Maximum Influence
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
- Think and Grow Rich
- Psycho-Cybernetics
- The Magic of Thinking Big
- Learned Optimism

86. Videos
Remember the Titans
Miracle
Rocky
Chariots of Fire
Apollo 13
Field of Dreams
Mr. Holland’s Opus
Seabiscuit
The Right Stuff
The Rookie

87. Audios
- The Secrets to Manifesting Your Destiny
- Lead the Field
- Unleash the Power Within
- The Psychology of Selling
- Magnetic Persuasion
- Present with Power
- The Strangest Secret
- Exponential Success
- The Science of Personal Achievement
- The Psychology of Winning

88. Travel Incentives
- Hawaii
- Upgrade to first class
- Local hotel with dinner
- Limo to airport
- Las Vegas
- Bermuda
- Cancun
- Caribbean cruise
- Free miles to fly
- Tahiti
- Hotel suite upgrade
- Australia

Monetary Rewards

89. Large-screen TV
90. Computer
91. DVD player
92. $100 bill
93. Lottery tickets
94. Restaurant gift certificates
95. Cashews
96. Take the rep’s family to dinner
97. Department store gift certificate
98. Movie rental gift certificate
99. Costco certificate
100. Bookstore gift certificate
101. New suit

About The Author: Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; you should attract customers, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. Claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know by going to http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid and get my free report "10 Mistakes that Cost You Thousands."

Inspirational and Heart Touching Story of a Dancer

2006-12-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

I received this very inspiring story in my email a few days back which I would like to share it with you. How would you expect someone with a leg amputated and yet still make it big in dancing? She did it and inspire others. More Power to you!

Sudha Chandran, a classical dancer from India, was cut off in the prime of her career - quite literally - when her right leg had to be amputated after a car accident.

The dancer was 17 when tragedy struck. Her right leg was badly injured in a traffic accident and had to be amputated below the knee when gangrene set in. The tragedy was all the more poignant as Sudha was on the verge of beginning a glittering career in Baratha Natyam, one of the most exacting forms of Indian classical dance. Sudha's world crumbled. She felt that all the years of training had gone to waste and in any case what kind of life was it to be without a leg. The reality that she would never dance again was too much to cope with, she simply did not want to live.

During the six month recuperation period after surgery she became obsessed with the idea of walking again but without crutches. By chance she picked up a magazine and read about Dr Sethi and his famous Jaipur foot and immediately made an appointment to see him. This was in December 1981.

The first question she asked of him was 'will I dance again?'. His reply without hesitation was 'why not'. They tried out various options including a spring loaded ankle fitting for more flexibility essential for the intricate footwork required in Baratha Natyam. The spring was not successful as it kept jamming during practice. For the next round of fittings Sudha brought her dance teacher along.

For twenty days Dr Sethi and his team watched the two working together. In the end they fitted her with the same Jaipur foot and limb that was given to any other amputee who came to the rehabilitation centre at the SMS Hospital in Jaipur.

Sudha's dance practice resumed in earnest. It was like starting all over again. She persevered through pain, blood, tears and doubts. Her family, teacher and doctor stood by her in this ordeal. It was worth it, for in 1984, she danced again for the first time in front of a capacity Bombay audience. After paying obeisance to the Lord of Dance she started and finished to thunderous applause two and a half hours later. Overnight she had become a celebrity and a star was born. She was feted in the press.

She starred in a feature film 'Mayure' her life story, and it was an instant box office 'Bollywood' hit. Other offers of stardom and many dance recitals followed. She acted in many films and was invited to perform all over the world, living proof that the Jaipur foot works and became its most ardent ambassador.

She now lives and works in Bombay. Her heavy work schedule as leading lady and star of numerous TV soaps leaves very little time for dancing, she can only manage one or two dance recitals a year. She has come a long way from the young girl wanting to end it all to a mature woman who considers that fateful accident a blessing in disguise. Her story, much simplified, is also featured in a Standard Three reader for every primary school going child in India.

It truly shows that nothing is impossible in this world. If you have the will you can achieved anything in this world!

Imported models deemed safest vehicles

2006-11-22T01:10:00.000-08:00

An interesting article I read today in Yahoo when I was checking my email. Is the car that you are driving equipped with the electronic stability control? According to the U.S. Insurance Instutute for Highway Safety, they mentioned that their studies show up to 10,000 fatal crashes per year could be prevented if every vehicle had the safety feature. And apparently none of the U.S. made cars make it to the U.S. insurance industry's list of safest vehicles.

By TOM KRISHER, AP Business Writer
Tue Nov 21, 8:43 AM ET

Imported models took all 13 spots on the U.S. insurance industry's list of safest vehicles this year, due mainly to a new requirement that all cars and sport utilities on the list have systems to keep them stable in an emergency.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety isn't bashful about its reasons for pushing electronic stability control, saying that its studies show up to 10,000 fatal crashes per year could be prevented if every vehicle had the safety feature.

"The research is so compelling that electronic stability control could help prevent many crashes from happening in the first place," institute spokesman Russ Rader said.

The list of 2007 model year winners being released Tuesday includes the Audi A6 in the large car category; the Audi A-4, Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy (with optional stability control) for midsize cars; the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona minivans; the Mercedes M-class and Volvo XC90 luxury sport utility vehicles; the Acura RDX, Honda Pilot and Subaru B9 Tribeca midsize SUVs; and the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester small SUVs.

All 13 vehicles are tops in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute tests during the year. Pickup trucks were not included because the institute has not yet tested their side crashworthiness.

Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control of the vehicle and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to help make it stable and avoid a rollover.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring the technology on all new vehicles by the 2012 model year, but institute President Adrian Lund said that's not soon enough.

"We think that they are too slow," Lund said. "Automakers will probably have it as standard equipment by the time the federal standards actually take full effect."

Domestic manufacturers had no models on the list of safest vehicles because they haven't moved quickly enough to add stability control to their models, Lund said in a telephone interview.

For instance, Ford Motor Co. would have had three cars — the Ford Freestyle crossover and the Mercury Montego and Ford 500 sedans — make the list if they had stability control, the institute said. The 500 and the Montego earned top safety picks last year.

Ford spokesman Jim Cain said all three vehicles will get stability control for the 2008 model year, with versions equipped with the safety feature on sale sometime next year. The company has not determined whether the feature will be standard or optional, he said.

"We're moving in the same direction as the institute," he said.

Ford has said previously that it would put stability control on its entire lineup by the end of 2009.

General Motors Corp. said nearly two years ago that it would make the technology standard in all vehicles by 2010, including all SUVs and some full-size pickups in the 2007 model year.

Toyota has said stability control would be a standard feature across all its models by 2009.

DaimlerChrysler AG said it will have the technology on 54 percent of its vehicles this model year and will meet the federal government's timetable for the rest.

All 2007 SUVs, pickups and minivans produced by Honda Motor Co. carry the technology, while Hyundai Motor Co. said it is standard equipment on 70 percent of its 2007 vehicles.

Several other vehicles, including nine Toyota Motor Corp. models, would have made the list if they had stability control, the institute said.

No small cars made this year's list. The Honda Civic, which won last year, was knocked off due to lack of stability control on most models. The one version that has the feature doesn't have head restraints for rear crash protection, the institute said.

SUVs were eligible to win for the first time this year because the institute conducted side-impact tests on many models.

The institute said the overall awards will help people quickly compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests.

Mr. Steve Job Final Story about Death

2006-11-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

This is the final story that Mr. Steve Job shared with the graduates of Stanford University at Commencement on June 12, 2005. In this story about death, he mentioned, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” How true it is and it truly challenges you to live life differently.

My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that your are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor’s code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept: No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960’s, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish

Thank you for following these 3 stories of Mr. Steve Job which I had shared with you.

Which is Easier? Create Wealth or remain poor? by Robert Taylor

2006-11-15T09:45:00.000-08:00

We have been led to believe it is much more difficult to obtain wealth than it is to remain poor. Common sense tells us this cannot be true.

The great majority of poor people will work hard their entire lives just to pay bills and purchase essential items such as food, clothing, shelter and utilities (not to mention taxes). There is little or no money left over for entertainment, recreation, travel or nice vacations. Poor people will in most cases be forced to work hard right up to the time they die.

On the other hand, most wealthy people also work hard for their money, but with a drastic difference. They are willing to work extremely hard for a shorter period of time in order to create wealth. In some cases, they simply work smarter instead of harder.

They perform at peak periods for a season and spend the rest of their lives enjoying the fruits of their labour.

They are willing to innovate and try new projects in order to create wealth.

They refuse to be limited by what others tell them they can or cannot do or what can or cannot be done.

They are willing to step outside of their comfort zones. I define these as those areas of your life where you have done the same things over and over again until they have become the only way you know to live. You have become so complacent and comfortable that unless something drastic happens you are not willing to step out of those areas. You are unwilling to leave the known for the unknown.

A great definition of insanity is to keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results. You have to change things to change results.

We can create great wealth in our lives. We have merely to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and reach for new and higher levels of achievement.

Don't believe me? Take a good look at all those who have either achieved great wealth or performed great feats in their lives.

Their education or lack of it, financial condition, health, background or environment made no difference. They became dissatisfied with their comfort zones and stepped out of them.

It is truthfully stated that five years from now you will be the same person you are today except for the books you read and the people with whom you associate.

Give this some thought. When you habitually associate with people who have nothing and want nothing, this becomes part of your mental attitude and outlook. On the other hand, associate with people who are excited about changing their lives for the better and creating great wealth. They will literally pull you with them.

Read books with no redeeming social, economic, motivational or educational value and you have only entertainment. Books and/or audio tapes which are educational and motivational will keep you going when all else tends to hold you back.

Many will say they work really hard and need to relax when they have finished their labours. The first inclination is to hit the couch or sofa and watch television. How many hours each week do you waste watching television? Could these hours be put to better use?

Rather than watch television, devote that time to reading or listening to educational and motivational materials. This can be more relaxing than watching television.

Study and if possible, associate with those who have accomplished what you wish to achieve. It is not really that difficult, for you will find those who are truly successful are enthusiastic about helping others. Please do not waste their time if you are not serious about what you wish to achieve. Let them give that time to others who will use it wisely.

Wealth and success are within the reach of every person on this planet. Decide today to get out of your comfort zone and accomplish more with your life.

Mr. Steve Job, The 3 Stories, Part 2

2006-11-14T01:19:00.000-08:00

This is the second story to the 3 stories of Mr. Steve Job about love and loss.

I was lucky – I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn’t know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me – I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.

I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.

Mr. Steve Job, The 3 Stories, Part 1

2006-11-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

I received this in my email some times back which I would like to share with you. Yet another inspiring story. It actually consists of 3 parts which are independent of each other in a way. So I would break it up into 3 posts.

This is the prepared text of the address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, who spoke at Commencement on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.

The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out? It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms. I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example: Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.

Light a Million Candles

2006-10-30T06:50:00.000-08:00

The innocent victims of Internet child abuse cannot speak for themselves.

But you can.

With your help, we can eradicate this evil trade.

We do not need your money.

We need you to light a candle of support <http://www.lightamillioncandles.com/>.

We're aiming to light at least One Million Candles by December 31, 2006.

This petition will be used to encourage governments, politicians, financial institutions, payment organisations, Internet service providers, technology companies and law enforcement agencies to eradicate the commercial viability of online child abuse.

They have the power to work together. You have the power to get them to take action.

Please light your candle at lightamillioncandle s.com <http://www.lightamillioncandles.com/> or send an email of support to light@lightamillioncandles.com.

Together, we can destroy the commercial viability of Internet child abuse sites that are destroying the lives of innocent children.

Kindly forward this email to your friends, relatives and work colleagues so that they can light a candle too.

For a good cause. A meaningful project! Just need a few minutes of your time : )
BK
Symphony of Love
Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!
Send free eCards at http://www.symphonyoflove.net/ecard.html

Why Henry Sy believes the Philippines is not hopeless

2006-10-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

BULL MARKET, BULL SHEET By Wilson Lee Flores
The Philippine STAR 06/05/2006

I am optimistic that we can achieve a better future. It's not true that the Philippines is a hopeless case," 82-year-old SM Group and Banco de Oro founder Henry Sy recently told The Philippine STAR. "I'm an immigrant who came here at 12 years old, spoke no English or Tagalog, but I came to appreciate the natural beauty and many economic advantages of the
Philippines more than many other people do, and I kept working and investing with positive thinking."

The exclusive three-hour interview took place at his simple but elegant bungalow in North Forbes Park, Makati City, and at Tanabe Japanese Restaurant in his SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

In the over two decades I have known the legendary rags-to-riches taipan and shopping-mall pioneer, Henry Sy has become more mentally sharp and energetic than ever before. He is strong despite his weak knees, which occasionally forced him to use the wheelchair when we briefly toured his newest pride and passion - the SM Mall of Asia.

PHILIPPINE STAR: Congratulations on the success of the SM Mall of Asia. What did your competitors say about your biggest shopping-mall project yet?

HENRY SY: I called Robinsons mall boss John Gokongwei Jr. to personally invite him to the blessing of the SM Mall of Asia, but he said he couldn't make it. Even though we are competitors, I don't think Gokongwei has any complaints about me.

Your executives tell me that one million people came to the SM Mall of Asia on your first day, May 21, then 400,000 came the next day, Monday. Why are people coming here, when this location is not along a highway like SM Megamall or at a crossroads like SM North Edsa?

A lot of the customers to this mall came from the provinces - they enjoy touring the place. It's not only constructing the place that creates a good mall, we at SM create destinations using continuous research, studies and new ideas to match the needs and wants of the people. Doing a mall is not only construction of the physical place, what's important is the merchandising mix. We strive to serve the convenience of the public. We want shopping at our malls to be a unique and an enjoyable experience.

Why did you build an Olympic-size ice-skating rink in this mall?

Very few people know this: I love skating and bowling. I used to roller skate a lot in my youth on Taft Avenue, Manila. That's the reason there's always a skating area in all my SM malls. I want more people to share my love for skating.

When you were a kid, what was your original ambition?

I've always wanted to be a businessman. No other ambitions, I just wanted to be in business, even when I was a child in Fujian province, south China.

Why did you invest P7 billion in Mall of Asia's 500 outlets, 180 restaurants and other facilities, at a time when the Philippine economy is not that strong?

It's investment that manifests my strong confidence in the Philippine future. I hope this biggest mall project will have a positive impact on the Philippine economy and I hope to encourage other business people to invest, too. Not everything I do is purely for money. Of course, as a businessman and as head of publicly listed companies, we have to earn, but at this point in my life, there are other considerations more important besides just money. I took a risk and
invested in SM Mall of Asia because I wanted to create something that could contribute to Philippine tourism growth. If I am only after profits, the easiest way is for me to construct high-rise condominiums here along the seashore facing Manila Bay, or I could just develop high-end subdivisions here and subdivide the lots to cash in quickly with big profits. But constructing this mall is a long-term investment; it is proof of my faith in the future of the Philippine economy. I wanted to build a beautiful destination for shopping, wholesome family-oriented entertainment and leisure. That church outside this mall, I donated it - everything from the structure, the land, to the interior furnishings and decor - it's not for profit.

What else do you wish to achieve after the SM Mall of Asia? What other big projects can we expect from you?

My biggest wish is for government, the private sector and all of us to work together to make the Philippines the best tourism destination in Southeast Asia. This is the reason I am always optimistic that the Philippines is not a hopeless case, contrary to what a lot of cynics claim. What Thailand can offer in tourism places and services, we in the Philippines can match, except for our past reputation in peace-and-order problems. That's what has held back our tourism growth. Philippine economic prospects are very good; we just have some problems in the investment environment which the government is now rectifying. Other export industries often rely on
imported raw materials and the Philippines often only earns the labor input, but in the tourism industry, the Philippines can earn as much as 80 percent for every dollar spent here on food, shopping, entertainment, hotels, transport, etc., while 20 percent probably goes to imported liquor and other luxury goods. I'm into tourism with Tagaytay Highlands, Taal Vista Hotel. We shall keep investing in new tourist-friendly malls, we are now master-planning a new 5,700-hectare seaside tourism project called Hamilo Coast in Batangas, and many others.

Why do you think the Philippines is ideal for tourism?

First, there's the location: we are just two to three hours from all the major Asian cities like Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and others. Second, our people are famous for the best service in Southeast Asia. Third, people here are proficient in English. Fourth, the Philippines has many naturally beautiful tourist destinations, beaches, thousands of islands, unique flora and fauna, vast fishery resources, and others. Fifth, the Philippines is excellent in entertainment, which is important in tourism. Look at the singers and bands in top hotels,
from Shanghai to Seoul to Tokyo, many of them are Filipino entertainers. Sixth, you don't need much capital or foreign investments for tourism development. Seventh, Philippine hospitality is better than others in ASEAN - just look at the people's smiling faces. In our Chinese language, we call this ho khe chieng, or people who are warm and hospitable in welcoming clients and guests. There are many more advantages. I could spend all day and all night talking to you about the tourism potentials of this country.

What are your suggestions on how to build up Philippine tourism?

I have a very simple formula based on common sense that will help accelerate Philippine tourism growth: the government should improve the peace-and-order situation as well as the international image of the Philippines on this crucial issue. The government should upgrade infrastructure, there should be a strong information campaign worldwide to promote the
Philippines as an ideal tourism destination. In a recent event of HSBC, a TV talk show host of CNN asked for my advice to politicians and I shared only a few words of advice: work more, talk less.

Government every year claims over two million tourist arrivals. What do you think should be the ideal number of tourists coming to the Philippines annually?

Our target should first be to attract five million tourists in the first five years, then go for over 10 million in 10 years. Every time I meet President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, I always tell her this dream of mine and my excitement about Philippine tourism potentials because I know she really wants a better Philippine economy.

In this era of globalization, SM is also going international like the western multinationals Walmart, Carrefour, Metro and others. What are your plans in China?

We have four major projects in China. In August or September this year, we shall inaugurate our new mall in Chengdu City, the capital of the 100-million- people Sichuan province. China is a dynamic place, it is amazing in progress.

Why is it that your children didn't grow up spoiled, and seem to have imbibed your work ethic and business acumen? How did you train them?

I think it's their innate natural drive. I also trained them in the importance of hard work. Even
while they were in high school, my children used to spend their free time working at our SM Department Store in Makati.

Who among your six children - Tessie, Elizabeth, Henry Jr., Hans, Herbert and Harley - will become your future successor and the leader of the SM Group's next generation?

I cannot for now ascertain who will be the leader. We are organized as corporations, publicly listed firms. Whoever becomes the leader of the next generation shall rise based on merits and abilities. Unlike other top Chinese business families in Asia, which favor male sons over daughters, all my six children are treated equally. My eldest child Tessie is hardworking and very capable; it doesn't matter that she's a woman. She always wants to learn and she is a fast
learner.

A billionaire asked me recently who is richer, you or Lucio Tan?

How can I know for sure who is bigger in net worth when each person has his own strengths that not everyone fully appreciates? I don't like to say this guy is the biggest in wealth, because some people have wealth which is hidden - isn't that a fair point of view?

John Gokongwei Jr. told me that when he first applied for a loan with PBCom it was not approved, and it was China Bank's Dee K. Chiong and Dr. Albino SyCip who approved his first loan of P500,000 in 1950. What about your first loan?

I don't usually like to get loans. In fact, the reason why we did well and completed our first mall project, SM North Edsa, even after the 1983 economic crisis and after the Ninoy Aquino assassination, was because we had very little loans then. I got my first credit line in 1949, it was from China Bank and they lent me P1 million. My credit line was approved by Mr. Yap Tian
Siang in their head office before at Juan Luna Street, corner Dasmarias Street.

Did you ever imagine in 1949 that you would someday own more than 70 percent of China Bank, and that you would have Banco de Oro and soon, possibly, Equitable PCIBank?

No, I never imagined then that I would own banks. You know, despite our many shareholdings in China Bank, the Dee family of the original founder has managed the institution so professionally and profitably, we never attempted to change the incumbent chairman Gilbert Dee or president Peter Dee. We are not that greedy, it's not good. I don't believe in wanting both power and financial gain. Even those executives who have been with China Bank for many years, they are still there. If a venerable institution like China Bank is doing so well, why make changes?

Is it true you already own 11 percent of San Miguel Corporation?

I have invested a lot in that well-managed company, but I don't want to mention figures.

What are the business principles or strategies that made you successful?

I wouldn't classify this as a secret to success, but one of my lifelong practices is to pay my obligations on time, especially my suppliers. Even in my early years as retailer, I didn't delay my payments to suppliers, because I tell my kids that we have to be considerate to suppliers and think of their own hinyong or how they have to protect their sense of trustworthiness with others. If it's time to pay others on Monday, we would already deposit the money in their bank accounts on Friday, so they need not even come to our office to collect.

Your SM Cinemas do not allow R-18 or For Adults Only movies, including The Da Vinci Code. Are you a Catholic or is it just your wife?

I am Catholic, but yes, it's my wife Felicidad Tan Sy who is the most devout among us in the family. She devotes almost all her time and money to the Catholic Church.

Your SM Group leases out or has retail businesses in millions of square meters of prime commercial space. When you came to the Philippines as a 12-year-old boy, how big was the sari-sari store of your father and what was its name?

It was a small ha-ya-tiam, it had no name. It was located on Echague St., which is now Carlos Palanca Sr. St. in Quiapo, Manila. It was only about 30 square meters in floor area.

Why did you cry when you first saw your father in his store?

I cried because I saw how hard the life of my father was as a small shopkeeper. He worked from early morning to late at night every day. He would go to chay-chi-khaw area or Divisoria to buy goods, carrying them himself on his back in order to resell in the store. I learned the importance of honest hard work, frugality and discipline from his example.

Where did you and your father sleep at night, on the second floor or at the back of the store?

Our sari-sari store was so small it had no back or second floor, we just slept on the counter late at night after the store was closed.

When you were a kid and you saw your father struggling with his sari-sari store, did that motivate you to aspire to become Southeast Asia's Shopping Mall King?

As a kid, I had the will to strive for excellence and to overcome the hard environment, but I never imagined attaining big success. Whatever I have achieved did not happen overnight; ever since my teen years I've devoted many, many years of my life to non-stop studying, diligent work and dreaming of a better future.

Enjoy the Coffee

2006-10-18T23:21:00.000-07:00

An interesting story which I received in my inbox yesterday which I like to share with you. Just in case you might be too caught up with the cup, it would be a good time to slow down once in a while to enjoy the coffee as well. Have a great day ahead!

BK

Enjoy the Coffee

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups made of Porcelain, Plastic, Glass, Crystal, some ordinary looking, some expensive, some exquisite.

He told them to help themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in their hands, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap looking ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and worse, you were eyeing each other's cups.

Now if life is coffee , then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain. Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Some times, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

So folks, don't let the cups drive you..., enjoy the coffee instead.

Symphony of Love
Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!

The Two Choices We Face

2006-10-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Each of us have two distinct choices to make about what we will do with our lives. The first choice we can make is to be less than we have the capacity to be. To earn less. To have less. To read less and think less. To try less and discipline ourselves less. These are the choices that lead to an empty life. These are the choices that, once made, lead to a life of constant apprehension instead of a life of wondrous anticipation.

And the second choice? To do it all! To become all that we can possibly be.

To read every book that we possibly can. To earn as much as we possibly can. To give and share as much as we possibly can. To strive and produce and accomplish as much as we possibly can. All of us have that choice.

To do or not to do. To be or not to be. To be all, to be less or to be nothing at all.

Like the tree, it would be a worthy challenge for us all to stretch upward and outward to the full measure of our capabilities. Why not do all that we can, every moment that we can, the best that we can, for as long as we can?

Our ultimate life objective should be to create as much as our talent, ability and desire will permit. To settle for doing less than we could do is to fail in this worthiest of undertakings.

Results are the best measurement of human progress. Not conversation. Not explanation. Not justification. Results! And if our results are less than our potential suggests that they should be, then we must strive to become more today than we were the day before. The greatest rewards are always reserved for those who bring great value to themselves and the world around them as a result of who and what they have become.

Why?

2006-10-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

My friend John Foppe was born with no arms.

But John never ask the question.

"Why do I have no arms?"

The question he asks is, "What can I do with my feet?"

Having watched John eat with chopsticks, I'd say, "Almost anything!"

When tragedy strikes, or when we lose everything, or when a lover walks out on us, the question we usually ask is "Why?"

"Why me?"

"Why now?"

"Why did she leave me for a loser?"

Asking "Why?" questions can send us in circles.

Often, there is no answer to "Why?"

Or it doesn't matter why!

Effective people ask "What?" questions .... "What do I learn from this?"

"What am I going to do about it?"

When the situation is desperate, they ask, "What can I do, just in the next 24 hours, to make things better?"

The happiest people don't bother about whether life is "fair".

They just make the most of what they have.

And is life fair? Maybe. But it doesn't matter why!

Symphony of Love

The Farmer Who Inspired the Whole Nation

2006-09-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

The story continues. This is a very inspiring story of how a 61 year old man inspired the whole nation.

Every professional athletes knew for certain that it took about 5 days to finish this race, and that in order to compete, you would need to run 18 hours and sleep 6 hours. The thing is, old Cliff Young did not know that!

When the morning news of the race was aired, people were in for another big surprise. Cliff was still in the race and had jogged all night down to a city called Mittagong.

Apparently, Cliff did not stop after the first day. Although he was still far behind the world-class athletes, he kept on running. He even had the time to wave to spectators who watched the event by the highways.

When he got to a town called Albury he was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. He said he would run through to the finish, and he did.

He kept running. Every night he got just a little bit closer to the leading pack. By the last night, he passed all of the world-class athletes. By the last day, he was way in front of them. Not only did he run the Melbourne to Sydney race at age 61, without dying; he won first place, breaking the race record by 9 hours and became a national hero! The nation fell in love with the 61-year-old potato farmer who came out of nowhere to defeat the world's best long distance runners.

He finished the 875-kilometre race in 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes. Not knowing that he was supposed to sleep during the race, he said when running throughout the race, he imagined that he was chasing sheep and trying to outrun a storm.

When Cliff was awarded the first prize of $10,000, he gave away the prize to the other competitors. He did not keep a single cent for himself. That act endeared him to all of Australia. Cliff was a humble, average man, who undertook an extraordinary feat and became a national sensation.

Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible - Doug Larson

Area of Control in Life

2006-09-28T00:57:00.000-07:00

Quite an interesting analogy I got in my mailbox today and thought I would like to share with you this interesting analogy. Choosing what to focus on in life can indeed make a different in your life.

Every day every second we are bombarded with different incident that need our attention. Have we observed closely how we respond to each incident? I realized there is always 2 areas of focus, that is area within and not within my control. For instance, I might I have taken a wrong route to a destination. By keep blaming myself for taking the wrong route and still feeling bad for the wasted time, I'm focusing on area not within my control as what has happened cannot be reverted through blaming myself. If I spend time revising my route for the return the trip, I will avoid the wrong route, Here I'm focusing on area within my control. Making the
right focus made me more intelligent and more efficient.

For majority of thet people in the world, their main focus is to complete 9 - 6 regular working the same routine every day. I would describe them as tree cutter who would reuse the same axe, even though edges are blunt, cutting tree from morning till evening,. They are focusing on area not within their control as they restrict themselves within a routine. There is another kind of people who spend morning sharpening their axe and cut more trees in the afternoon within a shorter time. The sharper the edge of axe is, the more efficient the work is going to be carried out. They are focus on their sharpening their skill and hence area within their control. Do you belong to first kind of people or second one?

A Farmer who Inspired the Whole Nation

2006-09-27T05:29:00.000-07:00

This story was originally posted at: My Inspirational Quotes. I have also Googled and verified some of the things written on the story and had made slight changes to the original article.

Every year, Australia hosts an 875-kilometer endurance racing from Sydney to Melbourne – considered to be the world's longest and toughest ultra-marathon. It's a long, tough race that takes five days and normally participated by world-class athletes who train specially for the event. Backed by big names in sports like Nike, these athletes are mostly less than 30 years old men and women equipped with the most expensive sponsored training outfits and shoes.

In 1983, these top class runners were in for a surprise. On the day of the race, a guy named Cliff Young showed up. At first, no one cared about him since everybody thought he was there to watch the event. After all, he was 61 years old, showed up in overalls and galoshes over his work boots.

As Cliff walked up to the table to take his number, it became obvious to everybody he was going to run. He was going to join a group of 150 world-class athletes and run! Most of the other runners did not even know who was Cliff Young.

Everybody thought that it was a crazy publicity stunt. But the press was curious, so as he took his number 64 and moved into the pack of runners in their special, expensive racing outfit, the camera focused on him and reporters started to ask:

"Who are you and what are you doing?"

"I'm Cliff Young. I'm from a large ranch where we run sheep outside of Melbourne."

They said, "You're really going to run in this race?"

"Yeah," Cliff nodded.

"Got any backers?"

"No."

"Then you can't run."

"Yeah I can." Cliff said. "See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn't afford horses or four wheel drives, and the whole time I was growing up -- until about four years ago when we finally made some money and got a four wheeler -- whenever the storms would roll in, I'd have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 head, and we have 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I'd catch them. I believe I can run this race; it's only two more days. Five days. I've run sheep for three."

When the marathon started, the pros left Cliff behind in his galoshes. The crowds smiled because he didn't even run correctly. Instead of running, he appeared to run leisurely, shuffling like an amateur.

Now, the 61-year-old potato farmer from Beech Forest with no teeth had started the ultra-tough race with world-class athletes. All over Australia, people who watched the live telecast kept on praying that someone would stop this crazy old man from running because everyone believed he’ll die even before even getting halfway across Sydney.

The inspiration continues ...

False Information about Tommy Hilfiger

2006-09-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

I received this email in my inbox this morning and I feel there is a need to clear this up. If ever you receive this email. Please do not ... do not forward it out because the information is not true.

In a January 2001 press release, the Tommy Hilfiger company denies that their founder ever made such a statement:

"The facts remain simple and cannot be disputed. Tommy Hilfiger did not make the alleged comments, he has never appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and, in fact, Ms. Winfrey herself, on her January 11, 1999 program, stated Tommy Hilfiger has never been on her show nor has she ever met him.

"Most importantly, Tommy Hilfiger wants his clothing to be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and his collections are put together with the broadest cross-section of individuals in mind. To reinforce this, he features models of all ethnic backgrounds in his fashion shows and advertisements."

So pervasive is this rumor that, by 2004, the company had set aside an entire section on their corporate web site to deny it, featuring statements from Hilfiger, Winfrey, the Anti-Defamation League and Hilfiger customers.

Tommy Hilfiger is not the first or last famous person to be falsely accused of publicly telling certain ethnic groups to not buy their products. Liz Claiborne, Lauren Hill and Shakira all stand accused. None of the accusations stand up to scrutiny. Some are based on misunderstandings, while others, like the one above, are complete fabrications built on favorite elements of urban legendry. Break this Chain.

SAMPLE CHAIN LETTER TEXT
Subject: Tommy Hilfiger on Oprah

Hello, please read.... and pass on if you haven't already! Everyone needs to see this.

Good for Oprah!!!! I'm sure many of you watched the recent taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where her guest was Tommy Hilfiger. On the show, she asked him if the statements about race he was accused of saying were true. Statements like"...if I'd known African-Americans, Hispanics, Jewish and Asians would buy my clothes, I would not have made them so nice. I wish these people would *NOT* buy my clothes, as they are made for upper class white people."

His answer to Oprah was a simple "YES". Where after she immediately asked him to leave her show. My suggestion? Don't buy your next shirt or Perfume from Tommy Hilfiger. Let's give him what he asked for. Let's not buy His clothes, let's put him in a financial state where he himself will NOT be able to afford the ridiculous

prices he puts on his clothes.

BOYCOTT PLEASE...., & SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW

Nothing empowers people quite like their own survival!

END CHAIN LETTER TEXT

Empowering Thoughts by Marianne Williamson

2006-09-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate;
Our deepest fear is not that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?

You're a child of God --- Your playing small doesn't serve the World.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you

We are born to 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 candle shine, we consciously give others permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

It's Your Choice

2006-09-24T04:22:00.000-07:00

Yet another story from me. i believe some of you will have read this story before. Just like what is in the story, life is always about making choices; even without making any choice is a choice itself. The good thing is the power to make the choice is in you: whether you choose to be happy or sad, to be positive or negative etc, it's all up to you.

BK

Jerry is the manager of a restaurant in America. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would always reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

Many of the waiters at his restaurant quit their jobs when he changed jobs,so they could follow him around from restaurant to restaurant.The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was always there, telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! No one can be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, I have two choices today. I can choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I always choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I always choose to learn from it. Everytime someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life." "But it's not always that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Jerry said "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.

You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. It's your choice how you live your life." Several years later, I heard that Jerry accidentally did something you are never supposed to do in the restaurant business: left the back door of his restaurant open one morning and was robbed by three armed men. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him.

Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the hospital. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Want to see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, after they shot me, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared?" I asked. Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me. I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the Emergency Room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'He's a dead man.'I knew I need to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything." 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!'

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Please operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day you have the choice to either enjoy your life or to hate it. The only thing that is truly yours that no one can control or take from you is your attitude, so if you can take care of that, everything else in life becomes much easier.

Symphony of Love
Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!

There is a price to everything in life!

2006-09-23T05:57:00.001-07:00

I got this in my inbox many years ago and thought it is a good idea to share this with you. In life there are a lots of ups and downs. If you are going through the downs at this moment of your life, hold it there because these are challenges to prepare you for greater things that will follow. Always remember, "when the sky is the darkest, it means that soon the day will break." Press on fearlessly ...

BK
Symphony of Love

There was this museum laid with beautiful marble tiles, with a huge marble statue displayed in the middle of the lobby. Many people came from all over the world just to admire this beautiful
marble statue.

One night, the marble tiles started talking to the marble statue. Marble tile: Marble statue, it's just not fair, it's just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair!

Marble statue: My dear friend, marble tile. Do you still remember that we were actually from the same cave?

Marble tile: Yeah! That's why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!"

Marble statue: Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you, but you resisted the tools?

Marble tile: Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use those tools on me, it hurt so badly.

Marble statue: That's right! He couldn't work on you at all as you resisted being worked on.

Marble tile: So???

Marble statue: When he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tools, instead I bore all the painful tools he used on me.

Marble tile: Mmmmmm.......

Marble statue: My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can't blame anybody who steps on you now."

The moral of the story is .... ...

It simply means that the more hard knocks you go through in life, the more you'll learn and the more you'll become stronger and put them to use in the future!! Do not be discouraged by setbacks and failures. Past is past, you can't change it but it might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!

2006-09-21T02:14:00.000-07:00

A book which I read a few year back too by Robert H. Schuller which is called Tough Times Never Last, Tough People Do. And I just have to share with you something I think quite powerful, positive and motivating. Feels free to share it with anyone who you know might be going through tough times too.

BK
www.symphonyoflove.net

"The ability to share and to give yield greater pleasure than to receive"

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!

What makes a person survive and thrive? Why are some people tough enough to win over their tough times? These questions have never before been as important as they are today because we are going through some of the toughest times that our country has ever faced. We cannot merely talk about the strategies for success. We have to get down to hardcore principles that will work. And the only principles that we can believe in are principles that are tested, tried, and proven.

The first step will be to put your problems in proper perspective. Sure, you have problems. They may be the worst you've ever faced. But chances are they are not the worst thing that could possibly have happened. No matter how bad it is, it could always be worse. Be glad it's not. Put your problem in proper perspective. Stop making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Everybody has problems. No life is problem-free.

Now you must learn to solve and manage problems. And there is not necessarily a solution for every problem; however every problem can be managed positively. .... To do so, it is necessary to take charge and control of your problems.

These times we're going through are tough, but if you are going to get through them, it's up to you. You must begin to act.

I say to you: you can do anything you want to do. You can be anything you want to be. You can go anywhere from where your are ----- if you are willing to dream big and work hard.

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! by Robert H. Schuller

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2006-09-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

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Symphony of Love
Let Us Spread Love Wherever We Go!

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle

2006-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

What I like best from this passage "deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course." In fact by doing that, we will win too :-)

BK
www.symphonyoflove.net

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win.

All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry.

They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back......every one of them.

One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story.

Why?

Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle"

It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life

2006-09-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a good book I read a few years back by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins, "It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life." Pardon me for my language.

This is an Autobiography of Lance Armstrong. So who is he? What is so great about him? Lance Armstrong is a Four-time winner of the Tour De France, a cancer survivor, husband, father and a son. It is a very inspiring book.

The book goes about how as a young teenager, he discovered his future as an athlete. At 15, he was already competing against a field of experienced older athletes in Triathlon event and finished 32nd, shocking the other competitors and spectators, who couldn't believe a 15 year-old had held up over the course. During a press coverage, he said that in a few years he'll be right at the top and within 10 years he'll be the best.

People thought he was hilariously cocky. However the following year, he finished 5th. From there, he started his career as a cyclist; how from an amateur cyclist who do not know much about the concept of pacing or tactics and offending other riders and making enemies in the competition where everyone 'gang' up to prevent him from winning the competition. Very interesting culture I got to know from the book about cycling competition, the teamwork in the races; how each and everyone in the race got a part to play.

From there, he went on to become a Professional cyclist in Europe where most of the cycling scene is. Where he eventually won one stage in the Tour De France (a race around the perimeter of France which consists of many stages stretching across week and having to make some of the worse climbs) at the young age of 21 and being the youngest in history to win a stage in Tour De France.

It was when he about to reach his peak that he discovered he has cancer.

Straight away, everything turned upside down. First it was his career as a rider, then it was his life at state. Suddenly he realised everything was gone.

Read about his fight against cancer; the Chemotherapy treatment and you think through, "Hey, what's the big deal about the things I am going through now compared to him."

Of cos, he survived cancer. But read about how life gotten worse after that. How he lived in fear of it coming back again. How it nearly ruined his life. How the support of the people around him pulled him through and how the journey back was like for him to go back riding and eventually winning the Tour De France and not only win but a four-time winner of it. All from his own experience.

A great inspiring story of Courage, Love and Support.

It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

SUCCESS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT by Brian Tracy

2006-09-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Success is not a miracle. Nor is it a matter of luck. Everything happens for a reason, good or bad, positive or negative. When you are absolutely clear about what you want, you only need to copy others who have achieved it before you, and you will eventually get the same results that they
have.

This is referred to in the Bible as the Law of Sowing and Reaping which says that, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap."

Sir Isaac Newton called it the third principle of motion. He said, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

For you and me, the most important expression of this universal law is that, "Thoughts are causes and conditions are effects."

Put another way, "Thought is creative." Your thoughts are the primary creative forces in your life. You create your entire world by the way you think. All the people and situations of your life have only the meaning you give them by the way you think about them. And when you change your thinking, you change your life, some times in seconds!

The most important principle of personal or business success is simply this: You become what you think about most of the time. It is not what happens to you but how you think about what happens to you that determines how you feel and react. It is not the world outside of you that dictates your circumstances or conditions. It is the world inside you that creates the conditions of your life.

Taking Risk

2006-09-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The people who risk nothing, do nothing, have nothing, are nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.

Chained by their attitudes they are slaves; they have forfeited their freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

Success Is The Quality Of Your Days by Dr. Philip E. Humbert

2006-09-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

If the events of this week have taught us anything, they have reminded us to live each day to the fullest. We were never promised our full "four score and ten."

Even before the attack this week, I was reminded that our lives are too often cut short. My wife is a nurse, and she told me about a young man, age 44, who recently went to his doctor with a summer cold. He had a cough and couldn't get rid of it, so the doctor gave him some pills and told him to come back if it didn't get better.

It didn't get better, so the man went back. They ran some tests, and discovered that the man has been walking around with lung cancer for months, perhaps years. He is married, with three small children, and now knows that he has only two or perhaps three, weeks to live.

There is a wonderful quote that urges us to make plans as if we'll live forever, but to live as if we'll die tomorrow. The truth is that today - this one day - is the only one we really have. Let us use it well!

The rubble of lower Manhattan sends a wake-up call to live with enthusiasm and to do the things you must do in this life! It sends a challenge to love with gusto and to tell the people you love how much you treasure them! Out of the dust comes challenge to say the words, take the risks, make the investments, and experience the richness of life!

It reminds us that life is short, and we often get on advance notice when our ticket expires,

True success is combination of "having" and "being." Success includes earning money and buying nice things, having a home we are proud of, and leaving something to our children and those who follow.

But success is also about "being." It's about being a person others can love and respect. It's about living and loving every moment of our lives, and being honest with ourselves, and with others. It's about being silly, being in love, being proud, and about grieving when it is our turn to grieve.

There is a huge lie in modern culture that claims, "He who dies with the most toys wins." It is NOT true, my friends!

The truth is that "Those who die with some nice toys, lots of friends, fond memories, a few embarrassments, and a smile on their face, are the true winners in life."

There will be many ways to honor those who were killed and injured this week. It is vital that we support them and their families in very tangible ways, and it will be important that we come together for memorials and times of remembrance.

But I propose that an even greater way to honor their memory is to commit ourselves to living up to our fullest potential. In this moment of sorrow and tragedy, challenge yourself to care, to live, and to love with renewed and outrageous enthusiasm. Pursue your dreams as if you could not possible fail! We can not turn back the clock, but we can live our lives with passion, with honor, with integrity and vigor!

Let us truly live every moment of our lives.

$20

2006-09-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need to be reminded!

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

"Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson.

No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

Definition of Success

2006-09-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

I would like to share a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, To find the best in others;

To leave the World a bit better whether by
a garden patch, a healthy child
or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed
easier because you have lived.

That is to have succeeded

The Man Behind Honda

2006-09-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Let me give you a great example of a man who understood the power of real decision, someone who once decided, would not give up. His name is Soichiro Honda: founder of the Honda Corporation, the maker of Honda cars and motorcycles.

Mr. Honda never allowed tragedy, problems, challenges or the twists and turns of circumstance to get in his way. In fact, he often decided to see some of the biggest Obstacles in his way as mere hurdles in the race to reach his Goals.

In 1938, Mr. Honda was a poor student who had a dream of designing a piston ring that he would sell to and manufacture for Toyota Corporation. Every day he would go to school, and all night long he would work on his design, up to his elbows in grease. He spent what little money he had on his project, and it still wasn't finished. Finally, he hocked his wife's jewelry to continue.

After years of effort he finally designed the piston ring he was sure Toyota would buy. When he took it to them, they rejected it.

He was sent back to school to suffer the humiliation of his teacher's and friend's telling him what an idiot he was for designing such a ridiculous gadget. Was he frustrated? You bet. Was he broke? Yes. Did he give up? No way. Instead he spent the next two years continuing to find ways to make the piston ring better. He had the key formula to Success.

He decided what he wanted. He took action. He noticed whether it was working or not, and when things weren't working out. He kept changing his approach. He was flexible in the way he went about things. Finally after two more years, he refined his design, and Toyota actually bought it!

In order to build his piston factory, Mr. Honda needed concrete, but the Japanese government was gearing up for World War II, so none was available. Once again it looked as if his dream would die. It seemed no one would help him. Again did he quit? Absolutely not! He had decided to build this factory. Since giving up was not an option, he got together a group of his friends, and for weeks they worked around the clock trying different approaches until they found a new way to manufacture concrete.

He built his factory and was finally able to produce his piston rings.

During the war, the United States bombed his factory, destroying most of it. Instead of feeling defeated, Mr. Honda rallied all his employees. He said, "Quickly! Run outside and watch those war planes. What they'll do is drop their fuel cans out of the sky. We need to find out where they drop them and get those Cans, because they contain the raw materials we needed for the manufacturing process. These were the materials they couldn't get anywhere in Japan. Mr. Honda found a way to use whatever life gave him. Finally an earthquake leveled his factory and he was forced to sell his piston operation to Toyota.

But God never closes a door without opening another one, so we need to say alert to see whatever new opportunities life presents us....

When the war ended, Japan was in total turmoil. Resources were scarce in all parts of the country - gasoline was rationed and in some cases nearly impossible to find - and Mr. Honda couldn't even get enough gas to drive his car to the market to buy food for his family. But instead of feeling defeated or helpless, he made a new decision. He decided he would not settle for this quality of life. He asked himself a very powerful question: "How else can I feed my family? How can I use things I already have to find a way to get there?"

He noticed a little motor he had, one that was the size and type to drive a traditional lawn mover, and he got the idea of hooking it up to his bicycle. In that moment, the first motorized bike was created.

He drove it to and from the market, and pretty soon his friends were asking him to make some for them too. Shortly thereafter, he had made so many 'motorbikes' that he ran out of motors, so he decided to build a new factory to manufacture his own. But he had no money, and Japan was torn apart. How would he do it?

Instead of giving up and saying, "There's no way", he came up with a brilliant idea. He decided to write a letter to every single bicycle- shop owner in Japan, telling them that he thought he had the solution for getting Japan moving again, that his motorbike would be cheap and would help people get where they needed to go.

Then he asked them to invest. Of the 18,000 bicycle shop owners who received a letter, 3000 gave Mr. Honda money, and he manufactured his first Shipment. And then he was success, right? Wrong!

The motorbike was too big and bulky, and very few Japanese bought it. So once again, he noticed what wasn't working, and instead of giving up, he changed his approach again. He decided to strip his motorbike down and make it much lighter and smaller.

He called it The Cub, and it became a "overnight Success", winning Honda the Emperor's Award.

Every one looked at him and thought how "Lucky" he was to have come up with this idea. Was he lucky? May be, if L.U.C.K means Labor Under Correct Knowledge. Today Mr. Honda's company is one of the most successful in the World. Honda Corporation now employs over 100,000 people - all because Mr. Honda never gave up.

From the Book "Awaken The Giant Within"

"It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped" - Anthony Robbins

The Snooze Button

2006-09-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

I read this in my inbox quite some time ago and thought I will share it with you.

What if life had a snooze button? It does. It is labeled procrastination.

A snooze button simply allows you to stay where you are a little while longer instead of getting up and going. That's exactly what procrastination is. There is a funny thing about sleeping after you hit the snooze button on an alarm clock; it seems like that sleep is more precious. Not only is it more precious, it seems like time speeds up approximately three fold. Fifteen minutes becomes five minutes, ten minutes seem like three minutes.

Why do we hit the snooze button? Because we can. Imagine if you hit the lotto and you have to be there by 8 A.M. to pick up your check or it is forfeited; the alarm goes off and you look at the clock and it is 7 A.M. No matter how sleepy you are, do you think you would even consider hitting the snooze button?

Some people are just not good in math in school, but it seems like those same people become math geniuses when it comes to calculating the absolute latest time they can get up, get ready and make it to work or school, even with a foggy waking brain.

In life the snooze button is not usually in minutes. We may know we need to go back to school and hit snooze for two years later. We may know we need to start exercising; we hit snooze for next year. We may know we want to travel and see some place in the world; we hit snooze for five years later. We may know we have an idea for a business; we hit snooze for ten years later.

The other thing about the snooze button is that you can hit it more than once to get a longer delay of getting moving. Have you ever hit the snooze button while still sleep and didn't remember hitting it? Have you ever meant to do something in your life and didn't realize it had been so long since you were supposed to get started on it? The two hardest things about doing something is getting started and getting finished.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeep.

This is your wakeup call. Get your finger off of that button.

The Race between Hare and Tortoise

2006-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Something Interesting about the race between the hare and the tortoise which I am sure many would have already read before. This is something more.

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he'd lost the race. The moral- “Slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with.”

THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE

there are few more interesting things…..it continues as follows…… The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realized that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race.

The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral - ” Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable.”

THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE

The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there's no way it can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. It thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.

The moral - “First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.”

THE STORY STILL HASN'T ENDED

The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.

The moral - “It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well.

Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership. Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could.” In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both.

The hare and the tortoise also learned another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.

A few lessons from the story of the hare and tortoise:
Chief among them are that fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady; work to your competencies; pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers; never give up when faced with failure; & finally, compete against the situation - not against a rival.

The Science of Getting Rich

2006-09-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

Just like to share with you all a book which I read. Just downloaded a FREE copy of The Science of Getting Rich by subscribing to the Ezine from Science of Getting Rich Network and I am reading and digesting the content of the book now. The best thing about this is you do not have to pay for the subscription too.

The Science of Getting Rich is a powerful book and timeless classic from 1910, in the same realm of similar classic book like "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill and "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. Although this book has been written for almost a century ago, the lessons inside the book are still much applicable to our life today.

In his book, The Science of Getting Rich, Mr. Wallace wrote that there is a certain way to follow for people to get rich and for people, who follow these rules, they too will be able to become rich and otherwise, no matter how hard you work at it, you would not be rich. I truly believe that there is a certain way or formula, just like what the book mentioned, for people to get rich too. However this is certainly not an easy book to read and digest.

You can download a FREE copy of The Science of Getting Rich and print it out and read it and follow it. It is just an 80 pages book which I believe most avid readers would be able to finish in one reading. The advice is for you to read and digest the content in the book in whatever pace that is most suitable to you. You do not have to rush. Like what is mentioned in The Science of Getting Rich, there is enough richness to go to everyone.

An Excerpt from the book

“There are three motives for which we live: We live for the body, we live for the mind, we live for the soul. No one of these is better or holier than the other; all are alike desirable, and no one of the three - Body, mind, or soul - can live fully if either of the others is cut short of full life and expression. It is not right or noble to live only for the soul and deny mind or body, and it is wrong to live for the intellect and deny body or soul.

We are all acquainted with the loathsome consequences of living for the body and denying both mind and soul, and we see that real life means the complete expression of all that a person can give forth through body, mind, and soul. Whatever he can say, no one can be really happy or satisfied unless his body is living fully in its every function, and unless the same is true of his mind and his soul. Wherever there is unexpressed possibility or function not performed, there is unsatisfied desire. Desire is possibility seeking expression or function seeking performance.

A person cannot live fully in body without good food, comfortable clothing, and warm shelter, and without freedom from excessive toil. Rest and recreation are also necessary to his physical life.”

The Seed That Waited

2006-09-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Two seeds lay side by side in the fertile spring soil. The first seed said, "I want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth's crust above me. I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring. I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!"And so she grew.

The second seed said, "I am afraid. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don't know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above me, I may damage my delicate sprouts. What if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground. No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe."And so she waited.

A hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ate it.

If we are bold and adventurous like the first seed, we may indeed encounter the dangers described by the second seed. But then, we would develop stable roots in the ground, and grow tall and mighty. Our lives would be rich and dynamic. Every day would open up fresh horizons for us, and we would taste the marrow of life before death eventually claims it.

If, like the second seed, we are timid, overly-cautious and self-preserving, it may be possible to avert certain disasters. But you only need one chicken to finish you off. Even if that doesn't happen, we would live a life of fear and suspicion. We would remain a seed, incapable of benefiting others with the huge potential for growth that's trapped inside us. And what is a life lived vainly slinking around in the shadows?

Life is unfathomable and complex. One way or the other, we cannot tell what will come to pass. Risk does not increase simply because we choose to take it. It is ever present in the same amount, whether we trudge intrepidly forward or struggle to remain where we are.

So fuel your dreams with the courage to make them real. Allow your fragile heart to love without restraint in order to make it strong. Acknowledge your ignorance so you will continue to learn. And experience the vibrancy of life so that when it ends, you will not be burdened by regret.

Which would you choose to be? The POWER is in you to choose!

Bill Gate's 11 Rules of Life

2006-09-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Just thought I will share this with you before I go to bed. Got this in my mailbox today. However, I'm not sure if it is really from Mr. Bill Gates. Then again, there are certain truths in all these rules. So lets learn something together :-)

Bill Gate's 11 Rules of Life

Rule 1: Life is not fair — get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect You to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping — they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and Very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your Own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The Law of Seed

2006-09-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

A very interesting story about the law of seed. Whenever you are feeling down because of failures and mistakes you made in life, do take time out to think about this law of seed. I am sure it will make you feel much better and ready to get up and get going.

The Law of the Seed

Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples
on the tree, each with ten seeds.

That's a lot of seeds! We might ask, "Why would you need so many
seeds to grow just a few more trees?"

Nature has something to teach us here. It's telling us: "Most
seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen,
you had better try more than once."

This might mean:

You'll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You'll interview forty people to find one good employee.
You'll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum
cleaner, insurance policy, idea.
And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find
one special friend.
When we understand the "Law of the Seed", we don't
get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims.
Laws of nature are not things to take personally.
We just need to understand them - and work with them.

IN A NUTSHELL

"Successful people fail more often. They plant more seeds."