Knowing Your Stand

The carrot, the egg, and the coffee bean

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. 

The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, 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?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong but, with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? 

Did I have a fluid spirit but, after a death, a breakup, or a financial hardship, does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. 

When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

The power of determination (true story)

 A true story about athlete Glenn Cunningham who was horribly burned in a schoolhouse fire at the age of 8. Doctors predicted he would never walk again. Determined to walk, Glenn would throw himself off his wheelchair and pull his body across the yard and along a fence. Twenty-two months later, he took his first steps and through sheer determination, learned to run despite the pain…

The little country schoolhouse was heated by an old-fashioned, pot-bellied coal stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.

One morning they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed in flames. They dragged the unconscious little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to a nearby county hospital.

From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die – which was for the best, really – for the terrible fire had devastated the lower half of his body.

But the brave boy didn’t want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a lifetime cripple with no use at all of his lower limbs.

Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.

Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever.

When he wasn’t in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him.

He worked his way to the white picket fence bordering their lot. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then, stake by stake, he began dragging himself along the fence, resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore a smooth path all around the yard beside the fence. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs.

Ultimately through his daily massages, his iron persistence and his resolute determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk haltingly, then to walk by himself – and then – to run.

He began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the sheer joy of running. Later in college he made the track team.

Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run – this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world’s fastest mile**!

**On June 16, 1934, Glenn Cunningham ran the mile in 4:06.8 minutes, breaking the world’s record. His effort portrays that whatever you want to create in your life is yours for the making. As long as you desire it enough and allow your will to guide you, you can have and be whatever your heart desires. The only one that can put limits on our personal will is ourselves. Develop and encourage your will to create and all the forces of nature within and without will help you bring your desire to pass.

Life Summary:

8 years old, was horribly burned in a schoolhouse fire. Doctors predicted he would never walk again.

22 months later, took his first steps and through sheer determination, learned to run despite the pain.

In high school, set records for the mile and later attended Kansas University.While at Kansas, refused all scholarship money, preferring to pay his own way.By sophomore year, ran the 1,500 meter race at the 1932 Olympics, but finished fourth due to a severe cold.

By senior year, set a world record for the mile of 4:06.8 and held seven of the top 13 fastest recorded times for the mile.In 1936, voted “Most Popular Athlete” by his fellow athletes.He went on to earn a master’s degree from University of Iowa and later a doctorate from New York University.While in New York, won 21 of 31 races at Madison Square Gardens and set an indoor mile record there in 1938.  His fastest mile time was 4:04.4 at a Dartmouth track meet in 1938.

When the 1940 Olympics were cancelled, he retired from his running career and taught at Cornell College in Iowa.During World War II, he served two years in the Navy.Spent the remainder of his life running the Glenn Cunningham Youth Ranch for troubled kids in Kansas, USA.  It is estimated that he and his wife raised around 9,000 kids on their ranch in the years until his death in 1988.

All you need to do is to believe in the I CAN and I WILL and I MUST!

You Can Be Your Dream!

Life is full of challenges and obstacles. It is human nature, many times we know we should not give up but we find it hard to stay positive and optimistic.

Words of encouragement can help to relieve stress and boost our morale. Below are my favorite encouragement quotes, I hope these help to make you feel a lot more confident in your ability to achieve your dreams.

Don’t give up! Did you know that Thomas Edison tried over 2000 materials before he found one that he could make the light bulb? At one point, there was a fire accident and his lab was destroyed completely. He started rebuilding the lab the next day and kept going.

Abraham Lincoln is in our hearts, one of the greatest presidents but we rarely know that he faced many failures and defeat throughout his life: born into poverty, twice failed in business, lost eight elections and suffered a nervous breakdown.

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”- Henry Ford

“One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better.”- Col. Harland Sanders

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”-Harriet Beecher Stowe

“A diamond is merely a lump of coal that did well under pressure.”-Unknown

“I am grateful for all of my problems. After each one was overcome, I became stronger and more able to meet those that were still to come. I grew in all my difficulties.”-James Cash Penney

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn, at least make a turn.”-Okunribido Moses Oladimeji

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”-Mark Twain

“Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”-Henry Van Dyke

“Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.”-Dr. Robert Anthony

“Extraordinary struggles bring an extraordinary purpose for those who wait.”-Brianna Gazvoda

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”-Henry David Thoreau

“Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. Count your life with smiles and not the tears that roll.”-Unknown

“Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.”-Sicilian Proverb

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.”-Ivy Baker Priest

“It doesn’t matter how many say it cannot be done or how many people have tried it before; it’s important to realize that whatever you’re doing, it’s your first attempt at it.”-Wally Amos

“If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call ‘failure’ is not the falling down, but the staying down.”-Mary Pickford

“He who refuses to embrace a unique opportunity loses the prize as surely as if he had failed.”-William James

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.”-Alexander Graham Bell

“Instead of giving myself reasons why I can’t, I give myself reasons why I can.”-Okunribido Moses Oladimeji

Take care friends and if you know some good encouragement quotes, phrases or poems, please share with our fellow visitors!!!

7 Unfortunate Habits of Unhappy People

Everyone experiences unhappy times on occasion, but there is a big difference between experiencing a temporary bout of sadness and living a habitually unhappy life.  That’s what chronically unhappy people do.Even if you are generally a happy person, take a look at these seven habits to determine if any of them are keeping you from experiencing greater amounts of joy.

1.  Playing it too safe.

Don’t play it so safe that you put yourself in situations where none of your potential options satisfy your calling.  Dream your dream, but also realize that you are more than just the dreamer, you are the point of origin for your dream’s reality.Your dream is your creative vision for your future life.  You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar.  Start smashing through those emotional barriers.  Move forward.  Life doesn’t magically give you what you want in your mind; it gives you what you insist upon with your actions.  Read The Power of Habit.

2.  Continuous self doubt.

You will inevitably become who you believe yourself to be.If you spend enough time saying, “I’m not smart enough, thin enough and rich enough,” it’s likely that you will someday be right.  On the contrary, if you have the belief that you are smart enough, thin enough and rich enough now to take the next positive step forward, over time you will likely acquire the capacity to be these very things at your desired level of expectation.

3.  Obsession with control.

Sometimes people put too much interest into trying to control every tiny aspect of their lives.  Learn to let go, relax and ride the path that life takes you.  Try something new, take a chance, but above all, smile and enjoy the scenery.Freeing yourself from trying to control the insignificant things lets you experience more of the good stuff around you.  The greatest joys in life are often the unexpected surprises that arrive when you are flexible and open to life’s twists and turns.  Read Buddha’s Brain.

4.  Setting unrealistic expectations.

You won’t drop two jean sizes overnight.  Your relationships won’t grow without your attention.  You can’t pay off $25K in debt in a week.  Your new business venture won’t instantly turn a profit.You’re going to make mistakes every now and then.  You will go a day or two when you feel like you’re running in place.  You’re going to try new techniques and they’re not always going to work.  You’re a human being.  You’re going to fail from time to time.  But that’s how you grow.  Worthwhile goals take work and persistence.

5.  A bad attitude.

The greatest discovery you will ever make is that you can change your life by simply changing your attitude.  Optimism is the most essential human trait, because it allows you to evolve your ideas and improve every situation you encounter.So don’t take things for granted.  Be positive and realize how fortunate you are.  Not every day will be perfect, but if you pay attention you’ll realize that 99.9% of the time you’re having either a good day or a great day.

6.  Slacking on exercise.

You DO have enough time to exercise.  If you say otherwise, you’re lying to yourself.  The truth is you don’t have time not to, or sooner or later you’ll be making time for illness.At least 30 minutes of exercise every day has been proven on countless occasions by countless medical studies to increase the strength, happiness and longevity of human lives.  You’re talking about three and a half hours a week.  That’s hardly seems an excessive amount of time considering the tremendous benefits in terms of the impact on the remaining 164.5 hours of the week.  Read The 4-Hour Body.

7.  Overindulgence of a good thing.

As Oscar Wilde once said, “Everything in moderation, including moderation.”

Eating too much makes you fat.  Spending too much money makes you broke.  Working too much leaves your family at home missing you.  Playing too much leaves important work undone…  And so on and so forth.Happiness depends on the balancing act of applying your positive resources equally to the hungry deficits in your life.  All details aside, the important thing to remember is this:  Long-term happiness is never found in one good thing; it is a combination, it is a balanced lifestyle.

The Magic of Thinking Big and why you should Set Big Goals

1. Thinking big forces you to challenge conventional wisdom

Most people have been unconsciously programmed to abide by tradition and a certain mindset. Anything outside this mindset of theirs is termed “impossible or outrageous.” Examples of statements portraying conventional wisdom are:

Go to school so you can get a good job and be secured.

Don’t stand out from the crowd; blend in.

Humans can’t fly.

Be contented with what you have.

But when you think big; you force your mind to challenge such limiting wisdom and your brain begins to fashion a way out. If the Wright brothers hadn’t thought big and set big goals; humans wouldn’t have been flying today in airplanes. If Columbus had agreed with conventional wisdom that the world is flat; I wonder what would have been of international trade today.

If Bill Gates had followed the conventional wisdom of “go to school and get a job”, I doubt if he would have been one of the richest men in the world. So never accept conventional wisdom without first giving it a thought. Think beyond conventional wisdom and it will be so.

2. It challenges you to go beyond your comfort zone

"Being first is more important to me. I have so much money. Whatever money is, it's just a method of keeping score now. I mean, I certainly don't need more money." – Larry Ellison

When I set the goal to become a billionaire in my life time; I knew I was going way out of my reality. I felt uncomfortable because that goal seems like impossibility but I set it anyway and today, I am on the journey towards achieving such goal. That’s why I love thinking big and setting big goals; it pushes me beyond my own realm of possibilities.

Now let me ask this question: have you ever been to heaven before? What real life proof do you have that heaven exists? Is heaven not beyond human reality and understanding? Yet, billions of people hope and pray to enter heaven; a place they are not sure even exists. To me, wanting to go to heaven is a big goal which is absolutely okay but what baffles me is that while people are comfortable pursuing the goal to make heaven, they feel awful setting a big goal to be accomplished here on earth. Don’t be in this group; learn to think big for yourself.

3. Thinking big stirs your passion and enthusiasm

How do you feel when you set a big goal? If you feel awful that you are gunning for something big, then you need to have your head re-examined. But if you feel excited and motivated, then you are on track. A big goal is meant to fire up your enthusiasm regardless of how challenging it is.

4. It unleashes your creative instinct

Thinking big unleashes your creative instinct and helps you uncover ideas that will help you achieve your goal. When the Wright brothers toyed with the idea that humans could fly; their minds came up with the possibility of such idea becoming a reality. When I set the goal to become a billionaire; I initially doubted the possibility. But as my mind began to absorb the goal; I began to see the possibility of achieving the goal and my mind came up with a lot of creative ideas that will help bring that goal to reality.

5. It challenges you to expand your means; rather than live below your means

Have you heard the statement: “live below your means? Well, there’s nothing wrong with such statement but I believe that perception is for small thinkers and average achievers. Big thinkers don’t live below their means; they expand their means to suit the lifestyle they desire. Big thinkers are not contented with average results; they aim for excellence. So would you rather be a big thinker or you prefer to live in mediocrity? The choice is yours.

6. It gives you a purpose to live and die for

Thinking big and setting big goals give you a purpose to live and die for. It gives you something worth pursuing. When John F. Kennedy set the goal to put a man on the moon; it became a purpose he live for and today, he’s remembered for that goal. When the Wright brothers conceived the idea that humans could fly; it became their life’s purpose. When Christopher Columbus set the goal to sail round the world despite the risk based on the assumption that the earth is flat; it became his life purpose. Every man has a purpose on earth; but you can only discover yours if you think big.

7. It eliminate impossibilities

Lastly, the true magic of thinking big is in the breaking of impossibilities. Thinking big makes the impossible possible. That’s why Adidas said “impossible is nothing.” This statement is only true if you think big and go for it. To many, the goal to become a billionaire is out of their reality and an impossible mission. But to me, it’s achievable because I have a perception that accept big challenges. So when next you think about setting a goal or executing a project, think big and your thoughts will be brought into existence

Helping Others to win

In old times, fable retells the story of the young athletic boy hungry for success, for whom winning was everything and success was measured by such a result.

One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small native village, himself and two other young boys to compete. A large crowd had congregated to witness the sporting spectacle and a wise old man, upon hearing of the little boy, had travelled far to bear witness also.

The race commenced, looking like a level heat at the finishing line, but sure enough the boy dug deep and called on his determination, strength and power .. he took the winning line and was first. The crowd was ecstatic and cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man remained still and calm, expressing no sentiment. The little boy, however. felt proud and important.

A second race was called, and two new young, fit, challengers came forward, to run with the little boy. The race was started and sure enough the little boy came through and finished first once again. The crowd was ecstatic again and cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man remained still and calm, again expressing no sentiment. The little boy, however, felt proud and important.

"Another race, another race!" pleaded the little boy. The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers, an elderly frail lady and a blind man. "What is this?", quizzed the little boy. "This is no race" he exclaimed. "Race!", said the wise man. The race was started and the boy was the only finisher, the other two challengers left standing at the starting line. The little boy was ecstatic, he raised his arms in delight. The crowd, however, was silent showing no sentiment toward the little boy.

"What has happened? Why not do the people join in my success?" he asked the wise old man. "Race again", replied the wise man, "...this time, finish together, all three of you, finish together" continued the wise man. The little boy thought a little, stood in the middle of the blind man and the frail old lady, and then took the two challengers by the hand. The race began and the little boy walked slowly, ever so slowly, to the finishing line and crossed it. 

The crowd were ecstatic and cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man smiled, gently nodding his head. The little boy felt proud and important.

"Old man, I understand not! Who are the crowd cheering for? Which one of us three?", asked the little boy. The wise old man looked into the little boy's eyes, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders, and replied softly .. "Little boy, for this race you have won much more than in any race you have ever ran before, and for this race the crowd cheer not for any winner!"

Author: Darren Edwards

I must at least try

In June 1985, two British mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates made the first-ever climb of the West Face of the 21,000 foot snow-covered Siula Grande mountain in Peru. It was an exceptionally tough assault - but nothing compared to what was to come. Early in the descent, Simpson fell and smashed his right knee. Yates could have abandoned him but managed to find a way of lowering him down the mountain in a series of difficult drops blinded by snow and cold. Then Simpson fell into a crevasse and Yates eventually had no choice but to cut the rope, utterly convinced that his friend was now dead.

In his subsequent book on the climb entitled "Touching The Void", Joe Simpson wrote:

"As I gazed at the distant moraines, I knew that I must at least try. I would probably die out there amid those boulders. The thought didn't alarm me. It seemed reasonable, matter-of-fact. That was how it was. I could aim for something. If I died, well, that wasn't so surprising, but I wouldn't have just waited for it to happen. The horror of dying no longer affected me as it had in the crevasse. I now had the chance to confront it and struggle against it. It wasn't a bleak dark terror any more, just fact, like my broken leg and frostbitten fingers, and I couldn't be afraid of things like that. My leg would hurt when I fell and when I couldn't get up I would die."

The survival of Yates himself was extraordinary. That Simpson somehow found a way of climbing out of the crevasse after 12 hours and then literally crawled and dragged himself six miles back to camp, going three days and nights without food or drink, losing three stone, and contracting ketoacidosis in the process, would be the stuff of heroic fiction if it was not so true. Indeed, six operations and two years later, he was even back climbing. All because, against all the odds, he tried ...

Source: "Touching The Void" by Joe Simpson

9 Powerful Ways to Spend a Day

All the time given to you in life is valuable; you just have to know what to do with it.  Let’s make it count.  Shall we? Starting today, spend more time…

1.  Thinking for yourself.

The uneducated belief in something false that someone tells you is the greatest enemy of your own truth.  Do not let anyone tinker with the freedom of your mind.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to think for yourself.  With all of society’s influences and agendas incessantly trying to persuade you every single second, thinking for yourself is the most courageous act imaginable.  You are a unique human being with independent thoughts and free will; carry on accordingly.

2.  Being a little bit uncomfortable.

If you’re not a little bit uncomfortable on a daily basis it means you’re not growing.Every aspect of physical and emotional growth arrives from outside your comfort zone.  So be fearless sometimes.  Have the courage to take the risks that feel right.  Go where there are no certainties.  Stretch yourself and your routines even if it means feeling a bit uncomfortable.

The road less traveled is sometimes laden with potholes, bumps, and unexplored territory.  But it is on this road where your strength grows and your dreams gradually reveal themselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.

3.  Taking baby steps in the right direction.

Throughout this beautiful day you have hundreds of little opportunities to move your life in the direction you want it to go.  When was the last time you woke up and realized that today could be the best day of your life? Participate in your dreams today.  Do it!  Take one small step forward; there are plenty of ways to do so.  Remember, success is something you experience when you act accordingly.  Success is not something you HAVE, it’s something you DO.

4.  Trying and failing and trying again.

Stick to it and keep moving forward, even when the path gets rough.  One of the most common causes of long-term failure is the habit of quitting after a temporary defeat.

Many of your greatest achievements will be realized when you’re completely exhausted and discouraged but still working.  Because when it’s all said and done, it really doesn’t matter if you try and try and try, and fail and fail and fail, until you eventually learn what you need to know to succeed.  It does matter, however, if you try and fail once and fail to try ever again.

  

5.  Working through your fears.

How you handle your fears will ultimately determine where you go and what you do with the majority of your life – to experience life fully or be incapacitated by the fear of it.

Although fear can feel overwhelming, and defeats more people than any other one thing in the world, it’s not as powerful as it seems.  Fear is only as deep as your mind allows.  You are still in control.  The key is to acknowledge your fear and directly address it.  You must step right up and confront it face to face.  This tactic robs fear of its power.

6.  Seeking happiness from within.

A choice, not circumstances, determines happiness.  Your happiness isn’t out there somewhere waiting for you, it’s already within you.

Each morning when you open your eyes, say to yourself:  “I, not external people or events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.  It’s up to me.  Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn’t come yet.  I have just today and I’m going to be happy in it.”

7.  Practicing small acts of kindness.

Aesop once said, “No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”

If you have big plans that can make a real impact in the lives of the masses, by all means, execute your plans.  But don’t let these big plans interfere with the small deeds you can do every day for the people around you.  If you wait until you can do something big for everyone, instead of just something small for someone, you’ll end up doing nothing at all for anyone.

8.  Tracking and measuring your progress.

You are always moving toward something, but YOU have to decide what that something is.  Don’t let someone else decide for you.  From where you stand now you can go anywhere.  There are paths leading in every imaginable direction.  What matters the most right now is the next step you take.

Decide what you truly want for yourself and those closest to you, and know that there is a way, right now, to begin the journey of getting there.  When your intentions and actions have a specific, focused purpose, each step you take will carry you closer to the realization of that purpose.

9.  Letting small annoyances go.

Today, go through your day consciously.  Make an effort to notice at least one insignificant little frustration that you would normally get frustrated about.  Then do yourself a favor and simply let it go.  Experience, in this little way, the grand freedom of being in control of the way you feel.  And realize that you can extend this same level of control to every situation you encounter in life.

At any given moment, the way you feel is the way you choose to feel, and the way you react is the way you choose to react.

The 5 Principles of Love

The 5 Principles of Love

With the divorce rate still staggeringly high, no one would deny that choosing the right partner is the most important decision you’ll ever make. But choosing the person with whom we will spend our lives is just the first step. Being mindful to this gift is the rest of the journey.

Certain special days such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and anniversaries are reminders to be present to the joy of an intimate relationship. Even greater than one special day of flowers and chocolates are the gifts we can offer to our beloved every day as we traverse the path of 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows:

1) Become Present to the Love in Your Life

Strive for a more awakened way of life. We don’t need a major event such as a life-threatening illness to our self or loved one to open the door to greater awareness. Such life-altering events are often accompanied by thoughts like, Why did I need this frightening experience to get me to wake up? What can I learn from this? What should I do now? These are significant questions and we would do well to sit with them and contemplate. What are you doing that is so important that you can’t devote a few minutes each day to developing greater awareness of the precious gift of your love.

2) Listen, Listen, Listen

The first step to becoming a skillful listener is remembering that you care. There may be times when you will have to negotiate and you want to do so fairly. If you are always winning the chances are you are losing. Listen, listen, listen. Don’t keep explaining why you are right and expect your loved one to remain patient. Just like you, they want a fair chance. Think of their happiness and you will be more patient. Think of their happiness and you will be happier.

3) Practice Sharing Happiness

There is a practice in Buddhism called Mudita. It translates as altruistic joy.  It invites us to be genuinely happy for the good fortune of all beings. It’s not an easy virtue to develop, but there is a logic to it. As we consider our personal relationships we want to be aware of any competitive or conflicted feelings we might have for those with whom we are closest. If our loved one receives a great promotion with a substantial increase in pay, or is publicly recognized for professional excellence—can we be delighted for them? Practicing being truly happy for the successes and accomplishments of our partner is a great gift to both of you.

4) Honor Your Relationship with Patience

The commitment that two independent beings make to share a life together, and perhaps to bring new life into the world, is sacred. The development of patience by both partners with each other can provide the glue that holds things together during life’s stressful times. Our words and actions with our partner will be more gentle, more caring, and reflect how we treasure each other.

5) Offer Kindness to Your Beloved

Poetically, we usually say that love emanates from the heart. In truth, love is like a spiritual gift that starts in the mind and finds its way through the heart center to physical expression. Its power cannot be overestimated. Offering loving-kindness to each other, a compassionate view of our beloved that is free of judgment, conditions, and self-interest is a blessing that reverberates long beyond love’s first blush.

TIPS ON CV WRITING..Part 2

CV WRITING TIP NO 11: Be more specific on your CV. A concise and to the point CV is vital so do not generalise so much that it disqualifies you from being shortlisted through appearing not to have enough experience. If people report to you, mention how many. If working on SAP, mention whether you are basic, intermediate or advanced… If a diesel mechanic, mention specifically the machines worked on. This will make you more targeted in your application, saving you and the client time.

CV WRITING TIP NO 12: Do NOT summarise and cluster all duties and responsibilities from all jobs into one main section. Rather let these be job specific in putting the relevant points under the relevant job. In this way, people can see when, and for how long you had exposure in the particular task. It may seem impressive writing one fat summary, but in doing it this way, you will frustrate those going through your CV in not being able to define your experience more specifically to a particular job.

CV WRITING TIP NO 13: Do NOT copy and paste identical duties and responsibilities under 2 different positions. This will make your CV boring, and predictable not to mention that it won’t promote you in enabling the client think you are an exceptional candidate to be considered. Your CV will lose impact and people will potentially loose interest in your application, with your CV having a sense of monotony to it. Doing this may jeopardize your competitiveness.

CV WRITING TIP NO 14: Do NOT have any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors on your CV, especially not the wrong email address/tel no that causes you to be un-contactable. Your CV sells who you are, and so you do not want people to get the message that you lack attention to detail, lack excellence and are probably just an ‘average Jo’ candidate through unforgivable errors.

CV WRITING TIP NO 15: There’s no need to get too personal on your CV. No one cares if you hate unfairness, still have respect for the elderly, still want to climb Mt Everest etc… Be professional and stick to having a business focus, with emphasis on your commercial experience and career goals. An employer can always ask about personal interests and hobbies in an interview.

6 Abraham Lincoln quotes

1."Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.”

Preparation is a key ingredient for success. Careful planning and adequate preparation help to ensure a project goes smoothly. You won’t get far trying to sink a dull ax into a tree trunk—nor will you produce impressive results with a dull communications plan. 

2.“Reputation is like fine china: Once broken it's very hard to repair.” 

This is a no-brainer for PR pros, whose job it is to manage and uphold reputations—and occasionally piece together a reputation that took a nose dive from the top shelf of the proverbial china cabinet. PR people aren't kidding when they advise clients to create a plan—before a crisis occurs—to minimize damage and protect reputations. 

3.“Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.” 

Once a goal is set, a strategy must be formed to achieve it. Keep in mind: Setting realistic, measurable goals significantly increases the chances they will be reached in an effective, timely manner and will act as steppingstones to larger aspirations. 

4.“Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” 

Not every campaign will receive glowing reviews or win awards, and not everything you do may get the credit you believe it deserves. But those who continually strive to learn from mistakes and seek ways to improve performance will be successful. 

5.“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.” 

Expecting instant change or success the first time around with little effort will only lead to disappointment. Through hard work and dedication, promises made both to yourself and to others will come to fruition

6.“Half-finished work generally proves to be labor lost.” 

Don’t scrap that project just because it’s got you mired in frustration. If you’re overwhelmed or unmotivated, call upon others for help. Discarding the project, as Lincoln said, is lost labor. 

4 Factors That Advance Your Career

You’re awesome at what you do. You’ve mastered the skills you need, gained some solid experience, and built an impressive portfolio. That’s what it takes to land you that promotion or next job, right?Well, yes, that’s part of it. But there are many more factors that contribute to your career advancement—factors that have nothing to do with how well you’re doing in your current gig. In fact, many of the things that can impact your future and success aren’t really about you at all.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the external factors that can influence your professional growth—and the best ways to leverage them into bigger and better things.

1. The Right Industry

Yes, you can advance your career in any field out there—but your opportunities to climb the ladder are going to be much more plentiful in a field that’s growing versus one that’s going through tough times. So, it’s always a good idea to look for opportunities in emerging industries (or at least ones likely to remain stable over time, like education).

Of course, that’s easier said than done if you’ve already established yourself in an industry that’s waning or going through a difficult period, or if your passions are leading you in that direction. In that case, you don’t necessarily have to jump ship, but it’s not a bad idea to explore other fields you might be interested in. Ever thought about technology or healthcare? Now might be the time to parlay your skills that way. And in the meantime, focus on what you can learn from your current experience, like how to manage teams through change and the best strategies to navigate through layoffs—valuable skills no matter what industry you’re in.

2. The Right Location

In short, if you’re committed to a certain industry, it’s helpful to be in the right place. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but when you want to work in an area where your field is less prevalent, there will certainly be fewer opportunities—and stiffer competition for those that do exist. On the other hand, being surrounded by companies that do what you’re passionate about is a great way to establish relationships with people who can help you find opportunities and expand your future.

If relocating isn’t an option, think about other ways you can expand your network and increase your exposure in your industry. Join professional associations, attend and speak at national and regional conferences, or even take on freelance work in other markets.

3. The Right Network

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: It’s not always what you know but who. Relationships mean everything professionally, and the people you’re connected to are often your best bet in finding a new job or receiving a promotion. Don’t underestimate the power of meeting and staying close to people in many different positions and companies, even when you’re not looking for a job.
One of the easiest ways to expand your network is to join a local industry group (like volunteers for NGos if you are frequently move to help people ). In addition to helping you meet like-minded professionals, these groups frequently offer training and job boards, tools that ultimately can boost your career growth.

4. The Right Mentor
No matter how great your industry, your network, or your experience, one of the most crucial factors to career advancement is having the right mentor by your side. For one, there’s a lot that you’ll never learn in management textbooks and seminars—but that you will from firsthand conversations with a trusted advisor. A great mentor can also help you figure out which new areas you can explore within your field and which skills you should be expanding upon.

Having a mentor within your company is particularly valuable—she can identify opportunities for advancement you might overlook, guide you through challenging projects, and help you build relationships with higher-ups. Most importantly, if she’s influential, she can earn you recommendations for special projects or teams that you might not have been considered for otherwise. And these are the factors that are going to pave the way for success at your company.

If you aren’t sure exactly how to find a mentor, start by asking your manager or HR for suggestions. It doesn’t have to be formal, either—look around and see who the stars are in your organization, and ask them out to coffee. If you’re not finding anyone in your company, approach members of professional groups you belong to or check out industry organizations with official mentoring programs.

It would be awesome if there was a clear recipe we could follow to ensure a successful career path—but, well, you already know there’s not. Career advancement isn’t an easy or straightforward task, but by continuing to do great work and identifying and leveraging the other factors that can impact your goals, you’ll put yourself on the right track.

TIPS ON CV WRITING

CV WRITING TIP NO 1: Avoid sending scanned copies of your CV. Most database CV searches are done through key word searches. Your CV will not come up on a search if recognised as a fax/scanned copy as the system will see it as an image file, and therefore it will not be searchable.

CV WRITING TIP NO 2: Use as many relevant key words (to your experience) on your CV as you can. Remember that when your CV is saved onto a database, people will do a search to find relevant candidates by key-word searching. If you have done SAP and it is not on your CV, a search for all candidates having done SAP will mean that your CV won’t come up on the search if you have omitted it.

CV WRITING TIP NO 3. Make sure you elaborate in detail on actual duties and responsibilities in each job position. Recruiters and companies will want to see specifically what you have done within each position as this specifically describes your practical experience. Leaving this off may get people to presume you do not have enough experience for the relevant requirement. There are many similar job titles/designations, but different job functions. Do not make it difficult for someone to short list you for a job.

CV WRITING TIP NO 4: Do not story-tell on your CV. Ideally, you need a bullet pointed breakdown of duties and responsibilities. Your CV must be punchy, to the point, and detailed in this. No one has time to read a long story of how you got interest in the industry you are currently in, when and how you got the job, why you enjoyed it, the things you like doing now, the things you learned, what people think of you etc. People scan over a CV for a quick overview. A story-telling CV will get side-lined most of the time, and will irritate the reader in reading through your entire CV, causing then to concentrate unnecessarily in just trying to summarise the important info they actually need.

CV WRITING TIP NO 5: Dates are EXTREMELY important. Surprisingly, many people just list their jobs, or for example saying 8 years at a certain company, then 9 months at this company etc. This will raise questions with gaps and potentially create a bit of suspicion as to why you would have omitted thisinformation. Dates place your experience within a specific time frame and relevance to what the client is looking for.

CV WRITING TIP NO 6: Do NOT write your CV in capitols. This speaks of a lazy applicant at times, as well as making the CV very difficult to read owing to incorrect punctuation. It is difficult to raise emphasis on points you would like to when formatted like this, and does not make your CV professional and well presented. It also makes your CV look clinical and unappealing to read.

CV WRITING TIP NO 7: Put reasons for leaving under each position unless specifically needing to be discussed confidentially. This will fast track the shortlisting process for you in helping people to understand your motives, requirements and career intentions. Just avoid negativeness and criticizing current employers. Be professional and diplomatic. You can go into more personal detail during the interview if asked.

CV WRITING TIP NO 8: Don’t over-format your CV. Avoid hundreds of boxes and columns, with unused space that lengthens and complicates your CV unnecessarily. Over-formatting makes a CV hard to understand as one sometimes needs to jump to many different sections to retrieve relevant information in context which can frustrate the person reading the CV if it cause a little confusion and complication.

CV WRITING TIP NO 9. Limit the length of your CV without omitting important information. As impressive as you might think a 15 page CV is, it is not! When going through 100s of CV, clients don’t have the time to keep scrolling and scrolling to try to retrieve the really important information they need. You will annoy someone under pressure having to go through all the guff to get to the main information required as lengthy CVs waste the person time who is reading it.  Keep your CV 2-4 pages in general. (This is for CVs within the African continent, generally)

CV WRITING TIP NO 10: Taylor your CV to the position you are applying for. If you are not someone who plays a numbers game and submits your CV to every job under the sun, be selective in the keywords you use, and submit a very targeted application relevant to your experience. Some people may be the perfect fit for a job, but their CV’s content disqualifies them in the shortlisting process without them being aware of it if too general.

Real Winners Don’t Give Up!

TRUE STORY: REAL WINNERS DON’T GIVE UP 

This is a true story of a young woman who went through the most gruesome fire. When you read her story, you’ll realize that your trials are absolutely nothing compared to what this young girl went through. It was September 25, 2000. Maricel Apatan was an 11-year old girl in Zamboanga. On that day, this little girl went with her uncle to draw water. Along the way, four men met them. They were carrying long knives. They told her uncle to face down on the ground, and they hacked him on the neck and killed him. Maricel was in total shock, especially that the men were their neighbors. She tried to escape, but the men ran after her. She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong tagain! Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill me! Have mercy on me!”) But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a man slashed her on the neck too.

Maricel fell to the ground and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood. She also saw the feet of the men around her, but she pretended to be dead. When they walked away, Maricel ran back home. But along the way, she saw that both her hands were falling off. Because the men hacked them too. She cried but she kept running.
Sometimes, she would faint and fall to the ground. But she’d regain consciousness and run again. When she was near her home, Maricel called her mother. Upon seeing her daughter, her mother screamed in terror. She wrapped her bloodied child in a blanket and carried her to the hospital.


Here was the problem: From her house to the highway, it was a 12-kilometer walk. It took them 4 hours just to reach the highway. When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors thought Maricel was going to die. But for 5 hours, they operated on her. It took 25 stitches to stitch together the long knife wound in her neck and back. Maricel barely survived. And she lost both of her hands. Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s birthday. She was 12 years old. But tragedy didn’t end there. When they went home, they saw their home was gone. 

It was ransacked and burned down by the goons. Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t have P50,000 for their hospital bills. But God sent many angels along the way to help them. Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative, paid for hospital bills and helped them bring the criminals to court. They were sentenced to prison. Today, she’s staying with the nuns at Regina Rosarii with Sr. Eppie Brasil, O.P. But this is the incredible miracle. Instead of staying down, Maricel kept running.
Instead of cursing God why she had no hands, she now uses her wrists in incredible ways that will boggle your mind.

MARICEL APATAN
Maricel was cited as the most industrious, best in computer, and most courteous in the School for Crippled Children. In 2008, she graduated from a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She even received a Gold medal for Arts and Crafts. In 2011, she finished her education to be a chef. Yes, a Chef without hands. Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching her dreams.

Real Winners Don’t Give Up!

What state are you presently that you think it is over? Once again, real winners never give up!


IMPACT WORLD ARENA
... Inspiring Possibilities ...

FOUR KEYS TO WRITING A SUCCESSFUL RESUME AND CONDUCTING A SUCCESSFUL JOB INTERVIEW.

These keys are essential to resume writing

CONCISE: 
Forget the debate about should a resume be 1 page, 2 pages, or can it be more. For each person the answer is dependant on what they bring to the table in terms of knowledge, experience, education, skills and achievements and how they choose to get this information across. For me a 1 page resume is optimum for those in the earlier stages of their career; 2 pages is best for job seekers with 10+ years experience who have a lot to offer, and some cases require going beyond 2 pages to get the full message across, and I have no problem with that.
No matter how many pages you have, the key to success is to be concise with your sentences words and avoid useless information. If in doubt consider whether the information is relevant to the job you’re applyingfor and see if you can include it on a social media page and direct people there instead of adding extra weight to the resume itself.
In an interview you need to make a conscious effort to be concise with your answers and avoid rambling on and on and going off topic.

CORRECT:
This is especially true in terms of listing verifiable information such as dates of employment, titles, responsibilities, education, GPA, and most important when detailing achievements i.e. if you were part of a team that accomplished something great do not overstate or understate your contribution to the project.
The same holds true in an interview, and I will take it one step further. When asked a specific question only give the correct answer. If you don’t know an answer say so and don’t try to bamboozle your way around the question.

CLARITY:
This to me is the real problem in most resumes I see. Somewhere in the document there is useful information I am looking for. The problem is without a knowledgeable resume wordsmith and someone who knows how to format a resume for optimum effect the information gets lost in the miasma, and the reader is left out in the cold and thought of as being merely mediocre, whether this is true or not.
In an interview, clarity is essential. When asked a question you must be clear in your answer and your tone of voice.
Clarity is often a by-product of practice and helps exude confidence. This is especially critical when you’re interviewing for communication jobs. It helps if you think ahead about the questions you are likely to be asked and practice your answer so that they are crystal clear.

COMPLETE:
My take on the final Big C is a resume takes a lot more effort than sitting down at the computer and updating what you wrote in the past. There are numerous steps involved including identifying a core audience, determining value, knowing exactly who you are and who is your main competition, identifying your accomplishments, verifying all your information, getting recommendations, creating a dual (employer/employee) profile and matching it point by point, proofreading and editing the document, and seeing what tweaks need to be made for a particular job. When you have done all of this you can say the work is complete. 

In terms of an interview, when you speak to the interviewer you must speak in complete sentences and complete your thoughts. Don’t assume they know what you are talking about and leave important points unsaid.