INSPIRE and MOTIVATE

2008-12-10T05:00:00.000+08:00

ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THING...

Say good words.
Have good thoughts.
Do good deeds, and
Help Make a World of Difference.

WD-40

2008-05-10T04:49:00.000+08:00

WD-40 Well, Who Knew...?

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another ne ighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water disp lacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed.

Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on yo ur car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a child ren's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles f or easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers."
38) The favorite use in the state of N ew York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in n o time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributo r cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

2008-03-04T18:12:00.000+08:00

Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success

They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything

March first. Then advise.

Giving advice is easy. Giving really good advice is harder.
Providing an example is hardest but is usually the most effective
way of influencing both youth and adults. After all, adults are
simply older youths who were influenced by someone's example
early in life.

Our walk or march through life is the greatest teacher that we
will provide for others. Even Paul in the Bible said,
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
(1 Cor 11:1 NIV)

==

If you want to make good use of your time,
you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got

==

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
---Mother Teresa

==

Starting today, decide to always Deliver more than you are getting paid to do.
The victory of success will be half won when you learn the secret of
putting out more than is expected in all that you do.
Make yourself so valuable in your work that eventually you will become indispensable. Exercise your privilege to go the extra mile, and enjoy all the rewards you receive.
--- Og Mandino

Don't find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain

==

When you consistently maintain a positive frame of mind, you'll become known as a problem-solver rather than a complainer. People avoid complainers. They seek out problem-solvers

===

TIME

2008-03-04T16:19:00.001+08:00

GREAT LESSON

“If you want to make good use of your time,
you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.”
--- Lee Iacocca

Mr. Belser

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man.
College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.
In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.

There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son.

He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, ‘Mr. Belser died last night.
The funeral is Wednesday.’

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

‘Jack , did you hear me?’

‘Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you.
It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago,’ Jack said.

‘Well, he didn’t forget you.
Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing.
He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it,’ Mom told him.

‘I loved that old house he lived in,’ Jack said.

‘You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,’ she said

‘He’s the one who taught me carpentry,’ he said.

‘I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him.
He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important…
Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,’ Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful.

He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped byto see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment.
It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.

The house was exactly as he remembered.
Every step held memories.
Every picture, every piece of furniture… . Jack stopped suddenly.

‘What’s wrong, Jack?’ his Mom asked.

‘The box is gone,’ he said

‘What box?’ Mom asked.

‘There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk.

I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside.

All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most,'’ Jack said.

It was gone.
Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box.

He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

‘Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,’ Jack said.
‘I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.’

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died.

Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. ‘Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days,’ the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package.

The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.

The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.
‘ Mr. Harold Belser ‘ it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.

There inside was the gold box and an envelope.
Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.

‘Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.’

A small key was taped to the letter.
His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.
There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing,
he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

‘Jack, Thanks for your time! - Harold Belser’

‘The thing he valued most was…my time’

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office
and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

‘Why?’ Janet, his assistant asked.

‘I need some time to spend with my son,’ he said.

‘Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!’

WINNING

2008-02-04T16:47:00.000+08:00

What does it mean to win? We are taught by popular culture, especially the movies and of course all the contest organized from early on in school through lotteries and sporting events, that winning means walking away with the one and only prize, the trophy... the top spot.

But people are winning every day in life, all over the place, and thankfully they are not doing it to earn instant fame and trophies.

You win when you give it your all.

You win when you give someone else your all.

You win when you improve.

You win when you make life worth living.

And there can be only one judge in this contest - you.

Set your sites on winning today.

Make 'Today' YOUR Day!!

2008-02-04T16:23:00.000+08:00

The Law of Garbage Trucks

Sixteen years ago I learned an important life lesson,
in the back of a New York City taxi cab.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station.
We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car
jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded,
and missed the other car by mere inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident,
whipped his head around and started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was actually friendly!

So, I asked him, "Why did you just do that?
This guy almost ruined your car and could've sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when my taxi driver told me about
what I now call, "The Law of Garbage Trucks."

"Many people are like Garbage Trucks. They run around full of garbage,
full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it, and if you let them,
they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally.
Instead, just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
You'll be happier because you did."

Wow. That really got me thinking about how often do I let Garbage Trucks run
right over me. AND, how often do I then take their garbage and spread it onto
other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

It was that day I resolved, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

Since then, I have started to see Garbage Trucks everywhere.
Just as the kid in the Sixth Sense movie said, "I see dead people,"
I can now say, "I see Garbage Trucks." :)

I see the load they're carrying ... I see them coming to drop it off.
And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing;
I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

Stress Management

2007-09-28T07:54:00.000+08:00

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked,
"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

He continued,

"And that's the way it is with stress management.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,

as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,

we won't be able to carry on. "

"As with the glass of water,

you have to put it down for a while and rest
before holding it again.

When we're refreshed
we can carry on with the burden."

"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it home.

You can pick it up tomorrow.

Whatever burdens you're carrying now,

let them down for a moment if you can."

So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

* Accept that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue.

* Always keep your words soft and sweet,
just in case you have to eat them.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.

* Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
recalled by their maker.

* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.

* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

* Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

* The second mouse gets the cheese.

* When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.

* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.

* 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.

* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

The Ten Habits of Highly Effective Brains

2007-08-27T14:06:00.001+08:00

The LA Times just completed a wonderful 4-part series on how learning and memory work. The NYT re-emphasized the importance of physical exercise for neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons). To put this news in better perspective, let's review some good lifestyle options we can follow to maintain, and improve, our vibrant brains.

1. Learn what is the "It" in "Use It or Lose It". A basic understanding will serve you well to appreciate your brain's beauty as a living and constantly-developing dense forest with billions of neurons and synapses.

2. Take care of your nutrition. Did you know that the brain only weighs 2% of body mass but consumes over 20% of the oxygen and nutrients we intake? As a general rule, you don't need expensive ultra-sophisticated nutritional supplements, just make sure you don't stuff yourself with the "bad stuff".

3. Remember that the brain is part of the body. Things that exercise your body can also help sharpen your brain: physical exercise enhances neurogenesis.

4. Practice positive, future-oriented thoughts until they become your default mindset and you look forward to every new day in a constructive way. Stress and anxiety, no matter whether induced by external events or by your own thoughts, actually kills neurons and prevent the creation of new ones. You can think of chronic stress as the opposite of exercise: it prevents the creation of new neurons.

5. Thrive on Learning and Mental Challenges. The point of having a brain is precisely to learn and to adapt to challenging new environments. Once new neurons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they survive depends on how you use them. "Use It or Lose It" does not mean "do crossword puzzle number 1,234,567". It means, "challenge your brain often with fundamentally new activities".

6. We are (as far as we know) the only self-directed organisms in this planet. Aim high. Once you graduate from college, keep learning. The brain keeps developing, no matter your age, and it reflects what you do with it.

7. Explore, travel. Adapting to new locations forces you to pay more attention to your environment. Make new decisions, use your brain.

8. Don't Outsource Your Brain. Not to media personalities, not to politicians, not to your smart neighbour... Make your own decisions, and mistakes. And learn from them. That way, you are training your brain, not your neighbour's.

9. Develop and maintain stimulating friendships. We are "social animals", and need social interaction. Which, by the way, is why 'Baby Einstein' has been shown not to be the panacea for children development.

10. Laugh. Often. Especially to cognitively complex humor, full of twists and surprises. Better, try to become the next Jon Stewart (Note: I just corrected his name from "John"...which may call for a #11: Spellcheck!)

Now, remember that what counts is not reading this article-or any other-, but practicing a bit every day until small steps snowball into unstoppable, internalized habits...so, pick your next battle and try to start improving at least one of these 10 habits today! For more in-depth information on these topics, check our Brain Fitness Topics section.
http://www.sharpbrains.com/hottopics/

It is we who make of life what it is

2007-08-16T09:23:00.000+08:00

"You have the power to hurt yourself or to benefit yourself. If you do not choose to be happy no one can make you happy. Do not blame God for that! And if you choose to be happy, no one can make you unhappy. It is we who make of life what it is."
Paramahansa Yogananda

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR THOSE OVER FORTY

2007-08-09T08:31:00.000+08:00

1. Focus on enjoying people, not on indulging in or accumulating material things.

2. Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left. Travel if you can afford it. Don't leave anything for your children or loved ones to quarrel about. By leaving anything, you may even cause more trouble when you are gone.

3. Live in the here and now, not in the yesterdays and tomorrows. It is only today that you can handle. Yesterday is gone,tomorrow may not even happen.

4. Enjoy your grandchildren ( if you are blessed with any ) but don't be their full time baby sitter. You have no moral obligation to take care of them.! Don't have any guilt about refusing to baby sit anyone's kids, including your own grandkids. Your parental obligation is to your children. After you have raised them into responsible adults, your duties of child-rearing and babysitting are finished. Let your children raise their own off-springs.

5. Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow. BE HAPPY!

6. Enjoy what you are and what you have right now. Stop working hard for what you do not have. If you do not have them, it's probably too late.

7. Just enjoy your life with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends. People, who truly love you, love you for yourself, not for what you have. Anyone who loves you for what you have will just give you misery.

8. Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.

9. Befriend death. It's a natural part of the life cycle. Don't be afraid of it. Death is the beginning of a new and better life. So, prepare yourself not for death but for a new life with the Almighty.

10. Be at peace with your Creator. For... He is all you have after you leave this life.

Secrets of servant leadership

2007-08-04T04:56:00.000+08:00

AFTER Princess Diana was killed in a tragic car accident, 2 ½ billion people tuned in to watch her televised funeral. Not only Great Britain, but the entire world, mourned her death. What accounted for the public’s emotional attachment to Princess Di?

Certainly, royalty and beauty attributed to Princess Diana’s popularity, but something else connected her to the hearts of people across the globe.

Looks and lineage may have landed her on magazine covers, but Princess Di had an endearing quality that gave her even greater appeal. Princess Diana was beloved because she was a servant leader.

For centuries, royal families epitomized self-serving leadership. Comfortably removed from the day-to-day troubles of those in their kingdom, they enjoyed opulent wealth and absolute power. Princess Diana broke the stereotype.

She leveraged her popularity to lend support for AIDS research, to care for those with leprosy, and to ban land mines. In fact, the force of Diana’s compassion was so influential that Time Magazine named her one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.Practices that help leaders serve others.

In their valuable book, “The Secret,” Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller shed light on the practices that enable leaders, like Princess Diana, to serve others.
In this edition of A Leaders Way, I’d like to pass on their ideas to you.

1. See the future.
Leaders have a compelling vision for the future stirring inside of them. The vision makes plain a leader’s identity, direction and pattern of behavior.To affect the future, a leader spreads values throughout an organization. These values are core beliefs that become the cornerstones of organizational culture. A wise leader publishes the values so that they can be repeated, recognized and rewarded.A leader cannot delegate the responsibility to see the future. They may share the responsibility, but ultimately, it’s the leader’s job to make time today to ensure the direction of tomorrow.

2. Engage and develop others.
To create the future a leader envisions, he or she must have the right people, in the right roles, fully engaged to their work. Everything that you will accomplish as a leader ultimately hinges on the people you have around you.As the Law of the Inner Circle says, “A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him or her.”Sadly, many people’s talents languish on the job because they are disengaged. Likely, the greatest waste in business is human potential. Leaders pull out the potential inside of their people by inspiring and motivating. They are quick to offer opportunities for growth, be mentors, or equip their employees with resources.

3. Reinvent continuously.
Great leaders reinvent continuously on a personal level. They are always interested in ways to enhance their own knowledge and skills. The very best leaders are learners. They realize that if they stop learning, they will stop leading.A leader sets the tone of the organization. If they cease growing personally, then the majority of those they lead will become stagnant as well.
Reinvention is critical to survival. The solutions to problems of the past are inadequate to address the demands of today. Leaders must have fresh, innovative thinking and new ideas to respond to the challenges the organization faces.

4. Value results and relationships.
When it comes to results and relationships, the best leaders take a both/and approach. A focus solely on results demoralizes the team, while an overemphasis on relationships undercuts the bottom line due to conflict avoidance and an absence of accountability.The greatest leaders make friends and profits.Leaders earn relational capital, and put it to work to gain results. As the Law of Connection states, “leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”

5. Embody values.
All genuine leadership is built on trust. Leaders build trust when they establish, articulate, model and enforce values. In short, they walk the talk.If I say customers are important, my actions had better support that statement. If I choose to live as if customers are not important, people will have reason to question my trustworthiness.And in the final analysis, if I am deemed untrustworthy by my people, I will not be trusted—or followed as a leader.

By John C. Maxwell

Confidence Is A Habit

2007-06-20T17:52:00.000+08:00

When we get into the assertive habit, our automatic response to interpersonal situations is a feeling of confidence.

As a result, we handle them with calm assurance and feel great. Confidence breeds confidence.

If you want to get the same assertive habit, learn how to respond confidently to the following situations...

1. Handling Praise.

It is natural to feel pleased when we are paid a compliment from people we care about but we should always remember that they are only the views of others and that such views can always change.

To handle compliments confidently, keep in mind these points...

* Watch for signs of praise-addiction. Praise is nice but it should not be necessary for our own self-esteem.

* Thank people simply. Don't dismiss it when someone offers you praise, however sincerely you believe it was meant.

* Use the technique of positive assertion and positive enquiry to find out what other people liked, so you can do more of it.

2. Handling Criticism.

Criticism can hurt when it is expressed insensitively: "...I've only one criticism to make" or unskilfully: "...that was rubbish!"; or comes from people whose admiration we crave. When we are harshly criticised, it is tempting to either hit back at the critic or find someone else to blame. If we do neither of these, we may end up blaming ourselves and feeling bad.

The confident response to criticism is to...

* Get it straight in your head that this is only someone else's opinion. You can't make people like you.

* Take a wider view. Ask yourself how things will look in a month's time.

* Go to "the gallery". This is a place off-stage where you can consider what was said dispassionately.

* Try to swallow your pride and learn something from the criticism. You can do this by using the technique of negative enquiry and assertion.

3. Saying No.

We all find ourselves occasionally in situations where we say "Yes" to others when we really want to say "No": the boss who uses the willing workhorse; the mother-in-law who invites herself to stay; the friend who insists on buying you another round. You may think you are being "nice" by going along with their request but the chances are they won't see it that way and will simply impose on you again. You have exposed your weakness for them to exploit.

Reacting angrily to what you might see as an unreasonable request is equally inappropriate. It may result in you being seen as hostile. In the workplace an angry refusal to do a piece of work may brand you as being un-cooperative. The only viable solution that does not upset others or make you feel bad is the confident one of saying No.

4. Overcoming Shyness.

Overcoming shyness and acquiring poise requires a confident way of thinking together with the techniques of social manners. To learn the art of social poise...

* Make the first moves when you are in new surroundings; don't wait for others.

* Look relaxed and if you're not, make out you are.

* Prepare by finding out who the guests are, what topics are likely to be of interest...then forget everything while you focus on them.

* Stay in low key, don't hog the conversation.

* If you are being introduced to people who are on an equal social footing to you, mention what you have in common.

* If you are being introduced to someone of a higher social status, stay neutral.

* Get genuinely interested in others whoever they are.

* Learn the tactic of fre'eing yourself from one person and joining another without causing upset.

5. Admitting You're Wrong.

It is fear of the consequences of "owning up" that leads many unassertive people to hesitate about admitting mistakes. Some of the irrational self-talk that takes place in the unassertive person is: "I must be perfect at all times" or "If I admit my mistakes, I'll lose my chance of promotion" or "They won't like me any more" or "I'll look bad in their eyes"

To confidently admit a mistake...

* Remind yourself of your right not to be perfect.

* Own up as quickly and as simply as possible.

* Apologise if the mistake has caused anyone any problems; if not, still apologise out of courtesy. Apologise once and leave it at that.

* Ask others for help to solve the problem.

* Share the responsibility for putting things right.

6. Getting In Touch With Your Views.

The aggressive and passive points of view see the world as hostile and competitive. Other people are there to be beaten or to beat us. The consequences of this view of the world is that we continually compare ourselves to others. In the aggressive stance, we seek to prove that we are better than others or, in the submissive mode, that they are better than us.

The result is that we devalue our thoughts and feelings, believing that what others think or feel is more, or less, important than what we think or feel. We often make decisions about others according to their rank, status or position. The confident person makes no such value judgments. He or she gets in touch with their own point of view and expresses it openly and honestly.

7. Raising Our Self-Esteem.

We are all children of the universe, born equal and with the same assertive rights. Our self·esteem does not change because of who we are with or because of what we do. We each have the assertive right to get in touch with our own views and opinions and express them.

* Don't be overawed by others, no matter how loud they are, or what position in life they hold.

* See yourself and others as being worthy in your own right, not because of what you do.

* Surround yourself with people who value you for who you are.

* Find a way to tune in to your own views. Don't feel you have to have a special, witty, clever, novel or trendy view. No view is also a view.

* Practice articulating both positive feelings and negative feelings.
find out which forms of expression you are best at.

* * *

Learn to apply these different responses in your own situations with other people and, after just a short while, you'll discover you've mastered the valuable art of confidence!

* * *

By Eric Garner, from http://www.managetrainlearn.com/

Struggle Is Not Required: Seven Key Sources

2007-06-09T13:07:00.000+08:00

Suzanne Holman

Struggle is not required for success. Does this sound impossible to you? Personally, I grew up with the philosophy that you needed to work hard to succeed. This doesn't really serve me today. What I've done for you is identify seven key sources of struggle. For each of these struggles, I'm sharing a remedy. Finally, we'll look at what the rewards are for squelching these struggles!

URGENCY
Struggle: When there is urgency, there is hurry. There is strong emphasis on what is "in your face" and the important things tend to be ignored. A decision made in this mode of thinking can often be one that is not grounded.
Remedy: Take a moment to breathe. Remind yourself that some of those things don't need immediate attention. Just that little pause can give you great perspective.
Reward: Satisfaction in being able to move forward in a purposeful, directed way.

SCARCITY
Struggle: When we feel there isn't enough, we tighten up. We may feel as though there is no support available. Perhaps the financial base isn't what we feel is necessary. How will we get all that we need?
Remedy: Remember that there is always enough. It may be that you just need to do the project in phases as the support comes to you. As you relax into the challenge, more solutions will come to you as to how to get the results you want.
Reward: Your attitude will have a positive effect on those around you. What a great legacy to spread to those who are learning from you!

LACK OF FOCUS
Struggle: Who hasn't found themselves going in circles trying to decide what needs to be done first?
Remedy: List your items and prioritize. Use the Covey quadrants relating to importance and urgency. Once you have decided on those items that are both urgent and important, you know where to start. Work down your priority list from there.
Reward: What a wonderful thing! You may have moved yourself so fluidly through the most pressing, important items that you have the freedom for more personal time.
Once you realize you are able to do this, you'll feel more confident scheduling your free days ahead of time, knowing that you'll be in the position to enjoy them!

SELF-IMPOSED DEADLINES
Struggle: Have you ever over promised and then found that you are getting lots of pressure for the finished product at the last minute? Sometimes in the interest of pleasing others and showing how good we are, we say that we can do things in minimal time.
Remedy: This is super stress that is not necessary if you take the time to schedule realistic deadlines. It's important to factor in any obstacles that can get in the way of smooth completion so that you are able to move toward the deadline at a solid, steady pace.
Reward: Clients are pleased that you have met or exceeded your promised due date. Those around you are thrilled that you are not "biting their heads off" as you did when you were overstressed with deadlines you were not meeting.

NEGATIVE SELF-TALK
Struggle: We can really cloud our thinking with lots of self-reminders of how we performed poorly on previous projects. It's easy for those negative memories to dominate because they are the painful ones. How difficult it is to feel passionate and motivated when this heaviness is hanging over us.
Remedy: Take the time to think of those times that you were successful. Notice what you are doing well now. At the end of each day, really acknowledge yourself for what you did accomplish. It's easy to forget about that when we are making exaggerated notations to ourselves of our shortcomings for the day.
Reward: Passion comes alive when there is room for it! Getting rid of those gremlins jumping around in our heads can make a huge difference in our energy level!

FEAR OF CRITICISM
Struggle: When we have fear of being criticized, it is easy to try to please everyone all the time. We tend to moderate our words, our actions, and look over our shoulder to see who's watching. This is a sure-fire way to stumble at what we're doing (we're not watching ..too busy looking to see who else is watching). How can we be creative when we're so concerned who may not like our original idea?
Remedy: We may please some of the people all the time. We may please all of the people some of the time. But we won't please everyone ALL of the time. Just accept that fact. Complete your projects with your creative juices flowing. Be aware of new ideas you may have that will make things go better.
Reward: Your creativity will grow exponentially. When you look for it and accept it without fear, you will come up with more innovative ideas.

ALLOWING URGENT ISSUES TO PUSH OUT THE IMPORTANT ONES
Struggle: How frustrating it is to feel as though you are supposed to be doing three or more things at once!
Remedy: As is usually the case, you need to pause for just a moment to get a sense of just what it is you need to be doing right now. Some things that may seem huge are really not that important in the scheme of things. Perhaps some of those items can be taken care of by someone other than you. Focus on what you know needs to be taken care of.
Reward: Others will respect you when they see you taking charge in a centered, empowered way. You will find that you are able to feel accomplished because you were not swept away by extra issues that were not best handled by you at that time.

Struggle isn't required. Can you accept this fact?

Notice yourself. Watch when you are flowing through your day and when you are banging your head against the wall.

Remember the struggles we've discussed here and try out those remedies. The rewards are well worth it!

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://performance-management.bestmanagementarticles.com

2007-06-02T10:24:00.000+08:00

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles
Chris

Enthusiasm holds on to our dreams, persistence makes the most of them

"Our real duty is always found running in the direction of our worthiest desires."
Randolph S. Bourne

Dedicate yourself to continuous personal improvement -- you are your most precious resource."
-- Brian Tracy

Make education a continuing, never-ending process."
-- Nido Qubein

"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

What we see as easy, we make easy.

The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
--Eleanor Roosevelt

EARN as much as you can.
SAVE as much as you can.
INVEST as much as you can.
GIVE as much as you can.

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.

Success is not the key to happiness.
Happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

"Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to
do everything they think they should do, they never get around
to do what they want to do."
...Kathleen Winsor

"If you want to make good use of your time, you've got to know
what's most important and then give it all you've got."
...Lee Iacocca

Do everything with so much love in your heart that you would never want to do it any other way.

Life works wonders on those who think life is wonderful
--Sally Huss.

Always behave like a duck -
keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath'
-- Jacob Braude.

Be willing to be uncomfortable.
Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living a dream.

Always look on the bright side of life.

While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.

The best way to get even is to forget.

Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.

Some folks wear their halos much too tight!

Some marriages are made in heaven, but they ALL have to be maintained on earth.

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, and faith looks up.

Standing in the middle of the road is dangerous; traffic from both directions may knock you down.

Words are windows to the heart.

A skeptic is a person who sees the handwriting on the wall, and then claims that it is a forgery.

It isn't difficult to make a mountain out of a molehill, just add a little dirt.

A successful marriage isn't finding the right person; it's being the right person.

The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground.

The tongue must be heavy, indeed, because so few people can hold it.

To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover the prisoner was you.

It's all right to sit on your pity pot every now and again. Just be sure to flush when you are done.

You'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher.

“I will enrich my life each day with laughter, forgiveness, and by giving to others.”

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”
– Muhammad Ali, boxer

Exploration and the will to discover new things, is critical in finding knowledge. Once knowledge is found, the window to wisdom is exposed. When knowledge and wisdom find each other through this window, understanding reflects back at both. This understanding is the key to finding love as well as happiness.

Hate the sin itself and not the man himself who commit it.
Japanese proverb

We must overcome the notion that we must be regular...
it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre.
--Uta Hagen

Say good words,
have good thoughts,
do good deeds, and
Help Make a World of Difference.

“Once the game is over the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” Italian Proverb

Punishment
is the unhappy way
we ask others
to change
..often,
they kick us back.

If you were sane living in an insane world, normal living among the abnormal, you'd be the one considered wrong; however, history will be your judge.
- John Dillow -

"There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
Aldous Huxley

An idea about obstacles
In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse laying on the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

True Love is when you can sit in a room together and say nothing, and it feels like you've said a thousand words!

Most people would rather have the appearance of wealth and be without it, than have the appearance of no wealth but have much of it.

"Many of our fears are tissue paper thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them."
Brendan Francis

"I didn't get to where I am by thinking about it or dreaming about it. I got there by doing it."
Estee Lauder

2007-06-02T10:23:00.000+08:00

Socrates' Wisdom
Posted by: "Bert Guiang" guiang_bert@yahoo.com guiang_bert
Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:01 am (PST)
Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear or
are about to repeat a rumor.

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely
lauded for his wisdom.

One day the great philosopher came upon an
acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said,
"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of
your students...?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell
me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called
the Test of Three."

"Test of Three?"

"That's correct," Socrates continued.
"Before you talk to me about my student let's take a
moment to test what you're going to say. The first
test is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man replied, "actually I just heard about
it."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know
if it's true or not. Now let's try the second test,
the test of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me
about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me
something bad about him even though you're not certain
it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued, "You may still pass though because
there is a third test - the filter of Usefulness.

Is what you want to tell me about my student going to
be useful to me?"

"No, not really..."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell
me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell
it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed and said no more.

This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher
and held in such high esteem.

It also explains why Socrates didn't find out that
Plato was banging his wife.

===

> Slow Down Culture
>
> SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT...
>
>
> An interesting reflection. : Slow Down Culture
>
> It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish
> company. Working for them has proven to be an
interesting experience. Any project here takes
> 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple
> and brilliant. It's a rule.
>
> Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the
> world) a general sense of searching for immediate
results. Therefore, we have come to posses a
> need to see immediate results. This contrasts
> greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish.
They, on the other hand, debate, debate,
> debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a
slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better
results.
>
> Said in another words:
> 1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in
> Brazil.
> 2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
> 3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.
> 4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are
> some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the
NASA.
>
> The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues
> picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was
September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive
> early at the company and he would park far away from
> the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to
work). The first day, I didn't say
> anything, either the second or third. One morning I
asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've
noticed we park far from the entrance even when
> there are no other cars in the lot." To which he
replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to
walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need
> a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine
> my face.
>
> Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow
Food. This movement establishes that people should eat
and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their
food, spend time with the family, friends, without
rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the
spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a
lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger
movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business
Week.
>
> Basically, the movement questions the sense of
> "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization,
fueled by the desire of "having in quantity"
> (life status) versus "having with quality", "life
> quality" or the "quality of being". French people,
even though they work 35 hours per week, are more
> productive than Americans or British. Germans have
> established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their
productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow
> attitude has brought forth the US's attention,
> pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".
>
> This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less
> or having a lower productivity. It means working and
doing things with greater quality, productivity,
perfection, with attention to detail and less stress.
It means reestablishing family values, friends, free
> and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and
concrete, versus the "global", undefined and
> anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values,
> the simplicity of living.
>
> It stands for a less coercive work environment, more
> happy, lighter and more productive where humans
enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time
to stop and think on how companies need to develop
serious quality with no-rush that will increase
productivity and the quality of products and services,
without losing the essence of spirit.
>
> In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene
> where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she
replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any
minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in
an instant". Then they dance to a tango.
>
> Many of us live our lives running behind time, but
> we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in
a car accident rushing to be on time. Others
> are so anxious of living the future that they forget
> to live the present, which is the only time that
truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the
world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in
how each one of us does with our time. We need to live
each moment.
> As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you
while you're busy making other plans".
>
> Congratulations for reading till the end of this
> message. There are many who will have stopped in the
middle so as not to waste time in this
> globalized world.

====

"I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow
into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.

Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the
highest mountain of all, and I will strain my potential
until it cries for mercy."

- Og Mandino (1923-1996)

===

"The game of life is the game of boomerangs.
Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy."

--Florence Shinn - 1871-1940, Writer

===

FOCUS ON YOUR FUTURE NOT YOUR PAST

____________________________________

Your future is a big adventure.
Prepare for your future, don't live in the past.
Savor your good memories,
use any bad ones as lessons in life.

Carve out a niche for yourself in your imagined future.
Think, feel and see yourself as successful.
To achieve any goal in life, you need to project your end result.
Think of the elation, the satisfaction, the joy you'll feel.
Carry these ecstatic feelings with you every day
and they'll bring your desired goals into view.

Sooner or later, you can win if you think you can.
The cards you are dealt in life
are less important than the way you play them.
Every day you're offered a new deal and new cards.

Success is in your future if you're willing to work for it.

===

"Most of all, never give up on your dreams.
They are the ultimate guiding light, the essence of who you are and what you can accomplish with faith and perseverance."

===

"Positive thoughts have power to change your life when they're fueled by positive emotions

"Buried deep within each of us is a spark of greatness, a spark than can be fanned into flames of passion and achievement.

That spark is not outside of you it is born deep within you."

--- James A. Ray

"There isn't a ruler, a yard stick or a measuring tape in the entire world long enough to compute the Strength and capabilities inside you."

--- Paul Meyer

"An attitude of calm, confident expectation activates your creativity and unlocks your mental powers."

--- Brian Tracy

"Genius is there in all of us, just waiting for us to tap into it."

---Robert R. Toth

Say good words,
have good thoughts,
do good deeds, and
Help Make a World of Difference.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
Walt Disney

Independence is a great gift. Use it to your best ability. If you use others to hold you up, you will never learn to live for yourself, and you will always need someone else to do everything for you

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon.

All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.

But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow!"

I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something.

Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem.

I felt like responding with "Oh no, what should we do?"

But remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that's interesting! How can I help you?"

One thing's for sure - life's always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That's a given.

What's not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated.

No matter what the situation, a fascinated "Wow!" will always beat a frustrated "Oh, no."

So the next time you experience one of life's unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a "Wow!" experience.

The "Wow!" response always works.

A real friend never gets in your way...

unless you happen to be on the way down.

--Dr. Wayne Dyer

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them."

--Vicki Baum

"There are short-cuts to happiness, and sex is one definitely of them."

Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.
Albert Einstein

Take a 10-30 minute walk every day.
And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Buy a lock if you have to.

When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement:
My purpose is to___________ today.

Live with the 3 E's: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

Watch more movies, play more games, and read more books than you did in 2006.

Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, qigong, and prayer.
They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

Dream more while you are awake.

Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

Drink green tea and plenty of water and eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds, and walnuts.

Try to make at least 3 (or 30, or 300) people smile each day.

Clear the clutter from your house, your car, your desk, and let new and flowing energy into your life.

Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts, or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your energy in the positive present moment.

Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

Don't compare your life to others'.
You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie.
Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special!

No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

Forgive everyone everything.

What other people think of you is none of your business.

Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends will.
Stay in touch.

Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.

Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

The best is yet to come.

No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

Always Do The Right Thing. (ADTRT)

Call your mother and father often.

Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:
I am thankful for __________.
Today I accomplished____________.

Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Enjoy the ride.
Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

"The next time you feel like God cannot use you, just remember:
Noah was a drunk;
Jacob was a liar;
Leah was ugly;
Abraham was too old;
Isaac was a daydreamer;
Joseph was abused;
Gideon was afraid;
Elijah was suicidal;
Jonah was an escapist;
Job was bankrupt;
Jeremiah was a crybaby;
the disciples fell asleep while praying;
Peter denied his Master; and...
Lazarus was dead!"

BE HONEST

Even if others are not
Even if others will not
Even if others cannot

"He who walks honestly walks securely."
Proverbs 10:9

Fun Thought...

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs?
(Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can).

i c'dnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs forwrad it.

Now I Know you're gonna forward this but...
ONLY FORWARD IT IF YOU CAN READ IT!!

==========

The Qualities of Skillful Leadership

by Jim Rohn

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manager, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life.

What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:

1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.

2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.

3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.

4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a God-like word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.

5) Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.

6) Develop humor without folly. That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.

Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.

===

WHO PACKED YOUR PARACHUTE?

Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important.

We may fail to say hello, please, thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.

Charles Plumb, a US Naval Academy graduate, was a jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile.

Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands.

He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist prison.

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb.

"I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude.

The man grabbed his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"

Plumb assured him, "It sure did. If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man.

Plumb kept wondering what the man might have looked like in a Navy uniform. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said good morning, how are you or anything, because you see, he was a fighter pilot and the man was just a sailor.

Plumb thought of the many hours that sailor had spent in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he did not know.

Now Plumb asks his audience, "Who is packing your parachute?"

Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day.

Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down.

As you go through your week, month, and even New Year, recognize the people who have packed your parachute and enabled you to get where you are today!

--- Author Unknown

--

"Do to others (first) as you would like them to do to you"

20 ways to a smarter kid

2007-06-02T10:22:00.000+08:00

By: Anne Sevilla-Tiangco

PARENTS, check this out.

If you want your kids to perform better in school or enhance his learning potentials, you could help him out by learning the 20 ways to a smarter kid.

Studies show that children process new and difficult information in different ways and knowing how your child’s unique learning style could definitely make him a smarter kid.

A child’s learning style could be easily determined by 20 environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological and psychological factors.

Environmental factors include sound, light, temperature and design.

Try to find out if your child prefers to study in a quiet room or if he absorbs lessons faster in a room with music. Try to know also the level of lighting your child requires for optimum learning. It would also help to determine how heat or cold affects your child study behavior, meaning, does he study better in an air-conditoned room or in a warm room. The room design is also a factor as some children want to study in a formal setting while others prefer an informal seating arrangement.

Parents should also observe the emotional factors that affect the child’s study habits.

What motivates the child to study, whether it is internal motivation or external feedback, is very important. It is also necessary to find out if the child performs better as a conformist (high responsibility taker) or non-conformist (low responsibility). It is also wise to determine if the child could handle multiple tasks at a time or if he is more comfortable handling single tasks at a time. Parents should also take note whether the child responds better to explicit step-by-step formal directions to do work or if he feels comfortable receiving general informal instructions.

Finding out the sociological factors that affect your child’s study habits is another step.
Does the child prefer to study alone to maximize learning? Does he prefer to pair with someone to study better? Does he learn best with a small group of three or with a team? Does he prefer to study with an adult? Or does he prefer a combination of ways or methods to effectively study?

Children also differ in physiological factors. Some understand better by listening (auditory), some by seeing (visual), some by touching (tactile) while others and/by moving (kinesthetic).

Even your child’s food or liquid intake affects his study habits. Some children learn better while they’re eating or drinking while some prefer eating before or after an activity.

Parents should also observe their child’s mobility factors. Could he sit still for long periods of time while learning or does he need short breaks in between sitting still?

Also, the child’s best time to study is very crucial. Is your child a morning person and performs best during day time or is he a night owl and absorbs lessons faster at night?

Finally, parents should try to discover the psychological factors that affect their child’s study habits.

Is your child intuitive, imaginative, creative (global/ right-brained learner) or logical, structured and formal (left-brained learner)? Does he think before acting (reflective) or acts before thinking (impulsive)?

An analysis of learning styles permits parents to identify how their child prefers to learn, suggests a basis for designing the classroom environment, and indicates conditions where students are likely to excel, thereby, creating a smarter kid.

Once the barriers to learning are taken down, the child learns faster and better.

It is only when you know how your child learns that you can best teach him. And it is only when his specific learning style is considered that he can perform best.

Fortunately, for parents, there is a school right at the heart of Manila that specializes in the 20 ways to a smarter kid formula, among other things.

The Eton International Primary School brings to the country a revolutionary educational program that caters to the individual learning styles of every child.

With a very small class size of 10, Eton Manila provides a very personalized education that promises to bring out the best in your child.

Eton Manila Directres Jacqueline Marzan-Tolentino boasts of the school’s international curriculum, inspired by the Eton Britain and Eton Singapore, with Asian values that promote holistic child growth and development.

“These programs are implemented by a select group of faculty members who are highly competent in their various fields and who have undergone special training and certification on teaching according to the Learning Styles Model,” Tolentino said.

Eton kids are trained to be tri-lingual, computer savvy and given academic lessons way ahead of those being used in the Philippines.

Tolentino added that the experiential activities, such as performances and field trips abroad, also enhance the students’ intelligences and skills.

“We believe that play is vital in a child’s learning so lessons at Eton Manila are taught in innovative and fun ways to ensure that learning becomes enjoyable for your child,” she said.

The best thing about an Eton education, Tolentino said, is that parents are involved every step of their child’s progress.

“We explain to parents the individual learning style of their child and we provide them with progress reports of the child’s development reguarly via quarterly evaluations,
video developmental assessment and other media,” Tolentino said.

Eton Manila, Tolentino said, is not your ordinary pre-school.

“We are confident that with the quality of education that Eton Manila provides, we are shaping future global leaders,” Tolentino said.

She added that at Eton Manila, “we multiply intelligences by celebrating the differences and diversity of each student.”

For more information about Eton International Primary School, please call 526-2995 or 0919-4732481. You may also visit their website www.etonph.com or email at etonmanila@yahoo.com.

Freedom of Simplicity

2006-01-29T11:00:00.000+08:00

Freedom of Simplicity
By Bo Sanchez

Happiness is not found outside of you. It doesn't come from cars,
clothes,cash, or Caribbean cruises. Happiness is found within. But how can
you find it if you don't have the simplicity of time and space to discover
the most important things in your life?

How can you search the depths of your soul if you are too busy impressing
others, acquiring wealth, protecting your properties, and paying your debts?

Simplicity is not about the external either: living in a doghouse, eating in
Hepatitis joints, wearing rags.

Let me define what it is: Simplicity is living from the core of your being.

A TREASURE MAP OF HAPPINESS

Simplicity will point to you where and what and who the gold is in your
life. Let me share with you the seven powerful lessons I've learned on
simple
living:

1. LIVE ON LESS, AND DELIGHT IN THEM MORE
Some take their p! leasure dining in classy restaurants, trips to Eu rope,
and
owning the latest home theatre-equipment. I've chosen the simple
path:
If I can simply be with my wife, or take a quiet stroll under a canopy of
stars, or play with a child, or read a good book in my home, or laugh with
friends

over a pizza, I consider myself richly blessed.

Focus on what you have and not on what you don't have.

2. STOP RUNNING AND WALK INSTEAD
Here's the truth: The person who has covered the greatest distance does NOT
win, but the one who has most enjoyed the journey does. Stop running around!

chasing your own tail!

Get off your hurried pace and learn to breathe. Replace doing with being.
Learn to say no to invitations, appointments, and commitments, activities
and events that will rob you of your focus. Learn to say "yes" to rest, to
tranquility, to quietness.

3. YOU ARE MORE THAN YOUR WEALTH
I own very few things today. Because I am more than the brand of my
watch,the logo of my shoes, the name of my car. I believe that if in my soul
I deeply respect and value myself, people around me will sense that, and
they too, will ! value and respect me-whether I'm wearing Armani or not.

You are more than your wealth.

4. AVOID BUYING ON CREDIT
I don't believe in borrowing from credit cards. (For convenience, I use one
card but I pay the whole amount at the end of each month.) If I need
something really bad, I save up for it. Sometimes, at midpoint, I realize I
don't really need the darn thing and give up the whole idea. The only
exception I feel we should enter into a credit is when buying a
non-depreciating item, such as housing or land. I believe we should always
live within our earning capacity. Proverbs 22:7 says, "Those who borrow are
slaves of moneylenders."

5. GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
If I content myself with P250 shirt instead of P4,000 Lacoste, I can help
others more. Trust me, there is immense pleasure! You will find that the
empty thrill of owning a diamond ring on your finger pales in comparison to
the joy of handing a piece of bread to an orphan child.

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at
all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." (2
Corinthians 9:8)

The Old Testament of tithing, or giving 10% of your income is a go! od
guideline to follow. Th e New Testament challenges us to give with a
cheerful
heart. (When you're cheerful, you may give more than 10%!) Make it a habit.

6. SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Saving is essential to being good stewards of the money that God "lends" to
us. Saving is an important way of providing for our future-both for our
needs and to be generous to others. I recommend that you save at least 10%
of your income. I can almost hear you now: "Bo, that's impossible!" Oh yeah?
Well, how did you live three years back when your salary was one-half its
present amount?" Sacrifice. Many of our needs are actually wants. Is cable
TV a need? Will you suddenly die if you can't watch CNN or HBO? Are those
new golf clubs essential to your existence? Invest in time deposits,
long-term stocks and housing.

7. BUDGET, BUDGET, BUDGET
Make a list of all your monthly expenses, according to categories. Make also
a list of irregular expenses-those that don't come monthly. Set up another
savings account for these expenses and put in a little money each month. To
differentiate this from the savings account, we call ours "freedom account"
because it frees us from worrying about them when they suddenly attack. And
stick to your budget!

ONE LAST WORD BEFORE WE CLOSE
Balance.
Don't take living simply to the extremes! Living simply doesn't mean living
in deprivation. There are special days when my wife and I eat in a fancy
restaurant. Or, when we splurge on a vacation. Very rare, yes, but my point
is that you take living simply NOT as a rigid goal- but as a happy process
towards the goals of generosity, inner peace and holiness

Filipino values

2005-11-29T20:25:00.000+08:00

Notwithstanding the massive influx of western ideas and influences, our people have retained much of their native values and traditions. Isang duguan (one blood, one people), bayanihan (volunteerism), pagtutulungan (helping one another), pagbibigay galang (respectfulness), kasipagan (industriousness), mapagkakatiwalaan (trustworthiness), pakikipagkapwa-tao (neighborliness), katapatan (loyalty), kusang-loob (initiative), kapatiran (brotherhood), sama-sama (all together) are some of the many values embedded in Filipino culture and history. Together, they indicate the humaneness innate in our people where kinship, family, and community ties are the core of their way of life.

Other countries have enriched our storehouse of values. The Spaniards bequeathed to us their amor propio (pride), palabra de honor (word of honor), delicadeza (sense of propriety); the Americans their "American time" (not being late for ones appointment), the Japanese their discipline and obligation; and the Chinese their entrepreneurial values.

Unfortunately, many of our people have copied the vices rather than the virtues of foreigners who came and lived with us. We took to gambling, ostentatious celebrations, among others. Dr. Jose P. Rizal highlighted these vices in his essays ("Message to the Young Women of Malolos" and "The Indolence of the Filipinos") and cited them as the reasons for the backwardness of the Filipino people. He stressed that positive values, especially respect for mans dignity and honor, make men productive.

Presidential Proclamation No. 479 declared November as Filipino Values Month. The proclamation stresses the message that positive values help a people to create their own future and preserve their freedom.

Let us cultivate positive values in our children, in our people, in ourselves. They are the key to a nations growth and progress

Tempo Editorial

GET MOTIVATED EVERY DAY

2005-11-12T16:51:00.000+08:00

Zig Ziglar was once confronted about being a "motivational speaker." The guy said to him, "You guys come and get people hyped up and then you leave and the motivation goes away. It doesn't last, and then you have to get motivated again." Zig reminded the gentleman that baths are the same way but we think it is a good idea to take a bath every day!

It is true that motivation doesn't last. We have to renew it each and every day. That is okay. It doesn't make motivation a bad thing. We simply have to realize that if we want to stay motivated over the long term, it is something we will have to apply to ourselves each and every day.

HAVE A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE.

The root word of motivation is "motive." The definition of motive is, "A reason to act." This is the cognitive or rational side of motivation. It is your vision. You have to have a vision that is big enough to motivate you. If you are making $50,000 a year, it isn't going to motivate you to set your goal at $52,000 a year. You just won't get motivated for that because the reward isn't enough. Maybe $70,000 a year would work for you. Set out a vision and a strategy for getting there. Have a plan and work the plan.

FUEL YOUR PASSION

Much of motivation is emotional. I don't know quite how it works but I do know THAT it works. Emotion is a powerful force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel your passion. "Well, I like to work on logic," you may say. Great, now work on your passion. Set yourself on a course to have a consuming desire for your goal, whatever it is. Do whatever you can to feel the emotion and use it to your advantage!

WORK HARD ENOUGH TO GET RESULTS.

You can build on your motivation by getting results. The harder you work, the more results you will get and the more results you get, the more you will be motivated to get more. These things all build on one another. If you want to lose weight, then lose the first few pounds. When the belt moves to the next notch you will get fired up to get it to the notch beyond that!

PUT GOOD MATERIALS INTO YOUR MIND.

I can't say this enough - listen to tapes. I still listen to tapes regularly. I buy tape clubs from other speakers and I learn and grow. Their successes motivate me to get my own successes! Read good books. Read books that teach you new ideas and skills. Read books that tell the stories of successful people. Buy them, read them, and get motivated! Buy great music and listen to it. I just did a spinning class at the club today. Whenever a good song came on I was actually able to get motivated to ride faster! It gets you going and motivates you!

RiDE THE MOMENTUM WHEN iT COMES.

Sometimes you will just be clicking and sometimes you won't. That is okay. It is the cycle of life. When you aren't clicking, plug away. When you are clicking, pour it on because momentum will help you get larger gains in a shorter period of time with less energy. That is the Momentum Equation! When you are feeling good about how your work is going, ride the momentum and get as much out of it as you can!

THESE ARE THE TOP SIX WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED:

Get motivated every day.
Have a vision for your life.
Fuel your passion.
Work hard enough to get results.
Put good materials into your mind.
Ride the momentum when it comes.

These are simple principles, that when you put them to work regularly, will change your life by keeping you motivated all the time! GET GOING !

By Chris Widener

===

Reality Is Something You Rise Above
(Max Stein)

You don't have to be a puppet manipulated by outside powerful forces;

you can become the powerful force yourself.

Don't make your thoughts your prison.

The obstacles you face are mental barriers

which can be broken by adopting a more positive approach.

Don't pray for tasks equal to your powers.

Pray for powers equal to your tasks.

You are bigger then anything that can happen to you.

This is where you will win the battle, in the playhouse of your mind.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.

Courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined.

You are more important than your problems.

===

There's only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give
everything."

...Vince Lombardi, football coach

You must tell yourself, "no matter how hard it is, or how hard it gets, I'm going to make it."
...Les Brown

"You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you.

If you don't have that kind of feeling for what it is you're doing, you'll stop at the first giant hurdle."

... George Lucas, Director

Speech of John Gokongwei before Ateneo 2004 Graduates

2005-11-12T16:47:00.000+08:00

I wish I were one of you today, instead of a 77-year-old man, giving a speech you will probably forget when you wake up from your hangover tomorrow.

You may be surprised I feel this way. Many of you are feeling fearful and apprehensive about your future.

You are thinking that, perhaps, your Ateneo diploma will not mean a whole lot in the future in a country with too many problems. And you are probably right.

You are thinking that our country is slipping-no, sliding. Again, you may be right.

Twenty years ago, we were at par with countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Today, we are left way behind.

You know the facts.

Twenty years ago, the per capita income of the Filipino was 1,000 US dollars. Today, it's 1,100 dollars. That's a growth of only ten percent in twenty years. Meanwhile, Thailand's per capita income today is double ours; Malaysia, triple ours; and Singapore, almost twenty times ours.

With globalization coming, you know it is even more urgent to wake up. Trade barriers are falling, which means we will have to compete harder.

In the n ew world, entrepreneurs will be forced to invest their money where it is most efficient. And that is not necessarily in the Philippines. Even for Filipino entrepreneurs, that can be the case.

For example, a Filipino brand like Maxx candy can be manufactured in Bangkok-where labor, taxes, power and financing are cheaper and more efficient-and then exported to other ASEAN countries.

This will be a common scenario-if things do not change.

Pretty soon, we will become a nation that buys everything and produces practically nothing. We will be like the prodigal son who took his father's money and spent it all. The difference is that we do not have a generous father to run back to.

But despite this, I am still very excited about the future. I will tell you why later.

You have been taught at the Ateneo to be "a person for others." Of course, that is noble: To serve your countrymen.

Question is: How?

And my answer is: Be an entrepreneur!

You may think I am just a foolish man talking mundane stuff when the question before him is almost philosophical. But I am being very thoughtful here, and if I may presume this about myself, being patriotic as well.

Entrepreneurship is the answer.

We need young people who will find the idea, grab the opportunity, take risk, and set aside comfort to set up businesses that will provide jobs.

But why? What are jobs?

Jobs are what allow people to feel useful and build their self-esteem. Jobs make people productive members of the community. Jobs make people feel they are worthy citizens. And jobs make a country worthy players in the world market.

In that order of things, it is the entrepreneurs who have the power to harness the creativity and talents of others to achieve a common good. This should leave the world a better place than it was.

Let me make it clear: Job creation is a priority for any nation to move forward.

For example, it is the young entrepreneurs of Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore who created the dynamic businesses that have propelled their countries to the top. Young people like yourselves.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, progress is slow. Very little is new. Hardly anything is fresh With a few exceptions, the biggest companies before the war-like PLDT, Ayala, and San Miguel-arestill the biggest companies today.

All right, being from the Ateneo, many of you probably have offers from these corporations already. You may even have offers from JG Summit.

I say: Great! Take these offers, work as hard as you can, learn everything these companies can teach-and then leave!

If you dream of creating something great, do not let a 9-to-5 job-even a high-paying one-lull you into a complacent, comfortable life that high-paying jobpropel you toward entrepreneurship instead.

When I speak of the hardship ahead, I do not mean to be skeptical but realistic.

Even you Ateneans, who are famous for your eloquence, you cannot talk your way out of this one. There is nothing to do but to deal with it.

I learned this lesson when, as a 13-year-old, I lost my dad.

Before that, I was like many of you: a privileged kid. I went to Cebu's best school; lived in a big house; and got free entrance to the Vision, the largest movie house in Cebu, which my father owned.

Then my dad died, and I lost all these. My family had become poor-poor enough to split my family. My mother and five siblings moved to China where the cost of living was lower. I was placed under the care of my Grand Uncle Manuel Gotianuy, who put me through school. But just two years later, the war broke out, and even my Uncle Manuel could no longer see me through.

I was out in the streets-literally.

Looking back, this time was one of the best times of > >my life. We lost everything, true, but so did everybody! War was the great equalizer. In that setting, anyone who was willing to size up the situation, use his wits, and work hard, could make it!

It was every man for himself, and I had to find a way to support myself and my family. I decided to be a market vendor.

Why?

Because it was something that I, a 15-year-old boy in short pants, could do.

I started by selling simple products in the palengke half an hour by bike from the city. I had a bicycle. I would wake up at five in the morning, load thread, soap and candles into my bike, and rush to the palengke.

I would rent a stall for one peso a day, lay out my goods on a table as big as this podium, and begin selling. I did th at the whole day.

I sold about twenty pesos of goods every day. Today, twenty pesos will only allow you to send twenty text messages to your crush, but 63 years ago, it was enough to support my family. And it left me enough to plow back into my small, but growing, business.

I was the youngest vendor in the palengke, but that didn't faze me. In fact, I rather saw it as an opportunity. Remember, that was 63 years and 100 pounds ago, so I could move faster, stay under the sun more, and keep selling longer than everyone else.

Then, when I had enough money and more confidence, I decided to travel to Manila from Cebu to sell all kinds of goods like rubber tires.

Instead of my bike, I now traveled on a batel-a boat so small that on windless days, we would just float there. On bad days, the trip could take two weeks!

During one trip, our batel sank! We would have all perished in the sea were it not for my inventory of tires. The viajeros were happy because my tires saved their lives, and I was happy because the viajeros, by hanging on to them, saved my tires. On these long and lonely trips I had to entertain myself with books, like Gone With The Wind.

After the war, I had saved up 50,000 pes os. That was when you could buy a chicken for 20 centavos and a car for 2,000 pesos. I was 19 years old.

Now I had enough money to bring my family home from China. Once they were all here, they helped me expand our trading business to include imports. Remember that the war had left the Philippines with very few goods. So we imported whatever was needed and imported them from everywhere-including used clothes and textile remnant s from the United States. We were probably the first ukay-ukay dealers here.

Then, when I had gained more experience and built my reputation, I borrowed money from the bank and got into manufacturing. I saw that coffee was abundant, and Nescafe of Nestle was too expensive for a country still rebuilding from the war, so my company created Blend 45.

That was our first branded hit. And from there, we had enough profits to launch Jack and Jill.

From one market stall, we are now in nine core businesses-including retail, real estate, publishing, petrochemicals, textiles, banking, food manufacturing, Cebu Pacific Air and Sun Cellular.

When we had shown success in the smaller businesses, we were able to raise money in the capital markets-through IPOs and bond offerings-- and then get into more complex, capital-intensive enterprises. We did it slow, but sure.

Success doesn't happen overnight. It's the small successes achieved day by day that build a company. So, don't be impatient or focused on immediate financial rewards. I only started flying business class when I got too fat to fit in the economy seats.

And I even wore a used overcoat while courting my wife-it came from my ukay-uka y business. Thank God Elizabeth didn't mind the mothball smell of my overcoat or maybe she wouldn't have married me.

Save what you earn and plow it back.

And never forget your families! Your parents denied themselves many things to send you here. They could have traveled around the world a couple of times with the money they set aside for your education, and your social life, and your comforts.

Remember them-and thank them.

When you have families of your own, you must be home with them for at least one meal everyday.

I did that while I was building my company. Now, with all my six children married, I ask that we spend every Sunday lunch together, when everything under the sun is discussed.

As it is with business, so it is with family. There are no short cuts for building either one.

Remember, no short cuts.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola, your patron saint, and founder of this 450-year old organization I admire, described an ideal Jesuit as one who "lives with one foot raised." I believe that means someone who is always ready to respond to opportunities.

Saint Ignatius knew that, to build a successful organization, he needed to recruit and educate men who were not afraid of change but were in fact excited by it.

In fact, the Jesuits were one of the earliest practitioners of globalization. As early a s the 16th century, upon reaching a foreign country, they compiled dictionaries in local languages like Tamil and Vietnamese so that they could spread their message in the local language. In a few centuries, they have been able to spread their mission in many countries through education.

The Jesuits have another quote. "Make the whole world your house" which means that the ideal Jesuit must be at home everywhere. By adapting to change, but at the same time staying true to their beliefs, the Society of Jesus has become the long-lasting and successful organization it is today and has made the world their house.

So, let live with one foot raise d in facing the next big opportunity: globalization.

Globalization can be your greatest enemy. It will be your downfall if you are too afraid and too weak to fight it out. But it can also be your biggest ally.

With the Asian Free Trade agreement and tariffs near zero, your market has grown from 80 million Filipinos to half a billion Southeast Asians.

Imagine what that means to you as an entrepreneur if you are able to find a need and fill it. And imagine, too, what that will do for the economy of our country!

Yes, our government may not be perfect, and our economic environment not ideal, but true entrepreneurs will find opportunities anywhere.

Look at the young Filipino entrepreneurs who made it. When I say young-and I'm 77, remember-I am talking about those in their 50s and below. Tony Tan of Jollibee, Ben Chan of Bench, Rolando Hortaleza ofSplash, and Wilson Lim of Abensons.

They're the guys who weren't content with the 9-to-5 job, who were willing to delay their gratification and comfort, and who created something new, something fresh.

Something Filipinos are now very proud of.

They all started small but now sell their hamburgers, T-shirts and cosmetics in Asia, America, and the Middle East.

In doing so, these young Filipino entrepreneurs created jobs while doing something they were passionate about.

Globalization is an opportunity of a lifetime-for you. And that is why I want to be out there with you instead of here behind this podium-perhaps too old and too slow to seize the opportunities you can.

Let me leave you with one last thought.

Trade barriers have fallen. The only barriers left are the barriers you have in your mind.

So, Ateneans, Class of 2004, heed the call of entrepreneurship.

With a little bit of will and a little bit of imagination, you can turn this crisis into your patriotic moment-and truly become a person for others.

"Live with one foot raised and make the world your house."

To this great University, my sincerest thanks for this singular honor conferred on me today.

To the graduates, congratulations and Godspeed.

"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam".

Thank you.

"Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance." Sam Jackson

2005-11-10T19:34:00.000+08:00

There is no law that says you HAVE to do good for others.
Those who choose to, do good because that's the kind of person they are!

"Ever tried?
Ever failed?
No matter.
Try Again.
Fail again.
Fail better."
--Samuel Beckett

===

When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win.

--- Ed Macauley
===

"Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have."
--H. Jackson Brown Jr

One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.
--Euripides, 484-406 B.C., Greek Tragic Dramatist

===

We didn't lose the game; we just ran out of time.
--Vince Lombardi, 1913-1970, Hall of Fame American Football Coach

===

GREAT Truth....

"Nothing is so exhausting as indecision, and nothing is so futile."

-- Bertrand Russell, philosopher and Nobel Laureate

Questions to Ponder

What decisions face me today?

Am I committed to making them?

If not, why not?

===

GREAT Mini-Lessons...

** Time management is the central skill of success.
Your ability to manage your time, to focus and channel your energies on your highest value tasks, will determine your rewards and your level of accomplishment in life more than any other factor.

** Learn From The Experts
If you want to be a big success in any area, find out what other successful people in that area are doing, and do the same things, until you get the same results.

**The key to happiness and success is to have a dream.

**All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.

**You always pass failure on the way to success.

===

Just for Fun...

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.

The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."

The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

===

GREAT Thought...

DON'T LET GO OF YOUR DREAMS...
by Catherine Pulsifer

Don't let go of your dreams.
If you have determination and belief in your dreams, you will succeed in spite of your desire to let go.

One notable person who demonstrated this attitude was Washington Roebling. He and his father had a dream of building a suspension bridge.

Not long after starting construction, his father died.

Washington carried on but was struck with the paralyzing caisson disease.

It was impossible for him to go to the site.

But possessed with a dream, a strong desire, and with the help of his wife, Emily, he was able to complete the Brooklyn Bridge.

This story has many themes in it:
determination; your dreams; and choice.

Here was a man who suffered the death of his father and became paralyzed; yet, because he was determined he did not give up on his dreams!

In every situation we have a choice.

We can either choose the negative or we can choose the positive --- the choice is ours.

In Washington's situation he could have felt sorry for himself and gave up on his project. He chose, however, to continue with the help of others.

In situations you are confronted with which do you choose:
the positive or the negative?

TEN SIMPLE RULES FOR A BETTER LIFE

Be a good person. Try to be a kinder, gentler, better, nicer person. Treat others with respect. Be polite. Obey the rules.

Help others. It is not about you. Nowhere is it written that you must be perfect in order to help others.

Pay yourself first. Save and invest at least 10% of your gross annual income. Your income makes everything else possible. Make sure that you have adequate disability, medical, and life insurance.

Be honest and candid. Trust is the single most important factor in relationships. Be honest and trustworthy. Do what you say you will do.

Learn from the past and move on. You cannot change the past. If you have made mistakes, admit them and apologize if you have hurt others. Learn from your mistakes and get on with your life.

Enjoy life. Laugh a lot. Life is difficult, hard, and unfair. Life is also happy, satisfying, and full of joy. Choose to focus on the good things in life. He who laughs ... lasts.

Simplify. Eliminate the unnecessary and the unimportant. Focus on the necessary and the important. Know the difference.

Be positive. Maintain a positive, can-do attitude. No one likes to be around negative people. Expect success. The best is yet to come. Every problem is an opportunity.

Work harder and smarter. Working harder is working smarter, however you can only work harder up to a point. Someone making $200,000 is probably not working ten times harder than someone making $20,000, but they probably are working smarter. Focus on doing what you do best and delegate or don't do the rest.

Focus on first things first. Decide what's really important to you and do it. Develop a master list of goals, projects, things to do, priorities, and deadlines. Ask yourself frequently, "What is my #1 priority right now?" Focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. Finish what you start.

Dogs are wise.
They crawl away into a quiet corner and lick their wounds and do not rejoin the world until they are whole once more.

--Agatha Christie, Author

"If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances." --Julia Soul

Life is not about feeling comfortable all the time. The point is NOT to always avoid doubt, uncertainty and uneasiness. Sometimes we all need a reminder that life is an extraordinary adventure full of risks, chances, opportunities and challenges.

"Improve relationships with others by assuming that they can hear everythin you say about them." ~ Stephen R. Covey

To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven
constitutes perfect virtue...
gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

-- Confucius (551-479 BC) Chinese Philosopher

========================

"Kyle"

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd." I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives."

He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to a private school before.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!"

He just laughed and handed me half the books. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.

When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was
valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd.

He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys who really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more
dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous.

Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"

He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings,
maybe a coach... but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give him or her. I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Always look for God in others.

One Day, One Person
by John Bennett

My elementary and junior high school years were difficult. My parents divorced when I was ten years old, my brother was nine, and my sister was five. Home life was not easy.

Although school could have been a place to get away from the unhappiness at home, it was often worse. I had some friends, but I also had enemies for no apparent reason. Starting in fourth grade, they chased me after school and tried to beat me up. I had to run home almost daily.

In our last year at that school, I was relieved -- until I learned that all of us would go to the same junior high school.

Seventh grade was farther from home, yet not far enough for me to take the bus. I ran the mile or so home every day. Often, I'm sure there weren't any bullies waiting for me, but I didn't want to take any chances.

In the cafeteria, I chose tables with only a few kids. We didn't talk much to each other; they probably had the same problems I did. Everyone at the table seemed a little scared. I was worried every day, even sitting in the cafeteria where some of my foes were.

One day, one person changed the rest of my life. He was very popular, with lots of friends at school. He hung out with other kids I knew by name, who knew me, but we didn't socialize much. They just hadn't paid any attention to me. "Bill" came up to me and said, "John, why don't you
come over and sit with us at our table?"

I couldn't believe my ears. There was no reason for Bill to risk his popularity by inviting me to join his friends. I was nervous, even scared, but I said OK and went to sit down at his table. It was packed end to end, with about fifteen kids.

Those kids quickly became some of my best friends. I don't remember if I had fun the first day, the third, or the thirtieth -- but it was finally OK. I started walking home with some of my new friends and no longer had to run.

From then through high school, I was able to gain some self-respect. I became outgoing and confident, and made friends myself. I now own a home and business, and have a fulfilling social life.

That all began when Bill asked me to join his table, where I met friends I still have 23 years later. I have never forgotten Bill's kindness. He wasn't obligated to include me, and may not even realize what an impact he had.

I now watch out for other people who might be the same as I was that day. They might be alone, nervous or scared. I learned that simple acts can have large impacts, and I know that one person can change in one day.

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. - Confucius

2005-11-04T08:28:00.000+08:00

THE TIME TO LIGHTEN OUR LOADS. The heaviest thing that we will ever carry, and the thing that we have the most difficulty in putting down, is when we carry a grudge.

"Happiness is what happens to us when we try to make someone else happy."

You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.

Remember these simple rules to be happy: Live simply. Give more. Expect less. Free your heart from hatred and your mind from worries.

Being considerate of others will take your children further in life than any college degree

"There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering."-- Theodore Roosevelt

Last night I looked up at the stars and matched each one with a reason why I love you. I was doing great, but then I ran out of stars.

Love is the one gift that you can give again, again, and again.

Customer service is not a cost, it is an Investment

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

"The greatest thing in family life is to take a hint when a hint is intended -and not to take a hint when a hint isn't intended." -- Robert Lee Frost

What happens if we train our people, and they leave? According to my friend Zig Ziglar, the correct question to ask is, What happens if we don't train our people, and they stay? Training is an investment: Invest - It will pay rich dividends

There is no law that says you HAVE to do good for others. Those who choose to, do good because they are "Difference Makers"!

An star player treats his misses simply as practice shots. Like an inventor who treats his failures like plain experiments.

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."

"It's our PEOPLE's ATTITUDES that Make the Difference"

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."

There's no scarcity of opportunïty to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen. -- Wayne Dyer

"The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money."

In order for you to do something you've never done, you have to be someone you've never been."

There is no shame when you try and fail; there is only shame when you fail to try.

Forget mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.

Live every day as if it were your last. Do every job as if you were the boss. Drive as if all other vehicles were police cars. Treat everybody else as if he were you.

An intelligent person doesn't have to have all the answers; he just knows where to go to get them.

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow"."

Teamwork does not consist of gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.

Stress is an untransformed opportunity for empowerment

When we accept tough jobs as a challenge to our ability and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen.

Either I will find a way, or I will make one. -- Sir Philip Sidney

There are situations when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength than to act

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."

The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

Do not condemn the judgment of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

The right time to show your good character is when you are pestered by somebody weaker than you. --Buddha

There is no such whetstone, to sharpen a good wit and encourage a will to learning, as is praise.

Wealth amounts in not having great possessions but in having few wants

Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

No matter how long or hard the task ahead, if you break it down into a series of smaller steps (rather than looking at the entire chunk), it will go much easier and NEVER watch the clock while at work, the day lasts forever.

You might have a hundred tomorrows but only one today. Make it your best day. Do a good turn today.

Never apologIze for showing feeling, when you do so, you apologize for the truth

The world is good-natured to people who are good natured. -- William Makepeace

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can do only a little. Do what you can."

Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there. -- Josh Billings

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand

To those who need encouragement, remember this: Beware of quitting too soon. Dr. Suess' first children's book was rejected by 23 publishers. The 24th publisher sold 6 million copies.--Ann Landers

People who soar are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change.

Build this day on a foundation of pleasant thoughts. Never fret at any imperfections that you fear may impede your progress. Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that you are a creature of God and have the power to achieve any dream by lifting up your thoughts.

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going."

Expect the Unexpected. When the tide of life surrounds you and the water upsets your boat, Don't waste your tears on what might have been, Just lie on your back and float.

The indispensible first step to getting the things you want out of life is to decide what you want

It's easier to know what you don't want than know what you want

Silent gratitude isn’t much good to anyone

The heart and the gut holds the answers that the brain refuses to see

If you only strive to be average, don’t forget the average person is dead and forgotten

"If you're constantly in the neighborhood of good things, good things will
happen to you."

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." -- Martin Luther King

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. - H.H. the Dalai Lama

We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you."

Don't wait. The time will never be just right

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world

"In the best institutions, promises are kept, no matter what the cost in agony and overtime."

"When I look back on all the worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which never happened."-- Sir Winston Churchill

The Power Of Choice is Real. We can . . .

Choose to LOVE--rather than hate.
Choose to SMILE--rather than frown.
Choose to BUILD--rather than destroy.
Choose to PERSEVERE--rather than quit.
Choose to PRAISE--rather than gossip.
Choose to HEAL--rather than wound.
Choose to GIVE--rather than grasp.
Choose to ACT--rather than delay.
Choose to PRAY--rather than despair.
Choose to FORGIVE--rather than curse.

Each day brings a new opportunity to choose.
What kind of choices will you make today

Good Manners Are Key to Your Success

by L. Ron Hubbard

Do you like people who are rude to you? Do you mind if someone interrupts you? Are you happy when people ignore you?

Of course not. No one likes bad manners.

People with bad manners are rejected. They do not get the good jobs or the promotions. Their businesses do not succeed.

People with good manners are accepted. They are liked and supported. They have the friends, the luck and the success.

"In a culture, manners are the lubrication that ease the frictions of social contacts." -- L. Ron Hubbard

When you improve your social conduct, you improve your chances for success.
You earn the support, respect and popularity you need to succeed.

12 Examples of Good Manners

Good manners vary from one culture to another. The following examples apply to most circumstances.

1. Be polite to everyone you meet. You will never regret being too polite, but you might regret being rude. For example, when you go on a sales call or job interview, be courteous to receptionists and assistants as they can affect your chances of succeeding.

2. Use the magic words as often as possible: "Please," "Excuse me," "Sorry" and "Thank you."

3. Use good manners in all communications. Examples:
* Return telephone and e-mail messages within 24 hours.
* Do not use swear words or vulgar words.
* If you receive a rude message, do not respond until you can be polite.
* Do not interrupt people.
* Make sure people are ready to listen to you before you start talking.
* Talk less than 50% of the time.

4. Leave generous tips for food servers, luggage handlers, auto valets, hairdressers or barbers who do their jobs.

5. Use good manners as a driver. Weaving in and out of heavy traffic and cutting in front of other cars only gains you a few seconds of time. If you are courteous, patient and calm, you arrive safely and more relaxed.

6. Do not blow your nose, use toothpicks or perform other bodily activities in front of guests or people you respect. Never smoke around a non-smoker.

7. Show your appreciation at every opportunity, even for small things. "Thank you for returning my call." "Your advice has been very helpful." "I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me."

8. Arrive early for appointments. When you arrive late, you appear to be disrespectful, disorganized or both.

9. A good sense of humor is good manners. However, avoid all jokes about race, disability, sex and so on. Tell jokes about yourself or pass on humorous stories that anyone would enjoy.

10. If someone treats you with bad manners, do not lower yourself to the same level. Smooth out the friction with your best manners. For example, when one politician publicly criticizes another, the smarter politician is polite. For example, "Senator, I respect you too much to respond to that."

11. Before starting important conversations, meals or meetings, turn off your cell phone. Ignoring people while you chat on your cell phone is disrespectful. You can probably leave your cell phone off for hours with no lasting harm.

12. Do not try to show off or prove you are more important than others. This is called "one-upmanship" and is poor manners.

=================
THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO

One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality...
I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.

But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said.

"In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. "I would not quit." He said.

"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 month later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It has spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots"

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

Friend, the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

And the only way to do great work is to love what you do."

=======================
7 Destructive Habits of Incompetent People
by Michael Lee

WARNING !!!

If you want to have a fantastic life, never engage yourself in these 7 deadly habits....

NUMBER 1 - They Think, Say, & Do Negative Things.

Yup. They see problems in every opportunity.

They complain that the sun is too hot. They curse the rain for ruining their plans for the day. They blame the wind for ruining their hair.

They think that everyone is against them. They see the problems but never the solutions.

Every little bit of difficulty is exaggerated to the point of tragedy. They regard failures as catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead of learning from their mistakes.

They never seem to move forward because they're always afraid to come out of their comfort zones.

NUMBER 2 - They Act Before They Think.

They move based on instinst or impulse. If they see something they like, they buy at once without any second thought.

Then they see something better. They regret & curse for not able to take advantage of the bargain.

Then they spend & spend again until nothing's left. They don't think about the future. What they're after is the pleasure they will experience at present.

They don't think about the consequenses. Those who engage in unsafe sex, criminality, and the like are included in this group.

NUMBER 3 - They Talk Much More Than They Listen

They want to be the star of the show. So they always engage in talks that would make them heroes, even to the point of lying.

Oftentimes they are not aware that what they're saying is not sensible anymore.

When other people advise them, they close their ears because they're too proud to admit their mistakes.

In their mind they're always correct. They reject suggestions because that will make them feel inferior.

NUMBER 4 - They Give Up Easily

Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to success.

Incompetent ones call it quits upon recognizing the first signs of failure.

At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor. But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially when they encounter errors.

Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same results. Incompetent people don't have the persistence to go on and fulfill their dreams.

NUMBER 5 - They Try to Bring Others Down To Their Level

Incompetent people envy other successful individuals. Instead of working hard to be like them, these incompetent ones spread rumors and try every dirty trick to bring them down.

They could've asked these successful ones nicely. But no, they're too proud. They don't want to ask advise. Moreover, they're too negative to accomplish anything.

NUMBER 6 - They Waste Their Time

They don't know what to do next. They may just be contented on eating, getting drunk, watching TV, or worse, staring at the blank wall with no thoughts whatsoever to improve their lives.

It's perfectly fine to enjoy once in a while. But time should be managed efficiently in order to succeed. There should be a proper balance between work & pleasure.

NUMBER 7 - They Take the Easy Way Out

If there are two roads to choose from, incompetent people would choose the wider road with less rewards than the narrower road with much better rewards at the end.

They don't want any suffering or hardship. They want a good life.

What these people don't know is that what you reap is what you sow. Efforts & action will not go unnoticed.

If only they would be willing to sacrifice a little, they would be much better off.

Successful people made it through trials & error. They never give up. They are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what they aspire for in life.

===
The Filling Station ~ A Christmas Primer

The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. He had no decorations, no tree, no lights. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. There were no children in his life. His wife had gone.

He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through. Instead of throwing the man out, George, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the space heater and warm-up.

"Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy. I'll just go."

"Not without something hot in your belly," George turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew. Made it myself. When you're done there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said.

There in the driveway was an old 53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked.

"Mister can you help me!" said the driver with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."

George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold; the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.

"But mister. Please help...."The door of the office closed behind George as he went in. George went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building and opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting.

Here, you can borrow my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."

George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. George turned and walked back inside the office.

"Glad I loaned'em the truck. Their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new tires........" George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The thermos was on the desk, empty with a used coffee cup beside it.

"Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought. George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator.

"Well, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on. "Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car.

As he was working he heard a shot being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Help me." George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention.

"Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The laundry company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound.

"Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease. "Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills.

"You hang in there. I'm going to get you an ambulance." George said, but the phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your police car."

He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio. He went back in to find the policeman sitting up.

"Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."

George sat down beside him. "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."

George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked.

"None for me," said the officer.

"Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city." Then George added: "Too bad I ain't got no donuts."

The officer laughed and winced at the same time. The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun.

"Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.

"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.

"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George. "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."

The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!" The cop was reaching for his gun.

"Put that thing away," George said to the cop. "We got one too many in here now."

He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need the money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."

George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry.

"I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job. My rent is due. My car got repossessed last week..."

George handed the gun to the cop. "Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can."

He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Being stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."

The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer."

"Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.

George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn.

"Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.

"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"

"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread. Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man.

Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just
dropped his gun and ran."

George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other. "That guy works here," the wounded cop continued.

"Yep," George said. "Just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."

The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?"

Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas, boy. And you too, George, and thanks for everything."

"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems." George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box.

"Here you go. Something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."

The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."

"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."

George reached into the box again. A toy airplane, a racing car and a little metal truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."

The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier. "And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that, too. Count it as part of your first week's pay." George said. "Now git home to your family."

The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."

"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after."

George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left."

"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"

"Well, after my wife passed away I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was getting a little chubby."

The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor.

The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will become a rich man and share his wealth with many people.

That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."

George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.

"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again." The stranger moved toward the door.

"If you will excuse me, George, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."

George watched as the man's old leather jacket and his torn pants turned into a white robe. A golden light began to fill the room.

"You see, George, it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."

- Author Unknown

===

To be more optimistic in your daily life, try these six strategies.

1. Be on the lookout for negative thoughts. When you catch yourself thinking your life is terrible, stop the thought in its track.
2. Put things in perspective. Remember, everyone’s life is full of sorrows and joys.
3. Try to find the good in bad situations. If you’ve suffered a setback at work, for example, look at what the situation tells you about yourself and learn from it. But don’t dwell on it.
4. Learn from your mistakes. Failure is one of the greatest learning tools, but many people let failure defeat them. Learn and try again.
5. Even if you’re feeling down, act as if your mood is good. Smile at others. Laugh. After a while, you may find that your mood really does improve.
6. Be grateful. Gratitude can help you focus on what’s right in your life.

Pat attention to how your view of life may be bringing you down. Whit practice, you’ll be able to replace your negative thoughts with more positive ones.

Before you can inspire with emotion, you must be swamped with it yourself.
Before you can move their tears, your own must flow.
To convince them, you must yourself believe

Resume Tip

Employers make snap judgments when glancing at your resume. If they see unrelated job titles or skills the likelihood is very high that they will make an immediate assumption that you are not qualified for the job you want. Adding to this problem is the fact that employers don't have the time to read through each of your job descriptions to determine if you have the skills they need. You Must Do That For Them! The design of your resume must highlight the most important information about your work experience, skills and education. At first glance this information forms the image that employers have of your skills and abilities.

How to Be Lucky

Many people are looking for luck. In fact, "luck" is a very popular Internet word search.

As you may have already worked out for yourself, you make your own luck. You control your future.

An easy way to make your own luck is to just make up your mind.

L. Ron Hubbard wrote;
"We used to talk about 'breaks' in the writing business all the time, youknow. And I just haven't had any good breaks lately.

"So I said, 'Well, that's just a matter of making up your mind to have some good breaks.'"

"So I made up my mind to have some good breaks. In the ensuing week I sold a movie and had a heck of a lot of other things happen, all of which were unexpected."

Recommendations

1. Make up your mind that you are going to be lucky. Decide that you will have some good breaks and that everything will now go your way.

2. Write down how you will be lucky this week. What good things could happen to you this week? Truly decide that these things will happen. Expect success.

=====================

I love baseball.

I love going to a game alone, with friends or watching it on TV. I can talk baseball for hours or even reading about it is interesting for me. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I play on a softball team. I am a decent fielder; however, I take tremendous pride in my hitting. The season before last there was only one at bat that I did not get on base. In other words, I either received a walk or made a hit 29 out of 30 at bats. At the risk of sounding boastful that is an extremely impressive statistic!

However, as sometimes occurs in every aspect of life, I went into a slump the very next season. During this season, I went 6 consecutive at bats without a hit or a walk. I even struck out once swinging! It was very frustrating for me. I quickly became the worst hitter on the team. I was embarrassed and didn't know what to do and then I remembered Ernie Banks....

Ernie played baseball in the 1950s and he lightened his bat by 3 ounces. He went from hitting 19 homes runs to 45 home runs all because of 3 ounces! So I took a cue from Ernie Banks and last season I lightened my bat by 3 ounces. It was AMAZING! I began clobbering the ball all over the field. I finished the season on a hitting tear.

How much is 3 ounces? Very little... but a lot!

Is your life in a slump? If it is, my guess is not because you need a major overhaul. Ninety-five percent of the time, dramatic changes can be seen with just minor tweaking. The difference between $50,000 and $500,000 a year may be the result of minor improvements.

If you are not getting your desired result...ask yourself, 'Is there anything that I can change just a little in my daily routine to see dramatic results?' Perhaps, a 20 minute daily workout, better time management reading a book a week or some other idea.

Sometimes a small change is all that it takes. You may be surprised how much 3 ounces is!

=======================

THANK YOU
By Oprah Winfrey

I live in the space of thankfulness - and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. I started giving thanks for small things,and the more thankful I became, the more my bounty increased.

That's because what you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.

"Say thank you!" Those words from my friend and mentor Maya Angelou turned my life around. One day about ten years ago, I was sitting in my bathroom with the door closed and the toilet lid down, booing and ahooing on the phone so uncontrollably that I was incoherent. "Stop it! Stop it right now and say thank you!" Maya chided. "But - you don't understand," I sobbed. To this day, I can't remember what it was that had me so far gone, which only proves the point Maya was trying to make. "I do understand," she told me. "I want to hear you say it now. Out loud. 'Thank you.' "Tentatively, I repeated it:

"Thank you - but what am I saying thank you for?"

"You're saying thank you," Maya said, "because your faith is so strong that you don't doubt that whatever the problem, you'll get through it. You're saying thank you because you know that even in the eye of the storm, God has put a rainbow in the clouds. You're saying thank you because you know there's no problem created that can compare to the Creator of all things. Say thank you!"

So I did - and still do. Only now I do it every day.

I kept a gratitude journal listing at least five things that I'm grateful for. My list includes small pleasures: the feel of Kentucky bluegrass under my feet (like damp silk); a walk in the woods with all nine of my dogs and my cocker spaniel Sophie trying to keep up; cooking fried green tomatoes with Stedman and eating them while they're hot; reading a good book and knowing another awaits.

My thank-you list also includes things too important to take for granted: an "okay" mammogram, friends who love me, 15 years at the same job (and loving it more than the first day I started), a chance to share my vision for a better life, staying centered, having financial security. I won't kid you, having money for all the things I want is a blessing. But as I look back over my journals, which I've kept since I was 15 years old, 99 per cent of what brought me real joy had nothing to do with money . (It had a lot to do with food, however.)

It's not easy being grateful all the time. But it's when you feel least thankful that you are most in need of what gratitude can give you:
PERSPECTIVE. Just knowing you have that daily list to complete allows you to look at your day differently, with an awareness of every sweet gesture and kind thought passed your way.

When you learn to say thank you, you see the world anew. And as Meister Eckhart so eloquently stated:

"If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "Thank you", that would suffice."
===

Yes Mommy

An effective tool when working with young children is that every time you give a direction have the child respond with “Yes, Mom” or “Yes, Dad”. You teach them this method by giving your direction, without changing the inflection in your voice, when adding on the “Yes, ___” part. For example, “Sebastian, pick up your toys, say yes, Mom.” This action puts the child in a positive frame of mind, moving the child away from the oppositional part of the brain (limbic system).

=================
Columnist Art Buchwald tells the story of a day when he was riding in a cab in New York City with a friend. When they got out of the cab, the friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the ride. You did a super job of driving this cab!"

The taxi driver seemed stunned for a second and said, "Are you a wise guy or something?"

"No," said the man, "I'm serious. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic. Not many cab drivers are able to do that. I'm glad I rode in your cab today!"

"Yeah, sure," the cab driver said and he drove off.

Buchwald asked his friend, "What was that all about?"

"I am trying to bring love back to New York City," said the man. "I believe it's the only thing that can save the city."

"You think one man can save New York City?"

It's not one man," said the man. "I believe I have made that taxi driver's day. Suppose he has twenty fares. He's going to be nice to those twenty fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares will in turn be kinder to their employees, shopkeepers or waiters, or even their own families. Eventually, the goodwill could spread to at least a thousand people. Now that isn't bad, is it?"

"But you are depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill on to others."

"Maybe he won't," said the man. "But I might say something nice to ten different people today. If, out of ten, I can make three happy, then I can indirectly influence the attitudes of three thousand or more."

"You're some kind of a nut," said Buchwald to his friend.

"That shows how cynical you've become," said the man. "Take postal workers, for instance. The reason so many of them hate their work is because no one is telling them that they are doing a good job."

"But they aren't doing a good job."

"They're not doing a good job because they don't believe anyone cares if they do or not," replied the man.

Buchwald and his friend continued walking down the street and noticed five workmen eating their lunch. The friend stopped and said, "That's a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult and dangerous work."

The workmen looked at Buchwald's friend suspiciously.

"When will this job be finished?" the friend asked.

"June," growled one of the workmen.

"Ah, that is really impressive. You must all be very proud of what you are doing here!"

As they walked away, Buchwald said, "I still don't think you are doing any good."

"On the contrary," said the man, "when those workmen digest my words, they'll feel better about what they are doing and somehow the city will benefit."

"But you can't do this alone," said Buchwald. "You're just one man."

"But I'm not discouraged," he said. "I'm hoping to enlist others in my campaign."

They continued walking down the street.

"You just smiled at a very plain-looking woman," Buchwald said to his friend.

"Yes, I know," the man replied. "And if she's a schoolteacher, her class is going to be in for a fantastic day."

---
Application:

Most of us don't realize the impact that we can have on the world by sharing God's love one person at a time. When we do, we can set off a chain reaction that will reap huge dividends for the kingdom of God. You can make a big difference in the world with seemingly insignificant acts of kindness. Just as Jesus took a few loaves and fishes beside the sea of Galilee and fed a multitude, God is able to take the small things we do for him and perform miracles in other people's lives. Try it and see what happens!

=============

Do You Really Believe?

Elton Trueblood relates the story of a man who had the crazy idea he wanted to walk a tight-wire across Niagara Falls, pushing a wheelbarrow with a man in it.

The aspirant erected a simulated practice situation in his backyard.

Daily the determined person practiced, first with a balance bar, later without it.

Eventually, after long, arduous weeks of hard work, the "wire-walker" became very good.

At last the day arrived for the hazardous undertaking.

Neighbors and persons from the press assembled.

Looking nervously across the rushing water the stuntman said to an admiring friend, "Joe, do you believe I can do it?"

"I absolutely believe you can."

The performer looked out over the falls one more time, "Joe, do your really believe?"

"I really believe you can."

"Fine, you're my man. Get in the wheelbarrow."

=============
I'm reminded of that great 18th century founder of Methodism, John Wesley. When asked how he drew such large crowds of people to hear him preach, he responded, "I set myself on fire and they come to watch me burn!" People are drawn to enthusiasm.

=================
GREAT Lesson...

A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he died, they took over the store.

Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of the brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a customer. When he returned, the money was gone.

He asked his brother, "Did you see that dollar bill on the cash register?" His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and questioning. He would not let it alone. "Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen it!"

There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men.

They refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store. For twenty years hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their families and to the community.

Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk, "How long have you been here?"

The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said, "I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding the rails' and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came into this store from the back door and saw a dollar bill on the cash register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness."

The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged man. "Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the store?" he said. Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the store. After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment that divided them came down.

It is so often the little things - like resentments - that finally divide people. And the solution, of course, is to let them go. There is really nothing particularly profound about it. But for fulfilling and lasting relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry around bitterness and you may be surprised at how much energy you have left for building bonds with those you love.

Ask yourself:
Am I holding resentments against anyone, whom? What is this resentement costing me physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spritually? How can I let go of this resentment?
====================

THE TOP 10 PLACES to START TURNING YOUR LIFE AROUND

--by Diana Robinson

Sometimes the changes we would like to make in our lives are so far-reaching that the mere thought of them overwhelms us. We become frozen with fear and are unable to make a start. Remember, that one thing leads to another. If you start to change just one area of your life, the next will be easier, and then the next and the next. Here are ten possible places to start:

1. You as a person.
What do you like about yourself? Not like? How can you change it? (Hint, if you're not sure what needs to be changed, take a look at what you try to keep hidden from others.)

2. Your thinking.
Your unconscious takes orders from the programming you give it. Do you limit yourself? Talk negatively to yourself? Find all the reasons why not? Instead, become self-aware so that you catch your negative self-messages and refuse them. Then turn them around and make them into positives.

3. Attitude.
This is often an outward manifestation of our thinking. It is what others see. Would you want to be on the receiving end of what you offer to the rest of the world? If not, why should other people? Perhaps, instead of waiting for the world to change, you could try making the first move.

4. Associates.
Who do you spend your time with? Are they people you are proud to know? Do you justify your choice of friends by praising how non-judgmental they are, when actually they just have no standards? Are they people you would be glad to see your family or your work associates spend time with? If not, what are you getting out of the relationships? Is it time for a change?

5. Spare time.
How do you spend it? Does it enrich you or numb you? Do you use it to contribute or to consume? When did you last do something just because doing it made you feel joyous, proud, excited, and just plain GOOD?

6. Work.
Are you proud of what you do?
Do you enjoy it?
Or do you dread going to work and spend the weekdays counting the time to
the next weekend?

7. Surroundings.
Do your surroundings make you smile when you walk into a room?
Do they reflect how good you feel about yourself? Have you added flowers, frills, colors, or whatever lifts your spirit when you look at it? Or are you surrounded by piles and stacks of stuff just waiting to be sorted, folded or put away? How much energy does just thinking about this stuff take from you every day?

8. Eating habits.
Do you use food to contribute to your health and wellness or to numb yourself? Have you tried keeping a food diary for just one week? Anyone who reads, or watches TV has to know by now what is good for us. How can we disrespect ourselves by not making good use of that knowledge?

9. Exercise.
Ditto. Do you put more effort into maintaining your car or other transportation than into maintaining your body? We don't have to run a marathon or win an Olympic gold in order to work at maintaining the machine that we expect to carry us throughout our lives. There are so many ways to keep fit today that anyone can find something they can do, even if it is just(!) running up and down stairs instead of using the elevator.

10. Consumption.
As we look at the fragility of the earth, and the limited sources of what we consume, are we doing the best we can for what our grandchildren will inherit?
Or are we selfishly choosing to make our own temporary convenience more
important than the quality of future lives?

=======================

Guide to good decisions

Define the situation.
Is there a problem that needs solving, or are you looking to make improvements?
Can the decision be broken down into smaller parts?
Is there a deadline for the decision?

Consider the impact of the decision.
How long will you be affected by it?
Is it reversible?
Who else will be affected by it?

Gather information and ideas.
Be creative about where you look for information.
Seek out different perspectives.

Write down your alternatives.
Generate a list of ideas.

Evaluate each option.
Picture how alternatives would be carried out. What resources would be needed? Imagine possible outcomes. List pros and cons. Identify those that are deal makes or deal breakers. These will depend on your values. Trust your instincts.

Realize that in many situations you are not going to find the perfect answer. Once you have made a decision accept it. You may need to re-evaluate it as you go along, but don’t add stress by second-guessing yourself or by looking back.

The most important - try to make decisions when you are rested, relaxed and clearheaded.

=================

GREAT Lesson...

When the Door of Opportunity Opens... by Chris Widener

Anybody can achieve anything - do you believe that? I do. But... Those who succeed are those who walk through the door of opportunity when it swings open. That we know. But what is the secret to getting through the door of opportunity?

Being outside the door when it swings open.

As the story goes, Frank Sinatra got his big break while working as a waiter. One day, as he was waiting tables, who does he see sitting in the restaurant, but one of the biggest names in the music industry. Old Blue Eyes did the unbelievable: He cleared off a table next to the gentleman and got up on it and sang! He knew he was done at the restaurant for doing so, but how many times would this door of opportunity open up? Needless to say, the rest is history.

You've probably never heard the story about the stagehand for Kenny G who one day was in the auditorium with Kenny, just the two of them, when he started to play every song for him on the piano that was set up. Kenny didn' t even know the guy could play the piano. Guess who is now the lead keyboardist for Kenny G? You got it!

You see, you never know when the door of opportunity is going to open wide. For some, the big break comes early in life and for others later on. But for all of those who become successful, there is one key similarity: They were ready. And for every one of those who were ready, there were thousands more who weren't.

So, the principle for us is: BE READY!

Are you ready? Here are some thoughts for you to consider.

Are your skills as sharp as they could be? Are they sharp enough so when your shot comes you can perform?

Is your character deep enough to handle success? Let's face it; you don't want big success if your character won't be able to handle it.

Are you working hard to position yourself now? The job to do while waiting for the door to open is to develop your skills and your character, so as to position yourself to get through that door before it closes.

Your door will open someday. It opens for everyone. It may only open once or it may open many times. It is different for everyone and life just isn't fair that way. But everybody gets a shot. Will you be ready?

When that huge door of opportunity opens up, will you be able to walk boldly through it?

Do everything you can to be ready. Don't just sit and wish and dream. Be proactive and make sure that you are the most qualified when the door opens. Make sure that you are the hardest worker. Make sure you are the closest to the door.

When it opens - Be Ready!

Shhhhh. Do you hear that?
Hinges creaking! It is the sound of the door opening. Your door of opportunity!
Are YOU READY?

--Chris Widener

=====================

Just recently I came across this article that I thought provided an excellent message for all of us to live by.

Charlie Plumb was a jet fighter pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed. Plumb ejected and parachuted and spent six years in a P.O.W. camp.

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters from the carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied.

Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, "I guess it worked!"

Plumb assured him, "It sure did-if your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

Plumb couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, "I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform and how many times I might have passed him on the Kitty Hawk not even saying 'Good Morning'. You see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor."

Plumb thought of the many hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table carefully folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn't know.

Plumb, a lecturer now asks his audience, "Who's packing your parachute?" Everyone has someone who provides what they need to help them make it through the day.

This might be a good time to think about who packed your Parachute!

Today it might have been your spouse; yesterday it might have been a foreman or farm hand. Don't forget to show your appreciation to all those who make you look good.

"Success is largely a matter of holding on after others have let go."

2005-10-31T11:04:00.000+08:00

===========================================
"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
... Aristotle, philosopher
===========================================
GREAT Thoughts...
Morale is when your hands and feet keep on working when your head says it can't be done. One of the greatest pleasures in life is doing what people say you can't. The trouble with most of us in trying times is that we quit trying. It takes courage to stand up and speak as well as to sit down and listen.
===========================================
Give with love
Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
===========================================
"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."
...Tommy Lasorda
===========================================
If you cannot be satisfied with what you have,
you must learn to be satisfied with what you haven't.
===========================================
First a person should put his house together,

then his town, then the world.
...Rabbi Israel Salanter
===========================================
"You might well remember that nothing can bring you success but yourself." Napoleon Hill

===========================================

"Life's real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up."
===========================================
"The will to win, the desire to succeed,

the urge to reach your fullpotential...
these are the keys that will unlock

the door to personal excellence."
... Eddie Robinson
===========================================
Add Fitness to your Daily Routine.
If you find you can't devote enough time to getting in shape as you would like, there are still plenty of ways you can keep your body active while going about your normal routine. Try to use stairways instead of elevators whenever possible.If you can walk there or take a bike, let your body burn energy instead of taking your car.If you are driving, instead of wasting time looking for a good spot, park further away and walk a couple extra blocks.Turn your housework into a fitness challenge: Sweep and mop using as much energy as possible, exaggerating your arm movements. Fold your clothes and do a couple sets of squats at the same time. Whatever you're doing try and incorporate in some sort of routine that gets your muscles working and heart rate moving.And if you absolutely can't miss your favorite show on TV, try doing some sit-ups and push-ups while you watch or during commercials.
===========================================
THE ORIGIN OF TRUE WEALTH
“That gain cannot be made without some other person's loss” is an antiquated belief still held by many; if this were true, then one would need to point out those that lost WHILE we became surrounded by wealth, wealth that the world increases by the minute. We mostly create wealth, not filch it from others, as some tend to believe.
===========================================
GREAT Advice...
Be understanding to your enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.
Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.
Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with what you need yourself.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.
Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.
Be the first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be the last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.
Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.
Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you, and they may change.
Above all, be yourself.
===========================================
Inspirational Thoughts...

It is not the critic who counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause.
Who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
...Theodore Roosevelt 1858-1919, Twenty-sixth President of the USA
===========================================
Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected.

...William Safire, Columnist
===========================================
Unnecessary stress
In a relationship you need two things: trust and communication. If you have neither, then you don't have a relationship. You have a project that just creates unnecessary stress.
===========================================
Learning from failure
You've failed many times, although you don't remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim. . . . Don't worry about failure. . . . Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.-- Sherman Finesilver, US District Court Judge
===========================================
Muscle building golden rules
When lifting weights always select the right amount of weight, typically you should be able to handle the load for ten to twelve repetitions. Working your muscles that many times build them, lifting something heavy a few times just makes it tired. As a rule if you are not able to lift a weight at least six times is too heavy, if you lift it more than twelve times increase the weight or you are not progressing. Always take 1 minute breaks in between sets. Start with 1 or two sets of the same exercise and grow from there, remember never exercise the same muscles in subsequent days.
===========================================
"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven't planted." David Bly

Reflect on these...

2005-10-27T09:52:00.000+08:00

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.

--Jim Watkins

"When we can begin to take our failures seriously, it means we are ceasing to be afraid of them.

It is of immense importance to learn to laugh at ourselves."
--Katherine Mansfield, 1888-1923, Author

Who does nothing can do nothing wrong.
--German Proverb

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
--Beverly Sills

Paano KONTROLIN ang EMOSYON. . . [very nice...friends please read]

2005-10-27T09:49:00.000+08:00

This is a very good reminder for all of us.
HOW TO CONTROL EMOTIONS
This would give you guides on how to control your emotions towards your better-half, friends, officemates and all the people around you, especially your "boss". The rules of practicing "ugaling langit, ugaling kaaya-aya" :
#1 Ang naunang magalit ang may karapatang magalit. Pag naunahan ka na ng galit niya, tumahimik ka na lang muna.
#2 Walang taong nag-aaway mag-isa. Pag hindi kayo sumagot o pumatol, titigil din daw ang taong nakikipag- away sa inyo.
#3 Ang taong galit, 'bingi.' If someone is angry, wala raw pinakikinggan, so, don't try to explain and fight back. Hindi ka niya iintindihin dahil wala siyang naririnig kundi ang sarili nya.
#4 Ang taong galit, 'abnoy.' Ayon sa pastor, Biblical daw ito? because the Lord said when He was crucified, "Father, patawarin mo sila dahil hindi nila alam ang kanilang ginagawa." Modern term for these kinds of people are abnoys, so you better not get angry para huwag kang matawag na abnoy.
You should also know and realize that the persons who make your day bad are jewel, because you need them for you to mature. Hangga't andyan daw sila at kinaiinisan mo, ibig sabihin, immature ka pa. God will not take away those people; it's for you to take away your bad feelings towards them. You'll know na mature ka na pag dumating 'yung time na hindi ka na naiinis sa mga taong ito because you have learned to accept them and to have patience with them.
#5 Finally, the best part of this is to tell yourself na, because of this
person, "I will grow mature," and that DAHIL SA CONTRIBUTION NIYA SA
MATURITY MO, KUKUNIN DIN SYA NI LORD.

changing the way you think

2005-09-17T20:00:00.000+08:00

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform
you into a new person by changing the way you think." Romans 12:2

Do you prefer that you be right, or that you be happy?

2005-09-08T13:58:00.000+08:00

"We've got to have a dream if we are going to make a dream come true."
Denis Waitley
"The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply."

=====================

The Golden Hour
By: Brian Tracy

You become what you think about most of the time.

And the most important part of each day is what you think about at the beginning of that day.

Start Your Day Right

Take 30 minutes each morning to sit quietly and to reflect on your goals.

You'll find when you read the biographies and autobiographies of successful men and women that almost everyone of them began their upward trajectory to success when they begin getting up early in the morning and spending time with themselves.

Feed Your Mind With Positive Ideas

This is called the Golden Hour.

The first hour sets the tone for the day.

The things that you do in the first hour prepare your mind and set you up for the entire day.

During the first thirty to sixty minutes, take time to think and review your plans for the future.

Here are four things that you can do during that quiet time in the morning.

Number one is to review your plans for accomplishing your goals and change your plans if necessary.

Number two is think of better ways to accomplish your goals.

As an exercise, assume that the way you're going about it is totally wrong and imagine going about it totally differently.

What would you do different from what you're doing right now?

Number three, reflect on the valuable lessons that you have learned and are learning as you move toward your goals.

Number four, calmly visualize your goal as a reality.

Close your eyes, relax, smile, and see your goal as though it were already a reality.

Rewrite your major goals everyday in the present tense.

Rewrite them as though they already existed.

Write "I earn X dollars."

"I have a net worth of X."

"I weigh a certain number of pounds."

This exercise of writing and rewriting your goals everyday is one of themost powerful you will ever learn

==============

Relationships

"Its not living with the similarities that makes a relationship,
it’s whether you can live with the differences that Decides."

=====

This is a Test of Friendship

...a Friend does most or all of these...
(A)accepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up ! ! on you

(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over

(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life

(N)ever Judges
(O)ffer support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits

(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need to hear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you

(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains thing you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality

==============

"A good leader inspires others with confidence in him or her; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves."
-Unknown

===========

Kindness makes a fellow feel good, whether it's being done to him or by him.

-Frank A. Clark

===============

Adolescence is the age at which children stop asking questions because they know all the answers.

Author unknown

=====================

GREAT Advice on COMMITMENT...

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's the determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal- a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."
-- Mario Andretti

==============

"Commitment doesn't guarantee success, but lack of commitment guarantees you'll fall far short of your potential."
-- Denis Waitley

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested
in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other
people interested in you."
-- Dale Carnegie

"A decision is made with the brain.
A commitment is made with the heart.
Therefore, a commitment is much deeper and more binding than a decision."
-- Nido Qubein
=========

"We should have a way of telling people they have bad breath.
'Well, I'm bored...let's go brush our teeth.'

- Brad Stine

======================

Family Jokes

Dear Dad,
$chool i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply can`t think of anything I need. $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.
Love,
Your $on

The Reply:

Dear Son,

I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love,
Dad

===

CONTROL, THE EASY WAY

All we have to do to make sure that the future controls us is "nothing"

===

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."
Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

===
He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not,
but rejoices for those which he has.

--Epictetus
===

Believe you are defeated, believe it long enough, and it is likely to become a fact.
-- Norman Vincent Peale, 1898-1993, American Pastor/Speaker/Author
===
"The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started."
-- Dawson Trotman
===
Perseverance is a great element of success.
If you only knock long enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.

-- Longfellow
===
Do you prefer that you be right, or that you be happy?

-A Course in Miracles
===
Eliminate your time-wasters

In order to control you time, you have to know what you are doing with it
now.

The best way to determine this is to do an exercise that takes a maximum of a half an hour a day for 10 days.
You will not have to go on a crash diet or run three miles a day, but I guarantee that by the last day you will have grown.
You will look the same, but you will have grown (inside, of course).
The insight you gain from evaluating your time usage is what you can base you time management goals on.

Directions: Make 10 copies of this worksheet. For the next 10 days, answer questions at the end of each workday.
Be as detailed as possible. Try to state specifically how you will make the next day better.

1. What went right today? Why?

2. What went wrong today? Why?

3. What time did I start on my top priority task? Why? Could I have started earlier?

4. What patterns do I see in my time logs?

5. What part of my day was most productive? Least productive?

6. What were my three biggest time wasters today?

7. Which activities need more time? Which need less time?

8. Beginning tomorrow, what will I do to make better use of my time?

Published in "Dr. T's Timely Tips" by Dr. Tony Alessandra. Tony@Alessandra.com

===

Here are 10 ways to eliminate and prevent worry in our personal and
professional lives:

10. Focus on positive possibility."Webster's definition is "capable of happening, existing, capable of being true.

9. Embrace change.Change is happening whether you want it to or not. You are either going forward or backward, you're never staying the same. The only thing constant in this world is change. Stop worrying about it, feel the fear and do it anyway. Two great books "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway" by Susan Jeffers, "Who Moved My Cheese" by Ken Blanchard.

8. Add structure... Disorganization is the source of many worries, e.g. "I can't find it", "I'm confused", or "I don't know what to do next". Structure provides security and enhances self-confidence. For many of you structure means loss of freedom. Quite the contrary, you actually have more freedom when structure is in place. It may mean something as simple as using a daily "To-Do List" or it can be organization chart for your business to provide visible structure and useful information to everyone in the organization.

7. Get the facts... Confusion is a root cause of worry. It has been said that half the worry in the world is caused by people trying to make decisions before they have sufficient knowledge on which to base a decision. Replace time that would have been spent on worry with a search for wisdom.

6. Seek simplicity... We've all heard the term KISS (Keep It Simple Silly). Simplicity means single-ness of purpose. Simplicity creates trust. Trust eliminates worry.

5. Think, talk and act cheerfully... Author John Maxwell says, "Your attitude determines your altitude." It is very difficult to worry if you are being cheerful, saying positive words, helping others, and just being grateful for all you have.

4. Focus on purpose. Focus on your activities and your life's purpose.not on "What's going to happen if..". Your life's purpose is the WHY behind your goal. Align your goals with your personal values and life's purpose. This will cause you to focus on action and not worry. Achieving meaningful results in every aspect of your life reduces worry.

3. Exercise... Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy. Read a good book. Work out at the gym. Take a walk. Start a new project. When someone asked Winston Churchill if he was worried about his tremendous responsibilities during WWII, he replied, "I'm too busy. I have no time to worry."

2. Be a person of integrity... If you are living a life of integrity, you eliminate a source of worry. People worry about getting caught doing something bad. They don't mind being caught doing good.

1. Pray... Prayer is the number one eliminator of worry. You may be great at multi-tasking, but you'll find it impossible to pray and worry at the same time. Prayer transfers your personal and professional burdens to God. And yes, there is a God. If you have ever witnessed a birth of a baby and a close of an escrow, you know there is a God. God can handle our problems a lot better than we can. I've noticed that most people resort to prayer only after everything else has failed. Prayer actually works best when put into action before a need exists.

===

When you look fear in the face, you gain strength, courage and confidence. You stop being a coward and start succeeding.

Each time you face a fear, it gets easier. You continue to confront the fear and it eventually disappears.

When you face a fear, and act despite the fear, you have courage.

Confronting your fears not only makes you more successful, it makes you happier.

"To be happy, one only must be able to confront, which is to say, experience those things that are." -- L. Ron Hubbard

===

Cleanse the clutter!

Tired of all the junk in your life? If you often find yourself cleaning up clutter or looking for more space in the closet to shove all your stuff in, it might be time to give a wholehearted effort to cleaning all the junk that’s collected over the years. Spend a little time this weekend going through your home and you might realize that most of what fills your drawers is just taking up space. Once your living space is clutter-free and simplified you may find your mind is more relaxed and comfortable too.

Dare to aim high

2005-08-29T18:41:00.000+08:00

"Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly."

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Visit http://subicbay.ph

8 steps to boost happiness

2005-08-29T15:27:00.000+08:00

Word Alive, MB
Fr. Bel San Luis, S V D

8 steps to boost happiness

IN her article published in the February 28, 2005 issue of Time magazine, University of California psychologist Sonja Lybomirsky cites the following practical suggestions on how to lift your level of happiness:

* * *

1. Count your blessings. One way to do this is with a "gratitude journal" in which you write down three to five things for which you are thankfulfrom the mundane (your peonies are in bloom) to the magnificent (a childs first steps). Do this once a week, say, on Sunday night. Keep it fresh by varying your entries as much as possible.

* * *

2. Practice acts of kindness. These should be both random (let that harried mom go ahead of you in the check-out line) and systematic (bring Sunday supper to an elderly neighbor, visiting a sick friend). Being kind to others, whether friends or strangers, triggers a cascade of positive effects it makes you feel generous and capable, gives you a greater sense of connection with others and wins you smiles, approval and reciprocated kindness all happiness boosters.

* * *

3. Savor lifes joys. Pay close attention to momentary pleasures and wonders. Focus on the sweetness of a ripe strawberry or the warmth of the sun when you step out from the shade. Some psychologists suggest taking "mental photographs" of pleasurable moments to review in less happy times.

4. Thank a mentor. If theres someone whom you owe a debt of gratitude for guiding you at one of lifes crossroads, dont wait to express your appreciation-in detail and, if possible, in person, To turbo charge your joy, Seligman says, is to make a "gratitude visit." That means writing a testimonial thanking a teacher, pastor or grandparent anyone to whom you owe a debt of gratitude and then visiting that person to read him or her the letter of appreciation.

* * *

5. Learn to forgive. Let go of anger and resentment by writing a letter of forgiveness to a person who has hurt or wronged you. Inability to forgive is associated with persistent rumination or dwelling on revenge, while forgiving bolsters positive feelings about your past and gives you peace of mind.

6. Invest time and energy in friends and family. Where you live, how much money you make, your job title and even your health have surprisingly small effects on your satisfaction with life. The biggest factor appears to be strong personal relationships.

* * *

7. Take care of your body. Getting plenty of sleep, exercising, stretching, smiling and laughing can all enhance your mood in the short term. Practiced regularly, they can help make your daily life more satisfying.

8. Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardships. There is no avoiding hard times. Religious faith has been shown to help people cope and genuinely lifts the spirit, but so do the secular beliefs enshrined in axioms like "This too shall pass" and "That which doesnt kill me makes me stronger." The trick is that you have to believe them.

* * *

After working in the field for 25 years, Veenhoven has concluded that happiness is "how much you like the life you are living. People can live in paradise and still be unhappy because they screw up everything in their lives."

* * *

THE LIGHTER SIDE. A shapely young lady was leaving a charismatic meeting one evening when she slipped and fell, landing in a most embarrassing position with her skirt around her waist.

To save her confusion, the priest shouted out, "Anyone who does not avert his eyes will be struck blind!"

One old fellow turned to his friend and muttered, "I think Ill risk one eye!"

Visit http://subicbay.ph

An Original Volunteer is the new SBMA Administrator

2005-08-28T18:47:00.000+08:00

Volunteers are all-out in support of the President's appointment of the new SBMA Administrator Armand Areza who will replace Freddie Antonio who resigned in order to transfer to Philippine Monetary Board. Areza is one of the 8,000 original Subic Volunteers who have shown his dedication to ensure the success of Subic.

The resignation of Licuanan with some quarter's insinuation that Gordon (who is known to be close to Areza) will gain control over Subic Freeport is baseless and unfair, according to Balikatan Ladies. It is only proper for the President to appoint to a position somebody who really cares and is knowledgable of the institution.

Olongapo residents supports the President's appointment of Areza and is grateful in her recognition and appreciation of the volunteers' sacrifices.

http://subicbaynews.blogspot.com/

Visit SubicBay, Philippin es website for latest developments in Subic Bay and Olongapo City

Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page

DECISIONS:

2005-08-23T14:04:00.000+08:00

The decision
to be happy
is actually
the decision
to stop
being unhappy.

Visit http://subicbay.ph

MY BLOG MAIL ADDRESS

2005-08-22T21:12:00.000+08:00

SAVE SPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN UPLOADING WITH PICTURE, YOU CAN COPY PASTE A PICTURE IN THE WEB FOR IT TO APPER IN THE BLOG

Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page

Its recommended DAILY

2005-08-22T18:13:00.000+08:00

"People often say that motivation doesn't last.
Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."
~Zig Ziglar

Visit http://subicbay.ph

The Power of Gratitude

2005-08-22T11:27:00.000+08:00

by Michael Licenblat B.Sc. (Psych), Resilience Expert.

What you focus on is what you feel.

In the same sense...
* When you focus on the negative aspects of other people, they tend to bother you more often.
* When you focus on the negative aspects of your business/work, you tend to feel more uptight, annoyed or stressed.

It is not that people, work or life bothers us.

Rather, it is the negative aspects of people, work or life that we focus on that tend to bother us.

Becoming resilient to pressure is a choice.
How fast you bounce back from stress, pressure and burnout is a choice.

> Question: So, how do you choose to be resilient?

> Answer: By practicing gratitude

Dr. Michael McCollough and Dr. Robert Emmons say their initial scientificstudy indicates that gratitude plays a significant role in a person's sense of well-being.

They conducted the Research Project on Gratitude and Thanksgiving.
The study required several hundred people in three different groups to keep daily diaries.
The first group kept a diary of the events that occurred during the day,while the second group recorded their unpleasant experiences. The last group made a daily list of things for which they were grateful.

The results of the study indicated that daily gratitude exercises resulted in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, optimism and energy.
Additionally, the gratitude group experienced less depression and stress, was more likely to help others, exercised more regularly and made more progress toward personal goals.
According to the findings, people who feel grateful are also more likely to
feel loved.
Gratitude encouraged a positive cycle of reciprocal kindness among people since one act of gratitude encourages another.

In an experimental comparison, those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events.

So, the next time you start feeling overwhelmed by your workload, business crises, or relationship dramas, realise that you been infected by the illness known as 'accidental negative focus syndrome'.

Don't worry, the remedy is quick to apply and it is fast working :)

Action Steps:

1. Frequency of gratitude.

Make gratitude a daily practice.

Native Americans teach their children to wake up being thankful for each new day.

"be grateful you woke up that morning because thousands of people around the world, didn't!!)

Before getting out of bed each morning (or whilst in the shower), take just 30 seconds to recount 5 things that you are grateful for in your life.

It may be
* what is going right in your life
* the little things that add joy to you life
* the aspects of yourself that you enjoy and value
* the things in your life that you have accomplished - personal, physical and professional

2. Small gratitude

Start with small aspects of your life to focus your gratitude on.

If you eat cereal for breakfast, be grateful for having fresh milk in your fridge - which you didn't have to go out and milk the cow yourself for. Try being grateful for traffic - which means that you have a car. Try being grateful for bumping into rude people - which reminds you of how fortunate you are to have the type of friends you have.

Pracice an "Attitude of Grattitude" and you'll be amazed what a Difference
it'll Make!

Either I will find a way, or I will make one.

2005-08-22T11:21:00.000+08:00

-- Sir Philip Sidney, 1554-1586, English Poet/Courtier/Soldier

A politician thinks of the next election - a statesman, of the next generation.

2005-08-21T20:35:00.000+08:00

- James Freeman Clarke

Success, R W Emerson

2005-08-21T11:41:00.000+08:00

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

THE THREE KINDS OF RISKS

2005-08-19T10:22:00.000+08:00

A wise person takes the risks that are more than compensated by the likelihood of succeeding and how rich the reward. An ordinary person that takes a risk tends to focus only on the size of the reward. A fool ignores both and focuses only on personal fears and desires regardless of how unlikely the success or small the reward.

Want What I Need

2005-08-17T22:51:00.000+08:00

If I can't have what I want, let me want what I have.

HEROIC LEADERSHIP

2005-08-17T09:27:00.000+08:00

"Heroism lies in the nobility of committing to a way
of life that focuses on goals that are greater than
oneself." - Chris Lowney, HEROIC LEADERSHIP

The Six Pillars of Character

2005-08-15T11:03:00.000+08:00

The Six Pillars of Character

Trustworthiness
Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends and country

Respect
Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements

Responsibility
Do what you are supposed to do • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your choices

Fairness
Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly

Caring
Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need

Citizenship
Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment

Six Pillar Mnemonics

To help young people remember the Pillars, some educators employ these creative devices.

Color Scheme
Each of the Six Pillars is associated with a certain color.

Trustworthiness: Blue — like "True Blue"
Respect: Yellow or Gold — like the Golden Rule
Responsibility: Green — as in being responsible for a garden or finances; or as in being solid and reliable like an oak
Fairness: Orange — like dividing an orange into equal sections to share fairly with friends
Caring: Red — like a heart
Citizenship: Purple — as in the regal purple representing the state

-------------------------------------------------

TRRFCC
Use this acronym to help you remember that people with good character are terrific:
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship

RULES ABOUT TRUST

2005-08-15T10:08:00.000+08:00

I've talked about it lots of times before: The high cost of lying and deception by politicians and police, corporate executives and clergy, and even journalists, accountants and educators has weakened every major social institution.

As each of these institutions wages its separate battle to remove the cloud of suspicion and cynicism that hovers over it, there are certain truths about trust that must be understood and dealt with.

First, there is no shortcut to building trust. In fact, rebuilding trust on the rubble of lost credibility is much harder. The antidote is nothing less than scrupulous and consistent honesty -- especially when the truth is costly.

Second, where trust is important, there are no little lies. In some ways lies, however small they seem, are like germs. Without the antibody of trust they cause infections that can kill credibility.

Third, the lethal quality of lies lasts long after the lie is told. And even lies told years ago have an immediate poisonous effect on trust when they are discovered. Think of all the prominent people who have been undone by the discovery of falsehoods on old resumes.

Fourth, while honesty and forthrightness don't always seem to pay, dishonesty and concealment always cost. It's true that in some settings nothing good may come of admitting wrongdoing, but it gets a lot worse when you don't.

Fifth, lies breed other lies. It's harder to tell just one lie than to have just one potato chip. Once you start lying, it takes an ever-growing bodyguard of new lies to protect the old ones.

Finally, don't be seduced by the "fight fire with fire" excuse or all you'll end up with is the ashes of your integrity. Self-justifications aside, you can't lie to a liar or cheat a cheater without becoming a liar and a cheater.

TRUST MUST BE EARNED AND PROTECTED

2005-08-15T10:07:00.000+08:00

Every organization I work with talks freely and frequently about the importance of trust as a crucial business asset. No one seems to doubt how important trust is to business or personal relationships, and everyone seems equally aware of the tremendous costs of distrust.

Yet despite enlightened rhetoric about trust, many people in business regularly engage in conduct that undermines trust and damages credibility.

It's really quite simple: To be trusted one has to be perceived as being trustworthy. That means being scrupulously honest even on little things, and especially when one may have to pay a high price. Trustworthiness is a lot more than telling the literal truth. It requires conveying the truth. Deception through clever wording or half-truths is essentially dishonest.

Individuals and companies that really care about building and retaining trust don't rely on legalistic loopholes or take refuge in the idea that "you never asked." People worthy of our trust are forthright and candid as well as truthful. They tell us what they know we want to know, even if it's not in their self-interest. Thus, being trustworthy involves a complex trio of concepts: truthfulness, nondeception and candor, all aspects of honesty.

But it also requires integrity, promise-keeping and loyalty. We trust people who put principles above profit and who have the courage of their convictions. We don't trust those who look for and find exceptions and special circumstances justifying dishonesty.

Trust isn't attained by wishing and wanting. It must be earned by actions. And even after it's been earned, it must be continually protected. Remember, even a little lie can raise the question: "What else have you lied to me about?"

"Sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can."

2005-08-12T19:35:00.000+08:00

-- Richard Bach

Seeing opportunity

2005-08-12T13:52:00.000+08:00

The stupid sees difficulty in every opportunity;
the intelligent sees opportunity in every difficulty.

--Nahsti

S T A R T O V E R

2005-08-12T13:48:00.000+08:00

When you've trusted Jesus and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way,
start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why,
start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And now you're all alone and it's up to you,
start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren have come along,
start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill,
start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it,
start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you,
start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "The Lords' Will Done"
We need not just sit there ... START OVER.

When we're in a crisis situation, it's easy for us to panic. We can
believe that our situation is horrible, terrible, or any number of
other hopeless adjectives. If there's no hope, then we can easily
give up.

Sometimes we can change things to eliminate or at least decrease the
severity of our crisis. We might make a commitment to work on our
marriage. We might seek help for our drinking problem or other
addiction. We can seek treatment for a disease and trust in our
doctor. We might become part of a support group made up of those
with a similar problem. We might share our experience, strength and
hope with others in similar situations.

The first step in dealing with a crisis is knowing that others have
faced similar situations in the past. We can rely on their
experience. We can begin to break the problem down into parts. We
can begin to accept the things we cannot change. We can begin to
busy ourselves with the things we can.

"Slow Down Therapy"

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1. Slow down; God is still in heaven. You are not responsible for doing it all yourself right now.

2. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor.

3. Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it's OK to tell them they're pushing.

4. Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow.

5. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed.

6. Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or possess. God's gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear.

7. When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them.

8. Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you.

9. Create a place in your home...at your work...in your heart...where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it.

10. Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't a luxury; it's a necessity.

11. Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words.

12. Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling.

13. Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull.

14. Make time for play - the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation.

15. Listen to the words you speak, especially in prayer.

16. Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again.

17. Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe, can you hope to do any better?

18. Take time to read the Bible and inspiring words. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading.

19. Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first.

20. Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one.

21. Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now.

22. Work with your hands. It frees the mind.

23. Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the invitations. Less really can be more.

24. Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do - but often it is the best.

25. Take a walk - but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking.

26. Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are blessed. Bless them in return.

27. Count your blessings - one at a time and slowly.

The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement.

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--Charles Schwab

"Before I Went To Bed Tonight"

Before I went to bed tonight I just had to let you know,
I truly do appreciate the kindness that you show.
Before I went to bed tonight I thought that you should hear,
that every time we chat or write, I hold each second dear.

Before I went to bed tonight I had you on my mind.
I thought of things you've done or said, things from a heart so kind.
I hope this letter makes you happy, if only for a while,
but I'd gladly write a million, if it would make you smile.

I know this may sound silly, like perhaps I've lost my head,
but I just had to let you know these things, before I went to bed.

Today has shown us that you never know what might happen tomorrow.
So send this to everyone special in your life because you really don't know if tomorrow will even come!

Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles Cowman.

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"Quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13).

"Do not pray for easy lives! Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks
equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing
of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle." Phillips
Brooks.

We must remember that it is not in any easy or self-indulgent life that
Christ will lead us to greatness. The easy life leads not upward, but
downward. Heaven always is above us, and we must ever be looking up toward
it. These are some people who always avoid things that are costly, that
require self-denial, or self-restraint and sacrifice, but toil and hardship
show us the only way to nobleness. Greatness comes not by having a mossy
path made for you through the meadow, but by being sent to hew out a
roadway by your own hands. Are you going to reach the mountain splendors?
--Selected.

Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it. 'Tis God's gift.

Be strong!
Say not the days are evil--Who's to blame?
And fold the hands and acquiesece--O shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, In God's name.

Be strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long,
Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow comes the song.
--Maltbie D. Babcock

2 Chronicles 7:14-15

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"...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place."

Don't Let People Get You down

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No matter where you go, there will always be two groups of people:
One who likes you and one who does not. Be encouraged by the ones who do and pray for the ones who don't.

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."

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--Thomas Jefferson, US President

To say yes, you have to sweat and roll up your sleeves and plunge both hands into life up to the elbows.
-- Jean Anouilh

There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend.

-- Katharine Butler Hathaway

"Because I took a moment to speak
And you took a second to smile
A tiny part of me will leave with you
And a little bit of you will stay."

-- Jevan

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,
and you help them to become what they are capable of
being."

-- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow,
yet we forget that HE is someone today."
-- Stacia Tauscher

"If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd néver get on."

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-Lance Armstrong
7 times Tour de France Champion

There are a million and one reasons for not reaching for your goals.

If you focus on all the ways you can possibly fail, you'll néver get started, and you'll néver keep going.

Besides, if you do happen to fall, you just pick yourself up, stick a band aid on and keep going!

"Real courage is moving forward when the outcome is uncertain."

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-Michael Angier

Imagine if you waited until you were 100% sure about the outcome before you started anything.

You would spend a lot of time waiting to begin, wouldn't you?

Action Point
The outcome is never truly certain.

Start anyway.

There are always obstacles along the road.

Keep going anyway.

Move forward despite the fear.

That's the secret to life!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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(by Debbie Preuss)

Lord, help me make a difference
In someone's life today.
May I always be alert
As I go on my way.
May I reach out in love
To point the way to you;
Showing Your direction
When this life is like a zoo.
May fear never be a reason
For me to shrink away.
May I always feel free
To say "come on let's pray."
May I be a beacon
Shining brightly in the night;
Radiating joy and mercy,
Shining forth Your light.
May I always be alert
As I go on my way.
Lord, help me make a difference
In someone's life today.

"Someone Had A Dream"

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The car you drive was designed and built because someone had a dream.

The highway on which you travel is there because someone had a dream.

The telephone you talk on and the worldwide network to which it is connected, was constructed because someone had a dream.

Achievement begins with a dream.

Yet there are many, many dreams which wither and die without ever coming to pass.

We will never know the benefits which they could have brought.

Great accomplishments come about not only because someone dreamed of them, but also because someone believed in the dream enough to walk the long, hard road of making that dream a reality.

It takes a dream.

And then it takes more than a dream.

What is yours? And what are you doing about it?

Stop and think for a moment about all the great things that have ever been achieved.

Someone had a dream. Someone just like you.

The world is filled with possibilities today.

Take your pick, and then make it happen.

--Ralph Marston

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you.

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Always do your best, and forget the rest. When things go wrong, just remember this to shall pass.

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why is it my responsibility to save the world?

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ans: i don't know, but it was you to whom God gave the talent!

Freedom isn't free . . .
success isn't given in a silver platter

what is your reason to believe?
sometimes. . . believing is all we have

the Noah's principle:
No reward to those who can predict rains or floods, but to those who can build the ark.

"Hand On My Shoulder"

2005-08-05T11:18:00.000+08:00

Once a friend of mine was getting off a train in the Cleveland Terminal, and a young man got off in front of him, carrying a suitcase in one hand and a cane in the other.

The man walked awkwardly as he felt his way with the cane. "May I help you carry your suitcase?" my friend asked.

"No, thanks, I don't need any help with the suitcase," came the reply.

"But if you wish, you may guide me up these stairs so I won't run into anyone. I am blind and I have a new set of artificial legs. But I've got to learn to make my own way, you know."

When they got to the top of the stairs my friend took the young man rather firmly by the arm to guide him through the crowd entering the terminal. But the blind man stopped at once and spoke quietly:

"No, don't take possession of me, just guide me, please. Put your hand on my shoulder; that's all I need."

Good words to remember when you help someone.
"Put your hand on my shoulder and just guide me, please."

- William L. Stidger

expect to pass through life but once

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It was a bright Saturday morning in the late fall. I
had stopped at a cafe' to enjoy a cup of coffee and
scan the morning newspaper. Suddenly, I felt a hand on
the back of my jacket and heard someone say, "Hey
Steve! How ya doin'?"

Looking up, I saw a boy wearing a mechanic's uniform
worn by employees of the gasoline station next to the
cafe'. He looked familiar, but, at first, I was unable
to recall where we had met.

He also held a cup of coffee, so I asked him to join
me. Very soon, his story--and probably my coffee--began
to thaw out my memory.

Five years earlier, he had been traveling home late one
February night with a group of friends. A ferocious
blizzard had arrived that afternoon, and by midnight,
the snow drifts were getting deep. He recalled hitting
a drift just down the road from my house.

He had walked to my house for help. I had taken my
pickup and tow rope and pulled him out of the snow
drift and up to the highway where maintenance trucks
had cleaned away the snow.

This has been a common occurrence here during the
winter. I cannot count the times someone has also
pulled my car from a snow drift.

However, it was an unforgettable experience for him. He
was only eighteen at the time, and he described how
frightened he had been. That was not a storm one would
want to be stuck in all night. Within a couple hours,
my pickup would not have made it to the highway.

As it turned out, his memory and account of that snowy
night was a very unexpected--and much appreciated--
kindness toward me. I thanked him sincerely for
stopping to chat during his break.

His memory of our unexpected meeting in a snow storm
brightened my entire day. Since then, we've had several
chats over a Saturday morning cup of coffee. Such
simple actions can indeed have an underestimated power.

There are many people who desperately need kind words,
smiles, and listening ears--ears that will hear without
judging and respond without possessing.

One simple kindness at the right moment can change the
direction of a life and shine a light of hope when all
light seems to have gone out. Sometimes it has the
power to save a life.

Here is a great quote that I keep in my e-journal. It
was written by William Penn...

"I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore,
there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I
can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not
defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again."

--Steve Brunkhorst

The Scout Law

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Qoutes for life

This book makes a great gift or award for Scouts, parents, volunteers and all Friends of Scouting. A great book to recognize those who live their life as good examples for shaping the character of today’s youth who they directly support.

The Scout Law - Quotes for Life
Copyright (c) 2002 - Patrick Flaherty
ISBN 1932043-16-0
Library of Congress Number:2002112273

Book Description
This 110 page book was produced to inspire everyone but especially those involved in scouting. It focuses on the 12 values of Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. Quotes that relate directly to these values are contained in this book. Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, Henry David Thoreau, Aristotle, Emily Dickinson, and Theodore Roosevelt are some of the many timeless voices who offer hope and wisdom to readers of all ages.

Below are samples of its content:

Trustworthy

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trust·wor·thy adj. worthy of trust; dependable; reliable.—SYN. see reliable.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.

—Thomas Jefferson 1743–1826

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of United States from 1801 to 1809
He was the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence in 1776

As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.
—Andrew Carnegie 1835–1919

Andrew Carnegie was an American businessman and philanthropist.

As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand.
—Josh Billings 1818–1885

Josh Billings is the pen name of Henry Shaw, United States political writer

Loyal

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loy-al, adj. [Fr.; OFr. loial, leial < L. legalis; see LEGAL], 1. faithful to the constituted authority of one’s country. 2. faithful to those persons, ideals etc. that one is under obligation to defend or support. 3. relating to or indicating loyalty.—SYN. see faithful.

I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

—Nathan Hale 1755–1776

Nathan Hale was a United States patriot during the American Revolution, and these were his last words before being hung by the English as a spy.

Mine honour is my life; both grow in one; take honour from me, and my life is done.
—William Shakespeare 1564–1616

William Shakespeare was of England’s greatest writers

Helpful

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help·ful, adj. giving help; of service; useful.

Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.

—John Wesley 1703–1791

John Wesley was an English religious leader and a founder of Methodism.

As to diseases, make a habit of two things—to help, or at least, to do no harm.
—Hippocrates (approximate life span) 460–377 B.C.

Hippocrates was a Greek physician, often considered the father of modern medicine.

Friendly

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friend·ly, adj. [FRIENDLIER , FRIENDLIEST (-li-ist)], 1. like, characteristic of, or suitable for a friend, friends, or friendship; kindly. 2. not hostile; amicable. 3. supporting; helping; favorable. 4. desiring friendship.

The only way to have a friend is to be one.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a United States writer and poet.

A clever man commits no minor blunders.
—Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749–1832

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe was a German writer and scientist.

Have no friends not equal to yourself.
—Confucius 551–479 B.C.

Confucius was a Chinese writer and philosopher.
Epicurus was a Greek philosopher.

Courteous

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cour'·te·ous, adj. [ME. cortais, corteis, corteous; OFr. curteis, corteis (Fr. courtois) < curt; see COURT, n., 8 & -OUS], polite and gracious; considerate toward others; well-mannered. —SYN. see civil.

You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a United States writer and poet.

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.
—George Washington 1732–1799

George Washington was the United States military leader during the American Revolutionary War and was unanimously later elected president serving from 1789 to 1797.

Kind

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kind, adj. [ME. kinde, kynde, kunde; AS. gecynde, cynde] 1. sympathetic, friendly, gentle, tender-hearted, generous. etc. 2 cordial; as, kind regards. 3. [Obs.], a) natural; native. b) rightful. c) well-born.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

—Plato (approximate life span) 427–347 B.C.

Plato was a Greek writer and philosopher and a student of Socrates. His most famous student was Aristotle.

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve.
—Joseph Joubert 1754–1824

Joseph Joubert was a French writer.

Obedient

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o·be·di·ent, adj. [ME.; OFr.; L. obediens, ppr. of obedire; see OBEY], obeying or willing to obey; docile; tractable.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

—Confucius 551–479 B.C.

Confucius was a Chinese writer and philosopher.

Give all to love; obey thy heart.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a United States writer and poet.

Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.
—Homer (approximate life span) 780–720 B.C.

Homer was a Greek writer and poet, perhaps best know for his epics Iliad and Odyssey.

Cheerful

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cheer·ful, adj. 1. full of cheer; glad; joyful. 2. filling with cheer; bright and attractive; as, a cheerful room. 3. willing; hearty: as, a cheerful helper. –SYN. see happy.

Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

—Mark Twain 1835–1910

Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, United States writer and humorist.

Happiness is a habit–cultivate it.
—Elbert Hubbard 1856–1915

Elbert Hubbard was a United States writer and editor who when to cruise ship Lusitania sank.

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may be.
—Martha Washington 1732–1799

Martha Washington, America’s first lady, was the wife of President George Washington, the first president of the U.S.

Thrifty

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thrift·y, adj [THRIFTIER THRIFTIEST (ti-ist)], 1. practicing thrift; provident; economical. 2. thriving; flourishing; prospering.

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.

—Henry David Thoreau 1817–1862

Henry David Thoreau was a United States writer and philosopher.

Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.
—Mark Twain 1835–1910

Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, United States writer and humorist.

A penny saved is a penny earned.
—Benjamin Franklin 1706–1790

Benjamin Franklin was a United States writer, inventor, scientist, and Revolutionary War patriot.

Brave

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brave, adj. [Fr.; It. bravo. brave, bold], 1. not afraid; having courage. 2. showing to good effect; having a fine appearance. 3. [Archaic], fine; superior.

Fortune favors the brave.

—Terence (approximate life span) 185–159 B.C.

Terence was a Roman writer and playwright.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear.
—Mark Twain 1835–1910

Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, United States writer and humorist.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a United States writer and poet.

We must either find a way or make one.

Clean

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clean, adj. [ME. clene; AS. clæne, clean pure; akin to OHG. kleini, gleaming, bright, fine (whence G. klein, small, kleinod, gem); IE. base *gel- *g(e)li-, gleam brightly], 1. free from dirt or impurities; unsoiled; unstained. 2. recently laundered. 3. morally pure; sinless. 4. habitually avoiding filth. 5. shapely; well-formed. 6. clever; deft. 7. having no obstructions, flaws, or roughnesses; clear; regular.

What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny compared to what lies within us.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803–1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a United States writer and poet.

Aim above morality. Be not simply good, be good for something.
—Henry David Thoreau 1817–1862

Henry David Thoreau was a United States writer and philosopher.

Reverent

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rev·er·ence, n. [ME. < OFr. reverence or L. reverentia < reverens, ppr. of revereri; see REVERE], 1. a feeling or attitude of deep respect, love, and awe, as for something sacred; veneration. 2. a manifestation of this; specifically, a bow, curtsy, or similar gesture of respect; obeisance. 3. the state of being revered.

Preach the Gospel all the time; if necessary, use words.

—St. Francis of Assisi
(approximate life span) 1181–1226

St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian monk and the patron saint of merchants.

Nature does nothing uselessly.
—Aristotle 384 –322 B.C.

Aristotle was a Greek writer, teacher, and philosopher, often considered the father of logic.
Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe.

—St. Augustine 354 –430
St. Augustine was writer and religious leader.

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."

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- Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President

"Enthusiasm finds the opportunities,
and energy makes the most of them."

--Henry Hoskins

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."

--Anne Frank

An English Proverb says,

"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner"

Everything is difficult before it becomes easy.

We cannot run away from our problems.

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem

Never discourage anyone...
who continually makes progress,
no matter how slow.

-- Aristotle

Success can make you go one of two ways.
It can make you a prima donna, or it can smooth the edges,
take away the insecurities, let the nice things come out.

--Barbara Walters, TV journalist

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light.
Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fear.

--Glenn Clark

GREAT Lesson....

WHEN THE MESSAGE LIGHT DOESN'T BLINK
by Steve Goodier

Seeing one of her neighbor's children playing alone, a woman asked him where his brother was. "Oh," he said, "he's in the house playing a duet. I finished first."

Too many people find themselves playing a duet alone. Too many people are lonely. They rise alone in the morning, they eat meals alone, they watch television alone and retire alone in the evening. They have too few friends and family to share their lives with. It feels as if they should be playing a duet or an ensemble and everyone else finished first. They are more than alone; they are lonely.

"I don't have an answering machine," one man said. "I live alone, and I'm sometimes told that I've missed calls when I've been out. `You should really get an answering machine,' my friends tell me, but I won't. I don't want to come home to find the message light not blinking. I don't want to know with such certainty that no one tried to get in touch. It's worth missing a message or two to avoid that."

A folktale tells of a monarch long ago who had twin sons. There was some confusion about which one was born first. As they grew to young manhood, the king sought a fair way to designate one of them as crown prince.

Calling them to his council chamber one day, he said, "My sons, the day will come when one of you must succeed me as king. The burdens of sovereignty are very heavy. To find out which of you is better able to bear them cheerfully, I am sending you together to a far corner of the kingdom. One of my advisors there will place equal burdens on your shoulders. My crown will one day go to the one who first returns bearing his burden like a king should."

In a spirit of friendly competition, the brothers set out together. Soon they overtook a frail and aged woman struggling under a heavy weight. One of the boys suggested that they stop to help her. The other protested: "We have a burden of our own to worry about. Let us be on our way."

So the second son hurried on while the other stayed behind to help the woman with her load. On his journey to the kingdom's edge, the same young man found others who needed help. A sightless man who needed assistance home; a lost child whom he carried back to her worried parents; a farmer whose wagon needed a strong shoulder to push it out of the mud.

Eventually he did reach his father's advisor, where he secured his own burden and started home with it safely on his shoulders. When he arrived back at the palace, his brother met him at the gate and greeted him with dismay. "I don't understand," the brother said, "I told Father the burden was too heavy to carry. How did you manage it alone?"

The future king replied thoughtfully, "I suppose when I helped others carry their burdens, I found the strength to carry my own."

Isn't that the secret of living with loneliness? When we find others who need help with their burdens, we also find the strength to carry our own! Get busy helping others, even if it is nothing more than making a phone call or writing an encouraging note, and you'll find that your burden of loneliness will become easier and easier to manage. And soon you'll be too happy and busy to even notice if the message light is blinking.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

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from the Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Dont let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone everyday.
9. Open arms to change, but dont let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving athosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Dont bring up the past.
14. share your knowledge. Its a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle the the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Stress control

2005-07-28T22:40:00.000+08:00

WisdomTips.com
Beating Self Consciousness

Although useful for learning about the impact you have on others, too much self-consciousness is the No.1 enemy of self-confidence. The trick is to be able to keep your attention off yourself when you need to. Here's how...When you feel self-conscious, (you can usually tell because you start to feel anxious), choose something outside of yourself to focus on and study it in detail. For example: examine a door, look at the different textures and shades of color, wonder about who made it and how and so on. The important thing is that you're learning how to keep your attention off yourself.

MOMENTS IN LIFE

2005-07-20T18:34:00.000+08:00

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real!

When the door of happiness closes, another opens; but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one, which has been opened for us.

Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one that makes your heart smile.

Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Don't count the years-count the memories...........

Do what you love and love what you do

2005-07-04T07:35:00.000+08:00

then deliver more than you promised.
its your simple recipe for success!

The Ten Deadly Fears That Keep Us From getting What We Want In Life

2005-07-03T20:27:00.000+08:00

by Brian Azar

During these turbulent, volitile and uncertain times, both personnally and professionally, it appears that there are many things that prevent us from attaining what we want and need in our lives.

In reality, the only thing that prevents us from succeeding...is ourselves!

We are excellent at procrastinating, not asking for what we want or need, or even knowing specifically, exactly what it is we want or need.

We then use excuses and blame for not creating the behavior and taking the appropriate actions and steps necessary to learn and progress forward.

Let's deal with the primary obstacle: FEAR!.

There may be more, but here are The Ten Most Common Fears Controlling People

1-FEAR OF FAILING.

One of the main reasons people procrastinate is their FEAR OF FAILURE.
They would rather do nothing than risk looking bad, making a mistake or not completing what they start. Perfectionists fall into this category. Growth and true learning is frozen because of this fear.

2-FEAR OF SUCCESS.

This fear is a little more subtle...especially for WOMEN!
Many of us were given "mixed messeges" during our first six years of life. We were "taught" to be prepared for failure and disappointment. In fact,for most of us,our failures and mistakes were vividly caught and pointed out to us. Many of us, in fact, were not stroked,recognised,or acknowledged frequently for our achievements and attempts. To most people, success means more stress,pressure,more work,responsibility, more attention,etc. rather then an experience of ongoing fulfillment and a sense of satisfaction.

3-FEAR OF REJECTION.

For many people,this is the number one fear in their life. This fear begins almost at birth when we are trained and conditioned to respond to our parents or primary caretakers. Most people have this fear because they don't have an inner experience of "being" or "Okness." They don't understand that it's not the rejection that matters,it's the understanding that there will always be differences and preferences in life between people and ideas.
What DOES MATTER is how we learn from, deal with, and respond to the rejection in a healthy, positive manner.

4-FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.

We have the highest rate of poverty, physical,sexual,verbal and emotional abuse in the history of this country. Yet we also have the lowest rate of resistence as well as taking positive,healthy actions to stop or correct those circumstances. WHY?
Because most people would rather live with, and deal with, what they have AND KNOW now, then to take a risk with the unknown, believing that it could be worse!

5- FEAR OF CHANGE.

This fear is the "sister" of the FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN.
Most people talk about changing but few "do it" for several reasons. First, very few people like to acknowledge that something is wrong or not working in their lives.
Second, they don't like the feelings associated with the "clumbsiness" or embarrassment of not doing something new or different, perfectly. They lack the patience and persistence necessary to endure and "internalise" the changes necessary to grow.

6-FEAR OF INTIMACY.

Many people equate intimacy with sex. WRONG!
In fact, many people use sex to avoid intimacy! True intimacy is the ability to openly express and communicate lovingly,honestly and "unconditionally" to those who are important in one's life,community and work. It is vital to master this "form of communication" if one wants to learn to be a tolerant,non-judgmental person who respects the needs and wants of those people in their life.

7-FEAR OF EXPRESSION.

This fear prevents people from experiencing real creativity. It also prevents good,clear honest communication. Lack of expressing true feelings has ruined so many personal, professional and business relationships. The challenge to many, is to first discover how one really feels and then to communicate those feelings in an effective, non-abusive manner. This is to be learned and practiced regularly.

8-FEAR OF ABANDONESS/LONLINESS.

This fear keeps most people in relationships or jobs that are not nurturing, healthy and supportive, whether they be personal,professional or business. These people fear abandonment and therefore will not be honest with themselves or others. They would rather be miserable and/or suffer in their current situation then be alone and unwanted or unneeded. Even so, they feel no "real" connectedness socially or spiritually!

9-FEAR OF EMOTIONAL PAIN.

Most people will do almost anything to avoid "feeling the pain." We are living in a society that incessantly promotes taking drugs, both legal and illegal, as well as alcohol and food to avoid feeling emotional pain. Unless people learn how to feel their pain, they won't learn how to deal with it in a positive, healthy way. Not dealing with it will eventually bring on even more of life's "painful" lessons, both personally and professionally.

10-FEAR OF TAKING RISKS.

This fear keeps 80% of America's workforce in their place..even tho they wake up every morning hating their jobs,their workplace, their bosses, careers or profession. Their work environment is negative and debilitating. Their superiors give "lip service" to change and innovation. Yet these people will not take a chance on themselves for fear of being judged a failure!

I have been doing what I love ever since I left the Xerox Corporation 25 years ago, because I took risks, failed many times and learned the lessons from my mistakes.

Someone recently asked me what I attribute people's success to. I said two words:
"Learned experiences"

They asked how one gets "Learned experiences?" I said two words:
"Make mistakes"

They asked how does one do this?. I said two words:
"Take risks!"

To be successful, you MUST commit yourself to work on facing and overcoming YOUR BIGGEST FEARS!

If you do...some of them might even become your biggest strengths!

"Fear knocked at the door.
Faith and Trust answered.
No one was there"

Knowing is the first step.
Action is what gets results.

How do you live your life?

2005-07-03T08:49:00.000+08:00

Every single one of us lived our lives a different way.
Some of us grew strong, while others grew weaker by each day.
Some of us were healthy, while others were sick.
Some of us flew through the day, while others watched the minutes tick.
Some of us ran to help those in need,
While others took advantage and strengthened their greed.

Some of us were wealthy, while others remained poor.
Some of the diseases destroyed lives, while scientists searched for the cure.
Some of us were fair, while others were not.
Some of us got away while others got caught.
Some of us were athletic while others remained still.
Some of us treasured life, while others searched for a way to kill.

Some of us were not afraid, while others remained meek.
Some of us were popular, while others were named as "the geek"
Some of us believed in God, while others didn't care.
Some of us believed life was cruel, while others believed it was fair.
Some of us lived life to the fullest, while others threw it all away.
Some of us gave up, while others seized the day.

Though we all lived different lives, we have not lived them in vain.
All we were given was a life to live, with everything to gain.

Ask yourself:
what am I going to do with my life, live with purpose and meaning or live with no purpose and no meaning?

Sent by CHRISTINE S. SOLIS
HR & Communication, Punongbayan & Araullo

I CAN

2005-07-01T20:25:00.000+08:00

The Success Attitude

By

Frank Gasiorowski
"Mr. 90 Day Goals"

What does Lance Armstrong, Donald Trump, Oprah and YOU have in common?

We all have the natural inner ability to control our destiny with self talk and the "I CAN" affirmation technique.

Lance Armstrong say's in his latest TV commercial, that he has the experience, desire and the team to win. Lance has the "I CAN" mindset. When Lance Armstrong thinks about winning he must say, "I CAN" and he takes action to achieve his goal. He has proven this many times over in all of his endeavors.

Donald Trump also say's, "Stay Focused".

Oprah is an example of a person that is, "Being all that you can be".

That is the "I CAN" concept model.

What about your EXPERIENCE, DESIRE and TEAM? Think about it, you have experience in many areas. You are the expert in some areas of your life. What is it that you love doing? What is it that you are passionate about? You have a wealth of resources within you. Look at your experiences and say, "I CAN".

THINK! WRITE IT DOWN! TAKE ACTION! STAY FOCUSED! BELIEVE!

Think about your goals again and write them down. Write them as if they have already happened and in the present tense (I am.) with as much detail as possible.

Example: I am driving my 2006 White Mercedes with the convertible top down throughout England, Italy and France during my 2 month Europe vacation.

What about your desire? You have desires in many areas. I call them dreams and goals. What are your dreams and goals? Bring back those dreams and goals that are in your mind and know that with one word you can start to make them materialize.

"I CAN"

"I CAN", say it out loud, "I CAN". Yell it or scream it, "ICAN", because you can have those Dreams, desires, wishes and goals. They are yours to claim. "I CAN" is a word that I coined that means, I Create All Narration. Yes, your self talk is what programs your mind. You create your self talk. When you make your inner talk one of "I CAN", amazing things will happen.

The affirmation, "I CAN" will allow your subconscious to start creating in you the winning mindset.

Concept "TEAM"

How about your team? Do you even have a team? All successful people have a winning team. Teams that propel your dreams and goals forward and are synchronized to making them happen. This synchronicity is the key to creating your abundance. A key phrase is, "When two or more come together.." This is the secret; get two or more people on your team. It may be a social team, a dream team or a Mastermind team but make it a team. Say, "I CAN" to your team, get then to say, "I CAN" with you and you are on your way to reaching your goals. You will be ALL that you can be as long as you stay focused on your goal. It is your destiny.

To summarize, "I CAN" is the attitude of achievement. You already have the experience and the desire to achieve more. You have the understanding of a team concept. Now all that you need is to implement the "I CAN" attitude in everything that you do.

Start right now and say, "I CAN"

The Important Things in Life

2005-06-30T20:19:00.000+08:00

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be - a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover, or even a complete stranger - but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones.

If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

Make every day count.

Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they have to say.

Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make anything you wish of your life. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

And if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.

Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one's levels of aspiration and expectation

2005-06-29T11:17:00.000+08:00

-- Jack Nicklaus, American Golfer

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker.
Failure is delay, not defeat.
It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.
Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.
--Denis Waitley, American Author/Speaker/Peak Performance Expert

Weakness or Strength?

2005-06-28T16:29:00.000+08:00

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.

Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Great Therapy

2005-06-27T11:11:00.000+08:00

Karl Menninger, the [late] psychiatrist, was asked what someone, who feels to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown - should do.

His advice?
"Lock your house, go across the railroad tracks,
find someone in need and do something for him."
It will be your greatest therapy!

Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power

2005-06-27T10:19:00.000+08:00

- Shirley MacLaine, American Movie Actress

"The world can change in an instant.

So can the way you choose to see it.

Why not choose to see the good in yourself and others."

--Bob Perks, Author and Speaker

Lighten Up

2005-06-26T08:04:00.000+08:00

Never take life seriously.
Nobody gets out alive anyway.

"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."--

2005-06-21T21:17:00.000+08:00

Og Mandino
1923-1996, Author and Speaker

TO TEACH

2005-06-21T20:34:00.000+08:00

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs.Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference" Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing )

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? just "do it".

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

"Believe in Angels, then return the favour"

Ability

2005-06-20T10:17:00.000+08:00

Ability is what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it.

A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway
- JEROME CUNNINGS -

Childcare

2005-06-18T07:16:00.000+08:00

An effective tool when working with young children is that every time you give a direction have the child respond with "Yes, Mom", "Yes, Dad" or "Yes Sir". You teach them this method by giving your direction, without changing the inflection in your voice, when adding on the "Yes, ___" part. For example, "Sebastian, pick up your toys, say yes, Mom."

This action puts the child in a positive frame of mind, moving the child away from the oppositional part of the brain (limbic system).

SUCCESS

2005-06-17T20:21:00.000+08:00

"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and

an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."

- Frank Lloyd Wright

Happiness is found along the way, not at the end of the road

2005-06-17T09:43:00.000+08:00

Interaction Tip - Keep Cool

2005-06-16T10:32:00.000+08:00

Traveling is one of those times when everything is out of your control!

Things to keep in mind every time you travel; always accept that nothing can change circumstances as they are happening to you, you can’t never change people with whom you interact at that moment of interaction period.

When an occurrence like a delay a lost luggage is not of your liking, it is nonetheless taking place. You will be wasting energy by resisting; the only result of doing this is stress. Instead of avoiding what you don’t like, surrender and face what you feel, accept as part of life the need to process your negative emotions, relax and think!

Each time you work through your fears and negative emotions you will be better prepare for your future. Accepting what it feels to go through circumstances or people we don’t like, it is a good thing, it makes us a better person.

20 Suggestions For Success

2005-06-16T06:45:00.000+08:00

20 Suggestions For Success
By H. Jackson Brown

Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.

Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Be forgiving of yourself and others.

Be generous.

Have a grateful heart.

Persistence, persistence, persistence.

Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

Commit yourself to constant improvement.

Commit yourself to quality.

Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.

Be loyal.

Be honest.

Be a self-starter.

Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.

Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.

TAKE GOOD CARE OF THOSE YOU LOVE !!!

Be An Encourager

2005-06-16T06:43:00.000+08:00

A SPARK OF ENCOURAGEMENT
CAN REKINDLE WARMTH IN THE HEART!!!
The power in words can build up or tear down-
Create a big smile or produce a sad frown;
So in all your contacts with people each day,
Be sure to encourage in all that you say.
- Fitzhugh -

DREAM

2005-06-14T18:55:00.000+08:00

Dream...
and as you dream
remember that only you
can make your dreams come true

Reach...
and as you reach
remember that success takes time, devotion
and sometimes a little dissapointment.

Believe...
and as you believe,
you'll find that reaching gets easier and
setbacks get more manageable.

Life becomes more meaningful.

STRETCH-ERCISE

2005-06-14T14:18:00.000+08:00

The Birth of Motion
by Ben Agustin
1657F Waterdam Road
Balic-Balic, Olongapo City

The Stretch-ercise is best performed upon waking up or during relaxation time w/ empty stomach.

Follow desired positions, at the end of comfort zone or onset of pain, hold the position or increase pressure during motion.

Cycle Breath: inhale/exhale one breath per second for 15 seconds (may be increased as desired)

Feel the tingling sensations and body relaxation before proceeding with next position.

Log Posture

Arm or Neck Stretch

Palm or Spine Stretch

Folded Legs Stretch

Leg Raise stretch

Back Arch Stretch

Spine and Body Stretch

'Questions to Ponder'

2005-06-13T09:31:00.000+08:00

Want to learn the keys to becoming a great communicator?

Read below today's 'Questions to Ponder' for more information.
____________________________________________

"How well we communicate is determined not by how well we say things but by how well we are understood."

-- Andy Grove, CEO, Intel Corporation

Questions to Ponder

By which measuring stick do I measure my communication
skills, my words or by being understood?

What could I do to be better understood today?