Some Motivational Quotes

The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many. ~ John Naisbitt

To think is easy. To act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult. ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth

The only limits are, as always, those of vision. ~ James Broughton

Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. ~ Dwight D.

Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. ~ Denis Waitley

You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills. ~ Jim Rohn

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. ~ Theodore Roosevelt

You must remain focused on your journey to greatness. ~ Les Brown

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don't do too many things wrong. ~ Warren Buffett

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Three Ways To Jumpstart Your IT Career

We all get stuck in ruts from time to time, and that happens on the job as well. You've thought about doing something different with your information technology career, but just haven't quite gotten around to it yet. Sound familiar?

You can make 2006 the best year yet for your IT career. There are several simple steps you can take to accelerate your career - but you have to take the step, not just think about it!

Learn something new. One of the biggest reasons you get tired of a job is that you're doing the same thing every day. If you happen to love what you do, that's great, but if not it's time to break out of the box. Besides, learning a new skill adds value to your career. If you've been doing server work for a long time, take the time to learn some Cisco skills. If you're an Exchange specialist, learn some Linux skills.

Get certified. Not very many of us get to work for the same company for the rest of our IT careers. The only job security is the security you give yourself, and one of the ways to get that security is to add professional certifications to your resume. Certifications such as the MCSE and CCNA get you noticed and help you stand out from the crowd. Ask yourself what your resume would look like if you were laid off today, and then take steps to improve yourself and your professional standing.

Be prepared to take one step backwards in order to take multiple steps forward. You may be in a situation I was in a while back when my employer saw me as strictly a server guy. I wanted to get on the Cisco side of things, but there was this perception that I was "only a LAN guy". I had to leave that company to get my shot. There was some short-term financial pain, but in the long run it was the best career move I've ever made.

People get typecast in every field. In his book "Often Wrong, Never In Doubt", Donny Deutsch writes about a job candidate who wanted to become a junior ad executive, but couldn't break in with his current employer - which was an ad agency! He was typecast in a support role, so he applied to other ad firms and was quickly hired.

Sometimes you have to look outside your current situation in order to create a new situation for yourself. Don't be afraid to take a step backwards in order to open up new possibilities for yourself. There's an amazing career out there, waiting for you - if you have the courage to make it and take it.

 

Starting A Career In Another Country

There are few things in the world quite as exciting as moving overseas and trying to get a job. Starting a new career overseas can be difficult but if you follow some key steps it is not half as hard as some would have you believe. The very first thing that you need to do is find out the rules of hiring in this other country. Each country had it own distinct set of regulations, some of these can even vary within a country by state or province. Find out everything before you even start to apply for jobs.

You will find that international resumes are often referred to as a CV. So if you get this word thrown at you, don’t worry, it is just a fancy word for resumes

The next thing that you need to do is create your international resume. This is vital to your career success overseas. Without a good international resume you will not stand a chance of getting hired anywhere no matter what your qualifications happen to be. This resume too will depend on to county in which you are searching for a job.

Before you send out your CV make sure that this is really what you want to do. Moving to another country and getting work is a huge step and it is one that is going to cost you a fair bit of money. Do you have the money for all of the moving expenses and the travel expenses? If not then your CV, no matter how good it is will not get you very far. Think about what you are doing and see if it is really what you need to do in order to further your career. There are many ways to make life better and this may or may not be the right choice for you, just make sure that you have thought it through well before you make any big changes.

 

Tricks of the mind

That is the essence of belief. We use words as though we know what they mean and behave and think as though they are facts.

Beliefs are convictions based on a lack of proof. Our beliefs are so built into our way of thinking that it is difficult to separate real facts from imagined. In fact, we cannot separate our thinking from our beliefs, no more than we can separate ourselves into emotional, rational, spiritual and physical parts.

 

Yet we can put words on those things as though we really know what they are as though we can see something in our behaviour that identifies each separate part, but in fact, they are never separate. They are all part of the one and same person.

 

That is the problem. Words do not necessarily match the facts. We can talk about intelligence, for example, as though we really know it exists, but we have a difficult time proving what it is.

 

Just because we can speak a word that we can look up in a dictionary does not make it any more factual than another word which we do not believe.

 

What we believe now are truths. What others believe are myths and therefore evil.

Whether we choose to believe something or not doesn't make us superior to anyone else or give us any special advantage. They are our beliefs.

 

Often we believe something because we are told that unless we believe it there will be consequences. Believe this or you will be punished either now or later.

 

And we can all prove our beliefs because we have conducted a lot of mind experiments even if all thought experiments are just science-fiction. Every science fiction book I read when I was twelve was a thought experiment.

 

We all make assumptions and judgements living day to day. Choose to believe or not believe, it makes no difference. You cannot prove a belief either way. And you are still just believing.

 

Beliefs are something we know because we just think it is so. We interpret our experience as though it proves what we know.

 

And round and round we go again.

I believe it is important to believe and to allow others to have their own belief unless they threaten the well being of others.

 

But then, maybe it is all just tricks of the mind.

 

 

Secrets To Searching For The Career You Really Wanted

Career search is a very stressful and difficult process. This is even made more intense today because so many companies are reducing their workforce. Thus increasing the number of applicants for a shrinking number of jobs.

The competition for available jobs is fierce. Yet, you can beat the competition and actually search and get hired in the career you really want.

Consider these secrets:

1. Discover what you really want out of your work and life.

Discover your true passions, desires, beliefs, and talents so that you can paint a picture of your true work and life goals from your own perspective.

2. Develop and define the job you really want. Design and define the career that will allow you to fulfill your passions, desires, beliefs and maximize your talents.

What you are doing is building your ideal job around what you want as opposed to looking at job opportunities that come along to evaluate. Believe it or not, the career you are searching for actually exists in more than one way and within the personal parameters you set.

3. Find out what companies have positions that meet your ideal position requirements. Look and research all of the possible companies within the geographical area you designated to discover what positions within these companies you would want. Do not worry about whether they have job vacancies or are currently in a hiring mode.

4. Evaluate the companies that have your desired careers. Make sure you would want to work for the companies that have your ideal jobs. They need to have integrity and treat their employees and customers in the manner you would want to be treated.

Determine whether they operate in an industry that you want to work in.

Research about the career you selected. Do not be put off or discouraged if the companies are not hiring. Why? Because companies are always looking for the right employees and will have to eventually hire new employees to survive.

Determine who actually makes hiring decisions, and what is important to them. Many companies disguise this information through HR departments or hiring committees. If possible, try to find out how you can contact hiring decision-makers directly. Get their e-mail addresses, direct telephone numbers, or find someone in the company who can do that for you.

5. Contact the decision-makers and tell them you want to work for them in the specific career you are searching for. Express your enthusiasm for that specific job or jobs. The fewer jobs you designate the better.

You want them to know you can be trusted by truthfully exposing your commitment to seeking your dream job, even though they may not have an opening.

Let them know that you will be very productive because you will excel at the job. That you will be a very grateful and energetic employee because you are doing what you love. You are not just asking for a job so they will pay you, but you have targeted a specific job at that company, and you are committed to contributing in that position.

Employers constantly face the problem of finding and surrounding themselves with the right employees who want to work for them, whom they can trust, and who will be very productive with the least amount of supervision.

You are not the only one searching for the perfect career to come. There are many others who are still on the process of a career search.

 

Career Enhancement Leadership Course Review

Leadership is a tricky subject, at best. Perhaps this is why finding a single source that covers every aspect of this topic seems nearly impossible. And, what’s more, much of the information available on leadership today taps into dated research, making modern day leadership mastery more elusive than ever.

Sure, there in a plethora of information out there – books, websites, etc., but finding a credible, go-to source that can be counted to bring about strong results, can be next to impossible.

That is, until now.

For if you are a manager, team leader or inspired professional, you finally have within your reach the tools needed to lead successfully. Thanks to the team at Mind Tools, everything needed to achieve leadership success – the latest research, the proven tools, techniques, resources and exercises, have been assembled in a single resource, appropriately entitled "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You".

Thoroughly researched and written by a recognized team of experts, "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You" teaches the simple, practical principles that anyone can apply to become an effective leader.

Furthermore, this leadership course and workbook dispels the myths surrounding leadership (for example, that good leaders are born, not trained) by explaining the clear, simple, up-to-date principles that are the foundation of solid, respectable leadership. And it teaches the 48 essential skills needed to become an effective leader.

Written by Mind Tools Founder James Manktelow, who also wrote "Make Time for Success!" and "Stress Tools," along with world-renowned leadership expert Felix Brodbeck and knowledge-transfer specialist Namita Anand, "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You" is the result of a year-long collaborative effort that tapped into some of the greatest minds in the world’s leadership arena.

Furthermore, the course is brought to you by the highly-specialized MindTools.com team, one of the world’s most-visited management training and career development sites, educating more than 4,000,000 guests each year.

"How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You," is comprised of eight different modules, including:

The Meaning of Leadership
Get to Know Yourself
Get "The Right Stuff”
Creating Winning Ideas
The Power to Rouse
Getting Things Done
Develop Your Team
Get the Extra Edge

Each module is followed by a detailed guide that shows exactly how to implement the tools and techniques, supported by exercises that further ensure participants have a full understanding of what it takes to be an effective leader.

Similar in format to other popular Mind Tools e-books and courses, there are also additional sources, links and other information provided throughout "How to Lead: Discover the Leader Within You." The link to the class can be found at http://www.careerenhanceonline.com.

 

 

How To Bulletproof Your Career!

In the not-too-distant past, ascending the corporate ladder assured management professionals of a bigger office, a stronger compensation package and a more secure future. But today, executives are being told: Don’t get too comfortable in that corner office, and don’t buy that fancy new car or boat you’ve always dreamed of – because your job is just as vulnerable as everyone else’s. Evidence suggests that the higher up the ladder you go, the more precarious your position may become! The attitude toward executives and the roles they play within companies have drastically changed in recent years. I’ve seen executives who have been with the same company for 20 or more years. They’ve worked their way up the corporate ladder and felt that they had proven their value – then they were unceremoniously dismissed from their positions as if they had just been hired as an entry-level worker. As a Career Consultant, it’s my job to re-instill the client’s confidence, identify his or her strengths, and “re-package” that individual for the current job market. But, to navigate effectively through the career transition process and ultimately make your career bulletproof, you must first be informed about what’s really going on in the work-world. I see several important trends taking place with regard to executive-level job stability and security, including:

TODAY’S CHALLENGING EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

Job Market Trend 1:

More and more positions, even at senior levels, are now being offered on a contract or temporary basis. The position, in these cases, lasts only as long as is needed to fulfill the employer's contract with their client. This requires job seekers to think differently – more like an independent consultant who works on assignment – rather than as a permanent employee. In many business sectors and industries, it could be said that the “permanent, full-time job” no longer exists as we knew it. This trend also puts the responsibility on the part of the executive to consistently promote and market himself or herself for the next opportunity – and the one after that!

Job Market Trend 2:

Companies are still very cautious and careful about making any hiring decisions of high-paying, senior management positions. Executives seeking such jobs must now “sell themselves” more than in the past. They need to demonstrate just how they will enhance the company’s productivity, efficiency and profitability – or they probably won't get the offer. This means that the job seeker really needs to learn how to effectively present and market himself or herself. Just having the right job titles on one's résumé, or having the appropriate technical skills for the job, are no longer enough.

Job Market Trend 3:

Executives are receiving smaller career transition programs than ever before from the large outplacement firms – and many displaced professionals are getting no career transition programs at all. This means that greater numbers of executives are seeking-out help from smaller, more personal career consulting firms and career support groups.

STRATEGIES TO BULLETPROOF YOUR CAREER

Although the transition programs mentioned above do offer important career management techniques, let me share with you the most important activities you should always be doing to overcome the challenges outlined above, and bulletproof your career for the future:

1. Keep all your success documents up to date
2. Put time aside every week for active networking
3. Join and take leadership roles in appropriate associations
4. Write articles or do presentations in your area of expertise
5. Continue your career education, including new credentials
6. Research and be aware of the competition
7. Offer to help people in your network on a regular basis
8. Look at new jobs and investigate other opportunities
9. Always ask yourself, “How can I contribute more?”
10. Practice your networking, interviewing and negotiating skills

If you want your career to be truly bulletproof, you’ll need to educate yourself on topics you probably thought you’d never have to worry about again – like self-marketing, networking, interviewing and negotiating. To master these skills, many management professionals are also discovering helpful online resources and free audio seminars.

And here’s the GOOD NEWS: If you seek-out the right support and leverage vital resources like those mentioned above, you may actually be thankful for the experience of going through transition – ultimately finding a career or landing a job that will be a much better “fit” than those you’ve previously had.

 

Career Advice: 9 Steps To New Job Success

This month hundreds of thousands of careerists--from those carrying freshly minted diplomas through veterans in the workplace--start new jobs.

Survival, to say nothing of success, is far from guaranteed.

One-fourth of those in their first career jobs don't survive the first year, according to a study by The Employment Foundation. Nearly half are out the door in 18 months, reports Leadership IQ, a training firm.

The message is clear: recognize the extreme importance of getting off on the right foot from day one on a new job. Performance in the early days will often provide strong and lasting indicators for both employee and employer as to how a new hire will perform. Fair or unfair, first impressions have a lasting effect on success.

Nine Basic Guidelines

There are nine basic guidelines that can be helpful in making the most of the first job.

1. Work, work, work and then work some more. No substitute, no short cut will replace work. This means more than working diligently from eight to five. Take work home for nights and on weekends. Near total immersion in the job is recommended.

2. Arrive early on the job and stay late. Get to work at least 30 minutes before the specified starting time for the first several months. This is a good time, before the interruptions of the day start, to take care of routine chores and get a head start on the day.

Often, the boss is also in early. (That may have something to do with his being boss.) It's a great time to get better acquainted with him. Demonstrate interest in the job. Ask for extra information and guidance.

Stay a while after the regular hours. Clean up the personal work place. Collect the files and reading materials to take home for review that night. Make a list of actions to be taken the next day.

3. Don't expect to conquer the world in six months. But realize the scoreboard is operating from day one.

4. Don't be afraid to ask questions and seek help when needed. To do so is a sign of strength not an admission of weakness, as is often assumed. Seeking assistance, intelligently, shows confidence and desire to do the job. Acquire a mentor as soon as possible. Find someone who has been around the track to provide coaching and share experiences. This will not be difficult to do; most people like to be asked for advice.

5. Observe how things "really get done." Learn how the machinery of the organization works. (This is likely to be quite different from what's spelled out in the policy and training manuals.) Absorb the folklore.

6. Don't join cliques or deal in office politics. Leave the gossip to others.

7. Respect the hierarchy. The organization is bigger and stronger than any one person. The new boy in the neighborhood can't change it in the beginning. Recognize and respect there's a chain of command; everybody has a boss. Rebels rarely survive for the long haul.

8. Know the business of the business... the mission of the organization, what it does and what values it represents. Learn how the job fits into the overall picture.

9. Adapt to the environment. Observe the style of dress – casual or more buttoned down? – and be guided by it. Is business done in an informal manner or strictly by the rules? By memos and formal meetings or by face-to-face discussions and chance meetings in the hallway?

It just makes common sense to recognize that those who go contrary to these guidelines make life difficult for themselves and raise the odds against their success. Who needs that?

 

 

Eight Lies of a Mother.

A very touchy and sentimental article I came across:-

1.
The story began when I was a child;
I was born as a son of a poor family.
Even for eating, we often got lack of food.
Whenever the time for eating, mother often gave me her portion of rice.
While she was removing her rice into my bowl,
she would say "Eat this rice, son. I'm not hungry".
That was Mother's First Lie

2.
When I was getting to grow up,
the persevering mother gave her spare time for fishing in a river near our house,
she hoped that from the fishes she got,
she could gave me a little bit nutritious food for my growth.
After fishing, she would cook the fishes to be a fresh fish soup,
which raised my appetite. While I was eating the soup,
mother would sit beside me and eat the rest meat of fish,
which was still on the bone of the fish I ate.
My heart was touched when I saw it.
I then used my chopstick and gave the other fish to her.
But she immediately refused it and said "Eat this fish, son.
I don't really like fish."
That was Mother's Second Lie.

3.
Then, when I was in Junior High School,
to fund my study,
mother went to an economic enterprise to bring some used-matches boxes that would be stuck in.
It gave her some money for covering our needs.
As the winter came,
I woke up from my sleep and looked at my mother who was still awoke,
supported by a little candlelight and within her perseverance she continued
the work of sticking some used-matches box.
I said, "Mother, go to sleep, it's late,
tomorrow morning you still have to go for work.
" Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep,
dear. I'm not tired."
That was Mother's Third Lie.

4.

At the time of final term,
mother asked for a leave from her work in order to accompany me.
While the daytime was coming and the heat of the sun was starting to shine,
the strong and persevering mother
waited for me under the heat of the sun's shine for several hours.
As the bell rang, which indicated that the final exam had finished,
mother immediately welcomed me and poured me a glass of tea
that she had prepared before in a cold bottle.
The very thick tea was not as thick as my mother's love,
which was much thicker. Seeing my mother covering with perspiration,
I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too.
Mother said "Drink, son. I'm not thirsty!".
That was Mother's Fourth Lie.

5.
After the death of my father because of illness,
my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent.
By held on her former job, she had to fund our needs alone.
Our family's life was more complicated. No days without sufferance.
Seeing our family's condition that was getting worse,
there was a nice uncle who lived near my house came to help us,
either in a big problem and a small problem.
Our other neighbors who lived next to us saw that our family's life was so unfortunate,
they often advised my mother to marry again. But mother,
who was stubborn, didn't care to their advice,
she said "I don't need love."
That was Mother's Fifth Lie.

6.
After I had finished my study and then got a job,
it was the time for my old mother to retire.
But she didn't want to; she was sincere to go to the marketplace every morning,
just to sell some vegetable for fulfilling her needs.
I, who worked in the other city, often sent her some money to help her in fulfilling her needs,
but she was stubborn for not accepting the money.
She even sent the money back to me.
She said "I have enough money."
That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

7.

After graduated from Bachelor Degree,
I then continued my study to Master Degree.
I took the degree, which was funded by a company through a scholarship program,
from a famous University in America .
I finally worked in the company. Within a quite high salary,
I intended to take my mother to enjoy her life in America .
But my lovely mother didn't want to bother her son,
she said to me "I'm not used to."
That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

8.
After entering her old age,
mother got a flank cancer and had to be hospitalized.
I, who lived in miles away and across the ocean,
directly went home to visit my dearest mother.
She lied down in weakness on her bed after having an operation.
Mother, who looked so old, was staring at me in deep yearn.
She tried to spread her smile on her face;
even it looked so stiff because of the disease she held out.
It was clear enough to see how the disease broke my mother's body,
thus she looked so weak and thin.
I stared at my mother within tears flowing on my face.
My heart was hurt, so hurt, seeing my mother on that condition.
But mother, with her strength, said "Don't cry, my dear.
I'm not in pain."
That was Mother's Eight Lie.

 

Fly The Nest

Children grow up to become young people. And sooner or later, young people leave home. They may move out to live alone or with friends. They may leave to go to college or to work. Whatever the reason and whatever their age, it can leave you with mixed emotions. You may be relieved at having some time and space, finally, to yourself. Or you may feel at a loose end, as if your whole reason for living had walked out of the door.

You may feel guilty at being happy they're gone - or guilty at feeling bad about it. But it is very necessary that you let your children spread their wings and explore the world around. Here are simple steps both parents and their kids need to take to make their lives more productive, fulfilling and healthy.

For Parents

Big changes are most difficult when they take us by surprise. If your children are unprepared, they may make a bit of hash of it. Get them ready by helping them to manage for themselves. It's never too early to do this - or too late.

Drawing boundaries

Parents need to put down boundaries and stick to them. Children often assume the victim role and say, "I can't do it. I have to live here." Parents buy into this thinking, and then feel guilty because they want to help their kids. When they feed that guilt, they ignore the fact that they are crippling their children's advancement in life.

Five-year plan

Parents should not try to make a life plan for their adult children; this is something they need to devise on their own so they will follow it. Parents can guide and support their kids, but treating them like babies may cause them to regress. They need to be moving ahead and maturing, not regressing into childhood roles. Adult kids should be living as independent young people and making their own way. They need to decide for themselves what they want out of life, and devise a plan to obtain it.

Help them out

There is an old saying: "Those for whom you do the most, wind up resenting you the worst." Are you really helping your kids if you're not showing them how the real world works? Parents need to redefine what it means to help someone. Look at your motivation for helping your children. If you are doing it to feel better about yourself, then you probably don't have your child's best interest in mind.

Be prepared

When we talk about loving our children, loving them means preparing them. In the world, your children will have to pull their own weight and make their own way. If you allow them not to require more from themselves, then they won't, and they won't progress. It is important for your children to learn self-sufficiency, develop high self-esteem and be motivated from early on in life. If you are constantly helping them and taking care of their needs, you are not preparing them for the real world, and in fact, you are actually crippling them. It's not fair to enable them for a long, long time and then all of a sudden just put them on the street. You own the problem as well. There's got to be a plan. There's got to be a transition.

For Adult Children

Take responsibility for yourself

Oftentimes it is easier to sit back and let others provide for you, while you get accustomed to a comfort zone. By taking the path of least resistance, you reward yourself with comfort and relief from anxiety that comes from reaching for something else. You may feel safe when you don't attempt to change, but you are sabotaging yourself. You are selling out your happiness and putting up with something you don't want. Require more of yourself.

Have a plan to get on your own

Find a job, something that gives you the pride and independence to be able to say, "I am taking care of myself." Start living where you can get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say, "I'm a grown person; I'm living on my own and I'm proud of that." Start at an entry-level position if you have to, and then build from there. You need to get whatever job you can, and then build for another job.

 Preparation time

Here is how you can prepare your children for that daily struggle

• Discuss with them how you would like to help them, and what they need to do to manage. You may, for instance, agree that their room is now off limits to you, with a few provisons. You'll allow them to keep it as they want, if they agree to put dirty clothes in the basket and bring dirty cups back to the kitchen. If they don't, it's down to them, not you, when they've nothing clean to wear and you can't give them breakfast

• You might also ask that common territory - living room, kitchen and bathroom - be kept tidy

• Take them household shopping so they can see how much everyday essentials such as toothpaste and washing up liquid costs - and how often it needs to be bought

• Discuss with them how you'll hand over the responsibility of managing their own money, little by little. Start by Increasing the amount and making it clear that covers special, non-essential clothes

• If they make a mistake, don't bale them out. Allow them to experience the results of their actions, to learn how to do better. So the first time they blow an entire month's allowance leaving them skint and in trouble, don't rescue them. Being unable to join their friends on a night out is the best way to learn

 

 

Everything Happens For A Reason

People say that everything happens for a reason, and a more skeptical mind might respond with, "What nonsense!" But on the other hand, what a great idea - whether or not it is true! Regardless of religious or philosophical background, this is a belief that anyone can use, even if it's false.

Nobody can prove that everything happens for a reason, and when you consider some of the truly terrible things that happen to people, it sometimes seems almost rude to even suggest it. But its truth or falseness is relatively unimportant compared to its usefulness. You see, as a personal belief, it can not only improve your outlook on life, but make your response to it more productive.

 

 

If you lost your job, for example, and you think there must be a reason, you start looking for it. The result? Perhaps you find your "true purpose" in life, or get a better job, but in any case you don't get demotivated. People who don't think things happen for a reason are probably more likely to be devastated by such "bad luck," rather than use is as an opportunity to better their lives.

 

 

I put "true purpose" in quotation marks above because this is another idea that may be nonsense, but can be useful nonetheless. If for some people it gives life more meaning, it may lead to more life satisfaction. Another such belief is one we tell children: "You can be anything you want to be."

 

 

Nonsense!

And easily proven wrong. You can think of many reasons why some people can never do some things in life. But the general idea can be very motivating, right? Tell a child there are only some things she can do, and she'll likely start ruling out many things that are really possible for her.

 

 

Such beliefs are what I call "useful lies," because whether they are true or not generally can't be proven (perhaps it's actually true that everything happens for a reason), but they serve a purpose. Some of these can be blatantly silly, but they organize one's thinking in a way that leads to more productive results in both thinking and the action that follows. Someone who believes he was "meant" to be a writer, for example, won't get discouraged from a writing career as easily as someone who just "tries" writing.

 

Believe It Or Not - It Doesn't Matter

I use the provocative word "lie" to point out that we often act as though we have some real evidentiary reasons for such beliefs. In that sense, we really do "lie" when we throw them out there like proven facts. Of course, the term "useful lies" also gets attention.

 

Of course the "lie" can be false and still work, but what is even more interesting is that you don't even have to believe it for it to work. In other words, it doesn't really have to be a belief. You might think that the idea "anything is possible" is nonsense, but you can still use it as an "operating principle." You keep it in mind and act as though anything is possible. As a result you find more possibilities in life than if you act according to operating principles that are more skeptical.

 

Bill Harris, founder of the Centerpointe Institute, is one of the bigger distributors of motivational CDs online. I recently read a true story about how when his company was young, he was sued for a million dollars. The lawsuit was frivolous, but it was going to take a lot of money - which he didn't have - to defend his company. Was there some higher reason or purpose for this disaster? Not likely.

 

However, it seems that Harris believes everything happens for a reason, or at least acts according to this belief. He sat down and listed sixty possible benefits of being sued, starting with "I can learn about the legal system." Every one of the benefits on his list came true, he claims, and today his company is bigger and better than ever. This shows the power of a good idea, or "useful lie."

 

Good ideas are like good tools if you use them that way. Use them, then set them down and pick up better ones as needed. There is no need to cling to them as some revealed "truth" to get the value from them. On the other hand, if you really do believe that everything happens for a reason, maybe my concept of "useful lies" has shaken your faith. In that case, just assume there some good reason for this.

Honest HR Question-Answers

If we were to Honestly reply to all the HR Questions they would go something like this

1. Why did you apply for this job?
I have applied for many jobs along with this and you called me now.

2. Why do you want to work for this company?
I have to work for some company who ever gives me a job, I don't have any specific company in mind.

3. Why should I hire you?
You have to hire some one, you may give me a try.

4.What would you do if we hire you?
Well, it depends on my mindset but I will try to work on whatever is allotted to me.

5.What is your biggest strength?
Basically, daring to join any company who pays me well, without thinking of the fate of company.

6.What is your biggest weakness?
Girls

7.What was your worst mistake, and how did you learn from it?
Joining my earlier company and learn that I need to jump to get more money, so I am here today!

8. What accomplishments in your last position are you most proud of?
Had I accomplished any in my last position, why do I need to change my job? I could demand more and stay there.

9.Describe a challenge you faced and how you overcame it?
Biggest challenge is answering the question "why are you looking for a change" and I started blabbering irrelevantly to overcome that.

10.Why did you leave/ are you leaving your last job?
For the same reason why you left your earlier job... more money

11.What do you want from this job?
If no work is given but keep giving good hikes

12.What are your career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
Make more money and for that keep jumping companies for every 2 yrs

13.Did you hear of our company and what do you know of us?
Yeah, I know that you will ask this, I've gone through your website

14.What is the salary expected and how do u justify that?
Well, no one will change job for the same salary, hence, give me 20% extra than what I am getting and that is unpublished industry standard (I know you will bargain on what ever I ask, hence, I have already hiked my current salary by 30%).

Are you open to change?

1. Would you let the crew from an interior design company into your pad and totally redesign it?

A Absolutely – you'd love a new look
B Probably, but you'd have tissues on hand in case they painted the walls fuchsia
C Are you crazy? – they would wreck the place

2. You just won a gift certificate for any hair service you desire. You choose:

A A cut-and-colour job like your favourite celebrities
B Some layers and a few highlights
C A 1 to 2 inch trim

3. You've been living in your place for less than a year when your roommate proposes moving to a cooler part of town. You:

A Go for it - a change of atmosphere will totally revamp your social life
B Consider it but suggest hanging out in your neighbourhood a little longer
C Decline – you just figured out the fastest way to get to work!

4. How do you usually feel when your gym instructor quits?

A You couldn't care less
B A little bugged? But who knows, your new one may be just as good
C Annoyed - you hate getting into a groove with someone, then having to start all over

5. How much of a schedule do you follow on weeknights?

A Zero - you're always up for anything
B You like to maintain some kind of order
C Between must-see TV, your favourite meals and gym time, you have a set agenda

6. How often do you update your wardrobe with trendy items?

A Constantly - your closet may have an identity crisis, but you need hot new accessories
B Often - every season, you buy a few prime pieces that make you feel foxier
C Rarely - you don't get too much into trends

7. The last time someone you know made a sudden shift in her life - decided to get pregnant, moved to a new place, switched careers - you:

A Wanted to do something even bigger and better
B Were slightly in awe of her but worried she might be making a rash mistake
C Thought, huh, maybe some aspects of my world could use updating

 

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home

As more and more professionals seek a better work-life balance and more companies adopt flexible policies to accommodate shifting workplace priorities and realities the working from home option is becoming increasingly viable. Employees see this as an ideal means to remain in the workforce and continue to be employed thereby maintaining all the tangible benefits of being part of an established company, while enjoying all the advantages of being based at home. The option has its potential pitfalls however and below we discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.

Advantages

Savings on hidden costs

 

By working at home you save on many hidden costs associated with going to work. These include costs of commuting, car wear and tear, fuel, road taxes, parking as well as indirect costs such as expensive professional wardrobes and the dry-cleaning of those. Often you can also save on older children’s care arrangements although for younger children it is highly unadvisable to forgo the childcare arrangement and try to balance close care and supervision with the demands of the job.

 

Flexibility

 

This doesn’t just relate to timings either although the flexibility to determine your own work hours to some extent is the most important aspect of this. You can also determine your environment, lighting, temperature, setting, mood; basically work in the framework that suits you best and makes you happiest and most productive.

 

Less distractions

 

Coworkers banter and distractions, unnecessary interruptions, unimportant meetings can all be avoided if you are safely at home and sealed off in your own environment which you have barricaded from any possible interruptions.

 

Proximity to home and family

 

For many, the physical proximity to family and the convenience of being at home are tremendously comforting. For parents it can be especially pacifying to know that they are very near to their children and available should they be needed for any reason. This also applies in the case of elderly care.

 

Less stress

 

The stress of commuting in bumper-to-bumper traffic at rush hour in many countries is extremely counterproductive and can lead to disgruntled workers who are already exhausted and worn before they have even begun their day. This is especially true where the workplace is far from the office. Other stresses often cited include unfriendly coworkers, a suboptimal work environment and constant distractions.

 

More productivity

 

Removed from the stresses and distractions of the workplace and working independently in their own preferred environment at their own pace, professionals are often a lot happier and a lot more productive.

 

Better health

 

Often with long commutes and anywhere from 1 to 3 hours a day spent getting to and from the workplace both physical and mental health are adversely impacted; the former as the gym hours are usually the first to go and the latter due to the stresses associated with both the commute and the workplace itself. By working at home the commuting time saved enables you to resume physical exercise, to go for a long walk for example before and after work or to join a local gym.

 

Better work/life balance

 

Work/life balance, the aspiration of the modern professional, is often achieved and tuned to satisfaction through a working at home arrangement, particularly when a professional has the flexibility to report into the office and work from the office partially as an option and can fine-tune the arrangement to achieve the most optimal balance.

Disadvantages

Isolation

 

Often, professionals working from home complain of isolation and loneliness given their removal from their bosses and coworkers and this can be very depressing to some. Since the workplace provides a location to meet people and make friends for many, professionals working from home have to be more creative and resourceful in getting to know people and in staying in touch with their colleagues.

 

Distractions

 

Although office distractions are avoided by working at home, different distractions may arise. Interruptions from children, work, neighbours, friends, family may be very disruptive and special efforts must be made to make it known that you are actually working and unavailable for interruption within work hours despite your physical presence at home.

 

Difficulty in separating home from work

 

The temptation to engage in household matters since you are at home is often very strong. Suddenly you may start feeling obliged to clean the home, do the shopping, the childcare, the cooking, the home finances and the socializing all while meeting the full requirements of the job too. It is essential to draw the line between home and work so as to avoid both areas suffering.

 

Work doesn’t end

 

Since there is no-one looking over your shoulder enforcing strict hours you may feel tempted to work endlessly. This pressure to work endlessly may be compounded by the fact that you feel there are greater expectations made of you as a home-worker or by self-imposed pressures to prove yourself and your abilities in this arrangement. Moreover the lack of physical separation between home and work may add to this pressure to work endlessly.

 

Alienated from daily company developments

 

A lot can change from day to day in a company and you may find yourself removed from important developments such as staff changes, new business, changes in company direction, new competitive intelligence etc.

 

Danger of being overlooked for promotion

 

The danger of being overlooked for promotions and career development opportunities is quite real when you are away from the office and other more visible employees are actively and aggressively vying for them. An open line of communication with management and regular visits to the office are critical in order to prove your dedication and commitment to your career and to prevent the out-of-sight-out-of-mind syndrome.

 

Need for high self-discipline

 

Working from home is not for anyone. It takes a lot of dedication, self-control and discipline to motivate yourself to persevere in working at home alone over the long run without succumbing to the distractions and losing drive and momentum. Often a partial arrangement where you report into the office once or twice a week is the optimal arrangement as it allows for close interaction with colleagues and supervisors and ensures you remain in touch with company developments while still permitting you the comfort and convenience of working from home.

Self Improvement Success Thinking

If you think success, success will happen. It sounds like magic, success thinking, but that is exactly how it works! Before anything is realized in our lives, it is preceded by a thought. If you want shoes, you first have to think shoes. If you want to eat, you first think food. Without the thought, no action is taken and nothing is realized. In life, if you want success, you have to learn how to think successfully.

If at some point you have the thought to change a certain area of your life, deciding to create change is just the first step to making a transformation. Falling into the same approach to change that failed in the past will only lead to the same result. In order to get new results you have to change your mental patterns. Learn how to use success thinking and you will create the life you want.

It is said, “We become what we think.” In other words, we are shaped by our thoughts. When you were born, your brain contained over 100 billion cells. Imagine that! Granted, these cells had yet to develop any real circuit connectivity.

Over time, you developed synopses that became the road map to your thoughts resulting from environmental exposure. Everything you have seen and experienced has shaped and defined the patterns of your thoughts. These thoughts drive the engine of your actions.

Learning takes place in the region of the brain called the cerebral cortex. When we are actively learning we are consciously concentrating. Once we have an activity fully understood, our learning passes from the conscious to the unconscious. Think back to when you learned to tie your shoelaces, drive a car, or brush your teeth. These activities once required a great deal of our focus and concentration yet now we are able to perform them with very little or often no thought at all.

Think of all the activities you do without thought. Think about your breathing, your heart, your arms moving, walking. The “automatic brain” performs much of what we do.

Your brain develops automatic activity from every single experience, thought and emotion. The words you speak to yourself will determine your brain patterns. You need to once again become conscious and take an active role in your life.

When we fail, we fail largely because of our own self-limiting thoughts and partly because of our desire to make changes in our circumstances without changing our thinking. There are no magic bullets or magic answer that will solve your situations. There are no magic diets, magic exercise machines or get-rich-quick programs.

Success requires a shift in thinking. Success is not limited to a few arbitrary individuals. Success is only limited to those who learn how to think positively with the genuine belief in their ability to achieve. This means you have to change the way you talk to yourself.

Get actively involved in changing how you are thinking. Take a new mental approach and you will find your life changing as a result. The way to achieve a change in your thinking patterns is to use empowering affirmations. The words you speak are the ideas with which you train yourself and those around you to accept.

The only limitations on your life are the limitations you place on your life by how you think. In Tools-To-Life, the approach to changing your thinking is called “correctional thinking.” This method allows you to substantiate how you should think to achieve your goals. The result is success thinking that actualizes your ability to re-create your life and make it what you want it to be.

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

1.     Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

2.     Memorize your favorite poem.

3.     Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

4.     When you say, "I love you", mean it.

5.     When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.

6.     Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

7.     Believe in love at first sight.

8.     Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

9.     Love deeply & passionately. You might get hurt but it's he only way to live life completely.  

10.      In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

11.      Don't judge people by their relatives.

12.      Talk slowly but think quickly.

13.      When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

14.      Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

15.      Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

16.      When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

17.      Remember the 3 Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for your actions.

18.      Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

19.      When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

20.      Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

21.      Marry someone you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

22.      Spend some time alone.

23.      Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

24.      Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

25.      Read more books and watch less TV.

26.      Live a good, honorable life. When you get older & think back, you'll enjoy it a 2nd time.

27.      Trust in God but lock your car.

28.      A loving atmosphere in your home is so important. Do all you can to create a tranquil and harmonious home.

29.      In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation.  Don't bring up the past.

30.      Read between the lines.

31.      Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

32.      Be gentle with the earth.

33.      Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.

34.      Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

35.      Mind your own business.

36.      Don't trust a man/woman who doesn't close his/her eyes when you kiss.

37.      Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

38.      If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.

39.      Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a stroke of luck.

40.      Learn the rules, and then break some.

41.      Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.

42.      Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

43.      Remember that your character is your destiny.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

A Guide To Self Improvement Techniques.

An ordered life is one of the most assured methods of self-improvement. The saying “tidy desk - tidy mind” is also certainly true but only a small part of it. It is important that you order your life in such a manner that allows you to do everything you need to, when you need to do it. You should also be able to effectively ensure that you become happier and more content as well as progress with your career, make new friends and anything else you want in life.

While work is important, you should always make time to spend with your family and a little personal time. This personal time could be an excellent opportunity to take up a physical hobby. Exercising helps to clear the mind and produce chemicals in your body that are essential and often lacking. Modern living involves greater working hours and less personal time. Inevitably this has led to less interactivity.

Always set goals for yourself to aid in your progress. Increasing the amount of exercise you do will only usually be beneficial or successful if you have a reason to do it. If you simply want to get fitter and stay healthy then set yourself an achievement. If you currently walk 1 mile a day then aim to walk 5 miles a day. When you are walking 5 miles a day, consider if there is any way you can improve this further.

Time with your family and friends is also essential. We are social animals by nature and so human interaction is not only natural but it is healthy and pleasurable. Taking up a sport with a friend or group of friends would combine exercise with interaction and be perfect. Your friends may turn out to be the extra motivation you require in the event of difficult times.

 

Self-Improvement - Something For Everyone (Part 2)

Just about everyone in the world can think of something they want to improve about themselves. With some people they may want to achieve more than one improvement. The best way to approach this is to make a list of what is most important to you. It could be something as simple as reading a book to help you improve the work you do or making time for yourself to indulge in reading of your favorite pastime. Once you commit your deepest desires about improving yourself to paper, it seems more attainable.

Start off with a plan. This means setting a goal for yourself. If you wish, you can even set a time limit, such as "I want to be able to walk five km. a day at the end of the summer." When you start out knowing what it is you want to achieve, then it makes it easier on you to get what you want. There is no point in trying to do everything at once. If you take small steps and reach stages in your self-improvement process in increments, it makes the end result more worthwhile. If you could do it all at once, then it would be too easy and you won't have the same sense of accomplishment as if it were something that you had to work really hard to get.

In some cases, the type of improvement that you want will necessitate spending money. If you want to become more confident at public speaking, for example, you may have to take classes in this. If you admire a friend of yours that can sew or paint really well and you would like to do this as well, there are many opportunities to take classes at night or on weekends. One thing that you do have to keep in mind is the amount of talent that you have for such a project. It is also something in which you have an interest. If you don't like it, then you won't master it.

Of course, self-improvement always involves health, whether it is health of the body or health of the mind. Once you achieve what you set out to do, it improves all of you - your body, mind and soul.

 

 

Self-Improvement - Something For Everyone (Part 1)

Self-improvement is something that every person in the world yearns for. It has nothing to do with where you live, your age, occupation or your income. Yes, it is true that many people spend a small fortune each year on trying to improve themselves by hiring life coaches and personal trainers. However, there are many ways you can indulge in self-improvement without going to any extra expense.

Let's take for example, the woman who finds herself gaining a little too much weight. For her, self-improvement is shedding the extra pounds and fitting back into her clothes. She can start by cutting back on the high-calorie food she eats and incorporate a walk into her daily activities. If she doesn't want to spend extra money, then she doesn't have to join a fitness club or a program to help her lose weight, but the option is there if she wants to take it. This applies to anyone that wants to take some action directed toward improving some aspect of his/her life.

Self-improvement can involve anything that you feel will make you feel better about your life. It could be taking a course that would lead to a hobby, if you feel bored during your leisure time. Even taking a trip to a faraway place can be a method of self-improvement because it gives you a chance to see another part of the world, learn about another culture and get some rest and relaxation at the same time.

Self-improvement is such a broad topic that it would take pages to write about all the ways you can learn from it. No matter what form of improvement you choose for your life, it will help to increase your self-image and your confidence. Just knowing that you look good with the weight you've lost adds something to the way you walk. Having someone compliment you on something that you have made or built as a result of a new hobby will fill you with pride. So how do you get to figure how what it is about your life that needs improving?

 

Self Improvement Advice - Do The Opposite Of What Your Demons Tell You To Do

I am sure that I am not alone in the fact that I have a large army of demons in my head. These demons are always talking to me and trying to advise me about how to react to different situations. For many years I listened and took their advice, these years were not exactly happy ones and I have now come to realise that these demons are not my friends but are actually my enemy.

I had many issues in my life that had a negative affect on my levels of self-esteem. The demons used these issues to get to me and to play their mind games. For this article, I am going to describe my stuttering demons and how I eventually destroyed them. The advice can be used for whatever type of demon you may have.

At the age of four, I developed a stutter which would continue to affect my speech for the next eighteen years of my life. I was aware of what I could and could not say and was also aware of the social situations in which I was more likely to stutter.

If I was asked a question by for example a friend, I would think of the answer but before I would have a chance to say it, a voice would appear. This voice or what I call my demons would advise me not to say that word and to substitute it for a different word.

If I was invited out to say a party, my demons would advise me not to go, as there would be a lot of people there that I did not know. They would remind me that I found it difficult talking to people which I did not know.

At one stage in my life, I decided that I wanted a career change as I was not happy in the role that I was in. My demons reminded me, that to find alternative employment meant going through the whole interview process again. They continued that I had always struggled to talk fluently at interviews, due to the pressure factor.

I would be able to speak quite well when I was drunk and this is when I would have the confidence to talk to the ladies. On several occasions a woman has given me their phone number and I would tell them that I would call them to arrange a night out. The next day though, when sober, the demons would remind me that making a phone call is what I find the hardest form of speech task and to simply not bother.

As previously stated, I used to listen to these demons and suffice it to say I did not go on my first date until I was eighteen years of age.

Things had to and were about to change. After reading many self-help books, I realised what I had been doing wrong. I should not be listening to these demons, in fact what I need to do is the opposite of what they tell me. Steve don't go to that party, OK then I will. Steve don't phone that lady up, OK I will, etc.

I am not trying to say that this is easy to do. I am happy to say that I have eradicated my speech demons and am now fluent, however I do still have demons in other areas of my life. There are not nearly as many as there have been in the past and I am slowly hopefully killing them all.

I treat it like a war. There are many battles and I have to say that I do not win them all. I talk to my demons all the time and especially when they win one of these type battles. I tell them that they may have won this particular battle but that I will win the overall war.

You may possibly think that I am a bit of a freak after reading this article. I frankly do not care, I am happier now than I have ever been.

Good luck in your quest to improve your own life.