Sleeping is one of the main element to be healthy.
Reports said that people who sleep less than 5 hours are twice as likely to die of heart disease. Lack of sleep appeared to be linked to increased blood pressure, which is known to raise the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
However, in this modern lifestyles, it is very common just slept for five hours a day. At the previous of my life, I was so used to slept less than five hours. And at the next day would be very exhausted and felt sleepy and will feel the heatness of body.
It maybe cause from the current pressures in society to cut out sleep, in order to squeeze in more, may not be a good idea - particulary if we go below 5 hours.
In fact, for those work night shift would also be disrupted sleep and would has the potential of health risks.
Prevention is better than Cure. In terms of prevention, we must consistently sleeping around 7 or 8 hours per night is optimal for health.
To a better health and greater lifestyle. Remember to maintain the hours and quality sleeping oh......
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Saturday, September 22, 2007
中秋节快乐！
今天倒是咱们（佛光乐团兼二胡班）的第一场演出。也可以说是大家的一个小小突破。
演出的歌曲是"彩云追月"。这场演出的时间可说是非常紧逼的，练习的次数可说是不超过五次。但在杨老师与David班长的带领与指导之下，以及大家努力的配合与额外的练习。终于在九月二十二日顺利的上演了第一场演出。所谓的顺利并非是非常好，观众的评语是整体是还不错的，还听得出是什么歌，那当然是还有待改善与提升。
在还没上台之前，我总是有点紧张。也许是信心不足，而且也很少有上台演出的经验。从这次的演出的经验，就可以看得出自己该提升的地方。对我二言，最主要的还是信心的问题。信心不足也只能怪自己懒惰，也就是自己缺乏练习吧！
无论如何，我相信只要多练习的话，咱们决对可以在下一个演出（成果展）做得更好。
就如David班长所说的，今天的演出只是个开始。所以咱们要加油哦！
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday...
Wow!!! Friday again... Everyone is expecting and keen on this day as weekend is begin and weekday is ended.
However, I still need to work halfday on Saturday . Sigh.......
These few days been very busy at company as company is shifting to new place on Oct. Now almost of the machine already moved over there (Kallang Way). But office still at old place (Kallang Bahru).
I am staying in between these 2 places. But I still prefer the old place cos near to town and Mrt station. However, there is no choice as the JTC Kallang Bahru going to demolish in year 2008.
Very tired and sleepy this whole weekday... Finally come to weekend and can have a good rest.
Oh..... Ya..... I still got er hu performance at FGY tommorrow night. But cant play very good yet at the moment. Lucky is group performance, then I wont be so stress liao... hehe!!! Anyway, I will do best. Gambateh to all er hu buddies...
Sleepy and wanna sleep already... Good nite and have a good weekend to all of you.
nite nite...
However, I still need to work halfday on Saturday . Sigh.......
These few days been very busy at company as company is shifting to new place on Oct. Now almost of the machine already moved over there (Kallang Way). But office still at old place (Kallang Bahru).
I am staying in between these 2 places. But I still prefer the old place cos near to town and Mrt station. However, there is no choice as the JTC Kallang Bahru going to demolish in year 2008.
Very tired and sleepy this whole weekday... Finally come to weekend and can have a good rest.
Oh..... Ya..... I still got er hu performance at FGY tommorrow night. But cant play very good yet at the moment. Lucky is group performance, then I wont be so stress liao... hehe!!! Anyway, I will do best. Gambateh to all er hu buddies...
Sleepy and wanna sleep already... Good nite and have a good weekend to all of you.
nite nite...
Monday, September 17, 2007
Monday blue...
Monday blue again...... Especially today's weather was so cold and and I was sleeping sweetly. When the alarm rang, I know I have no choice to wake up and work.
Work on Monday always be more stress than other day. I dunno why? Maybe all the job push on Monday...
Lots of people will tell you , “I’ll be happier if my job was easier.” But when work gets easier, they quit, and look for another challenge.
The truth is, we love challenge. Let’s stop kidding ourselves! Nearly every job is repetitious.
Often, the secret to enjoying a job is not to change your job but to change your attitude.
Therefore, I choose to enjoy the moment I work in this company as we know that we have to be with respective company for almost 8-9 hours a day. If we din find a way or change our attitude to enjoy, it is just like killing ourselves. Right?
Work on Monday always be more stress than other day. I dunno why? Maybe all the job push on Monday...
Lots of people will tell you , “I’ll be happier if my job was easier.” But when work gets easier, they quit, and look for another challenge.
The truth is, we love challenge. Let’s stop kidding ourselves! Nearly every job is repetitious.
Often, the secret to enjoying a job is not to change your job but to change your attitude.
Therefore, I choose to enjoy the moment I work in this company as we know that we have to be with respective company for almost 8-9 hours a day. If we din find a way or change our attitude to enjoy, it is just like killing ourselves. Right?
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Risk......
*To learn to walk, we must risk falling over.
*To make a dollar, we must risk losing it.
*In loving and caring, we risk breaking our hearts.
*Getting a job is a risk.
*Crossing the road is a risk.
*Eating in the restaurant is a risk.
*Starting a family is a risk.
*Life is a risk.
*Winners take more risk than losers. That is why they win so much.
Necessarily then, winners lose more than losers, but they are playing so often that their wins add up.
We have a choice between living and merely existing.
Since we all know that nothing we cannot escape from any risk in life. Therefore, the only thing I learned about is treasure whatever we have, whenever we are, whoever we know in our life especially our families, relatives and friends.
Cheers for better to come and have a superb year ahead...
*To make a dollar, we must risk losing it.
*In loving and caring, we risk breaking our hearts.
*Getting a job is a risk.
*Crossing the road is a risk.
*Eating in the restaurant is a risk.
*Starting a family is a risk.
*Life is a risk.
*Winners take more risk than losers. That is why they win so much.
Necessarily then, winners lose more than losers, but they are playing so often that their wins add up.
We have a choice between living and merely existing.
Since we all know that nothing we cannot escape from any risk in life. Therefore, the only thing I learned about is treasure whatever we have, whenever we are, whoever we know in our life especially our families, relatives and friends.
Cheers for better to come and have a superb year ahead...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
占便宜！
好累的一天！今早上班搭巴士，要到公司车站的时候，以为有人会与我同一个车站下车所以让他人按铃。可是人算不如天算，巴士司机看没人下车有踩油直走了。令到我要走多一个车站到公司，唉！
在阅读时也看到一则与我相关的事件。那就是“占便宜”（英文是“take for granted").
有一位大学建筑系毕业生，他的父亲要他接手去盖一栋房子。
他的父亲再三叮咛他：一定要把房子盖好哦！
起初，他是全力以赴与用心监督。可是时间久了，他开始懒散了，时常不去公地督导，最后只想草率交差了事。到了工程落实的那一天，父亲很开心看到自己的孩子终于完成任务便对他说：[这栋房子就当是我送你的毕业礼物！也算是你尽心尽力的一点回报吧！]
他整个人傻在那里，怎么也没想到这栋有问题的房子，竟然是自己为自己建造的！
很多时候，我们敷衍了事于某些任务，也就是敷衍了我们自己；同样的当我们占别人便宜，其实也是在占自己便宜。
切记：付出比你要的更多，得到总是超乎您要的。
在阅读时也看到一则与我相关的事件。那就是“占便宜”（英文是“take for granted").
有一位大学建筑系毕业生，他的父亲要他接手去盖一栋房子。
他的父亲再三叮咛他：一定要把房子盖好哦！
起初，他是全力以赴与用心监督。可是时间久了，他开始懒散了，时常不去公地督导，最后只想草率交差了事。到了工程落实的那一天，父亲很开心看到自己的孩子终于完成任务便对他说：[这栋房子就当是我送你的毕业礼物！也算是你尽心尽力的一点回报吧！]
他整个人傻在那里，怎么也没想到这栋有问题的房子，竟然是自己为自己建造的！
很多时候，我们敷衍了事于某些任务，也就是敷衍了我们自己；同样的当我们占别人便宜，其实也是在占自己便宜。
切记：付出比你要的更多，得到总是超乎您要的。
生日快乐 Siew Yun & Siew Qing
It was a special occassion on 12 Sept 2007. Why would I say that? It was because we had a wonderful birthday celebration for Siew Yun and Siew Qing at Kbox Cineleisure.
We started at 8pm. There were 8 of us in this special celebration. There are Shu Di, Xue Li, Chun Hui, Siew Yun, Siew Qing, David, Ren Hwang and me. Its a crazy day for all of us. We sang birthday song at 10pm, cut the cake, 'camera' session, ate the cake... then carry on our karaoka session.
Shu Di and Chun Hui left at 11pm and others left about 1am+++. I think everybody would be 'xiong mao yan'. However we still need to work on 2nd day, but the most we enjoy the session.
Wow... It is already 2am+++. going to sleep already. Have to stop writting here.
Gd nite.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A Women Came Out...
A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”
“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.
“No”, she said. “He’s out.”
“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a House together,” they replied.
“Why is that?” she wanted to know.
One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one
of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am
Love.” Then he added,
“Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?” Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.
“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.” The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house.
The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?” The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!”
“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.
“No”, she said. “He’s out.”
“Then we cannot come in”, they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a House together,” they replied.
“Why is that?” she wanted to know.
One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one
of his friends, and said pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am
Love.” Then he added,
“Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!!”, he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?” Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.
“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.” The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house.
The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?” The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!”
A Touching Story
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. 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 reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was 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 Michael and asked him,"I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I 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 choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of
life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," Michael 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 affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released rom the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how hewas, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter, " Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
Michael continued, "...The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER 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 needed to take action.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. Yes, I replied." The octors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
Everyday in Everyway, Helping YOU Become Better, Better and Better!
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was 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 Michael and asked him,"I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I 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 choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of
life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," Michael 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 affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released rom the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how hewas, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter, " Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."
Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
Michael continued, "...The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER 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 needed to take action.
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. Yes, I replied." The octors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
Everyday in Everyway, Helping YOU Become Better, Better and Better!
Geese Story...
How's this for some Introspection!!! :
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.
***********************************************************
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way that we are going.
***********************************************************
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over. It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.
**********************************************************************
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just – well honking!
**********************************************************************
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with another
formation to catch up with their group.
When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
***************************************
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of a TEAM.
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.
***********************************************************
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way that we are going.
***********************************************************
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over. It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.
**********************************************************************
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just – well honking!
**********************************************************************
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with another
formation to catch up with their group.
When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
***************************************
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of a TEAM.
Change......
What is change? I believe most people would prefer others change than change by themselves. What do you think?
I have a guy friend. He always expect his wife to be a perfect wife, perfect mother. While he asked me this question, I asked him back "Since you expect your spouse to be a perfect wife for you, perfect mother for your children". Many time we have never ever wondered that "Are we perfect?"
Where there're people, there will bound to be disputes, differing view point and criticisms. If one takes to heart ohters' critical opinions, one will suffer and lose one's own stand. In the end, one will lose even the purpose of one's own life. Is it not the saddest thing when one becomes the slave of others' opinions?
So, before we urge for somebody to change. We must look into ourselves first before changing others!
I have a guy friend. He always expect his wife to be a perfect wife, perfect mother. While he asked me this question, I asked him back "Since you expect your spouse to be a perfect wife for you, perfect mother for your children". Many time we have never ever wondered that "Are we perfect?"
Where there're people, there will bound to be disputes, differing view point and criticisms. If one takes to heart ohters' critical opinions, one will suffer and lose one's own stand. In the end, one will lose even the purpose of one's own life. Is it not the saddest thing when one becomes the slave of others' opinions?
So, before we urge for somebody to change. We must look into ourselves first before changing others!
Sunday morning...
Sunday morning would be a great time for most of people as they can wake up without alarm. However, Sunday morning makes no different from other day. I still have to wake up about 8am, brush my teeth, bath, breakfast, take bus then go for children dharma class.
Although it has been tired from Monday to Saturday(still have work half day), I like the most Sunday morning as I can get a long with a group of children. I like children, therefore I choose to be a voluntary dharma teacher and teach in K1 class. Most of the children are 5 years old and minority are 4 years old.
At the first day I join this voluntary work, I feel that very tired as have to take care about the children, play with them, bring them to washroom, how to charm them when they are crying…
Luckily, my teacher partner Jane being guided me a lot on how to communicate with the child, guide them to be a good child, play games. We do have text book for children and we do follow as text book. Sometimes we do give them drawing, colouring, playing games(they like the most), singing etc… Whatever activities we plan must be had clear objective, vision and value to them.
Although it has been tired from Monday to Saturday(still have work half day), I like the most Sunday morning as I can get a long with a group of children. I like children, therefore I choose to be a voluntary dharma teacher and teach in K1 class. Most of the children are 5 years old and minority are 4 years old.
At the first day I join this voluntary work, I feel that very tired as have to take care about the children, play with them, bring them to washroom, how to charm them when they are crying…
Luckily, my teacher partner Jane being guided me a lot on how to communicate with the child, guide them to be a good child, play games. We do have text book for children and we do follow as text book. Sometimes we do give them drawing, colouring, playing games(they like the most), singing etc… Whatever activities we plan must be had clear objective, vision and value to them.
Monday, September 10, 2007
What u want, what u really really want...
This is quite meaningful...it really makes you think what you are doing...
A banker was on the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. His boat was full of beautiful yellow tuna.
The banker complimented the fisherman on his catch, asking how long it took to catch. The fisherman replied "only a short time." The banker asked why not stay out and catch more.
The fisherman replied, "I've enough fish to feed my family."
The banker then asked what did the fisherman do with the rest of his time, he replied, "I will sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening, sip wine with my friends, play my guitar, I have a full and busy life."
The banker was not impressed. "I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat and from those increased proceeds you could buy several boats and soon have a fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you could control production, processing and distribution by building your own cannery. You could leave this small coastal village and move to the city then to New York where you could run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "How long will this take?"
The banker said, "Ten to 20 years."
"But what then?"
"Next you would announce an IPO and sell your stock to the public, making millions and millions. Then you could retire to a small coastal village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings, sip wine and play your guitar with your friends," said the banker smiling.
The fisherman looked puzzled, "I don't understand this, you are suggesting that I should go one big loop so as to end up where I am today, happily fishing on the cliff?"
Moral of the story:
Almost everyone here is constantly working to achieve
happiness. We all work hard, trying to earn more money.
What is the point of all this when we are not happy? After
all, we are forcing ourselves to work harder just to obtain
happiness.
Are we all trying to be like the man above, going
a full circle to end up being at the same place?
What deeply affects every aspect of a man's experience of the
world is his perception that things could be otherwise.
A banker was on the pier of a small coastal village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. His boat was full of beautiful yellow tuna.
The banker complimented the fisherman on his catch, asking how long it took to catch. The fisherman replied "only a short time." The banker asked why not stay out and catch more.
The fisherman replied, "I've enough fish to feed my family."
The banker then asked what did the fisherman do with the rest of his time, he replied, "I will sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening, sip wine with my friends, play my guitar, I have a full and busy life."
The banker was not impressed. "I have a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat and from those increased proceeds you could buy several boats and soon have a fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you could control production, processing and distribution by building your own cannery. You could leave this small coastal village and move to the city then to New York where you could run your expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "How long will this take?"
The banker said, "Ten to 20 years."
"But what then?"
"Next you would announce an IPO and sell your stock to the public, making millions and millions. Then you could retire to a small coastal village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings, sip wine and play your guitar with your friends," said the banker smiling.
The fisherman looked puzzled, "I don't understand this, you are suggesting that I should go one big loop so as to end up where I am today, happily fishing on the cliff?"
Moral of the story:
Almost everyone here is constantly working to achieve
happiness. We all work hard, trying to earn more money.
What is the point of all this when we are not happy? After
all, we are forcing ourselves to work harder just to obtain
happiness.
Are we all trying to be like the man above, going
a full circle to end up being at the same place?
What deeply affects every aspect of a man's experience of the
world is his perception that things could be otherwise.
Time Management !
The busier you are, the more important to stop and read this story!
One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of
business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration
those students will never forget.
As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers, he
said, "Okay, time for a quiz." He then pulled out a one-gallon,
wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he
produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them,
one by one, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fitinside,
he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he
said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of
gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rock.
Then he asked the group once more. "Is this jar full?" By this time
the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he
replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.
He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces
left between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question. "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class
shouted. Once again, he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of
water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then
the expert in time-management looked at the class and asked, "What is
the point of this illustration?"
One eager Beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter
how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some
more things in it."
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this
illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in
first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the big rocks in your
life?" "Your children. Your spouse. Your loved ones. Your friendships.
Your education. Your dreams. A worthy cause. Teaching or mentoring
others. Doing things that you love. Time for yourself. Your health."
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first, or you'll never get them in
at all. If you sweat the little stuff (i.e. gravel, the sand) then
you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really
matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend the big,
important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short
story, ask yourself this question: "What are the "big rocks" in my life?"
Then put those in your jar first.
One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of
business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration
those students will never forget.
As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers, he
said, "Okay, time for a quiz." He then pulled out a one-gallon,
wide-mouth mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he
produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them,
one by one, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fitinside,
he asked, "Is this jar full?" Everyone in the class said, "Yes." Then he
said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing pieces of
gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rock.
Then he asked the group once more. "Is this jar full?" By this time
the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he
replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.
He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all the spaces
left between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question. "Is this jar full?" "No!" the class
shouted. Once again, he said, "Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of
water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then
the expert in time-management looked at the class and asked, "What is
the point of this illustration?"
One eager Beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter
how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some
more things in it."
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this
illustration teaches us is this: If you don't put the big rocks in
first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the big rocks in your
life?" "Your children. Your spouse. Your loved ones. Your friendships.
Your education. Your dreams. A worthy cause. Teaching or mentoring
others. Doing things that you love. Time for yourself. Your health."
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first, or you'll never get them in
at all. If you sweat the little stuff (i.e. gravel, the sand) then
you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really
matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend the big,
important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short
story, ask yourself this question: "What are the "big rocks" in my life?"
Then put those in your jar first.
THE POWER OF SUBCONSCIOUS
In order to make more money, we need to first understand the essence of money itself.
Would you agree?
I believe that money is matter not just pieces of paper or coins. Since it is physical matter, it should be handled according to principles of physics.
In physics, there's a law which states that any force in the universe has an equal and opposite counterpart.
If an object is applied force of equal magnitude from opposite directions, the object remains still. On the other hand, if one force is larger than the other, the object moves.
Remember that money is matter. If you have a lot of money, it can be imagined that you are the stronger force between money and you. If you are often short of money, the opposite is the case.
So, I assume that your question for me now is how to strengthen the attracting force and weaken the repelling force. Correct?
The material world is created by thoughts. We are the results of our thoughts.
Everything starts with a thought. The clearer the thought and the image in your mind, the faster the goal is achieved.
When we have clearly defined our thoughts, resources come to us automatically.
Our thoughts are divided into 2 parts - the conscious and the subconscious.
The power of the subconscious mind is 30,000 times greater than the conscious mind. We should strive to stimulate our subconscious mind.
Our subconscious constructs anything we wish for into a perceived reality. The subconscious mind cannot distinguish between something real or vividly imagine.
Once it perceives something as "real", it eventually becomes real.
As long as the image perceived by the subconscious mind is clear, our mind immediately attempts to turn this image into reality.
As soon as it is provided an image, the subconscious mind works to materialize it.
Everything in our daily lives is the reflection of our subconscious minds.
The thoughts and beliefs in your subconscious mind have made you who you are. If you want to alter your future path, you first need to alter your subconscious mind.
Remember that your life is the reflection of your subconscious mind. As soon as your subconscious thinking changes, your life changes with it.
Your thoughts once get into your subconscious, decide your future.
How do you enrich your subconscious mind, and thereby attract even greater wealth?
You must first have a dream board, and put your dreams onto it. Look at them daily until the goals are achieved. In the past, I have tried put photos of a Toyota, and then Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, and finally Rolls Royce. Believe it or not, every car was eventually realized. It's just simply amazing; you must give it a try.
The second step is constantly telling your subconscious that you are getting richer and richer. Remind yourself all the time setting up in the morning, before going to sleep, even in the bathroom, and whenever there is a blank moment in your mind. The most important key is repetition. Every time you affirm your goals is like a turn of the wheel. The more you affirm, the more frequently the wheel is turned, the farther you go, and the faster the goal is achieved. I once made an audio tape of my goal, and
Repeatedly played it as a reminder. Within 6 months, my monthly income increased from US 17,000 to US170, 000, it's incredible.
Many sales people whom I have trained asked me how to improve their sales. Their sales results, I answered, were the manifestation of their subconscious minds.
First of all, they would need to create a dream board. Secondly, look at the dream board constantly and repeatedly. I ask them that, if they read and look at their goals for 20 years, would they achieve their goals? They all say yes. So achieving goal is not a
Problem, the only question is time, and the diligence of the individuals of how many times they're willing to repeat and affirm.
The misfortune of a person is likewise the result of his/her subconscious beliefs.
All occurrences in our surroundings are the manifestations of our subconscious thoughts.
We need to implant the desire for wealth deep in our subconscious, and let the power of the subconscious mind to realize our dreams.
It is easy to incorporate images, words, and thoughts into your subconscious mind, as long as they are repeated frequently enough.
Upon waking up and going to sleep, you must fill your mind with thoughts of success and wealth. You must constantly remind yourself that you are becoming richer, your income continues to grow, and your savings are piling up. You must affirm to yourself the goals you have set, over and over again. The late giant of the steel industry Carnegie used to affirm his goals more than 1000 times a day. How about you?
Generally speaking, thirty days are required for the ideas to be fully incorporated into the subconscious. The more frequently you affirm your goals to yourself, the more receptive your subconscious mind is. Remember, however, that constant reinforcement is crucial even after the goals have been incorporated in the subconscious mind, otherwise the effects can decline quickly just like the atrophy of muscles. The training of the subconscious is the same as that of the mental muscles.
A person's words and thoughts are intimately associated. If you change the way you speak, your thinking changes as well. Never let negative thoughts out as words. Rather, always speak good things about yourself and others.
From now on, read the following to yourself 100 times a day:
1. I am becoming more and more wealthy.
2. I have always been rich.
3. My money has been piling up since birth.
4. I love to earn money.
5. I get pleasure out of earning money.
6. Earning money is fast and easy for me.
7. My income multiplies constantly.
8. My savings are increasing constantly.
9. Money is great.
10.Earning money is an easy thing.
11.Earning money makes me happy.
12.Earning money is a wonderful thing.
13.I will always be wealthy.
14.The riches roll towards me.
15.I become richer everyday.
16.Wealth continues to come to me.
17.I can easily and quickly earn and save lots of money.
18.I am happy everyday because I become richer everyday.
19.It is great to be wealthy.
20.It is inevitable and matter of fact that I am wealthy.
21.All the money in the world is attracted by me.
22.I see, hear, and feel that I am a millionaire.
Remember always to continue earning money, continue giving back to the society, keep learning and helping others. Conrad Hilton, the hotel giant, once said that the secret of life is not what you own, but what you give.
Would you agree?
I believe that money is matter not just pieces of paper or coins. Since it is physical matter, it should be handled according to principles of physics.
In physics, there's a law which states that any force in the universe has an equal and opposite counterpart.
If an object is applied force of equal magnitude from opposite directions, the object remains still. On the other hand, if one force is larger than the other, the object moves.
Remember that money is matter. If you have a lot of money, it can be imagined that you are the stronger force between money and you. If you are often short of money, the opposite is the case.
So, I assume that your question for me now is how to strengthen the attracting force and weaken the repelling force. Correct?
The material world is created by thoughts. We are the results of our thoughts.
Everything starts with a thought. The clearer the thought and the image in your mind, the faster the goal is achieved.
When we have clearly defined our thoughts, resources come to us automatically.
Our thoughts are divided into 2 parts - the conscious and the subconscious.
The power of the subconscious mind is 30,000 times greater than the conscious mind. We should strive to stimulate our subconscious mind.
Our subconscious constructs anything we wish for into a perceived reality. The subconscious mind cannot distinguish between something real or vividly imagine.
Once it perceives something as "real", it eventually becomes real.
As long as the image perceived by the subconscious mind is clear, our mind immediately attempts to turn this image into reality.
As soon as it is provided an image, the subconscious mind works to materialize it.
Everything in our daily lives is the reflection of our subconscious minds.
The thoughts and beliefs in your subconscious mind have made you who you are. If you want to alter your future path, you first need to alter your subconscious mind.
Remember that your life is the reflection of your subconscious mind. As soon as your subconscious thinking changes, your life changes with it.
Your thoughts once get into your subconscious, decide your future.
How do you enrich your subconscious mind, and thereby attract even greater wealth?
You must first have a dream board, and put your dreams onto it. Look at them daily until the goals are achieved. In the past, I have tried put photos of a Toyota, and then Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, and finally Rolls Royce. Believe it or not, every car was eventually realized. It's just simply amazing; you must give it a try.
The second step is constantly telling your subconscious that you are getting richer and richer. Remind yourself all the time setting up in the morning, before going to sleep, even in the bathroom, and whenever there is a blank moment in your mind. The most important key is repetition. Every time you affirm your goals is like a turn of the wheel. The more you affirm, the more frequently the wheel is turned, the farther you go, and the faster the goal is achieved. I once made an audio tape of my goal, and
Repeatedly played it as a reminder. Within 6 months, my monthly income increased from US 17,000 to US170, 000, it's incredible.
Many sales people whom I have trained asked me how to improve their sales. Their sales results, I answered, were the manifestation of their subconscious minds.
First of all, they would need to create a dream board. Secondly, look at the dream board constantly and repeatedly. I ask them that, if they read and look at their goals for 20 years, would they achieve their goals? They all say yes. So achieving goal is not a
Problem, the only question is time, and the diligence of the individuals of how many times they're willing to repeat and affirm.
The misfortune of a person is likewise the result of his/her subconscious beliefs.
All occurrences in our surroundings are the manifestations of our subconscious thoughts.
We need to implant the desire for wealth deep in our subconscious, and let the power of the subconscious mind to realize our dreams.
It is easy to incorporate images, words, and thoughts into your subconscious mind, as long as they are repeated frequently enough.
Upon waking up and going to sleep, you must fill your mind with thoughts of success and wealth. You must constantly remind yourself that you are becoming richer, your income continues to grow, and your savings are piling up. You must affirm to yourself the goals you have set, over and over again. The late giant of the steel industry Carnegie used to affirm his goals more than 1000 times a day. How about you?
Generally speaking, thirty days are required for the ideas to be fully incorporated into the subconscious. The more frequently you affirm your goals to yourself, the more receptive your subconscious mind is. Remember, however, that constant reinforcement is crucial even after the goals have been incorporated in the subconscious mind, otherwise the effects can decline quickly just like the atrophy of muscles. The training of the subconscious is the same as that of the mental muscles.
A person's words and thoughts are intimately associated. If you change the way you speak, your thinking changes as well. Never let negative thoughts out as words. Rather, always speak good things about yourself and others.
From now on, read the following to yourself 100 times a day:
1. I am becoming more and more wealthy.
2. I have always been rich.
3. My money has been piling up since birth.
4. I love to earn money.
5. I get pleasure out of earning money.
6. Earning money is fast and easy for me.
7. My income multiplies constantly.
8. My savings are increasing constantly.
9. Money is great.
10.Earning money is an easy thing.
11.Earning money makes me happy.
12.Earning money is a wonderful thing.
13.I will always be wealthy.
14.The riches roll towards me.
15.I become richer everyday.
16.Wealth continues to come to me.
17.I can easily and quickly earn and save lots of money.
18.I am happy everyday because I become richer everyday.
19.It is great to be wealthy.
20.It is inevitable and matter of fact that I am wealthy.
21.All the money in the world is attracted by me.
22.I see, hear, and feel that I am a millionaire.
Remember always to continue earning money, continue giving back to the society, keep learning and helping others. Conrad Hilton, the hotel giant, once said that the secret of life is not what you own, but what you give.
A Friends Is... 朋友就是 ....
Accepts you as you are 接受原本的你
Believes in "you" 相信你這個人
Calls you just to say "Hi" 打電話給你就是想說聲"嗨"
Doesn't give up on you 從不放棄對你的信心
Envisions the whole of you 預期你總是盡全力
Forgives your mistakes 原諒你的過錯
Gives unconditionally 無條件地過錯
Helps you 幫助你
Invites you over 邀請你
Jest "be" with you 靜靜地在你的身旁
Keeps you close at heart 靠近你的心
Loves you for who you are 因你原來的樣子而愛你
Makes a difference in your life 使你的生活與以往不同
Never judges 不間斷
Offers support 支持你
Picks you up 扶你一把
Quiets your fears 止息你的懼怕
Raises your spirits 鼓舞你的心靈
Says nice things about you 跟別人述說你好的那一面
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it 當需要時會告訴你實情
Understands you 懂你
Values you 看重你
Walks beside you 與你同行
X-plain things you don't understand 解你的疑惑
Yells when you won't listen aXnd 在你聽不下時會大吼一下
Zaps you back to reality 把你拉回現實
Believes in "you" 相信你這個人
Calls you just to say "Hi" 打電話給你就是想說聲"嗨"
Doesn't give up on you 從不放棄對你的信心
Envisions the whole of you 預期你總是盡全力
Forgives your mistakes 原諒你的過錯
Gives unconditionally 無條件地過錯
Helps you 幫助你
Invites you over 邀請你
Jest "be" with you 靜靜地在你的身旁
Keeps you close at heart 靠近你的心
Loves you for who you are 因你原來的樣子而愛你
Makes a difference in your life 使你的生活與以往不同
Never judges 不間斷
Offers support 支持你
Picks you up 扶你一把
Quiets your fears 止息你的懼怕
Raises your spirits 鼓舞你的心靈
Says nice things about you 跟別人述說你好的那一面
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it 當需要時會告訴你實情
Understands you 懂你
Values you 看重你
Walks beside you 與你同行
X-plain things you don't understand 解你的疑惑
Yells when you won't listen aXnd 在你聽不下時會大吼一下
Zaps you back to reality 把你拉回現實
10 Steps To Enjoying Each Other Better
1. Be realistic about each other.Don't try to turn ur partner into something he or she is not. Let's face it, guys-there's only 1 Pamela Anderson in the world, and even she has had her implants removed! Give ur gal a break and understand that her physical appearance is NOT going to change overnite with the help of a few facials or treatments. And ladies, Brad Pitt has already been taken, so u're gonna have to do with what ur guy is like! Chill out, love each other for what u are. There is more to ur partner than what meets the eye.
2. Always talk things out.Now guys, I know this is not ur fave pastime or mode of resolving issues, but u know what? This works with the gals. Don't make assumptions about each other's feelings. Learn to xpress urself better so that ur partner undrstands what u're angry about, or hurt about, or even happy about! When u stop talking to each other from the heart, it's the beginning of the end.
3. Do stuff together.Make an effort to do t hings together. Do some sports or involve urselves in some shared activities; something both of u enjoy or are interested in. It could be as simple as watching movies together, or jus strolling hand-in-hand down Orchard Road. Watch soccor with him once in a while though the green patch on TV puts u to sleep in 3 seconds. And guys, do give in if ur gal asks for another day at window-shopping, rather than suggest that she go out with her girlfriends for "that sort of activities" instead. If u're spending more time with ur friends rather than with ur partner, it's a warning sign that u're drifting apart!!!
4. Meet each other halfway.If he agrees to throw out that rotten T-shirt with the "The_Rock" print, u shouldn't kick up much of a fuss if he asks u to keep ur room tidy... There's gotta be a little giving and taking in a relationship, so learn to meet each other halfway.
5.Show ur loveBuy her flowers or candy or perfume everynow and then, even if u have been together for 5years. It's wonderful to continue showing someone that u care for him or her. Cook him a special meal, paint him a Valentine's Day card. Knit him mini-socks he can't wear ( like for decoration purposes => ), buy him a packet of milk for breakfast, or pack his wardrobe for him...so he knows u can still be romantic and loving despite having been together for quite a while.
6. Respect each other.Stop making jokes about her hair or skin, or whatever it is u love to laugh at. Ask urself if she thinks if its funny. And if he has an inferiority complex about his height, stop ogling at tall guys and make him feel worse! Love is about respecting each other's feelings and being sensitive to each other at all times.
7. Bury the past.Stop bringing up the past. Gals..don't bring up the happy things about u and ur ex to ur guy, it would jus make him jealous or unhappy. And guys, don't talk about the happy times that u had with ur ex or mention about her in ur every other sentence as it would make ur gal feel un-happy and she might think that u saying all this b'cos u are gonna get back with ur ex or not interested in her anymore.
8. Sit on ur jealousy.All of us go thru' spells of insecurity at the beginning of the relationship, but don't translate that insecurity into jealousy. If u're gonna go through ur partner's mail and cupboard, and eavesdropping on conversations, u know something is wrong - with u!!! Jealousy is like a poison that slowly spreads thru' the relationship before finall y killing it. Trust ur partner; love has to have trust in it.
9. Keep ur commitments to each other.If ur partner is standing u up all the time and cancelling dates and breaking promises, u need to talk! If u're in a relationship, make ur partner ur priority and don't disappoint them if u can help it. It's really terrible when someone promises to take u to dinner, and then calls to cancel it. Don't make promises u can't keep. If ur partner starts to feel that he/she is not important enough to u, u may jus lose him/her.
10. Be honest.Honesty is not scowling at how awful she looks first thing in the morning, or telling him that he has the biceps of a fly~! When we say "be honest", we mean expressing <>ur feelings clearly, not being bitingly cruel. When u're hurt, say so, and when u're angry, tell him/her, w/o getting hysterical. If u can't be honest with ur partner, who can u be honest with? æ Love is also about honesty, and a relationship where no honesty exists probably isn't worth it!
2. Always talk things out.Now guys, I know this is not ur fave pastime or mode of resolving issues, but u know what? This works with the gals. Don't make assumptions about each other's feelings. Learn to xpress urself better so that ur partner undrstands what u're angry about, or hurt about, or even happy about! When u stop talking to each other from the heart, it's the beginning of the end.
3. Do stuff together.Make an effort to do t hings together. Do some sports or involve urselves in some shared activities; something both of u enjoy or are interested in. It could be as simple as watching movies together, or jus strolling hand-in-hand down Orchard Road. Watch soccor with him once in a while though the green patch on TV puts u to sleep in 3 seconds. And guys, do give in if ur gal asks for another day at window-shopping, rather than suggest that she go out with her girlfriends for "that sort of activities" instead. If u're spending more time with ur friends rather than with ur partner, it's a warning sign that u're drifting apart!!!
4. Meet each other halfway.If he agrees to throw out that rotten T-shirt with the "The_Rock" print, u shouldn't kick up much of a fuss if he asks u to keep ur room tidy... There's gotta be a little giving and taking in a relationship, so learn to meet each other halfway.
5.Show ur loveBuy her flowers or candy or perfume everynow and then, even if u have been together for 5years. It's wonderful to continue showing someone that u care for him or her. Cook him a special meal, paint him a Valentine's Day card. Knit him mini-socks he can't wear ( like for decoration purposes => ), buy him a packet of milk for breakfast, or pack his wardrobe for him...so he knows u can still be romantic and loving despite having been together for quite a while.
6. Respect each other.Stop making jokes about her hair or skin, or whatever it is u love to laugh at. Ask urself if she thinks if its funny. And if he has an inferiority complex about his height, stop ogling at tall guys and make him feel worse! Love is about respecting each other's feelings and being sensitive to each other at all times.
7. Bury the past.Stop bringing up the past. Gals..don't bring up the happy things about u and ur ex to ur guy, it would jus make him jealous or unhappy. And guys, don't talk about the happy times that u had with ur ex or mention about her in ur every other sentence as it would make ur gal feel un-happy and she might think that u saying all this b'cos u are gonna get back with ur ex or not interested in her anymore.
8. Sit on ur jealousy.All of us go thru' spells of insecurity at the beginning of the relationship, but don't translate that insecurity into jealousy. If u're gonna go through ur partner's mail and cupboard, and eavesdropping on conversations, u know something is wrong - with u!!! Jealousy is like a poison that slowly spreads thru' the relationship before finall y killing it. Trust ur partner; love has to have trust in it.
9. Keep ur commitments to each other.If ur partner is standing u up all the time and cancelling dates and breaking promises, u need to talk! If u're in a relationship, make ur partner ur priority and don't disappoint them if u can help it. It's really terrible when someone promises to take u to dinner, and then calls to cancel it. Don't make promises u can't keep. If ur partner starts to feel that he/she is not important enough to u, u may jus lose him/her.
10. Be honest.Honesty is not scowling at how awful she looks first thing in the morning, or telling him that he has the biceps of a fly~! When we say "be honest", we mean expressing <>ur feelings clearly, not being bitingly cruel. When u're hurt, say so, and when u're angry, tell him/her, w/o getting hysterical. If u can't be honest with ur partner, who can u be honest with? æ Love is also about honesty, and a relationship where no honesty exists probably isn't worth it!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Treasure Every Beautiful Thing In Our Life
A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was
preparing dinner. He handed her a piece of paper he had been writing on.
After drying her hands on the towel, she read it, and this is what it said:
For washing the car...............................................$5.00
For making my own bed this week............................$1.00
Going to the provision shop.....................................$0.50
Playing with little sister .......................................$0.25
Taking out the rubbish...........................................$1.00
Getting a good report card......................................$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor.....................$2.00
Total: ______________________________________ $14.75
She looked at him standing there expecting payment. A thousand memories
flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper
over, this is what she wrote:
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me...................……..No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you......No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose.............…...No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love ______________ No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at
her and said, "Mummy, I love you." Then he took the pen and in great big letters,
he wrote ..."PAID IN FULL".
WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, THE COST OF REAL LOVE IS NO CHARGE!
The Morale of the story:
Sometimes, we tend to take things for granted, expecting them to be there all the time, even to the extent of using it to our advantage. However, time does flies, things and environment change, reality is harsh and cruel.
When we realise that something that we lost and is irredeemable, only then we realise it is so precious and priceless. By the time, it might be already too late.
So do treasure every little beautiful thing in our life. Our parents, spouse, siblings, children, friends, etc. At least, they can still leave us with fond memories if we treasure them.
"We can do no great things; only small things with great love".
preparing dinner. He handed her a piece of paper he had been writing on.
After drying her hands on the towel, she read it, and this is what it said:
For washing the car...............................................$5.00
For making my own bed this week............................$1.00
Going to the provision shop.....................................$0.50
Playing with little sister .......................................$0.25
Taking out the rubbish...........................................$1.00
Getting a good report card......................................$5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor.....................$2.00
Total: ______________________________________ $14.75
She looked at him standing there expecting payment. A thousand memories
flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper
over, this is what she wrote:
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me...................……..No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you......No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose.............…...No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love ______________ No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at
her and said, "Mummy, I love you." Then he took the pen and in great big letters,
he wrote ..."PAID IN FULL".
WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, THE COST OF REAL LOVE IS NO CHARGE!
The Morale of the story:
Sometimes, we tend to take things for granted, expecting them to be there all the time, even to the extent of using it to our advantage. However, time does flies, things and environment change, reality is harsh and cruel.
When we realise that something that we lost and is irredeemable, only then we realise it is so precious and priceless. By the time, it might be already too late.
So do treasure every little beautiful thing in our life. Our parents, spouse, siblings, children, friends, etc. At least, they can still leave us with fond memories if we treasure them.
"We can do no great things; only small things with great love".
Life Is A Journey To Be Savoured Each Step Of The Journey
Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.
Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them, life is meaningless.
Do not let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.
Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Do not run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you have been, but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey
to be savored each step of the way.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Do not set your goals by what other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.
Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them, life is meaningless.
Do not let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past nor for the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Do not give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Do not be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love;
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly.
Do not dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Do not run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you have been, but also where you are going.
Life is not a race, but a journey
to be savored each step of the way.
The Power Of Words
STORY OF TWO FROGS IN THE WELL
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.
All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might.
The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?"
The frog explained to them that he was deaf.He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit.
All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might.
The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?"
The frog explained to them that he was deaf.He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...
you are more blessed than the million
who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of
torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are
ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on
your back, a roof overhead and a place to
sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and
spare change in a dish someplace...you are among
the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still
married...you are very rare, in this world.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face
and are truly thankful...you are blessed because
the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even
touch them on the shoulder...you are blessed because
you can offer God’s healing touch.
If you can read this message, you just received a
double blessing in that, someone was thinking of you,
and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two
billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this
along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
LIVE ONCE, BE REMEMBERED WELL ALWAYS.
you are more blessed than the million
who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle,
the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of
torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are
ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on
your back, a roof overhead and a place to
sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and
spare change in a dish someplace...you are among
the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still
married...you are very rare, in this world.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face
and are truly thankful...you are blessed because
the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even
touch them on the shoulder...you are blessed because
you can offer God’s healing touch.
If you can read this message, you just received a
double blessing in that, someone was thinking of you,
and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two
billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and pass this
along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
LIVE ONCE, BE REMEMBERED WELL ALWAYS.
Attitude Determines Altitude
Unlike some things in life, we can choose our outlook. Sometimes we just need a reminder that happiness can often simply be a result of choosing attitudes:
" I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before
the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today.
My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can feel sad that I don't have enough money or I can
be glad that my finances encourages me to plan my purchases
wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am
alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when
I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be
born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate
that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark
upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout
for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly
open my mind and fill it with rich new titbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework
or I can feel honoured because God has provided shelter for my
mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here
I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will
be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!"
The most important key to success is "ATTITUDE". That is why attitude adds up to 100%. Hardwork and knowledge alone is not enough.
The right ATTITUDE shapes our FEELINGS -> which leads to ACTIONS ->>> RESULTS!
Here's the ABC's of life.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
H A R D W O R K
8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98 %
K N O W L E D G E
11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96 %
A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100 %
True isn't it? think over..........
" I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before
the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today.
My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can feel sad that I don't have enough money or I can
be glad that my finances encourages me to plan my purchases
wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am
alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when
I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be
born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate
that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark
upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout
for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly
open my mind and fill it with rich new titbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework
or I can feel honoured because God has provided shelter for my
mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here
I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will
be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!"
The most important key to success is "ATTITUDE". That is why attitude adds up to 100%. Hardwork and knowledge alone is not enough.
The right ATTITUDE shapes our FEELINGS -> which leads to ACTIONS ->>> RESULTS!
Here's the ABC's of life.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
H A R D W O R K
8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98 %
K N O W L E D G E
11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96 %
A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100 %
True isn't it? think over..........
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Geese Story.
How's this for some Introspection!!! :
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way that we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over.
It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just – well honking!
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with anotherformation to catch up with their group.
When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of a TEAM.
In the fall when you see geese heading south for the winter flying along in the "V" formation, you might be interested in knowing what science has discovered about why they fly that way. It has been learned that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
People who are part of a team and share a common direction get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are travelling on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go through it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the power of the flock.
If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and share information with those who are headed the same way that we are going.
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose takes over.
It pays to share leadership and take turns doing hard jobs.
The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep their speed.
Words of support and inspiration help energize those on the front line, helping them to keep pace in spite of the day-to-day pressures and fatigue. It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it’s just – well honking!
Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by a gunshot and falls out, two geese fall out of the formation and follow the injured one down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he is dead, and then they launch out with anotherformation to catch up with their group.
When one of us is down, it’s up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other when things get rough. We will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.
The next time you see a formation of geese, remember...
IT IS A REWARD, A CHALLENGE AND A PRIVILEGE to be a contributing member of a TEAM.
Inspirational Some Thoughts For National Friendship Week:
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people,
with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something
like the following
There would be:
57 Asians
27 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would
be from the United States.
80 would live in sub-standard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the
need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly
apparent.
The following is also something to ponder:
If you woke up one morning with more health than illness, you are more
blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have
never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500
million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the
world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish
somewhere, you are among the world's wealthy.
If your parents are alive and still married, you are very rare, even in
the United States and Canada.
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in
that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed
than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all!
Someone once said what goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you have never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it is Heaven on Earth.
Remember, when you see someone pass by in a Rolls Royce and say "How the
other half live!" that you ARE the other half!
It is National friendship week.
Send this to your friends…….
Pass this on and brighten someone's day.
Nothing will happen if you decide not to pass it on. The only thing
that will happen if you DO decide to pass it on, is that someone might
smile! because of you.
Happy friendship week everyone!
with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something
like the following
There would be:
57 Asians
27 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be heterosexual
11 would be homosexual
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would
be from the United States.
80 would live in sub-standard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the
need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly
apparent.
The following is also something to ponder:
If you woke up one morning with more health than illness, you are more
blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have
never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment,
the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500
million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
torture or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the
world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish
somewhere, you are among the world's wealthy.
If your parents are alive and still married, you are very rare, even in
the United States and Canada.
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in
that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed
than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all!
Someone once said what goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you have never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it is Heaven on Earth.
Remember, when you see someone pass by in a Rolls Royce and say "How the
other half live!" that you ARE the other half!
It is National friendship week.
Send this to your friends…….
Pass this on and brighten someone's day.
Nothing will happen if you decide not to pass it on. The only thing
that will happen if you DO decide to pass it on, is that someone might
smile! because of you.
Happy friendship week everyone!
Responding To Adversity.
A daughter complained to her father about her life and how
things were so hard for her. She did not how she was going to
make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and
struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three
pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots
came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he
placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let
them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering
what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he and turned off the
burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He
pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the
coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She
did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she
tasted its rich aroma.
She humbly asked. "What does it mean Father?"
He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity,
boiling water, but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after
being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the
boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in
the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks
on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a
coffee bean? "
How about you?
Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity
do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?
Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were
you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or
a layoff have you become hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the
same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and
heart?
Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water,
the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor reaches
212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just
tastes better.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you
get better and make things better around you .
"The greatest part of our happiness or misery depends on our
disposition and not our circumstances." ---- Martha Washington
things were so hard for her. She did not how she was going to
make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and
struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three
pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots
came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he
placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let
them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering
what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he and turned off the
burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He
pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the
coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She
did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an
egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she
tasted its rich aroma.
She humbly asked. "What does it mean Father?"
He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity,
boiling water, but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after
being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became
weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the
boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in
the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks
on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a
coffee bean? "
How about you?
Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity
do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength?
Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were
you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or
a layoff have you become hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the
same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and
heart?
Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water,
the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor reaches
212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just
tastes better.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you
get better and make things better around you .
"The greatest part of our happiness or misery depends on our
disposition and not our circumstances." ---- Martha Washington
The Positive Side Of Life.
Living on Earth is expensive,
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.
How long a minute is
depends on what side of the
bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have,
the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late
are often much jollier
than the people who have to wait for them?
Most of us go to our grave
with our music still inside of us.
You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun
to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have weird names,
and all are different colors....but
they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy
the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day, and
know that someone
who thinks you're great
has thought about you today!.. "And that person was me." ..... Please don't keep this message to yourself ..... send it to all those who mean so much to you.... "NOW"..
but it does include a free trip
around the sun every year.
How long a minute is
depends on what side of the
bathroom door you're on.
Birthdays are good for you;
the more you have,
the longer you live.
Happiness comes through doors you
didn't even know you left open.
Ever notice that the people who are late
are often much jollier
than the people who have to wait for them?
Most of us go to our grave
with our music still inside of us.
You may be only one person in the world,
but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun
to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over;
smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons:
some are sharp, some are pretty,
some are dull, some have weird names,
and all are different colors....but
they all exist very nicely in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy
the scenery on a detour.
Have an awesome day, and
know that someone
who thinks you're great
has thought about you today!.. "And that person was me." ..... Please don't keep this message to yourself ..... send it to all those who mean so much to you.... "NOW"..
Secret Of Success
Topic: How to make more money
In order to make more money, we need to first
understand the essence of money itself. Would you
agree?
I believe that money is matter not just pieces of
paper or coins. Since it is physical matter, it should
be handled according to principles of physics.
In physics, there's a law which states that any force
in the universe has an equal and opposite counterpart.
If an object is applied forces of equal magnitude from
opposite directions, the object remains still. On the
other hand, if one force is larger than the other, the
object moves.
Remember that money is matter. If you have a lot of
money, it can be imagined that you are the stronger
force between money and you. If you are often short of
money, the opposite is the case.
So, I assume that your question for me now is how to
strengthen the attracting force and weaken the
repelling force. Correct?
The material world is created by thoughts. We are the
results of our thoughts.
Everything starts with a thought. The clearer the
thought and the image in your mind, the faster the
goal is achieved.
When we have clearly defined our thoughts, resources
come to us automatically.
Our thoughts are divided into 2 parts - the conscious
and the subconscious.
The power of the subconscious mind is 30,000 times
greater than the conscious mind. We should strive to
stimulate our subconscious mind.
Our subconscious constructs anything we wish for into
a perceived reality. The subconscious mind cannot
distinguish between something real or vividly imagine.
Once it perceives something as "real", it eventually
becomes real.
As long as the image perceived by the subconscious
mind is clear, our mind immediately attempts to turn
this image into reality.
As soon as it is provided an image, the subconscious
mind works to materialize it.
Everything in our daily lives is the reflection of our
subconscious minds.
The thoughts and beliefs in your subconscious mind
have made you who you are. If you want to alter your
future path, you first need to alter your subconscious
mind.
Remember that your life is the reflection of your
subconscious mind. As soon as your subconscious
thinking changes, your life changes with it.
Your thoughts, once get into your subconscious, decide
your future.
How do you enrich your subconscious mind, and
Thereby attract even greater wealth?
You must first have a dream board, and put your dreams
onto it. Look at them daily until the goals are
achieved. In the past, I have tried put photos of a
Toyota, and then Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, and
finally Rolls Royce. Believe it or not, every car was
eventually realized. It's just simply amazing, you
must give it a try.
The second step is constantly telling your
subconscious that you are getting richer and richer.
Remind yourself all the time setting up in the
morning, before going to sleep, even in the bathroom,
and whenever there is a blank moment in your mind. The
most important key is repetition. Every time you
affirm your goals is like a turn of the wheel. The
more you affirm, the more frequently the wheel is
turned, the farther you go, and the faster the goal is
achieved. I once made an audio tape of my goal, and
repeatedly played it as a reminder. Within 6 months,
my monthly income increased from US 17,000 to
US170,000, it's incredible.
Many sales people whom I have trained asked me how to
improve their sales. Their sales results, I answered,
were the manifestation of their subconscious minds.
First of all, they would need to create a dream board.
Secondly, look at the dream board constantly and
repeatedly. I ask them that, if they read and look at
their goals for 20 years, would they achieve their
goals? They all say yes.
So achieving goal is not a problem, the only question is time,
and the diligence of the individuals of how many times they're willing to repeat and affirm.
The misfortune of a person is likewise the result of
his/her subconscious beliefs.
All occurrences in our surroundings are the
manifestations of our subconscious thoughts.
We need to implant the desire for wealth deep in our
subconscious, and let the power of the subconscious
mind to realize our dreams.
It is easy to incorporate images, words, and thoughts
into your subconscious mind, as long as they are
repeated frequently enough.
Upon waking up and going to sleep, you must fill your
mind with thoughts of success and wealth. You must
constantly remind yourself that you are becoming
richer, your income continues to grow, and your
savings are piling up. You must affirm to yourself the
goals you have set, over and over again. The late
giant of the steel industry Carnegie used to affirm
his goals more than 1000 times a day. How about you?
Generally speaking, thirty days are required for the
ideas to be fully incorporated into the subconscious.
The more frequently you affirm your goals to yourself,
the more receptive your subconscious mind is.
Remember, however, that constant reinforcement is
crucial even after the goals have been incorporated in
the subconscious mind, otherwise the effects can
decline quickly just like the atrophy of muscles. The
training of the subconscious is the same as that of
the mental muscles.
A person's words and thoughts are intimately
associated. If you change the way you speak, your
thinking changes as well. Never let negative thoughts
out as words. Rather, always speak good things about
yourself and others.
From now on, read the following to yourself
100 times a day:
1. I am becoming more and more wealthy.
2. I have always been rich.
3. My money has been piling up since birth.
4. I love to earn money.
5. I get pleasure out of earning money.
6. Earning money is fast and easy for me.
7. My income multiplies constantly.
8. My savings are increasing constantly.
9. Money is great.
10.Earning money is an easy thing.
11.Earning money makes me happy.
12.Earning money is a wonderful thing.
13.I will always be wealthy.
14.The riches roll towards me.
15.I become richer everyday.
16.Wealth continues to come to me.
17.I can easily and quickly earn and save lots of
money.
18.I am happy everyday because I become richer
everyday.
19.It is great to be wealthy.
20.It is inevitable and matter of fact that I am
wealthy.
21.All the money in the world is attracted by me.
22.I see, hear, and feel that I am a millionaire.
Remember always to continue earning money, continue
giving back to the society, keep learning and helping
others. Conrad Hilton, the hotel giant, once said that
the secret of life is not what you own, but what you
give.
In order to make more money, we need to first
understand the essence of money itself. Would you
agree?
I believe that money is matter not just pieces of
paper or coins. Since it is physical matter, it should
be handled according to principles of physics.
In physics, there's a law which states that any force
in the universe has an equal and opposite counterpart.
If an object is applied forces of equal magnitude from
opposite directions, the object remains still. On the
other hand, if one force is larger than the other, the
object moves.
Remember that money is matter. If you have a lot of
money, it can be imagined that you are the stronger
force between money and you. If you are often short of
money, the opposite is the case.
So, I assume that your question for me now is how to
strengthen the attracting force and weaken the
repelling force. Correct?
The material world is created by thoughts. We are the
results of our thoughts.
Everything starts with a thought. The clearer the
thought and the image in your mind, the faster the
goal is achieved.
When we have clearly defined our thoughts, resources
come to us automatically.
Our thoughts are divided into 2 parts - the conscious
and the subconscious.
The power of the subconscious mind is 30,000 times
greater than the conscious mind. We should strive to
stimulate our subconscious mind.
Our subconscious constructs anything we wish for into
a perceived reality. The subconscious mind cannot
distinguish between something real or vividly imagine.
Once it perceives something as "real", it eventually
becomes real.
As long as the image perceived by the subconscious
mind is clear, our mind immediately attempts to turn
this image into reality.
As soon as it is provided an image, the subconscious
mind works to materialize it.
Everything in our daily lives is the reflection of our
subconscious minds.
The thoughts and beliefs in your subconscious mind
have made you who you are. If you want to alter your
future path, you first need to alter your subconscious
mind.
Remember that your life is the reflection of your
subconscious mind. As soon as your subconscious
thinking changes, your life changes with it.
Your thoughts, once get into your subconscious, decide
your future.
How do you enrich your subconscious mind, and
Thereby attract even greater wealth?
You must first have a dream board, and put your dreams
onto it. Look at them daily until the goals are
achieved. In the past, I have tried put photos of a
Toyota, and then Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari, and
finally Rolls Royce. Believe it or not, every car was
eventually realized. It's just simply amazing, you
must give it a try.
The second step is constantly telling your
subconscious that you are getting richer and richer.
Remind yourself all the time setting up in the
morning, before going to sleep, even in the bathroom,
and whenever there is a blank moment in your mind. The
most important key is repetition. Every time you
affirm your goals is like a turn of the wheel. The
more you affirm, the more frequently the wheel is
turned, the farther you go, and the faster the goal is
achieved. I once made an audio tape of my goal, and
repeatedly played it as a reminder. Within 6 months,
my monthly income increased from US 17,000 to
US170,000, it's incredible.
Many sales people whom I have trained asked me how to
improve their sales. Their sales results, I answered,
were the manifestation of their subconscious minds.
First of all, they would need to create a dream board.
Secondly, look at the dream board constantly and
repeatedly. I ask them that, if they read and look at
their goals for 20 years, would they achieve their
goals? They all say yes.
So achieving goal is not a problem, the only question is time,
and the diligence of the individuals of how many times they're willing to repeat and affirm.
The misfortune of a person is likewise the result of
his/her subconscious beliefs.
All occurrences in our surroundings are the
manifestations of our subconscious thoughts.
We need to implant the desire for wealth deep in our
subconscious, and let the power of the subconscious
mind to realize our dreams.
It is easy to incorporate images, words, and thoughts
into your subconscious mind, as long as they are
repeated frequently enough.
Upon waking up and going to sleep, you must fill your
mind with thoughts of success and wealth. You must
constantly remind yourself that you are becoming
richer, your income continues to grow, and your
savings are piling up. You must affirm to yourself the
goals you have set, over and over again. The late
giant of the steel industry Carnegie used to affirm
his goals more than 1000 times a day. How about you?
Generally speaking, thirty days are required for the
ideas to be fully incorporated into the subconscious.
The more frequently you affirm your goals to yourself,
the more receptive your subconscious mind is.
Remember, however, that constant reinforcement is
crucial even after the goals have been incorporated in
the subconscious mind, otherwise the effects can
decline quickly just like the atrophy of muscles. The
training of the subconscious is the same as that of
the mental muscles.
A person's words and thoughts are intimately
associated. If you change the way you speak, your
thinking changes as well. Never let negative thoughts
out as words. Rather, always speak good things about
yourself and others.
From now on, read the following to yourself
100 times a day:
1. I am becoming more and more wealthy.
2. I have always been rich.
3. My money has been piling up since birth.
4. I love to earn money.
5. I get pleasure out of earning money.
6. Earning money is fast and easy for me.
7. My income multiplies constantly.
8. My savings are increasing constantly.
9. Money is great.
10.Earning money is an easy thing.
11.Earning money makes me happy.
12.Earning money is a wonderful thing.
13.I will always be wealthy.
14.The riches roll towards me.
15.I become richer everyday.
16.Wealth continues to come to me.
17.I can easily and quickly earn and save lots of
money.
18.I am happy everyday because I become richer
everyday.
19.It is great to be wealthy.
20.It is inevitable and matter of fact that I am
wealthy.
21.All the money in the world is attracted by me.
22.I see, hear, and feel that I am a millionaire.
Remember always to continue earning money, continue
giving back to the society, keep learning and helping
others. Conrad Hilton, the hotel giant, once said that
the secret of life is not what you own, but what you
give.
Friday, September 7, 2007
How To Have A Wonderful Relationship?
“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.” - This is to have succeeded.
A relationship is a natural, logical, and harmonious association. This happens when people WANT to be with each other and look forward to sharing goals, time, and activities together.
Here are fun and easy ways to a loving Relationship.
1. TALK. Always in pleasant tones. No shouting or swearing at each other. Speak only positive words with gentleness and kindness. Communicate daily. This is the highest and most caring form of love.
2. WALK TOGETHER more. Take 30 minutes a day. To exercise, communicate, release emotions, share ideas, goals, and to clear up any misunderstandings. It’s okay to hold hands, too!
3. Do NEW and DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES together. Enjoy a new restaurant, a different dish, a concert, a unique vacation, attend a class together something exciting both of you can plan and look forward to. Learn together and you’ll be happier.
4. Give each other GIFTS often. Like a magazine subscription, a special book, a warm bath and massage, flowers, surprise experiences, favorite foods, and the many other special things your mate would enjoy and get excited about.
5. Write LOVE NOTES. Hide them around the home --- in clothing, pockets, in the kitchen drawer and secret places. Send some to his or her working place. Write a passionate love letter. Express your love in writing on exquisite stationery. Attach a gift certificate or a crispy $100 bill. Use your imagination and make it a fun surprise. And do it often!
6. DO NOT CRITICIZE, CONDEMN or COMPLAIN! This is a NO-NO. Only praises. Acknowledge the goodness in each other. There is no place for negativity in a loving and lasting relationship ever! Your mate will do the right thing --- as you lead by example.
7. ACHIEVE and MAINTAIN your IDEAL figure. It is a gift to yourself and your mate. A healthy and attractive body also promotes a healthy relationship.
8. Allow your partner to be RESPONSIBLE for his or her life. He or she has the right to determine his or her own reality and destiny. Always respect that choice. Both of you can live your lives in your own way harmoniously. Treasure each other’s differences. Do your very best >to make life easier and more fun for your mate.
9. Grow TOGETHER. At the same speed and direction --- by sharing similar ideas and activities. This will bond you together even more while building on fond memories. (People who don’t grow together will complete their relationship and move on to lead separate lives. This is why most people divorce.
10. DO NOT be POSSESSIVE. Don’t act as though you “own” your mate. Support, encourage each other’s way of living and individual interests. Be grateful in harmony.
11. TREASURE your TIME together. It could be your last. Look at it this way and you’ll always appreciate each other even more. Have NO reason for regrets. Spend time with each other doing all the things you both love to do. Do it now! Tomorrow may not come. So together—plan now for the best of the rest of your lives.
12. IT is OKAY to DO whatever pleases BOTH of you. In private, there are no limits on what you can do together with each other...as long as both benefit and agree. Whatever other people think of what you do or say is none of your business! So, go ahead experiment --- and satisfy each other to the limit!
13. Be OPEN. To new ideas, experiences, and relationships. This is the way for fun, growth and expansion in your lives. The more you LEARN together...the happier you both will be.
14. FORGIVE and LOVE. Release the past at every moment. Live in the present. Plan for the future --- together...and joyously!
15. Be FREE of resentments, anger, jealousy, hatred, and envy toward each other. This will open both of you to even greater respect for each other. Be thankful for your mate’s kindness.
16. Eliminate arguing totally. Anywhere, anytime. Especially while eating or in bed. Each person has a right to his or her own opinion. Respect each others ideas, philosophy, and outlook on life. Be a great listener!
17. SMILE and LAUGH with each other. A prescription for aliveness and health. Don’t take yourself or your mate too seriously. Lighten up and laugh more often. Remember, your smiles are true gifts to each other.
18. Look into each other’s EYES often. See the love, truth, and beauty in your mate. The more you look into each other’s eyes lovingly, the more you will love each other more deeply! Do this daily. It’s very powerful and fun!
19. TOUCH each other TENDERLY every day. Hug. Kiss. Caress. These are wonderful ways to show caring and love. We ALL need it. More than we
care to admit!
20. Develop a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Good food promotes a healthier state of mind for a more meaningful relationship. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole wheat, grains, hi-fiber, low-fat, low-calorie foods. Drink more water. Get more rest. Keep yourself cleansed, nourished, and balanced.
21. Keep your home, car, kitchen, closets, rooms --- simple, neat, clean and organized. This will help promote a tranquil setting for greater peace and happiness in your lives. It really works! Begin this today!
22. Dress your best. Be appropriate, neat, clean, and proud of your appearance. How you look, especially in public --- enhances your mate’s choice and appearance, too!
23. SHARE in Financial Matters. If you are married, communicate with each other on all your finances. If you have a family business, be sure both are informed on profits, losses, expenses, etc. Set your financial priorities together. This will help to strengthen your relationship which is built on trust and sharing. Enjoy building your financial future together. This is important.
24. ACCEPT each other TOTALLY. Exactly the way both of you are. Do not try to change each other’s uniqueness. Allow your mate to change if and
when he or she desires. This promotes everlasting peace.
24. Say: “I LOVE YOU”. Daily, many times. Especially when you wake up and before you go to sleep. Say it for the rest of your lives together. Never ever take love for granted. Express it verbally as well as with action. We all need to hear that magical phrase. It reaffirms how we feel at that moment. So, fill your lives with millions of moments of love by saying: “I love you.”
Opportunity is never lost. It simply goes to those who are ready. Are you ready?
Seize the opportunity
A relationship is a natural, logical, and harmonious association. This happens when people WANT to be with each other and look forward to sharing goals, time, and activities together.
Here are fun and easy ways to a loving Relationship.
1. TALK. Always in pleasant tones. No shouting or swearing at each other. Speak only positive words with gentleness and kindness. Communicate daily. This is the highest and most caring form of love.
2. WALK TOGETHER more. Take 30 minutes a day. To exercise, communicate, release emotions, share ideas, goals, and to clear up any misunderstandings. It’s okay to hold hands, too!
3. Do NEW and DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES together. Enjoy a new restaurant, a different dish, a concert, a unique vacation, attend a class together something exciting both of you can plan and look forward to. Learn together and you’ll be happier.
4. Give each other GIFTS often. Like a magazine subscription, a special book, a warm bath and massage, flowers, surprise experiences, favorite foods, and the many other special things your mate would enjoy and get excited about.
5. Write LOVE NOTES. Hide them around the home --- in clothing, pockets, in the kitchen drawer and secret places. Send some to his or her working place. Write a passionate love letter. Express your love in writing on exquisite stationery. Attach a gift certificate or a crispy $100 bill. Use your imagination and make it a fun surprise. And do it often!
6. DO NOT CRITICIZE, CONDEMN or COMPLAIN! This is a NO-NO. Only praises. Acknowledge the goodness in each other. There is no place for negativity in a loving and lasting relationship ever! Your mate will do the right thing --- as you lead by example.
7. ACHIEVE and MAINTAIN your IDEAL figure. It is a gift to yourself and your mate. A healthy and attractive body also promotes a healthy relationship.
8. Allow your partner to be RESPONSIBLE for his or her life. He or she has the right to determine his or her own reality and destiny. Always respect that choice. Both of you can live your lives in your own way harmoniously. Treasure each other’s differences. Do your very best >to make life easier and more fun for your mate.
9. Grow TOGETHER. At the same speed and direction --- by sharing similar ideas and activities. This will bond you together even more while building on fond memories. (People who don’t grow together will complete their relationship and move on to lead separate lives. This is why most people divorce.
10. DO NOT be POSSESSIVE. Don’t act as though you “own” your mate. Support, encourage each other’s way of living and individual interests. Be grateful in harmony.
11. TREASURE your TIME together. It could be your last. Look at it this way and you’ll always appreciate each other even more. Have NO reason for regrets. Spend time with each other doing all the things you both love to do. Do it now! Tomorrow may not come. So together—plan now for the best of the rest of your lives.
12. IT is OKAY to DO whatever pleases BOTH of you. In private, there are no limits on what you can do together with each other...as long as both benefit and agree. Whatever other people think of what you do or say is none of your business! So, go ahead experiment --- and satisfy each other to the limit!
13. Be OPEN. To new ideas, experiences, and relationships. This is the way for fun, growth and expansion in your lives. The more you LEARN together...the happier you both will be.
14. FORGIVE and LOVE. Release the past at every moment. Live in the present. Plan for the future --- together...and joyously!
15. Be FREE of resentments, anger, jealousy, hatred, and envy toward each other. This will open both of you to even greater respect for each other. Be thankful for your mate’s kindness.
16. Eliminate arguing totally. Anywhere, anytime. Especially while eating or in bed. Each person has a right to his or her own opinion. Respect each others ideas, philosophy, and outlook on life. Be a great listener!
17. SMILE and LAUGH with each other. A prescription for aliveness and health. Don’t take yourself or your mate too seriously. Lighten up and laugh more often. Remember, your smiles are true gifts to each other.
18. Look into each other’s EYES often. See the love, truth, and beauty in your mate. The more you look into each other’s eyes lovingly, the more you will love each other more deeply! Do this daily. It’s very powerful and fun!
19. TOUCH each other TENDERLY every day. Hug. Kiss. Caress. These are wonderful ways to show caring and love. We ALL need it. More than we
care to admit!
20. Develop a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE. Good food promotes a healthier state of mind for a more meaningful relationship. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole wheat, grains, hi-fiber, low-fat, low-calorie foods. Drink more water. Get more rest. Keep yourself cleansed, nourished, and balanced.
21. Keep your home, car, kitchen, closets, rooms --- simple, neat, clean and organized. This will help promote a tranquil setting for greater peace and happiness in your lives. It really works! Begin this today!
22. Dress your best. Be appropriate, neat, clean, and proud of your appearance. How you look, especially in public --- enhances your mate’s choice and appearance, too!
23. SHARE in Financial Matters. If you are married, communicate with each other on all your finances. If you have a family business, be sure both are informed on profits, losses, expenses, etc. Set your financial priorities together. This will help to strengthen your relationship which is built on trust and sharing. Enjoy building your financial future together. This is important.
24. ACCEPT each other TOTALLY. Exactly the way both of you are. Do not try to change each other’s uniqueness. Allow your mate to change if and
when he or she desires. This promotes everlasting peace.
24. Say: “I LOVE YOU”. Daily, many times. Especially when you wake up and before you go to sleep. Say it for the rest of your lives together. Never ever take love for granted. Express it verbally as well as with action. We all need to hear that magical phrase. It reaffirms how we feel at that moment. So, fill your lives with millions of moments of love by saying: “I love you.”
Opportunity is never lost. It simply goes to those who are ready. Are you ready?
Seize the opportunity
How To Use Rejection As Your Motivator?
The most popular excuse I hear from sales professionals, executives and entrepreneurs is that the fear of rejection prevents them from realizing their sales goals. They just can't accept the reality that not everyone is going to say yes to their product or service. Even worse, they take it personally. The fact is, in sales (and life overall) we receive more nos than yes's. The key to success is accepting this truism and staying focused and motivated on a daily basis.Fortunately, I have a simple remedy to this universal dilemma; a solution that promises to energize you and propel your career to incredible heights. It is time to discover and embrace the Law of Averages (L.O.A.)!What is the law of averages you ask? L.O.A. is simply the number of no's it takes for you to receive a yes.As children we learn about the Law of Averages from our experiences. A little boy might experience L.O.A. when, after 50 swings of the bat, he finally hits the ball into centerfield. A little girl may have a similar experience, when, after years of trying out for the cheerleading team, she sees her name on the final roster. When my daughter Auriana was old enough to tie her own shoes, I showed her how. Then I said, "Now, it will probably take you 22 tries before you can tie your shoes just right." Later in the day, she excitedly ran into my arms with a look a victory and said, "Mom, you were wrong. It only took me 13 tries!" Teaching her about L.O.A. helped mitigate the frustration that comes with learning a new task and failing at it 13 times!The L.O.A. Principle prepares you for success in two ways. First, it helps you to acknowledge the unavoidable truth that not everyone wants or has a present need for our product or service. Accepting this virtually eliminates your frustration immediately. The second benefit to the L.O.A. Principle is that it gives you a concrete road map to actualize your goals and focus your efforts vs. progress. Ideally, your progress should equal or exceed your efforts. The Law of Averages makes your results tangible.When I was in direct sales, I charted my efforts vs. progress by keeping a simple record. I faithfully tracked how many people I needed to share my product with before I got the appointment, and eventually, the sale. My L.O.A. was one in ten.In other words, for each tenth prospective client I approached with my opportunity, one in that group of ten said yes. Then I took it a step further. I figured out the amount of sales I usually had for that one yes (progress), divided it by ten (my efforts), and realized I earned $50.00 for every "No." When I began to focus on my efforts (to just make ten contacts), I wasn't at all affected by the rejection. I actually began to enjoy the challenge of the no's and even said, "Thanks for the $50.00" beneath my breath as I walked away from each non-threatening 'No.' Inevitably, the yes came around within ten no's, and I managed to accomplish my goals frustration-free!If you are one who is fearful of rejection, then I challenge you to have more courage. You never want to miss a golden opportunity to help someone with your product or service because of your fear. As we move towards our fears they get smaller. When you move away from them, they grow bigger. It's that simple.Learn to accept the word no and respect your prospects privilege to use it. By knowing your L.O.A. and figuring out the monetary value of each 'No' you receive, you empower yourself to overcome the obstacles that hinder success. So the next time you get a no, ask if you may call again in the future, thank them for their time, and then say to yourself, "Thanks for the 50 bucks!"Ahh, the sweet sound of rejection!
You As A Great Coach
By William Hendricks, Condensed from "Coaching, Mentoring, & Managing"
Successful coaches possess these 10 key values, plus the character and personality traits that make them effective.
YOUR team members all have different talents and skill levels - they’re all human with strengths, shortcomings, and personal lives that sometimes affect their ability to perform at what they do. Regardless of how difficult it may be at times, you as an upline and a coach are responsible for "winning" with that special mix of people, for keeping your people inspired, motivated, and working together toward common goals.
The greatest coaches are those who know how to motivate others to succeed, stay focused, believe in themselves, and overcome disappointments. Coaches inspire others to aim higher, work harder, and enjoy doing it.
To do so, first, you must want to be a coach. This shapes your attitude about being a coach, because people act on what they believe or "value." The most enlightening facts about great leadership are worthless until someone decides to actually apply these truths in what they do. And that happens when your upline believes there is potential "value" as a result of their actions.
Successful coaches typically exhibit the following 10 key values that can add to the many additional values of your own:-
Clarity. Successful coaches make sure they communicate clearly. If you fail to communicate clearly, people start to fail or do nothing - or worse, make assumptions. And assumptions cost time and money. To ensure clear communication, do not assume your team members know what you want.
Supportiveness. You want to stand behind the people in your team all the way, providing help they need, be it advice, information, materials, or just understanding and encouragement. It’s important to communicate your intention to be supportive. Let them know that honest mistakes/problems will only make the team stronger as you solve them together.
Confidence-building. Let your team know you believe in them and what they’re doing. Point to past successes, to individual and team accomplishments. Review with them the key to those successes and praise the commitment to excellence behind each victory.
Mutuality. Share a vision of common goals - take the time to explain your goals in detail. If you as a leader have goals that head one way and your people have goals heading another, the team will fall apart. All too often, staff don’t have clear-cut goals.
Perspective. This means seeing things from his/her perspective. Looking at people from the outside in too often results in labeling them. To understand what’s going on inside your people, ask. Don’t assume that you know what they’re thinking and feeling.
Risk. Risk is letting your team members know that it’s okay to fail. The only way you can grow is by taking risks. Some people who work on your team may do nothing because they are afraid - afraid that if they take a risk and fail, you’ll be upset. To be an effective coach, you must communicate that failure is not terminal, as long as everyone learns from it. Establish a clear, unthreatening way to deal with errors. Most successful people have failed, are failing, and will fail again. In a very real sense, it’s smart to get excited about failures - because only through failures can you learn, grow and be better down the road.
Patience. Every successful coach knows that time and patience are the keys to preventing a coach from simply "reacting." Sure, there are times when emergency, on-the-spot decisions must be made. But such times are surprisingly rare. Generally, you should avoid knee-jerk responses to unexpected situation, as this can undermine your associates’ confidence and ability to think and react. Build some time between the event and your responses to it.
Involvement. This means caring for someone enough to attempt to understand his/her experiences. It’s getting out from behind your desk and going to where your team member is and finding out what’s going on with them.
Confidentiality. This results when people demonstrate the rare ability to keep quiet. Some leaders talk when they should be silent. Most successful leaders are those who can keep certain things to themselves and not give away confidence. The moment you betray a confidence, trust is lost. And once you lose a team member’s trust, it’s almost impossible to get it back.
Respect. This involves the leader’s perceived attitude toward the individual he/she leads. You may respect your team members highly, but if they don’t perceive that value, it is contradicted by your failure to share goals, your unwillingness to become involved, your inability to exercise patience, you communicate disrespect. How far do you think can your team go together if its members feel the coach disdains them? If you answered "nowhere," you’re right!
SIX PITFALLS TO COACHING SUCCESS
Are you guilty of any of the following?
Talking at your team members, not with them. Often this approach is accompanied by the frequent use of words like "I want" and "You should."
Exaggerating situations/behavior. When you correct behavior using words like "always," "never," and "everybody," you automatically drag people down. Generalizations attack the self-esteem of the individual.
Talking about attitudes rather than behavior. When you criticize attitudes rather than behavior, you’re attacking self-esteem and begging for a defeated team.
Assuming the team member knows the problem and solution. If you assume the team member knows both the problem and the solution, you’re hurting the performance of the team. Assuming invariable costs time, money, and morale.
Never following up. If you fail to follow up on directions or performance, you will inevitably find yourself reacting to unpleasant surprises.
Not rewarding improved behavior. If you don’t reward positive changes in behavior, you will not gain permanent behavior changes.
Successful coaches possess these 10 key values, plus the character and personality traits that make them effective.
YOUR team members all have different talents and skill levels - they’re all human with strengths, shortcomings, and personal lives that sometimes affect their ability to perform at what they do. Regardless of how difficult it may be at times, you as an upline and a coach are responsible for "winning" with that special mix of people, for keeping your people inspired, motivated, and working together toward common goals.
The greatest coaches are those who know how to motivate others to succeed, stay focused, believe in themselves, and overcome disappointments. Coaches inspire others to aim higher, work harder, and enjoy doing it.
To do so, first, you must want to be a coach. This shapes your attitude about being a coach, because people act on what they believe or "value." The most enlightening facts about great leadership are worthless until someone decides to actually apply these truths in what they do. And that happens when your upline believes there is potential "value" as a result of their actions.
Successful coaches typically exhibit the following 10 key values that can add to the many additional values of your own:-
Clarity. Successful coaches make sure they communicate clearly. If you fail to communicate clearly, people start to fail or do nothing - or worse, make assumptions. And assumptions cost time and money. To ensure clear communication, do not assume your team members know what you want.
Supportiveness. You want to stand behind the people in your team all the way, providing help they need, be it advice, information, materials, or just understanding and encouragement. It’s important to communicate your intention to be supportive. Let them know that honest mistakes/problems will only make the team stronger as you solve them together.
Confidence-building. Let your team know you believe in them and what they’re doing. Point to past successes, to individual and team accomplishments. Review with them the key to those successes and praise the commitment to excellence behind each victory.
Mutuality. Share a vision of common goals - take the time to explain your goals in detail. If you as a leader have goals that head one way and your people have goals heading another, the team will fall apart. All too often, staff don’t have clear-cut goals.
Perspective. This means seeing things from his/her perspective. Looking at people from the outside in too often results in labeling them. To understand what’s going on inside your people, ask. Don’t assume that you know what they’re thinking and feeling.
Risk. Risk is letting your team members know that it’s okay to fail. The only way you can grow is by taking risks. Some people who work on your team may do nothing because they are afraid - afraid that if they take a risk and fail, you’ll be upset. To be an effective coach, you must communicate that failure is not terminal, as long as everyone learns from it. Establish a clear, unthreatening way to deal with errors. Most successful people have failed, are failing, and will fail again. In a very real sense, it’s smart to get excited about failures - because only through failures can you learn, grow and be better down the road.
Patience. Every successful coach knows that time and patience are the keys to preventing a coach from simply "reacting." Sure, there are times when emergency, on-the-spot decisions must be made. But such times are surprisingly rare. Generally, you should avoid knee-jerk responses to unexpected situation, as this can undermine your associates’ confidence and ability to think and react. Build some time between the event and your responses to it.
Involvement. This means caring for someone enough to attempt to understand his/her experiences. It’s getting out from behind your desk and going to where your team member is and finding out what’s going on with them.
Confidentiality. This results when people demonstrate the rare ability to keep quiet. Some leaders talk when they should be silent. Most successful leaders are those who can keep certain things to themselves and not give away confidence. The moment you betray a confidence, trust is lost. And once you lose a team member’s trust, it’s almost impossible to get it back.
Respect. This involves the leader’s perceived attitude toward the individual he/she leads. You may respect your team members highly, but if they don’t perceive that value, it is contradicted by your failure to share goals, your unwillingness to become involved, your inability to exercise patience, you communicate disrespect. How far do you think can your team go together if its members feel the coach disdains them? If you answered "nowhere," you’re right!
SIX PITFALLS TO COACHING SUCCESS
Are you guilty of any of the following?
Talking at your team members, not with them. Often this approach is accompanied by the frequent use of words like "I want" and "You should."
Exaggerating situations/behavior. When you correct behavior using words like "always," "never," and "everybody," you automatically drag people down. Generalizations attack the self-esteem of the individual.
Talking about attitudes rather than behavior. When you criticize attitudes rather than behavior, you’re attacking self-esteem and begging for a defeated team.
Assuming the team member knows the problem and solution. If you assume the team member knows both the problem and the solution, you’re hurting the performance of the team. Assuming invariable costs time, money, and morale.
Never following up. If you fail to follow up on directions or performance, you will inevitably find yourself reacting to unpleasant surprises.
Not rewarding improved behavior. If you don’t reward positive changes in behavior, you will not gain permanent behavior changes.
People Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had atear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat yourfood when I grow up."The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless.Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb.If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives.The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future.Let's be wise builders and role models. Lord, we ask not that you move the mountains, but that You give us the strength to climb."Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference" Take care of yourself, ... and those you love,... today, and everyday!On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can,happiness will find you.I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, usually make the right decision.I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did. Sometimes they just need a little something to make them smile.People will forget what you said ... people will forget what you did ... but people will never forget how you made them feel.
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had atear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat yourfood when I grow up."The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless.Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb.If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives.The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future.Let's be wise builders and role models. Lord, we ask not that you move the mountains, but that You give us the strength to climb."Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference" Take care of yourself, ... and those you love,... today, and everyday!On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can,happiness will find you.I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, usually make the right decision.I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about. I just did. Sometimes they just need a little something to make them smile.People will forget what you said ... people will forget what you did ... but people will never forget how you made them feel.
In The Midst Of Your Struggle...
In the midst of your struggle with difficulties,
remember this story.
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared,
he sat and watched the butterfly for
several hours as it struggled to force
its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it
could and it could go no farther.
So the man decided to help the butterfly,
he took a pair of scissors and snipped off
the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small,
shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly
because he expected that, at any moment,
the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to
support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent
the rest of its life crawling around with
a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not
understand was that the restricting cocoon and
the struggle required for the butterfly to get
through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing
fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings
so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved
its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles,
it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what
we could have been. And we could never fly.
So have a nice day and struggle a little.
You will yourself flying high someday.
remember this story.
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared,
he sat and watched the butterfly for
several hours as it struggled to force
its body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it
could and it could go no farther.
So the man decided to help the butterfly,
he took a pair of scissors and snipped off
the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small,
shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly
because he expected that, at any moment,
the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to
support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent
the rest of its life crawling around with
a swollen body and shriveled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not
understand was that the restricting cocoon and
the struggle required for the butterfly to get
through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing
fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings
so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved
its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.
If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles,
it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what
we could have been. And we could never fly.
So have a nice day and struggle a little.
You will yourself flying high someday.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Debt vs Investment: Pay Now or Pay Later?
So you have some spare cash. Should you invest it or pay off debts? That depends on how you like risk
AS a financial planner, I have often been asked if one should use spare cash to redeem a loan or invest the money instead. Or if one should cash out of an investment to pay off debt.
The first rule of financial planning is to save at least three to six months of your income as an emergency fund. Any money left over can be used to pay off debt or invested. Remember that monthly debt repayment eats into your financial plan but investments will increase your net worth.
Making early payments to pay off your loan exposes you to relatively few risks as once the loan is paid, it stays paid. But there is another type of risk associated with early repayment and that is opportunity risk. The opportunity risk is the possibility that a better opportunity might present itself and you would be unable to take advantage of it since you gave the bank your extra cash to redeem the loan. And when you invest your money, you generally expose yourself to market risk and other risks that could make you lose money.
Paying debt early may not be wise if the loan is for an investment property that is rented out. The interest paid on home mortgages is tax deductible against the rental income. This will effectively reduce taxable income derived from rental income. However, this strategy does not apply to owner occupied property or any other loans. In such cases, it will make sense to reduce your loan.
Bank overdrafts and credit card debt must be paid as soon as possible. Using credits cards has no ill consequences when you pay them off monthly. The high interest charge on installment debt, however, turns potential savings into healthy profits for the lending institution. In contrast, this money could be growing in your investment account instead. Few people realise how long it takes to pay off installment debt once the bills start arriving. Charging is all too easy.
So, say you have a debt as well as cash for investment. If you maintain the debt (instead of paying it off), the cost to you is the interest rate on the loan minus whatever you make from the investment. Basically, you are trying to determine whether you can achieve a return on your investment that is far superior than the interest rate on the debt.
For instance, if the interest rate on your mortgage is 5 per cent, and you can find an investment that gives you 9 per cent, you should certainly invest your money. In reality the analysis is never this simple, because you need to know the return on investment which is difficult to ascertain.
Although it is impossible to predict with certainty what an investment will return, we can still be sure of two certainties, ie, the likely return and the level of risk. Since paying down any debt entails much lower risk than making an investment, you need to get a higher level of return to offset the additional risk taken on the investment. In other words, the investment has to pay you a higher return to assume the risk in order to justify the investment.
So it would be foolish to turn down a risk-free return of say, 4 per cent, to try to get a return of 5 per cent from another investment where the returns are not guaranteed. (This concept is similar to our CPF Special Account where the 4 per cent interest is risk-free and the returns on other investment are not guaranteed, at best only the capital is guaranteed.)
It is a matter of personal preference how big the difference between the return on the investment and the risk-free return should be. Technically, this is called the risk premium.
By now we are convinced that paying the debt is a low-risk alternative. But when it comes to selecting investments that will potentially yield more than paying down a debt, you have many options. The option that you choose should be the one that maximises your return subject to a given level of risk.
In Singapore, investment options are plenty. So if you have a mortgage interest rate of 5 per cent, where would you want to invest for higher returns? Obviously, you will choose an investment that provides a return higher than your mortgage rate. In this case, unit trusts and stock investment seem to stand out. Historically, these investment have earned about 7-10 per cent or more over long periods of time, but losing money is a serious possibility over a shorter period, say, less than three years.
The question of whether you should put all your extra cash into the market versus paying off your mortgage will depend on your risk appetite. For me, the answer is somewhere in between. Everyone agrees that it is good to be debt free, but paying down your debts to the point where you have no available cash could really hurt you if you need cash for emergencies.
And, of course, it would be nice to have lots of long-term investments, but don't neglect the guaranteed rate of return that is assured by paying down debt versus the completely un-guaranteed rate of return found in the markets. If having a debt makes you nervous, then pay off the loan. If you don't worry about debt, then keep the mortgage and keep your money invested. If you can understand the ups and downs of the market, then invest in stocks or unit trusts. Lastly, if the stock market makes you nervous, pull out some or all of your equity investments.
In life, all we can do is "guess-timate" and hope we did the right thing. You'll have to make your call today and see what it garners tomorrow. In short, each of us needs to find the right balance between risk and reward.
AS a financial planner, I have often been asked if one should use spare cash to redeem a loan or invest the money instead. Or if one should cash out of an investment to pay off debt.
The first rule of financial planning is to save at least three to six months of your income as an emergency fund. Any money left over can be used to pay off debt or invested. Remember that monthly debt repayment eats into your financial plan but investments will increase your net worth.
Making early payments to pay off your loan exposes you to relatively few risks as once the loan is paid, it stays paid. But there is another type of risk associated with early repayment and that is opportunity risk. The opportunity risk is the possibility that a better opportunity might present itself and you would be unable to take advantage of it since you gave the bank your extra cash to redeem the loan. And when you invest your money, you generally expose yourself to market risk and other risks that could make you lose money.
Paying debt early may not be wise if the loan is for an investment property that is rented out. The interest paid on home mortgages is tax deductible against the rental income. This will effectively reduce taxable income derived from rental income. However, this strategy does not apply to owner occupied property or any other loans. In such cases, it will make sense to reduce your loan.
Bank overdrafts and credit card debt must be paid as soon as possible. Using credits cards has no ill consequences when you pay them off monthly. The high interest charge on installment debt, however, turns potential savings into healthy profits for the lending institution. In contrast, this money could be growing in your investment account instead. Few people realise how long it takes to pay off installment debt once the bills start arriving. Charging is all too easy.
So, say you have a debt as well as cash for investment. If you maintain the debt (instead of paying it off), the cost to you is the interest rate on the loan minus whatever you make from the investment. Basically, you are trying to determine whether you can achieve a return on your investment that is far superior than the interest rate on the debt.
For instance, if the interest rate on your mortgage is 5 per cent, and you can find an investment that gives you 9 per cent, you should certainly invest your money. In reality the analysis is never this simple, because you need to know the return on investment which is difficult to ascertain.
Although it is impossible to predict with certainty what an investment will return, we can still be sure of two certainties, ie, the likely return and the level of risk. Since paying down any debt entails much lower risk than making an investment, you need to get a higher level of return to offset the additional risk taken on the investment. In other words, the investment has to pay you a higher return to assume the risk in order to justify the investment.
So it would be foolish to turn down a risk-free return of say, 4 per cent, to try to get a return of 5 per cent from another investment where the returns are not guaranteed. (This concept is similar to our CPF Special Account where the 4 per cent interest is risk-free and the returns on other investment are not guaranteed, at best only the capital is guaranteed.)
It is a matter of personal preference how big the difference between the return on the investment and the risk-free return should be. Technically, this is called the risk premium.
By now we are convinced that paying the debt is a low-risk alternative. But when it comes to selecting investments that will potentially yield more than paying down a debt, you have many options. The option that you choose should be the one that maximises your return subject to a given level of risk.
In Singapore, investment options are plenty. So if you have a mortgage interest rate of 5 per cent, where would you want to invest for higher returns? Obviously, you will choose an investment that provides a return higher than your mortgage rate. In this case, unit trusts and stock investment seem to stand out. Historically, these investment have earned about 7-10 per cent or more over long periods of time, but losing money is a serious possibility over a shorter period, say, less than three years.
The question of whether you should put all your extra cash into the market versus paying off your mortgage will depend on your risk appetite. For me, the answer is somewhere in between. Everyone agrees that it is good to be debt free, but paying down your debts to the point where you have no available cash could really hurt you if you need cash for emergencies.
And, of course, it would be nice to have lots of long-term investments, but don't neglect the guaranteed rate of return that is assured by paying down debt versus the completely un-guaranteed rate of return found in the markets. If having a debt makes you nervous, then pay off the loan. If you don't worry about debt, then keep the mortgage and keep your money invested. If you can understand the ups and downs of the market, then invest in stocks or unit trusts. Lastly, if the stock market makes you nervous, pull out some or all of your equity investments.
In life, all we can do is "guess-timate" and hope we did the right thing. You'll have to make your call today and see what it garners tomorrow. In short, each of us needs to find the right balance between risk and reward.
Is Packaging More Important?
Just to share this article ....
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse,
Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words ...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
I trust you enjoyed this.
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse,
Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words ...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
I trust you enjoyed this.
If Tomorrow Never Comes.
If I knew it would be the last timethat I see you walk out the door,I would give you a hug and kiss andcall you back for one more.If I knew it would be the last timeI'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,I would video tape each action and word,so I could play them back day after day.If I knew it would be the last time,I could spare an extra minute or two to stopand say "I love you,"instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,young or old alike,And today may be the last chanceyou get to hold your loved one tight..So if you're waiting for tomorrow,why not do it today?For if tomorrow never comes,you'll surely regret the day,That you didn't take that extra time for a smile,a hug, or a kissand you were too busy to grant someone,what turned out to be their one last wish.So hold your loved ones close today,whisper in their ear,Tell them how much you love themand that you'll always hold them dear,
Take time to say "I'm sorry,""please forgive me,""thank you" or "it's okay".and if tomorrow never comes,you'll have no regrets about today.
Conscience is God's built-in warning system.Be very happy when it hurts you.Be very worried when it doesn't.
Each of us has a tinge of love,then let that tinge spread aroundso that the world will rain of love.
Take time to say "I'm sorry,""please forgive me,""thank you" or "it's okay".and if tomorrow never comes,you'll have no regrets about today.
Conscience is God's built-in warning system.Be very happy when it hurts you.Be very worried when it doesn't.
Each of us has a tinge of love,then let that tinge spread aroundso that the world will rain of love.
The Axe.
The Axe
Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter.
He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it.
The pay was really good and so were the work conditions.
For that reason, the woodcutter was determined
to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed
him the area where he was supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees.
The Boss was very much impressed and said,
“Congratulations, Go on that way!"
Very motivated by the boss' words, the woodcutter
tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down
15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only
could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was
bringing down less and less trees.
"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought
to himself. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that
he could not understand what was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?"
the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe.
I have been very busy trying to cut trees.”
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that
we don't take time to sharpen the axe. "In today's world, it
seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever.
Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?”
There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not
get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like
our personal life, taking time to read etc. We all need time to relax,
to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to
sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.
So start from today, think about the ways by which could do
your job more effectively and add a lot of value to it.
Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter.
He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it.
The pay was really good and so were the work conditions.
For that reason, the woodcutter was determined
to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed
him the area where he was supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees.
The Boss was very much impressed and said,
“Congratulations, Go on that way!"
Very motivated by the boss' words, the woodcutter
tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down
15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only
could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was
bringing down less and less trees.
"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought
to himself. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that
he could not understand what was going on.
"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?"
the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe.
I have been very busy trying to cut trees.”
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that
we don't take time to sharpen the axe. "In today's world, it
seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever.
Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?”
There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not
get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like
our personal life, taking time to read etc. We all need time to relax,
to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to
sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.
So start from today, think about the ways by which could do
your job more effectively and add a lot of value to it.
Success, It's Not Rocket Science!
'Success, It's Not Rocket Science'
"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
I recently had the opportunity of talking with a large group of motivated people – It was a pleasure to spend time with them and give them my views on the interesting topic of 'Success, It's Not Rocket Science'. I spent an hour talking about what I believed to be the 'essence of success', how to achieve it and what makes the difference between mediocre performance and 'stellar' performance.
A number of people came up to me afterwards and said that they would like me to put all of what I said on paper. It was good to get that feedback because it meant two things:
1. People were listening and took the comments in the spirit that they were given; and
2. They were interested enough in the comments to want to apply them in their lives – this latter aspect is the more promising and rewarding to me than any other part of the 'attitude' equation. E.g. having a good attitude is great to talk about but in the final analysis it is better to apply the principles than simply talk about them. I am sure you have heard of the saying, 'after all is said and done, more is said than done', isn't this the truth.
I told of a survey that had been conducted by a very large direct marketing company in the USA. They found that even though all their people had the same PRODUCT, the same TRAINING and the same INCOME PLAN only 20% of them could be said to be successful in their sales and marketing efforts. The company then conducted interviews to try and establish why this was the case. In a 'nutshell' they found that it all boiled down to having a GREAT ATTITUDE. They found that the top 20% were positive, they enjoyed life, they were friendly, they were eager to help, they were considerate of others, they smiled a lot, they were very talkative and finally they were exuberant. Precisely the sort of people that we all enjoy being around - precisely the sort of people that our top distributors generally are.
It's all in our head! Whatever we are is decided well before we become it!
I worked through the aspects of success with the audience and we produced a
'Recipe for a Successful' ATTITUDE...
1. Avoid negative people – be empathetic of others but be cautious of 'dumpers'
2. Look for the good in others - avoid criticising people unless it is with humility and out of constructive necessity
3. Compliment unconditionally and genuinely - the seeds of your success rest in large part, in others
4. Look forward to each new day - anticipate Mondays with special eagerness
5. Don't take yourself too seriously - learn humility and practice it
6. Learn to love yourself – not in vanity but in appreciation of your worth and value
7. Looks for ways to serve others freely and voluntarily - only in the service of others will you find your
true worth and value
8. Set achievable goals and take pleasure in exceeding them - enjoy your successes
9. Associate with positive people and feed off their spirit - they, like you will want to see you succeed
10. Look to yourself for solutions and results - don't blame external factors for failure
In making my assertions that a fantastic ATTITUDE is the 'essence of success', I, in no way imply that the other fundamentals of business success do not apply. They do, a great attitude is a fundamental part of the 'success formula' but we also need to KNOW OUR PRODUCT, GIVE GREAT SERVICE, WORK HARD, ATTEND TRAINING MEETINGS, MOTIVATE OUR SUCCESSLINES, PRACTICE HONESTY, PROTECT OUR CASHFLOWS, etc. etc. But without a 'great attitude' we will always only be at best 'above average' in this industry - if we want to be the best, then we need to heed the principles set out above.
At no other time in the history of mankind is there more potential for success than now. There are new opportunities everywhere, new challenges, new technologies, new ideas, new needs to satisfy and new marketing opportunities to explore.
The question for each of us is not whether we are going to be successful, it is 'how successful are we going to be!'.
You can achieve all you want in life - you can decide what you want to do - it is up to you and no one else.
Take on a new resolve to be more daring, more adventurous, more determined to be the success that you know you can be.
Fortune Favours the Brave.
"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)
I recently had the opportunity of talking with a large group of motivated people – It was a pleasure to spend time with them and give them my views on the interesting topic of 'Success, It's Not Rocket Science'. I spent an hour talking about what I believed to be the 'essence of success', how to achieve it and what makes the difference between mediocre performance and 'stellar' performance.
A number of people came up to me afterwards and said that they would like me to put all of what I said on paper. It was good to get that feedback because it meant two things:
1. People were listening and took the comments in the spirit that they were given; and
2. They were interested enough in the comments to want to apply them in their lives – this latter aspect is the more promising and rewarding to me than any other part of the 'attitude' equation. E.g. having a good attitude is great to talk about but in the final analysis it is better to apply the principles than simply talk about them. I am sure you have heard of the saying, 'after all is said and done, more is said than done', isn't this the truth.
I told of a survey that had been conducted by a very large direct marketing company in the USA. They found that even though all their people had the same PRODUCT, the same TRAINING and the same INCOME PLAN only 20% of them could be said to be successful in their sales and marketing efforts. The company then conducted interviews to try and establish why this was the case. In a 'nutshell' they found that it all boiled down to having a GREAT ATTITUDE. They found that the top 20% were positive, they enjoyed life, they were friendly, they were eager to help, they were considerate of others, they smiled a lot, they were very talkative and finally they were exuberant. Precisely the sort of people that we all enjoy being around - precisely the sort of people that our top distributors generally are.
It's all in our head! Whatever we are is decided well before we become it!
I worked through the aspects of success with the audience and we produced a
'Recipe for a Successful' ATTITUDE...
1. Avoid negative people – be empathetic of others but be cautious of 'dumpers'
2. Look for the good in others - avoid criticising people unless it is with humility and out of constructive necessity
3. Compliment unconditionally and genuinely - the seeds of your success rest in large part, in others
4. Look forward to each new day - anticipate Mondays with special eagerness
5. Don't take yourself too seriously - learn humility and practice it
6. Learn to love yourself – not in vanity but in appreciation of your worth and value
7. Looks for ways to serve others freely and voluntarily - only in the service of others will you find your
true worth and value
8. Set achievable goals and take pleasure in exceeding them - enjoy your successes
9. Associate with positive people and feed off their spirit - they, like you will want to see you succeed
10. Look to yourself for solutions and results - don't blame external factors for failure
In making my assertions that a fantastic ATTITUDE is the 'essence of success', I, in no way imply that the other fundamentals of business success do not apply. They do, a great attitude is a fundamental part of the 'success formula' but we also need to KNOW OUR PRODUCT, GIVE GREAT SERVICE, WORK HARD, ATTEND TRAINING MEETINGS, MOTIVATE OUR SUCCESSLINES, PRACTICE HONESTY, PROTECT OUR CASHFLOWS, etc. etc. But without a 'great attitude' we will always only be at best 'above average' in this industry - if we want to be the best, then we need to heed the principles set out above.
At no other time in the history of mankind is there more potential for success than now. There are new opportunities everywhere, new challenges, new technologies, new ideas, new needs to satisfy and new marketing opportunities to explore.
The question for each of us is not whether we are going to be successful, it is 'how successful are we going to be!'.
You can achieve all you want in life - you can decide what you want to do - it is up to you and no one else.
Take on a new resolve to be more daring, more adventurous, more determined to be the success that you know you can be.
Fortune Favours the Brave.
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