A guy met one of his school mates several years after school and he could not believe his eyes; his friend was driving one of the latest sleek Mercedes Benz cars. He went home feeling awful and very disappointed in himself. He thought he was a failure. What he didn't know was that his friend was a driver and had been sent to run errands with his boss's car.
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Rosemary nagged her husband always for not being romantic. She accused him for not getting down to open the car door for her as her friend Jane's husband did when he dropped her off at work. What Rosemary didn't know that Jane's husband car had a faulty door that could only be opened from the outside.
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Sampson's wife went to visit one of her long time friends and was very troubled within for seeing the 3 lovely kids of her friend playing around. Her problem was that she had only one child and have been struggling to conceive for the past five years. What she didn't know was that one of those kids who was the biological child of her friend had sickle cell and had just a year to live; the other two are adopted.
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Life does not have a universal measuring tool so create yours and use it. Looking at people and comparing yourself with them will not make you better. If you knew the sort of load the chameleon carried, you would'nt ask why it takes those gentle strides. Enjoy what you have.
Enjoy what you have
Protect the root of your business
A young man and his father were watching a huge fire coming down from the hills towards their family vineyard. At first, the young man tried to organize buckets of water but it was clear that the fire would engulf everything and consume the vineyard. Then to his surprise he saw the old man pick up an axe and run towards the vines. Systematically he began to cut the vines, leaving only the roots.
"We must protect the root, my son. Do as I show you."
And with this they saved a business that was several generations old.
Every business has a root, and you must know that root. You must be able to protect that root, when things are tough. Sometimes protecting that root looks cruel, but you must protect it at all costs. Sometimes it can come down to reducing activity to the bare minimum, with just a handful of staff. Your most valuable resource will always be good people.
There's no successful entrepreneur who does not know what I'm talking about. It may well be one of the most difficult things you'll ever do.
# Stay very clear about who you are and what business you're in.
# Don’t underestimate the crisis.
# Make sure you’re looking at credible data.
# Manage with grace under pressure.
# Review and revise your game plan as needed, acknowledging which plans aren’t working.
# Decide what you need to do in order to get where you want to go.
# Tackle the problems systematically. Don’t throw kerosene onto a fire.
# Don’t get distracted; make the tough decisions that you need to, without delay. One bucket of water won’t save a hectare of crisis.
# Seek and value professional advice.
# Don’t be afraid to try something new. Crisis is often how great innovation begins. (When the going gets tough, don’t give up on new growth!)
# Lead with courage and vision, even if your heart is sad.
Don’t panic. Pray and plan..
Run your own race
I was jogging this morning and I noticed a person about 1/2 a kilometre ahead. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, good, I shall try to catch him. I had about a kilometre before I needed to turn off. So I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 metres behind him, so I really picked up the pace and pushed myself. You would have thought I was running in the last leg of an Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him. Finally, I did it! I caught and passed him. On the inside, I felt so good. "I beat him" Of course, he didn't even know we were racing. After I passed him, I realised I had been so focused on competing against him that I had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past my turn and I had to turn and go back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbours, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important? We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God-given destinies. The problem with unhealthy competition is that it's a never ending cycle. There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with a better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, a prettier wife, a more handsome husband, better behaved children, etc. But realise that "You can be the best that you can be, when you are not competing with anyone." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention to what others are, where others are going, wearing and driving. Take what God has given you, the height, weight and personality. Dress well and wear it proudly, you'll be blessed by it. Stay focused and live a healthy life. There is no competition in Destiny. Run your own race and wish others well!!
Happy weekend 😊
The fish story
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish🐠 🐟🐠🐟
But the water close to Japan has not held many fish🐠🐟 for decades.
So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.
The further the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish🐠🐟🐠🐟
If the return trip took more time, the fish 🐠🐟🐠🐟 were not fresh.
To solve this problem, fish 🐠🐟 companies installed freezers on their boats.
They would catch the fish 🐠🐟 and freeze them at sea.
Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.
However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish🐠🐟 and they did not like the taste of frozen fish 🐠🐟
The frozen fish🐠🐟 brought a lower price.
So, fishing companies installed fish tanks.
They would catch the fish 🐠🐟 and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin.
After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste.
The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!
But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan.
How did they manage...?
To keep the fish🐠🐟🐠 tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish🐠🐟🐠 in the tanks but with a small shark🐋🐋
The fish🐠🐟🐠are challenged and hence are constantly on the move.
The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!
Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull....?
Basically in our lives, sharks 🐋🐋 are new challenges to keep us active.
If you are steadily conquering
challenges, you are happy.
Your challenges keep you energized.
Don’t create Success and revel in it in a state of inertia.
You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference.
Put a shark 🐋🐋 in your tank this year and see how far you can really go....
You can be your best investment
New year, new me. Is this the thought doing the rounds in your head?
If it is, great, although I would suggest “new focus on me” as your mantra. Why? Because I believe that you are your greatest asset, and anything that will keep you functioning, healthy and happy is worth every dirham spent – as long as you clearly define what it is you’re investing in and how you are measuring returns.
Here’s what I mean. Chances are if you ask anyone what they’re investing in, they’ll rattle off all manner of things – property, stocks, bonds, start-ups – but I bet they won’t say the single most important thing: themselves. Saying it is one thing and living by it is another – and it’s so very important.
If I don’t work, I don’t earn. Plus, I’m becoming less valuable with time – my earning years are declining, and I’m at greater risk of various health problems. So anything that will keep me functioning well is a good thing.
This is one reason I invested in time with a personal trainer a few months ago. Unfortunately my fitness regime didn’t last – a change in my family’s routine means that I’d need to spend an additional hour and a half on the road each day if I want to hit the gym I joined
This is self-defeating – I can’t justify the additional stress of driving that much and the hours lost to my life to see my paid-up trainer, who hasn’t seen me for months now. Instead, I’m justifying joining a different gym that fits into my current daily circuit – and writing off the money at the previous one. Ouch. But if that’s what I need to do to keep myself in tip-top shape for decades to come, then I need to bite that bullet.
To be clear, there is a giant difference between real investment in your own human capital and justifying expenses. Going on a trip for some downtime or to explore a new part of the world can count as an investment in your well-being and continuous learning, but opting for 5-star luxury all the way is an expense. Or in my case, paying for time with a private trainer is an investment, but kitting myself out in the latest fitness apparel is an expense.
You don’t need to spend big or make giant changes to take better care of yourself. Self-care is mostly about adopting great habits.
Here are other ways you can invest in yourself:
• Build your human capital by developing your knowledge base. Taking courses is one way of doing this. Another is simply setting time aside to read, learn and explore ideas and concepts. To get yourself excited, watch the video on the home page of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. I want to do all their courses on offer.
• Adopt healthy habits. Include flossing. Here’s one reason why: scientists believe that gum disease releases potentially harmful bacteria into the bloodstream, which significantly increases the risk of heart disease.
We each have our own life, aspirations and talents. Spend time looking at your habits – your way of living, eating, and being – and figure out how you can work towards a better you by improving your self-care. Do you sleep well? Does your diet include green vegetables and fruit? Something as simple as steamed broccoli is thought to prolong life, or at least help have a better quality of life, because it’s packed with nutrients that stave off cancer, tackle chronic inflammation and have many other benefits too. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, and luckily for me, brussels sprouts are too – I love them and eat them any time of year. What about avocado? Again, it’s packed full of health and self-help.
Going back to your human capital, it’s not only about learning. It’s also about being able to earn more, or earn for longer. For many this is a must, as retiring at 60 or 65 is no longer an option. The good news is that studies find people who work into their twilight years are happier and have more disposable cash at hand.
The bottom line is that investing in yourself is your most profitable venture. You reap future returns and get a payoff right now.
Plus, your well-being will ensure the well-being of those who depend on you.
Top 12 Most Important Personality Development Tips
12. Know yourself
11. Bring positivity in your outlook
10. Have an opinion
9. Meet new people
8. Read more often and develop new interests
7. Be a good listener
6. Be a little fun
5. Be courteous
4. Work on your Body Language
3. Check your attire
2. Be yourself
1. Be confident
5 Body Language Tricks To Make Anyone Instantly Like You
The Flooding Smile
"Don't flash an immediate smile when you greet someone," If you do, it appears as if anyone in your line of sight would receive that same smile.
Instead, pause and look at the other person's face for a second, and then let a "big, warm, responsive smile flood over your face and overflow into your eyes."
Even though the delay is less than a second, it will convince people your smile is sincere and personalized for them. According to Lowndes, a slower smile can add more richness and depth to how people perceive you.
Sticky Eyes
Pretend your eyes are glued to your conversation partner's with sticky warm taffy, Even after they've finished speaking, don't break eye contact. "When you must look away, do it ever so slowly, reluctantly, stretching the gooey taffy until the tiny string finally breaks." This technique will help you appear more intelligent and insightful.
The Big-Baby Pivot
People are very conscious of how you react to them. When you meet someone new, turn your body fully toward them and give them the same, undivided attention you would give a baby.Pivoting 100% towards the new person shouts, 'I think you are very, very special.'"
Limit the Fidget
If you want to appear credible, try not to move too much when your conversation really matters. "Do not fidget, twitch, wiggle, squirm, or scratch, Frequent hand motions near your face can give your listener the feeling that you're lying or anxious. Instead, simply fix a constant gaze on the listener and show them that you're fully concentrated on the matter at hand.
Using your hands
Use you hands to create appropriate gestures. Hand movements help you to get the words out of your mouth accelerating your thought process. Do not cross your hands while speaking, It passes a signal that your are disinterested in a conversation.
Alphabetic advice for you
A B C
Avoid Boring Company..
D E F
Don't Entertain Fools..
G H I
Go for High Ideas .
J K L M
Just Keep a friend like ME..
N O P
Never Overlook the Poor n suffering..
Q R S
Quit Reacting to Silly tales..
T U V
Tune Urself for ur Victory..
W X Y Z
We Xpect You to Zoom ahead in life .
5 Inspirational Lessons
- First Lesson : Cleaning Lady -
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
- Second Lesson : Pickup in the Rain -
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..
It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
- Third Lesson : Always remember those who serve -
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
- Fourth Lesson : The obstacle in Our Path -
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse
contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand.
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
- Fifth Lesson : Giving When it Counts -
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it, if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks.
Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
"Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."
The 3 Tools You Need to Get Your Work Done So You Have Time For a Life
Somewhere between dreaming about Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek and the reality that you’re becoming a 24/7 workaholic is an elusive concept called "work-life balance."
In a world where everyone feels so overworked, overwhelmed, overcommitted, and overstressed, it’s only natural that we would want to work less and enjoy life more, right? But what if we’re not really as overworked as we think? What if we have just as much leisure time as we’ve always had? What if this seemingly elusive work-life balance is entirely within our control? What if it’s not an elusive concept at all but a simple matter of personal choice?
This will no doubt come as a shock, but the image of the overworked and overstretched American is a complete myth. We actually have far more leisure or spare time today than at any time in recorded history, according to a 2006 article in The Economist.
The problem is a combination of misguided priorities, addiction to instant gratification and distraction, and lack of focus and discipline. We simply spend way too much time doing what doesn’t matter and not nearly enough time focusing on what does. And that’s by choice.
We constantly complain about living in a world where we have to be on 24/7, but the truth is we stay connected because we want to. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head to answer a call or text when you’re supposed to be sleeping, playing with your kids, or having dinner with your better half. Nobody makes you reply to tweets and emails when you should be focused on getting something done. So why do you do it? You love the attention. It makes you feel important. It makes you feel special.
And guess what? Companies know that and leverage it, if they’re smart. By providing flexible work conditions, allowing people to work and conference from home, and buying them smartphones and notebook computers, they’re getting something in return: more of your time and attention when you’re not at work.
Sure, executives, professionals, and business leaders work long hours -- I always have -- but that’s a matter of choice. If you want to accomplish big things, you have to shoulder big responsibility, and that usually means working long and hard. That’s why they make the big bucks. That’s how it works.
Besides, folks like me have a tool set that seems to elude most people these days:
PrioritiesFocusDiscipline
We’re disciplined about focusing on our priorities and shutting out the noise. We always do what needs to be done, but for everything else, we have a saying: “Tomorrow’s another day.”
Now, let’s talk about the real time wasters in our lives: social media and personal blogging. The vast majority of time we spend on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn is wasted. So is the time we spend blogging and reading all that useless user-generated online content. So are the hours of watching 200 cable channels and YouTube videos, playing with our game consoles and smartphone apps, and shopping for all the stuff everyone thinks they have to own these days.
Americans now spend an average of five hours a day online plus five hours a day watching TV. If you want to be far more successful than the average American, you simply can’t get away with that. If you want to make it big in this world, you’re going to have to be disciplined about focusing on your priorities.
For every successful entrepreneur and executive I know, work comes first. It’s what they live for. Granted, they don’t work all the time, but they never think about work-life balance because they know what their goals and priorities are, and they know what they have to do and what they have to sacrifice to achieve them.
In thirtysomething years, I’ve never known a single person -- entrepreneur, executive, manager, engineer, small-business owner, you name it -- who made a good living working less than 40 or 50 hours a week. And I don’t know anyone who made it big working less than 50 or 60 hours a week. And many of them worked a whole lot more.
We all have our own peculiar ways of managing our work lives, but none of it will help you break the laws of physics or economics. By all means, work smart. But unless you figure out how to clone yourself, you’ve still got to do the work -- and a lot of it if you want a lot in return. You get out of life what you put in.
As for those who want to work less and enjoy their personal lives more, I don’t blame you, but I wouldn’t quit my day job just yet. And if you still think you can make it big as an entrepreneur without having to work hard, you can always come up with a catchy sound bite and market it to the gullible masses as the secret to success. That’s certainly worked before.
To summarize, here’s my theory on living a fulfilling life while avoiding a life full of regret: If you work too hard and completely miss out on life, you’ll be miserable. If you have too much fun and don’t make enough money, the result’s the same. Somewhere in between is an optimum point where you work hard enough, make enough money, and still have a good time. That point is different for everyone. It’s highly subjective, but it does exist. It mostly depends on your goals.
If your goal is to have a fulfilling career and a rich family life, you should be able to pull that off. If, on the other hand, you really want to make it big, you’re going to have to sacrifice on the personal side. And if your goal is to party hard, work as little as possible, and just skate by, that’s fine too, but don’t expect to park a Ferrari at your mansion.
Look at it this way. Life is full of tradeoffs, and, for the most part, you’re in control. If you focus on doing only what matters and are reasonably disciplined about your priorities, you should never have to concern yourself with nonsense like personal productivity.
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