Don't all of us love to have the money to do the fun things that bring us joy? Not that all fun things require money, mind you, on the contrary! But have you ever wanted to read that awesome-looking new book, eat at that new green restaurant in town or throw a party for friends and family...only to be short a little cash?
Here are few tips:
1. Give your hot water tank a blanket.
There's this neat thing called Reflectix, have you heard of it? Wow. It's basically insulation for your hot water tank...in the form of shiny aluminum foil, but slightly thicker. And just as easy to manipulate. Just roll out the amount needed, wrap your hot water tank, and secure it with a special shiny tape, almost like gift wrapping your tank.
Net result? You'll save a bunch off your heating bills! And by saving energy to heat your water, you help the planet enormously! (Reflectix can also be used to insulate heating ducts.) Buy it in rolls of all different sizes at your local hardware store and go nuts!! Very cool stuff.
2. Grow your hair long OR...shave it all off.
Okay, call me crazy, but what is it with the hair thing? Cutting it off, letting it grow, trying this style, that style...I don't know about you, but I'm a real no-nonsense kind of gal. And a while back, I decided to let my hair grow and go as long as I could without a cut. (About six months.) It was quite liberating! And by conservative estimates, I saved probably close to $100 dollars in those six months! ($30 dollar haircut every two months, plus tip.) Of course, I had a style that didn't grow out, so I looked fine (or at least no one TOLD me I didn't.)
How does this help the planet, you ask? Well, as with all the money saving tips in this issue, the more money you save, the less you have to work for it. The less you have to work for it, the less you have to commute, use your car/gasoline, eat out for lunch/dinner...etc. etc. Get what I mean?
Whether man or woman, let me ask you this. What if you were to decide to let your hair grow and forego haircuts for a period of time? Or, go the other route like my husband Mike and shave it all off, that way you can do it yourself, every time! I don't think Mike's spent a cent on cutting his hair for nearly five years, and of course, he looks fab as always...
Radical? Maybe. But it does save money AND helps the planet. Think about it and maybe it's for you...even if it's just for a few months.
3. Sit on your toilet paper roll.
Giggle. Yes, you can help the planet and save money...by squishing your toilet paper roll before you put it on its holder. How's that? Well, simple really. By flattening your roll, (sitting on it, stepping on it, whatever) you make it harder to take too much toilet paper at once. You know how sometimes you give it too much of a yank, and there you have it, toilet paper all over? No use trying to roll it back up, right? Well, that's wasted paper and money.
By flattening it first, the roll moves slower, and you can take just the right amount. A great money and planet saving tip for ANYONE to try, from die hard environmentalists to newbies, especially if you make a point of buying the toilet paper with recycled paper content in it!
Go on, this is one you can try right now! Go squish your toilet paper rolls, then come back and finish reading. Yay!
4.Speak up.
I'll finish off with a REALLY easy one okay? It promises to save you money AND help the planet...and it's fun too. A true-blue Joy to the Planet tip. And that is...speak up! Meaning...when in doubt, have a conversation. You really want to do something great for the planet? Well, you heard me right. Start talking. Pick any of the ten items on this list and talk about...how cool, how easy, how hard, how crazy...each is.
It's simple really. By having a conversation instead of going to the movies, to the mall, or out for food, you inevitably, inexorably, save money, and probably enjoy yourself more too! Who doesn't like a hearty chest-pounding yack-fest with a friend? At the same time, just talking about how to help the planet is a really low-tech, sure fire way to get people thinking more about these things, and that is a great thing.
milan......................
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
How To Create Wealth In The Stock Market
First and foremost, an opportunistic strategy for creating wealth in the stock market is needed. And the opportunistic strategy for creating wealth in the stock market must have two ingredients, a plan and a goal. The plan must be a definite, concrete plan of investing that would profit you and your family for the rest of your lives.
This opportunistic investment plan you begin should not profit anyone else - not a stockbroker, a mutual fund or a financial advisor. This means you have to have confidence in yourself and in your own judgment as to whether the investment plan you begin has merit. And this means that the investment plan would and should have already been proven to you!
This definite, concrete plan you begin for creating wealth through opportunities in the stock market must also have a goal. The goal should be clear and specific, and once your have made up your mind to achieve that goal, then go forward and make that goal a reality.
What are the opportunistic traits of a strategic investment plan built on concrete that would actually allow the shareholder to profit through all the turmoil of an up and down stock market? The secret for creating wealth in the stock market; no matter what direction the market is heading?
As in what appears to be the most difficult investment question of all to answer, the answer lies in simplicity itself- investing in those companies that have a historical record of raising their dividend every year. Whether or not you can take this statement of fact to heart is your own judgment call. But it is this opportunistic trait that can and will create wealth for you and your family for the rest of your lives.
A company's ability to raise its dividend every year, coupled with stock appreciation is a very powerful wealth creating formula!
I'm going to provide you with two examples, though there are many more, some with even better results. The two examples are from my book, soon to be published by American Book Publishing - The Stockopoly Plan (where an investment plan and a goal are written in stone).
The first example would be a stock purchased in 1990, Comerica (CMA). What led to the purchase of CMA? - In 1990 CMA had a 21 year history of raising their dividend every year. Today's CMA has a 35 year history of raising their dividend every year. This opportunistic trait in CMA stock has garnished a little better than a15 percent return a year, compounded annually (just by having the dividends reinvested back into the stock each quarter through those years - I prove this to you in The Stockopoly Plan), for the past 14 plus years. Today's CMA stock just recently touched a new high at $60 dollars a share, with a dividend yield of around 3½ percent. In April of 2003 the stock was selling around $37.50 a share, paying a dividend yield of around 5% a year. Am I tempted to sell my position in CMA? Do I care if the stock drops from this lofty price back to $37 a share? Why should I? If the stock drops back to $37 a share, my dividends being reinvested back into the stock each quarter purchases more shares, and my dividend income from CMA simply and dramatically accelerates. I am also already prepared that if a buy-out offer is ever made for the company to reap the profits of owning the stock (as well as the possibility of another stock split).
The second example is (unfortunately) in my book, also. I say unfortunately because my book is in the final copy edit stage, so no one has had a chance to read and benefit from it, and since a buy-out offer was made for the stock last week or so, the stock will no longer exist (this means a rewrite for me, before publication). The company in question is the Rouse Co. (RSE), which was just purchased by General Growth Properties (GGP). Oddly enough, you'll find GGP in my book, also - if you bother to pick it up. Anyway, that's neither here nor there - RSE, on the takeover bid jumped over $16.00 a share in one day! Whew! Why couldn't they have waited a couple of months until my book was released? RSE had the opportunistic trait of raising their dividend every year since 1993 and I was quite content with its performance through the years.
Well, that last paragraph blew my train of thought on this article. All I can think about at the moment is my rewrite.
I would like to take this time to explain something to you. I have never considered myself a writer nor am I a stock market professional. I am simply a man with 39 years of experience and a passion for the stock market, trying to share what wisdom those years have given me. When I sit down to write an article, I seldom have an idea on what I'm going to say. It was the same way when I sat down to write my book. I just meant to put down a few words on paper for my 18-year old son so he would have a sound, concrete plan for investing in those companies that make up the stock market (quite frankly - I didn't want him to blow his inheritance). Whether you find merit in what I say, I have no idea. What I do know is that life is just too short to learn everything you need to learn by yourself, without the help of others.
milan.............
This opportunistic investment plan you begin should not profit anyone else - not a stockbroker, a mutual fund or a financial advisor. This means you have to have confidence in yourself and in your own judgment as to whether the investment plan you begin has merit. And this means that the investment plan would and should have already been proven to you!
This definite, concrete plan you begin for creating wealth through opportunities in the stock market must also have a goal. The goal should be clear and specific, and once your have made up your mind to achieve that goal, then go forward and make that goal a reality.
What are the opportunistic traits of a strategic investment plan built on concrete that would actually allow the shareholder to profit through all the turmoil of an up and down stock market? The secret for creating wealth in the stock market; no matter what direction the market is heading?
As in what appears to be the most difficult investment question of all to answer, the answer lies in simplicity itself- investing in those companies that have a historical record of raising their dividend every year. Whether or not you can take this statement of fact to heart is your own judgment call. But it is this opportunistic trait that can and will create wealth for you and your family for the rest of your lives.
A company's ability to raise its dividend every year, coupled with stock appreciation is a very powerful wealth creating formula!
I'm going to provide you with two examples, though there are many more, some with even better results. The two examples are from my book, soon to be published by American Book Publishing - The Stockopoly Plan (where an investment plan and a goal are written in stone).
The first example would be a stock purchased in 1990, Comerica (CMA). What led to the purchase of CMA? - In 1990 CMA had a 21 year history of raising their dividend every year. Today's CMA has a 35 year history of raising their dividend every year. This opportunistic trait in CMA stock has garnished a little better than a15 percent return a year, compounded annually (just by having the dividends reinvested back into the stock each quarter through those years - I prove this to you in The Stockopoly Plan), for the past 14 plus years. Today's CMA stock just recently touched a new high at $60 dollars a share, with a dividend yield of around 3½ percent. In April of 2003 the stock was selling around $37.50 a share, paying a dividend yield of around 5% a year. Am I tempted to sell my position in CMA? Do I care if the stock drops from this lofty price back to $37 a share? Why should I? If the stock drops back to $37 a share, my dividends being reinvested back into the stock each quarter purchases more shares, and my dividend income from CMA simply and dramatically accelerates. I am also already prepared that if a buy-out offer is ever made for the company to reap the profits of owning the stock (as well as the possibility of another stock split).
The second example is (unfortunately) in my book, also. I say unfortunately because my book is in the final copy edit stage, so no one has had a chance to read and benefit from it, and since a buy-out offer was made for the stock last week or so, the stock will no longer exist (this means a rewrite for me, before publication). The company in question is the Rouse Co. (RSE), which was just purchased by General Growth Properties (GGP). Oddly enough, you'll find GGP in my book, also - if you bother to pick it up. Anyway, that's neither here nor there - RSE, on the takeover bid jumped over $16.00 a share in one day! Whew! Why couldn't they have waited a couple of months until my book was released? RSE had the opportunistic trait of raising their dividend every year since 1993 and I was quite content with its performance through the years.
Well, that last paragraph blew my train of thought on this article. All I can think about at the moment is my rewrite.
I would like to take this time to explain something to you. I have never considered myself a writer nor am I a stock market professional. I am simply a man with 39 years of experience and a passion for the stock market, trying to share what wisdom those years have given me. When I sit down to write an article, I seldom have an idea on what I'm going to say. It was the same way when I sat down to write my book. I just meant to put down a few words on paper for my 18-year old son so he would have a sound, concrete plan for investing in those companies that make up the stock market (quite frankly - I didn't want him to blow his inheritance). Whether you find merit in what I say, I have no idea. What I do know is that life is just too short to learn everything you need to learn by yourself, without the help of others.
milan.............
Friday, October 24, 2008
Life Changing Attitude
Do you really believe that there is anything in this world that is impossible?
I'm 21 and I had to grow up at accelerated rates because of multiple circumstances in my life. One of them was the divorce of my parents, my mother had no money and my father didn't seem to care about me and my brother. And to make it clear "no money" means that we didn't have enough even for food.
Now, I'm not saying these things so you can feel pity for me. I'm telling you because somehow I managed to survive, I found a Way.
Today I make 2000 euros a month, I know it's not a fortune but at least I have a budget that is 4 times more than the average budget in Greece and this amount grows every minute even as I write this article. By the way my father make less money than that.
How did I manage to make it while I didn't have a quarter of a penny in my pocket? ATTITUDE is the answer, I never ever stopped learning about anything that could be learned and that made me look like Guru in my circle of influence. Even with no money I had the most beautiful girls and the highest grades of all. When someone had a problem I was the one who solved it.
Imagine how it is like to have your own problems and the problems of others. It's great, why? Because you get feedback from all the flanks, imagine yourself like a giant sponge whose only job is to soak information. It gives you an edge over the entire community, simply because people can't cope with their own problems and helping you with yours is out of consideration. Can't cope? Or so they think.
You see I wasn't always like that till family problems "made me" take Responsibility. I had no one to rely upon except myself and to tell the truth I felt like I was Lost in complications and trouble. At that point I gave a promise to myself that no matter how many troubles I had I Would Succeed in Life. I was so determined that I slept only 3 to 4 hours a day.
What I did find out, was that the key to get what you want is ATTITUDE and not just any attitude but the right attitude. Let's say you want to get rich, in order to get rich and successful you must behave like rich and successful people even if you are starving to death. You must believe you deserve to be rich and I don't mean some superficial belief deep in your head, rather a strong conviction that you do deserve what you ask for.
When you have that kind of convictions and determination people will start treat you the way you deserve. It's a weird thing but most people form an "Opinion" based on things you believe about yourself, so if you believe you are rich you will be perceived like one, if you believe you deserve to be respected you will be respected. In time those same people, will make your "false" conviction come True. The future "You" is made from the present "belief of" you.
The only restriction of what you can achieve is your Imagination. Imagine the best "YOU" in every detail and you will certainly become this "YOU".
milan.......................
I'm 21 and I had to grow up at accelerated rates because of multiple circumstances in my life. One of them was the divorce of my parents, my mother had no money and my father didn't seem to care about me and my brother. And to make it clear "no money" means that we didn't have enough even for food.
Now, I'm not saying these things so you can feel pity for me. I'm telling you because somehow I managed to survive, I found a Way.
Today I make 2000 euros a month, I know it's not a fortune but at least I have a budget that is 4 times more than the average budget in Greece and this amount grows every minute even as I write this article. By the way my father make less money than that.
How did I manage to make it while I didn't have a quarter of a penny in my pocket? ATTITUDE is the answer, I never ever stopped learning about anything that could be learned and that made me look like Guru in my circle of influence. Even with no money I had the most beautiful girls and the highest grades of all. When someone had a problem I was the one who solved it.
Imagine how it is like to have your own problems and the problems of others. It's great, why? Because you get feedback from all the flanks, imagine yourself like a giant sponge whose only job is to soak information. It gives you an edge over the entire community, simply because people can't cope with their own problems and helping you with yours is out of consideration. Can't cope? Or so they think.
You see I wasn't always like that till family problems "made me" take Responsibility. I had no one to rely upon except myself and to tell the truth I felt like I was Lost in complications and trouble. At that point I gave a promise to myself that no matter how many troubles I had I Would Succeed in Life. I was so determined that I slept only 3 to 4 hours a day.
What I did find out, was that the key to get what you want is ATTITUDE and not just any attitude but the right attitude. Let's say you want to get rich, in order to get rich and successful you must behave like rich and successful people even if you are starving to death. You must believe you deserve to be rich and I don't mean some superficial belief deep in your head, rather a strong conviction that you do deserve what you ask for.
When you have that kind of convictions and determination people will start treat you the way you deserve. It's a weird thing but most people form an "Opinion" based on things you believe about yourself, so if you believe you are rich you will be perceived like one, if you believe you deserve to be respected you will be respected. In time those same people, will make your "false" conviction come True. The future "You" is made from the present "belief of" you.
The only restriction of what you can achieve is your Imagination. Imagine the best "YOU" in every detail and you will certainly become this "YOU".
milan.......................
Why Do We Need Creativity?
Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives, but in modern times few people are able to access this as a resource. Alan Watts writes in The Wisdom of Insecurity:
"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy. As a consequence we are at war within ourselves - the brain desiring things which the body does not want, and the body desiring things that the brain will not allow; the brain giving directions which the body will nor follow, and the body giving impulses which the brain cannot understand...So long as the mind is split, life is perpetual conflict, tension, frustration and disillusion. Suffering is piled on suffering, fear on fear, and boredom on boredom.
The more the fly struggles to get out of the honey, the faster he is stuck. Under the pressure of so much strain and futility, it is no wonder that men [sic] seek release in violence and sensationalism, and the reckless exploitation of their bodies, their appetites, the material world and their fellow men".
Globally at the moment there are many problems facing mankind. Diminishing natural resources and increasing populations mean that we are in a spiral of entropy. Our investment systems have been using the capital assets of our planet as income since the beginning of the industrial revolution. We are putting little energy back into our planet.
Third world populations look enviously toward the apparent richness of first world countries, and wish to emulate the consumerism that appears to make its citizens so happy. Our media propagate the illusion that we can buy our way out of environmental destruction, and that retail therapy is the panacea to all dis-ease and unhappiness.
Although the nature of work is changing there is still more slavery in the world than there has ever been. Mass production is shifting generally to third world countries where cheap labour and the environment are more easily exploited. Tiny wage slavery is still cheaper than investing in up to the minute technology for many third world industries. New technology steadily gobbles up jobs. Service, leisure and electronic industries have replaced much of our manufacturing losses to the third world but now even these (often part-time jobs) are being 'outsourced'.
Certainly creativity is needed at individual and governmental levels to produce new opportunities in employment, information, education and leisure activities. Many of the manufacturing 'jobs for life' we have lost to cheaper workers have been replaced by part-time, poorly paid and insecure alternatives.
The development of new forms of employment and the ability to cope with accelerating change needs creativity at all levels. Pressures towards conformity stem from, "a demand that education should primarily the way to enhanced social status and a materially safe way of life" (T.P. Jones in Creative Learning in Perspective).
Aspects of specialisation (the mystification of knowledge into 'closed shops') and a centralised government system shift responsibility away from people. Many factors make it harder for an individual to act on their own behalf, on their own belief and to face uncertainty and possibly ridicule by doing something non-conformist. In education individual behaviour is still often construed as insulting and rebellious. Creativity, an Open University guide for teachers states:
"One of the problems with teaching for creativity in schools is that many of the personality characteristics and kind of behaviour associated with them are unpleasing to the teacher. Independent children who will not accept what the teacher says, simply because they say it, can be disliked by the teacher, particularly when such behaviour occurs on a heavy day or with a tired teacher".
The potential for divergent, self assertive thought and action is diminished in many sectors of society. People who 'rock the boat' and question authority are too often seen as a threat to established patterns. This has led to a breakdown in sensitivity to needs, the generation of ideas and the production of creative solutions. Financial reward and security are conditioned to be the primary motivations for work and life.
With the coming of automation and factories seeking the cheapest labour in third world countries, the emphasis in a successful economy needs to be more biased towards the production of ideas that create meaningful and sustainable employment. The education systems we have are slow to realise this and much of the training they provide is still geared towards values established during the Industrial Revolution.
The didactic education system we have is still partly based on training small boys for the priesthood, five-hundred years ago. The development of creative potential in individuals is an issue that the system simply does not know how to handle. Presently we are between two worlds, leaving generations high and dry concerning meaningful work and the generation of identity.
"Whilst assimilating that which he has inherited, and adapting himself to it, man [sic] must also preserve his essential individuality. Education must assist the society which nurtures it by inspiring each generation to add to the culture it has received by creating something new; there should be no passive acceptance of what has been handed down from the past. Serious consideration must therefore be given to the extent that non-conforming ideas can be considered as an asset for life in a conforming society".
milan.....................
"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy. As a consequence we are at war within ourselves - the brain desiring things which the body does not want, and the body desiring things that the brain will not allow; the brain giving directions which the body will nor follow, and the body giving impulses which the brain cannot understand...So long as the mind is split, life is perpetual conflict, tension, frustration and disillusion. Suffering is piled on suffering, fear on fear, and boredom on boredom.
The more the fly struggles to get out of the honey, the faster he is stuck. Under the pressure of so much strain and futility, it is no wonder that men [sic] seek release in violence and sensationalism, and the reckless exploitation of their bodies, their appetites, the material world and their fellow men".
Globally at the moment there are many problems facing mankind. Diminishing natural resources and increasing populations mean that we are in a spiral of entropy. Our investment systems have been using the capital assets of our planet as income since the beginning of the industrial revolution. We are putting little energy back into our planet.
Third world populations look enviously toward the apparent richness of first world countries, and wish to emulate the consumerism that appears to make its citizens so happy. Our media propagate the illusion that we can buy our way out of environmental destruction, and that retail therapy is the panacea to all dis-ease and unhappiness.
Although the nature of work is changing there is still more slavery in the world than there has ever been. Mass production is shifting generally to third world countries where cheap labour and the environment are more easily exploited. Tiny wage slavery is still cheaper than investing in up to the minute technology for many third world industries. New technology steadily gobbles up jobs. Service, leisure and electronic industries have replaced much of our manufacturing losses to the third world but now even these (often part-time jobs) are being 'outsourced'.
Certainly creativity is needed at individual and governmental levels to produce new opportunities in employment, information, education and leisure activities. Many of the manufacturing 'jobs for life' we have lost to cheaper workers have been replaced by part-time, poorly paid and insecure alternatives.
The development of new forms of employment and the ability to cope with accelerating change needs creativity at all levels. Pressures towards conformity stem from, "a demand that education should primarily the way to enhanced social status and a materially safe way of life" (T.P. Jones in Creative Learning in Perspective).
Aspects of specialisation (the mystification of knowledge into 'closed shops') and a centralised government system shift responsibility away from people. Many factors make it harder for an individual to act on their own behalf, on their own belief and to face uncertainty and possibly ridicule by doing something non-conformist. In education individual behaviour is still often construed as insulting and rebellious. Creativity, an Open University guide for teachers states:
"One of the problems with teaching for creativity in schools is that many of the personality characteristics and kind of behaviour associated with them are unpleasing to the teacher. Independent children who will not accept what the teacher says, simply because they say it, can be disliked by the teacher, particularly when such behaviour occurs on a heavy day or with a tired teacher".
The potential for divergent, self assertive thought and action is diminished in many sectors of society. People who 'rock the boat' and question authority are too often seen as a threat to established patterns. This has led to a breakdown in sensitivity to needs, the generation of ideas and the production of creative solutions. Financial reward and security are conditioned to be the primary motivations for work and life.
With the coming of automation and factories seeking the cheapest labour in third world countries, the emphasis in a successful economy needs to be more biased towards the production of ideas that create meaningful and sustainable employment. The education systems we have are slow to realise this and much of the training they provide is still geared towards values established during the Industrial Revolution.
The didactic education system we have is still partly based on training small boys for the priesthood, five-hundred years ago. The development of creative potential in individuals is an issue that the system simply does not know how to handle. Presently we are between two worlds, leaving generations high and dry concerning meaningful work and the generation of identity.
"Whilst assimilating that which he has inherited, and adapting himself to it, man [sic] must also preserve his essential individuality. Education must assist the society which nurtures it by inspiring each generation to add to the culture it has received by creating something new; there should be no passive acceptance of what has been handed down from the past. Serious consideration must therefore be given to the extent that non-conforming ideas can be considered as an asset for life in a conforming society".
milan.....................
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Super Preparation - Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation
Super Preparation -
Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation
Novice and expert presenters alike have had the experience of feeling a little (or may be a lot) nervous before giving a talk. In working with hundreds of people to help them improve their presentation skills, one consistent theme has emerged: once people get started, assuming things go relatively well, they begin to relax, become more natural, less self conscious, and therefore more effective.
Since the opening of any presentation is critical to the message and the presenter's credibility, and since this is often when presenters are most nervous and cautious, it makes sense to have strategies to make that opening the best it can be.
I call the strategy "Super Preparation".
How to Do It
Here are the steps to Super Preparation:
1. Design a dynamite opening. This article isn't focused on how to build the best possible opening, but that is where you need to start! Make sure your opening is clear, focused, attention getting and full of audience benefits. You want the people listening to become truly interested in what you have to say. When you have a great opening planned, your excitement and confidence will rise, already making you less apprehensive.
2. Practice the opening. You need to "own" the great opening you have developed. Practice the first 3-5 minutes of your talk thinking about everything: the words, vocal inflection, gestures, movements, pace and more. Know the flow of your words, find the best places to pause for emphasis. Your goal is to have the first few minutes so well prepared in your mind and heart that your nerves and apprehensions about getting started are greatly reduced. You won't reach that goal without practice.
3. Visualize success! Spend some time thinking about how successful the opening will be. How engaged and interested your audience will be. How confident and relaxed you will be. Visualizing those things are a big step towards making them happen.
4. Rehearse. I know, I already told you to practice. These rehearsals are the final mental run-throughs that incorporate both the practice and the visualization. These rehearsals might be in your car, the shower, as you lay in bed, whenever!
5. End with a "make." When shooting baskets after practice my basketball coach always said, "Don't leave the court on a miss. Always finish with the result you want." That is my advice to you on your mental rehearsals. Always finish with a rehearsal where the opening went great! This will solidify the result you want in your brain and add to your growing confidence and excitement.
6. Don't memorize! All this talk about practice and rehearsal may lead you to think, "I just need to memorize my opening." Nothing could be more wrong. When we memorize, we focus on the words. If we mess up the words we've lost it! Super Preparation is about preparing for a super result - and super results in presentations are always focused on the audience, not ourselves. Forget the memorization. Remember the audience. Focus on the message, your approach and your desired outcome.
Results
The results of utilizing Super Preparation include:
? Greater confidence
? Less apprehension or nerves at the start of your talk
? A much more credible first impression of you, your skills, and message by the audience
? An opening that has great impact
Aren't those reasons enough to try it?
The Rest
Will take care of itself. You will have set yourself up to succeed with greater confidence and energy, which allows you to build on the great opening, rather than trying to recover from a poor one.
Try the Super Preparation approach to your next presentation and prepare to persuade with greater effectiveness than you ever have before!
milan..................
Keys to Getting a Great Start to Every Presentation
Novice and expert presenters alike have had the experience of feeling a little (or may be a lot) nervous before giving a talk. In working with hundreds of people to help them improve their presentation skills, one consistent theme has emerged: once people get started, assuming things go relatively well, they begin to relax, become more natural, less self conscious, and therefore more effective.
Since the opening of any presentation is critical to the message and the presenter's credibility, and since this is often when presenters are most nervous and cautious, it makes sense to have strategies to make that opening the best it can be.
I call the strategy "Super Preparation".
How to Do It
Here are the steps to Super Preparation:
1. Design a dynamite opening. This article isn't focused on how to build the best possible opening, but that is where you need to start! Make sure your opening is clear, focused, attention getting and full of audience benefits. You want the people listening to become truly interested in what you have to say. When you have a great opening planned, your excitement and confidence will rise, already making you less apprehensive.
2. Practice the opening. You need to "own" the great opening you have developed. Practice the first 3-5 minutes of your talk thinking about everything: the words, vocal inflection, gestures, movements, pace and more. Know the flow of your words, find the best places to pause for emphasis. Your goal is to have the first few minutes so well prepared in your mind and heart that your nerves and apprehensions about getting started are greatly reduced. You won't reach that goal without practice.
3. Visualize success! Spend some time thinking about how successful the opening will be. How engaged and interested your audience will be. How confident and relaxed you will be. Visualizing those things are a big step towards making them happen.
4. Rehearse. I know, I already told you to practice. These rehearsals are the final mental run-throughs that incorporate both the practice and the visualization. These rehearsals might be in your car, the shower, as you lay in bed, whenever!
5. End with a "make." When shooting baskets after practice my basketball coach always said, "Don't leave the court on a miss. Always finish with the result you want." That is my advice to you on your mental rehearsals. Always finish with a rehearsal where the opening went great! This will solidify the result you want in your brain and add to your growing confidence and excitement.
6. Don't memorize! All this talk about practice and rehearsal may lead you to think, "I just need to memorize my opening." Nothing could be more wrong. When we memorize, we focus on the words. If we mess up the words we've lost it! Super Preparation is about preparing for a super result - and super results in presentations are always focused on the audience, not ourselves. Forget the memorization. Remember the audience. Focus on the message, your approach and your desired outcome.
Results
The results of utilizing Super Preparation include:
? Greater confidence
? Less apprehension or nerves at the start of your talk
? A much more credible first impression of you, your skills, and message by the audience
? An opening that has great impact
Aren't those reasons enough to try it?
The Rest
Will take care of itself. You will have set yourself up to succeed with greater confidence and energy, which allows you to build on the great opening, rather than trying to recover from a poor one.
Try the Super Preparation approach to your next presentation and prepare to persuade with greater effectiveness than you ever have before!
milan..................
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Final Chapter
Several months ago, I read an article about a 22 year old, successful young lady who died a premature death in a plane crash. The more I read this article, the heavier my heart became because she died in the midst of her formative years. Equally tear-jerking was the fact that she died before completing a book that she was writing -- before completing her final chapter.
Right now, your book is being written -- and you are the author. Every moment that passes, every day that appears and vanishes, your pages are being written. Every word you speak, every action you take -- shapes page after page in your book of life. How you live and how you treat others also shape the pages of your book -- from cover to cover.
In retrospect, perhaps the beginning of your book may not have been written well, because of mistakes, or unwise decisions -- but you can finish a bestseller.
You can finish a bestseller, because you are the starring character and you, by your present and future actions, control how the final chapters of your book will read. You can finish as the winner by doing the things that you love and not taking your life, or others for granted.
Start a new chapter today -- a chapter that will give you and others a delight to read.
Motivational Speaker, Audrina Jones Bunton was born the seventh of eight children in her household in Pinehurst, North Carolina into a loving and committed Christian home. As she has 2 children, over 40 nieces and nephews and great- nieces and nephews, it is not unusual to find her under the same roof with many of her maternal five-generation family on weekends and on holidays. In her youth, she fondly recalls traveling throughout the U.S. with her family, as her parents ministered from state to state year after year-helping people as they traveled.
A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Audrina is a Competent Toastmaster of Toastmasters International and serves as the North Carolina District Sergeant At Arms. She is a former counselor of the Durham Pregnancy Support Services, a Christian-oriented crisis pregnancy center in Durham, North Carolina and is currently a Social Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Audrina is currently studying at the Master's Divinity School in Evansville, Indiana with a combined concentration in Biblical Counseling and IABC certification.
She also serves as the Youth Director at the Come As You Are Evangelistic Center in Aberdeen, North Carolina where her mother, Lydia Jones is the pastor.
Modeling after a song that her mother so often sings, and one that Martin Luther King, Jr. often quoted, her life and speeches are based on the following lyrics, "If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain."
milan.............
Right now, your book is being written -- and you are the author. Every moment that passes, every day that appears and vanishes, your pages are being written. Every word you speak, every action you take -- shapes page after page in your book of life. How you live and how you treat others also shape the pages of your book -- from cover to cover.
In retrospect, perhaps the beginning of your book may not have been written well, because of mistakes, or unwise decisions -- but you can finish a bestseller.
You can finish a bestseller, because you are the starring character and you, by your present and future actions, control how the final chapters of your book will read. You can finish as the winner by doing the things that you love and not taking your life, or others for granted.
Start a new chapter today -- a chapter that will give you and others a delight to read.
Motivational Speaker, Audrina Jones Bunton was born the seventh of eight children in her household in Pinehurst, North Carolina into a loving and committed Christian home. As she has 2 children, over 40 nieces and nephews and great- nieces and nephews, it is not unusual to find her under the same roof with many of her maternal five-generation family on weekends and on holidays. In her youth, she fondly recalls traveling throughout the U.S. with her family, as her parents ministered from state to state year after year-helping people as they traveled.
A graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, Audrina is a Competent Toastmaster of Toastmasters International and serves as the North Carolina District Sergeant At Arms. She is a former counselor of the Durham Pregnancy Support Services, a Christian-oriented crisis pregnancy center in Durham, North Carolina and is currently a Social Research Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Audrina is currently studying at the Master's Divinity School in Evansville, Indiana with a combined concentration in Biblical Counseling and IABC certification.
She also serves as the Youth Director at the Come As You Are Evangelistic Center in Aberdeen, North Carolina where her mother, Lydia Jones is the pastor.
Modeling after a song that her mother so often sings, and one that Martin Luther King, Jr. often quoted, her life and speeches are based on the following lyrics, "If I can help somebody as I pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong, Then my living will not be in vain."
milan.............
Sunday, October 19, 2008
My Search for the Truth
I am a Falun Dafa practitioner. Maybe you've heard about the persecution of Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong) practitioners in China. Over the past five years, many people have been committed to mental institutions, tortured, detained, imprisoned, and even killed, simply for refusing to give up this practice. Unfortunately, most Americans don't know about this situation, or they've been given a negative impression, and so the persecution goes on. My intention is to give my impression of Falun Dafa, and hopefully, bring an awareness of this situation to the people of this country--a country that was founded on the basis of religious and spiritual freedom.
All of my life, I have been searching for answers to all of life's most fundamental questions: Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Why do bad things happen to good people? Who is God? Why does He allow all of this?
As a child and again as a teenager, I searched for the answers in Christianity, and even though I sensed wisdom and truth in the teachings of Jesus--being honest, loving thy neighbor, turning the other cheek--there seemed to be something missing. Maybe something got lost in the translation.
I didn't have a problem with not understanding everything about God's actions--I mean He is God after all, and so how can I expect to understand Him? However, I did feel that I had some legitimate questions about justice. For instance, why do really bad things happen to seemingly good people? Why are babies born with deformities? How could this person's life of ninety years be equal to that person's life of 25 years? If all you have to do to go to heaven is believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, then what kind of a place would heaven be? I mean, I know a lot of people who believe that, and I'm not really sure that heaven would be better than earth if that were the case. Also, what happens to people who have never been exposed to Christianity or believe in some other god or religion? Obviously, I had a lot of questions that could not be answered within the framework of contemporary Christian religions. Consequently, I gave up the search--at least for the time being.
When I was twenty-three years old, I became ill. Over the next few years, I became unable to work, and I was eventually diagnosed with lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and vasculitis.
I had problems with every joint in my body; I couldn't stand, sit, or use my hands for any length of time; I had no stamina and slept for about twelve hours every day; I often had acute pain that came and went for apparently no reason and chronic pain that could last for hours; I often could not get comfortable enough to go to sleep; because of the amount and kind of medication that I took, I developed a lot of digestive problems; and I often ran a low-grade fever for days, and sometimes, weeks at a time.
Over the last two years, the vasculitis had become quite bad. I would often break out in large hives all over my body, and would get large spontaneous 'bruises' on my legs and arms that were not the result of any trauma and which took an unusual length of time to heal. I knew that this could not go on indefinitely, and so I had come to accept the fact that the length of my life was severely limited.
I thought that I would just try to live what was left of my life the best that I could, but I still longed for the answers to those age-old questions. Even though I believed I would receive the answers when I died, I decided that I would ask for them while I still lived. So, one day, I imagined myself crying out to the universe for help.
I remembered reading in a book that if you ever have a question, you should go to the library. Even if they don't have the answer, they can probably help you find it or where to go to get it. So, I went to the library to look for the answer.
In the foyer, there is a bulletin board with flyers, announcements, etc., and shelves beneath. I looked all over the bulletin board, all over the shelves, and on the bottom shelf, underneath something else, there was a brochure: a bright blue brochure with oriental characters on it. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the answer. It was a Falun Dafa pamphlet, and inside was a contact name and number. That was February 6th of 2000.
I started practicing Falun Dafa within days. Within weeks, I was able to stop taking all of my medication, I became free of my illnesses, and I was eventually able to go back to work. These things were really just fringe benefits to me--after all, I was just looking for answers, not healing--but I became well just the same!
The practice of Falun Dafa is very simple. It consists of five exercises--four standing, and one sitting meditation--and a set of three principles, which we believe to be the nature of the universe: Zhen (True), Shan (Good), and Ren (Endure).
The exercises are gentle and relaxing, as well as energizing. The practice of implementing the principles-to be True, Good, and Endure--is simple, and yet amazingly powerful. You may notice that they are the same basic principles that Jesus taught, as well. At the very base level, Falun Dafa is learning how to be a better person in every aspect of life: at home, at work, and socially. At a higher level, the goal is the same as other practices: wisdom and enlightenment. Falun Dafa is not a religion: we don't worship any particular God, although we do recognize the existence of great enlightened beings throughout history such as Jesus, Sakyamuni, Lao Zi, Amitabha, etc.; we don't have temples; we don't have any type of administration; we don't have any rituals; there are no requirements; there is no membership; and we absolutely do not involve ourselves with money. If you want to learn about Falun Dafa, any practitioner can and will teach you the exercises for free, all the books can be downloaded from the internet for free, and we do not even accept donations. It's a pace-yourself kind of course--you practice when you want to, how often you want to, and for how long you want to. It is completely up to you whether you practice or not.
Falun Dafa may very well be the largest spiritual movement in the history of the world. Right now, there are an estimated 100 million practitioners world-wide, with practitioners in over 50 countries, including the United States and China. All we want is to be good people and be able to practice our beliefs--our cultivation--without persecution.
Speaking of those answers: I did find them, as well. I also found a peace of mind and a sense of being that I never could have imagined. My goal is still to live my life the best that I can, but I also want to share what I have found with others who may be able to benefit as well. I would also like to inform those who believe that we all have a basic human right to practice our beliefs without being persecuted about the situation for millions of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.
milan............
All of my life, I have been searching for answers to all of life's most fundamental questions: Why am I here? What is the purpose of life? Why do bad things happen to good people? Who is God? Why does He allow all of this?
As a child and again as a teenager, I searched for the answers in Christianity, and even though I sensed wisdom and truth in the teachings of Jesus--being honest, loving thy neighbor, turning the other cheek--there seemed to be something missing. Maybe something got lost in the translation.
I didn't have a problem with not understanding everything about God's actions--I mean He is God after all, and so how can I expect to understand Him? However, I did feel that I had some legitimate questions about justice. For instance, why do really bad things happen to seemingly good people? Why are babies born with deformities? How could this person's life of ninety years be equal to that person's life of 25 years? If all you have to do to go to heaven is believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, then what kind of a place would heaven be? I mean, I know a lot of people who believe that, and I'm not really sure that heaven would be better than earth if that were the case. Also, what happens to people who have never been exposed to Christianity or believe in some other god or religion? Obviously, I had a lot of questions that could not be answered within the framework of contemporary Christian religions. Consequently, I gave up the search--at least for the time being.
When I was twenty-three years old, I became ill. Over the next few years, I became unable to work, and I was eventually diagnosed with lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and vasculitis.
I had problems with every joint in my body; I couldn't stand, sit, or use my hands for any length of time; I had no stamina and slept for about twelve hours every day; I often had acute pain that came and went for apparently no reason and chronic pain that could last for hours; I often could not get comfortable enough to go to sleep; because of the amount and kind of medication that I took, I developed a lot of digestive problems; and I often ran a low-grade fever for days, and sometimes, weeks at a time.
Over the last two years, the vasculitis had become quite bad. I would often break out in large hives all over my body, and would get large spontaneous 'bruises' on my legs and arms that were not the result of any trauma and which took an unusual length of time to heal. I knew that this could not go on indefinitely, and so I had come to accept the fact that the length of my life was severely limited.
I thought that I would just try to live what was left of my life the best that I could, but I still longed for the answers to those age-old questions. Even though I believed I would receive the answers when I died, I decided that I would ask for them while I still lived. So, one day, I imagined myself crying out to the universe for help.
I remembered reading in a book that if you ever have a question, you should go to the library. Even if they don't have the answer, they can probably help you find it or where to go to get it. So, I went to the library to look for the answer.
In the foyer, there is a bulletin board with flyers, announcements, etc., and shelves beneath. I looked all over the bulletin board, all over the shelves, and on the bottom shelf, underneath something else, there was a brochure: a bright blue brochure with oriental characters on it. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the answer. It was a Falun Dafa pamphlet, and inside was a contact name and number. That was February 6th of 2000.
I started practicing Falun Dafa within days. Within weeks, I was able to stop taking all of my medication, I became free of my illnesses, and I was eventually able to go back to work. These things were really just fringe benefits to me--after all, I was just looking for answers, not healing--but I became well just the same!
The practice of Falun Dafa is very simple. It consists of five exercises--four standing, and one sitting meditation--and a set of three principles, which we believe to be the nature of the universe: Zhen (True), Shan (Good), and Ren (Endure).
The exercises are gentle and relaxing, as well as energizing. The practice of implementing the principles-to be True, Good, and Endure--is simple, and yet amazingly powerful. You may notice that they are the same basic principles that Jesus taught, as well. At the very base level, Falun Dafa is learning how to be a better person in every aspect of life: at home, at work, and socially. At a higher level, the goal is the same as other practices: wisdom and enlightenment. Falun Dafa is not a religion: we don't worship any particular God, although we do recognize the existence of great enlightened beings throughout history such as Jesus, Sakyamuni, Lao Zi, Amitabha, etc.; we don't have temples; we don't have any type of administration; we don't have any rituals; there are no requirements; there is no membership; and we absolutely do not involve ourselves with money. If you want to learn about Falun Dafa, any practitioner can and will teach you the exercises for free, all the books can be downloaded from the internet for free, and we do not even accept donations. It's a pace-yourself kind of course--you practice when you want to, how often you want to, and for how long you want to. It is completely up to you whether you practice or not.
Falun Dafa may very well be the largest spiritual movement in the history of the world. Right now, there are an estimated 100 million practitioners world-wide, with practitioners in over 50 countries, including the United States and China. All we want is to be good people and be able to practice our beliefs--our cultivation--without persecution.
Speaking of those answers: I did find them, as well. I also found a peace of mind and a sense of being that I never could have imagined. My goal is still to live my life the best that I can, but I also want to share what I have found with others who may be able to benefit as well. I would also like to inform those who believe that we all have a basic human right to practice our beliefs without being persecuted about the situation for millions of Falun Dafa practitioners in China.
milan............
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Free Money Saving Auto Insurance Tips
Our money saving auto insurance tips were written for one reason - To Save You Money on your next auto insurance policy. Since in most states you are required by law to purchase a minimum amount of liability coverage we've looked for ways to save you money. Additionally many people want more than just the bare minimum in order to provide themselves with adequate protection.
The top two biggest money saving auto insurance tips are to first shop around. There are numerous providers of insurance and generally speaking you can save a great deal of money on your policy if you take the time to find the right provider.
The second biggest tip to lower your rates is to simply raise your deductable. In some cases you can reduce your annual premium by 10 percent or more if you increase your deductible by a few hundred dollars. USE CAUTION HERE: You want to make sure you can actually afford the amount that you raise your deductible to or you're no better off then before.
Additional tips include eliminating certain types of coverage from your current policy and reducing the amount of coverage you currently have. Generally this is up to each individual based on thier needs, wants and desires. You may want to consult an insurance agent before making any drastic changes to your current policy.
Other factors raising the cost of your policy include the amount of mileage you drive annually and the type of vehicle you own and operate.
Did you also know that where you live can determine rates and keeping your car in a garage can lower your rates. Cars parked in garages are less likely to be stolen, vandalized, or struck by other vehicles. Using a garage to store your car may entitle you to a slight premium reduction.
If you have multiple cars and drivers then you could qualify for a multifamily discount. Sometimes your children's insurance premium can be lowered based on their school grade point average.
Other discounts may be available if you meet certain criteria. Examples may include discounts for taking a defensive driving course, being a AAA member or staying with the same auto insurance company for a number of years. These discounts vary by company.
Finally try using an anti-theft device. This helps to reduce your insurance cost.
Thanks for taking the time to read our money saving auto insurance tips. We hope our free tips and save you some of your hard earned cash.
milan............
The top two biggest money saving auto insurance tips are to first shop around. There are numerous providers of insurance and generally speaking you can save a great deal of money on your policy if you take the time to find the right provider.
The second biggest tip to lower your rates is to simply raise your deductable. In some cases you can reduce your annual premium by 10 percent or more if you increase your deductible by a few hundred dollars. USE CAUTION HERE: You want to make sure you can actually afford the amount that you raise your deductible to or you're no better off then before.
Additional tips include eliminating certain types of coverage from your current policy and reducing the amount of coverage you currently have. Generally this is up to each individual based on thier needs, wants and desires. You may want to consult an insurance agent before making any drastic changes to your current policy.
Other factors raising the cost of your policy include the amount of mileage you drive annually and the type of vehicle you own and operate.
Did you also know that where you live can determine rates and keeping your car in a garage can lower your rates. Cars parked in garages are less likely to be stolen, vandalized, or struck by other vehicles. Using a garage to store your car may entitle you to a slight premium reduction.
If you have multiple cars and drivers then you could qualify for a multifamily discount. Sometimes your children's insurance premium can be lowered based on their school grade point average.
Other discounts may be available if you meet certain criteria. Examples may include discounts for taking a defensive driving course, being a AAA member or staying with the same auto insurance company for a number of years. These discounts vary by company.
Finally try using an anti-theft device. This helps to reduce your insurance cost.
Thanks for taking the time to read our money saving auto insurance tips. We hope our free tips and save you some of your hard earned cash.
milan............
Friday, October 17, 2008
Seven Tips to a Job-Winning Interview
Seven Tips to a Job-Winning Interview
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!
1. Investigate the company's culture, markets, and finances. But resist the temptation to show off what you've researched: "I just read that you're about to embark on a new product line") unless you have a question directly related to your career.
2. Look like you belong. Learn the company's dress code and err on the side of conservatism. When you're seeking a senior position based on industry experience, you'll be expected to know the rules without being told.
3. Take charge of the interview! The most successful interviews feel like friendly conversations. When your interviewer has an agenda (such as the infamous "stress interview") stay relaxed. Think of playing a game.
4. Assume everyone you meet will provide feedback to the decision-maker. Some companies hand out comment forms to receptionists, security guards and potential peers who take you to lunch.
5. Communicate interest and enthusiasm, even if you're not sure you're ready to commit. You'll rarely have all the facts until you're looking at an offer.
6. Bring extra copies of your correspondence from this company as well as your resume, references, writing samples, portfolio and current business cards. Interviewers lose documents and conversations move in unexpected directions.
7. Create a relaxed, positive attitude by devising a realistic game plan. When your career isn't riding on a single interview, you'll have fun and make a confident, relaxed impression.
8. Write a thank you letter within forty-eight hours. Create a low-key sales letter, emphasizing how your qualifications match the company's needs. Present yourself as a resource, not a supplicant.
9. After you write the letter, forget about the interview. Email or phone only if you've received a competing offer with a deadline.
Occasionally you may make points with follow-up mailings. A sports team public relations applicant sent puzzles, games and press releases -- and she got the job. Use your intuition.
10. Keep notes of what you learned from the process. What worked? What would you do differently?
As soon as you begin your new job, develop a career plan and a safety net before you need one.
milan...........................
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!
1. Investigate the company's culture, markets, and finances. But resist the temptation to show off what you've researched: "I just read that you're about to embark on a new product line") unless you have a question directly related to your career.
2. Look like you belong. Learn the company's dress code and err on the side of conservatism. When you're seeking a senior position based on industry experience, you'll be expected to know the rules without being told.
3. Take charge of the interview! The most successful interviews feel like friendly conversations. When your interviewer has an agenda (such as the infamous "stress interview") stay relaxed. Think of playing a game.
4. Assume everyone you meet will provide feedback to the decision-maker. Some companies hand out comment forms to receptionists, security guards and potential peers who take you to lunch.
5. Communicate interest and enthusiasm, even if you're not sure you're ready to commit. You'll rarely have all the facts until you're looking at an offer.
6. Bring extra copies of your correspondence from this company as well as your resume, references, writing samples, portfolio and current business cards. Interviewers lose documents and conversations move in unexpected directions.
7. Create a relaxed, positive attitude by devising a realistic game plan. When your career isn't riding on a single interview, you'll have fun and make a confident, relaxed impression.
8. Write a thank you letter within forty-eight hours. Create a low-key sales letter, emphasizing how your qualifications match the company's needs. Present yourself as a resource, not a supplicant.
9. After you write the letter, forget about the interview. Email or phone only if you've received a competing offer with a deadline.
Occasionally you may make points with follow-up mailings. A sports team public relations applicant sent puzzles, games and press releases -- and she got the job. Use your intuition.
10. Keep notes of what you learned from the process. What worked? What would you do differently?
As soon as you begin your new job, develop a career plan and a safety net before you need one.
milan...........................
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Winter Running: Survival Tips For Your Feet
The days are shorter, the air is colder and the streets are slicker. Yet, many will still brave the cold, damp and dark streets and trails as winter sets in. For those who don't mind a little rain, snow, sleet or below freezing temperatures and run to survive the winter, it is important to know how to protect the feet so they too, can survive the winter months.
1. Consider running in a trail shoe, even if you are not running on trails. Trail running shoes tend to protect your feet more than lighter nylon running shoes. Trail shoes also have more traction for slippery surfaces encountered during winter running.
2. Avoid cotton socks. Synthetic socks wick away moisture and help prevent blister formation and cold feet.
3. Make sure your shoes fit. Running shoes used for summer may not be an appropriate fit for winter. Many individuals will experience a small amount of swelling in their feet during the summer. This may cause a loose fit for winter, leading to heel slippage and potential blisters.
4. Pair your socks and shoes. Don't assume your heavier socks will work with your summer running shoes. Some individuals wear heavier socks during the winter and this may lead to the toes being cramped in the front of the shoe causing discomfort, numbness and sometimes jamming of the toes leading to blood under the toenails. The reverse is also true. Your summer running socks may not work with your winter or running shoes.
5. Avoid tight footwear in cold weather. Tight shoes may decrease circulation to the toes and increase the chance for nerve impingement on the top of the foot.
6. Run on flat surfaces. In cold weather it is more difficult to adjust to uneven terrain because your muscles do not react as quickly. This will increase your chances of developing muscle strains and sprains. If you trail run in the winter, choose trails with fewer rocks, roots and dips.
7. Don't use your old worn-out shoes for winter running. Do not start your winter running in shoes that have 400-500 miles on them. Wearing shoes that are worn-out can lead to foot problems such as plantar fasciitis and tendonitis.
8. Warm up slowly. Your muscles will take longer to warm-up in colder weather. Your chances of injury increase when you do not take the time to warm-up properly.
9. Avoid speedwork in very cold weather. Speedwork in cold weather will increase your chances of injury. Consider saving speedwork for the warmer days, and use the colder days for maintenance runs.
10. Take a break from running. Consider cross training if you are feeling stiff and sore or if you are experiencing foot, ankle or leg discomfort. Overuse injuries occur more frequently in the winter as runners unconsciously alter their gait to adapt to slippery, hard to see surfaces.
milan...........................
1. Consider running in a trail shoe, even if you are not running on trails. Trail running shoes tend to protect your feet more than lighter nylon running shoes. Trail shoes also have more traction for slippery surfaces encountered during winter running.
2. Avoid cotton socks. Synthetic socks wick away moisture and help prevent blister formation and cold feet.
3. Make sure your shoes fit. Running shoes used for summer may not be an appropriate fit for winter. Many individuals will experience a small amount of swelling in their feet during the summer. This may cause a loose fit for winter, leading to heel slippage and potential blisters.
4. Pair your socks and shoes. Don't assume your heavier socks will work with your summer running shoes. Some individuals wear heavier socks during the winter and this may lead to the toes being cramped in the front of the shoe causing discomfort, numbness and sometimes jamming of the toes leading to blood under the toenails. The reverse is also true. Your summer running socks may not work with your winter or running shoes.
5. Avoid tight footwear in cold weather. Tight shoes may decrease circulation to the toes and increase the chance for nerve impingement on the top of the foot.
6. Run on flat surfaces. In cold weather it is more difficult to adjust to uneven terrain because your muscles do not react as quickly. This will increase your chances of developing muscle strains and sprains. If you trail run in the winter, choose trails with fewer rocks, roots and dips.
7. Don't use your old worn-out shoes for winter running. Do not start your winter running in shoes that have 400-500 miles on them. Wearing shoes that are worn-out can lead to foot problems such as plantar fasciitis and tendonitis.
8. Warm up slowly. Your muscles will take longer to warm-up in colder weather. Your chances of injury increase when you do not take the time to warm-up properly.
9. Avoid speedwork in very cold weather. Speedwork in cold weather will increase your chances of injury. Consider saving speedwork for the warmer days, and use the colder days for maintenance runs.
10. Take a break from running. Consider cross training if you are feeling stiff and sore or if you are experiencing foot, ankle or leg discomfort. Overuse injuries occur more frequently in the winter as runners unconsciously alter their gait to adapt to slippery, hard to see surfaces.
milan...........................
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Balancing Your Work, Family and Social Life
Many of us have an image of personal balance as a set of scales in perfect balance every day. But that's an unrealistic goal. You are in for a lot of frustration if you try to allocate within every day a predetermined portion of time for work, family and your social life. An illness may upset all your plans. A business project may demand peaks of intense work, followed by valleys of slow time.
Balance requires continual adjustments, like an acrobat on a high wire who constantly shifts his weight to the right and to the left. By focusing on four main areas of your life - emotional/spiritual needs, relationships, intellectual needs and physical needs - at work and away from work, you can begin to walk the high wire safely.
Here, drawn from my conversations with many high successful Americans, are ten ideas for balancing all aspects of your life:
1. Make an appointment with yourself. Banish from your mind the idea that everyone takes precedence over you. Don't use your organizer or calendar just for appointments with others. Give yourself some prime time. Regularly do something you enjoy. It will recharge your batteries. Once you've put yourself on your calendar, guard those appointments. Kay Koplovitz founder of the USA cable television network, which is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Koplovitz ran the daily operations of the network for 21 years. For more than two decades, there was always some potential claim on her time. Therefore she vigilantly protected a scheduled tennis match just as she would a business appointment.
2. Care for your body. Having a high energy level is a trait held by many highly successful people. No matter what your present level of energy, you can increase it by following these steps:
Eat. Don't skip meals. Your physical and mental energy depend upon nourishment. Irregular eating patterns can cause a frayed temper, depression, lack of creativity and a nervous stomach.
Exercise. Over and over again, highly successful people mention the benefit of exercise routines. Johnetta Cole, president of Bennett College for Women and former president of Spelman College, does a four-mile walk each morning. She calls it her mobile meditation. The benefits of exercise are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer.
Rest. A psychologist who has studied creative people reports that they rest often and sleep a lot.
3. Cut some slack. You do not have to do everything. Just the right things. Publisher Steve Forbes taught me a lesson: "Don't be a slave to your in-box. Just because there's something there doesn't mean you have to do it." As a result, every evening, I extract from my long list to-do list just a few "musts" for the following day. If, but three o'clock the next day, I've crossed off all the "musts," I know that everything else I do that day will be icing on the cake. It is a great psychological plus for me.
There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself hard, disciplining yourself to
do what needs to be done when you hold yourself to the highest standards. That builds up stamina and turns you into a pro. At time, though, you must forgive yourself. You will never become 100 percent efficient, nor should you expect to be. After something does not work, ask yourself, "Did I do my best? If you did, accept the outcome. All you can do is all you can do.
4. Blur the boundaries. Some very successful people achieve balance by setting aside times or days for family, recreation, hobbies or the like. They create boundaries around certain activities and protect them. Other individuals who are just as successful do just the opposite. They blur the boundaries. Says consultant Alan Weiss, "I work out of my home. In the afternoon, I might be watching my kids play at the pool or be out with my wife. On Saturday, or at ten o'clock on a weeknight, I might be working. I do things when the spirit moves me, and when they're appropriate."
Some jobs don't lend themselves to this strategy. But blurring the boundaries is possible more often than you may think. One way is to involve people you care about in what you do. For example, many companies encourage employees to bring their spouses to conferences and annual meetings. It's a good idea. If people who mean a great deal to you understand what you do, they can share more fully in your successes and failures. They also are more likely to be a good sounding board for your ideas.
5. Take a break. Many therapists believe that taking a break from a work routine can have major benefits for mental and physical health. Professional speaker and executive coach Barbara Pagano practices a kind of quick charge, by scheduling a day every few months with no agenda. For her, that means staying in her pajamas, unplugging the phone, watching old movie or reading a novel in bed. For that one day, nothing happens, except what she decides from hour to hour. Adds singer and composer Billy Joel, "There are times when you need to let the field lie fallow." Joel is describing what farmers often do: let a plot rest so the soil can replenish itself.
6. Take the road less traveled. Occasionally, get off the expressway and take a side road, literally and figuratively. That road may take you to the library or to the golf course. Do something out of the ordinary to avoid the well-worn grooves of your life. Try a new route to work, a different radio station or a different cereal. Break out of your old mold occasionally, with a new way to dress or a different hobby. The road less traveled can be a reward after a demanding event, a carrot that you reward your self with or it can be a good way to loosen up before a big event. Bobby Dodd, the legendary football coach at Georgia Tech, knew the power of this concept. While other coaches were putting their teams through brutal twice-a-day practices, Dodd's team did their drills and practices, but then took time to relax, play touch football and enjoy the bowl sites. Did the idea work? In six straight championships games!
7. Be still. Susan Taylor, editorial director of Essence, sees to it that she has quiet time every morning. She regards it as a time for centering - for being still and listening. She keeps a paper and pen with her to jot down ideas that come to her. The way you use solitary time should match your values, beliefs and temperament. Some individuals devote a regular time each day to visualize themselves attaining their goals and dreams. Others read, pray, meditate, do yoga or just contemplate a sunrise or sunset. Whatever form it takes, time spent alone can have an enormous payoff. Achievers talk about an inner strength they find and how it helps them put competing demands into perspective. They feel more confident about their choices and more self-reliant. They discover a sense of balance, a centeredness.
8. Be a peacetime patriot. Joe Posner has achieved wealth and recognition selling life insurance. Several years ago, Posner helped form an organization in his hometown of Rochester, NY to prepare underprivileged children for school and life and, he hopes, break the poverty cycle. You may find some equally worthy way to give something back through your church, hospital, civic club, alumni association or by doing some pro bono work. Or you may help individuals privately, even anonymously. There are powerful rewards for balancing personal interests with the needs of the common good. One of the most wonderful is the sheer joy that can come from giving. Another reward is the better world that you help create.
9. Do what you love to do. As a boy, Aaron Copeland spent hours listening to his sister practice the piano because he loved music. By following that love, he became America's most famous composer of classical must. When I asked him years later if he had even been disappointed by that choice Copeland replied, "My life has been enchanting." What a word to sum up a life. By itself, loving what you do does not ensure success. You need to be good at what you love. But if you love what you do, the time you spend becoming competent is less likely to be drudgery.
10. Focus on strategy. As important as it is, how to save time for balancing your life is not the ultimate question. That question is, "What am I saving time for?" Strategy has to do with being successful - but successful at what? If others pay your salary, being strategic generally means convincing them that you are spending your time in a way that benefits them. If there is a dispute over how you should use your time, either convince the people who can reward or punish you that your idea about using time is appropriate, or look for another job. The "what for?" question should also be asked about the life you live. It is truly a comprehensive question and gets at the question of wholeness.
So what makes for a successful balance life? I can think of no better definition than the one given by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because I have lived. This is to have succeeded.
milan......................
Balance requires continual adjustments, like an acrobat on a high wire who constantly shifts his weight to the right and to the left. By focusing on four main areas of your life - emotional/spiritual needs, relationships, intellectual needs and physical needs - at work and away from work, you can begin to walk the high wire safely.
Here, drawn from my conversations with many high successful Americans, are ten ideas for balancing all aspects of your life:
1. Make an appointment with yourself. Banish from your mind the idea that everyone takes precedence over you. Don't use your organizer or calendar just for appointments with others. Give yourself some prime time. Regularly do something you enjoy. It will recharge your batteries. Once you've put yourself on your calendar, guard those appointments. Kay Koplovitz founder of the USA cable television network, which is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Koplovitz ran the daily operations of the network for 21 years. For more than two decades, there was always some potential claim on her time. Therefore she vigilantly protected a scheduled tennis match just as she would a business appointment.
2. Care for your body. Having a high energy level is a trait held by many highly successful people. No matter what your present level of energy, you can increase it by following these steps:
Eat. Don't skip meals. Your physical and mental energy depend upon nourishment. Irregular eating patterns can cause a frayed temper, depression, lack of creativity and a nervous stomach.
Exercise. Over and over again, highly successful people mention the benefit of exercise routines. Johnetta Cole, president of Bennett College for Women and former president of Spelman College, does a four-mile walk each morning. She calls it her mobile meditation. The benefits of exercise are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer.
Rest. A psychologist who has studied creative people reports that they rest often and sleep a lot.
3. Cut some slack. You do not have to do everything. Just the right things. Publisher Steve Forbes taught me a lesson: "Don't be a slave to your in-box. Just because there's something there doesn't mean you have to do it." As a result, every evening, I extract from my long list to-do list just a few "musts" for the following day. If, but three o'clock the next day, I've crossed off all the "musts," I know that everything else I do that day will be icing on the cake. It is a great psychological plus for me.
There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself hard, disciplining yourself to
do what needs to be done when you hold yourself to the highest standards. That builds up stamina and turns you into a pro. At time, though, you must forgive yourself. You will never become 100 percent efficient, nor should you expect to be. After something does not work, ask yourself, "Did I do my best? If you did, accept the outcome. All you can do is all you can do.
4. Blur the boundaries. Some very successful people achieve balance by setting aside times or days for family, recreation, hobbies or the like. They create boundaries around certain activities and protect them. Other individuals who are just as successful do just the opposite. They blur the boundaries. Says consultant Alan Weiss, "I work out of my home. In the afternoon, I might be watching my kids play at the pool or be out with my wife. On Saturday, or at ten o'clock on a weeknight, I might be working. I do things when the spirit moves me, and when they're appropriate."
Some jobs don't lend themselves to this strategy. But blurring the boundaries is possible more often than you may think. One way is to involve people you care about in what you do. For example, many companies encourage employees to bring their spouses to conferences and annual meetings. It's a good idea. If people who mean a great deal to you understand what you do, they can share more fully in your successes and failures. They also are more likely to be a good sounding board for your ideas.
5. Take a break. Many therapists believe that taking a break from a work routine can have major benefits for mental and physical health. Professional speaker and executive coach Barbara Pagano practices a kind of quick charge, by scheduling a day every few months with no agenda. For her, that means staying in her pajamas, unplugging the phone, watching old movie or reading a novel in bed. For that one day, nothing happens, except what she decides from hour to hour. Adds singer and composer Billy Joel, "There are times when you need to let the field lie fallow." Joel is describing what farmers often do: let a plot rest so the soil can replenish itself.
6. Take the road less traveled. Occasionally, get off the expressway and take a side road, literally and figuratively. That road may take you to the library or to the golf course. Do something out of the ordinary to avoid the well-worn grooves of your life. Try a new route to work, a different radio station or a different cereal. Break out of your old mold occasionally, with a new way to dress or a different hobby. The road less traveled can be a reward after a demanding event, a carrot that you reward your self with or it can be a good way to loosen up before a big event. Bobby Dodd, the legendary football coach at Georgia Tech, knew the power of this concept. While other coaches were putting their teams through brutal twice-a-day practices, Dodd's team did their drills and practices, but then took time to relax, play touch football and enjoy the bowl sites. Did the idea work? In six straight championships games!
7. Be still. Susan Taylor, editorial director of Essence, sees to it that she has quiet time every morning. She regards it as a time for centering - for being still and listening. She keeps a paper and pen with her to jot down ideas that come to her. The way you use solitary time should match your values, beliefs and temperament. Some individuals devote a regular time each day to visualize themselves attaining their goals and dreams. Others read, pray, meditate, do yoga or just contemplate a sunrise or sunset. Whatever form it takes, time spent alone can have an enormous payoff. Achievers talk about an inner strength they find and how it helps them put competing demands into perspective. They feel more confident about their choices and more self-reliant. They discover a sense of balance, a centeredness.
8. Be a peacetime patriot. Joe Posner has achieved wealth and recognition selling life insurance. Several years ago, Posner helped form an organization in his hometown of Rochester, NY to prepare underprivileged children for school and life and, he hopes, break the poverty cycle. You may find some equally worthy way to give something back through your church, hospital, civic club, alumni association or by doing some pro bono work. Or you may help individuals privately, even anonymously. There are powerful rewards for balancing personal interests with the needs of the common good. One of the most wonderful is the sheer joy that can come from giving. Another reward is the better world that you help create.
9. Do what you love to do. As a boy, Aaron Copeland spent hours listening to his sister practice the piano because he loved music. By following that love, he became America's most famous composer of classical must. When I asked him years later if he had even been disappointed by that choice Copeland replied, "My life has been enchanting." What a word to sum up a life. By itself, loving what you do does not ensure success. You need to be good at what you love. But if you love what you do, the time you spend becoming competent is less likely to be drudgery.
10. Focus on strategy. As important as it is, how to save time for balancing your life is not the ultimate question. That question is, "What am I saving time for?" Strategy has to do with being successful - but successful at what? If others pay your salary, being strategic generally means convincing them that you are spending your time in a way that benefits them. If there is a dispute over how you should use your time, either convince the people who can reward or punish you that your idea about using time is appropriate, or look for another job. The "what for?" question should also be asked about the life you live. It is truly a comprehensive question and gets at the question of wholeness.
So what makes for a successful balance life? I can think of no better definition than the one given by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because I have lived. This is to have succeeded.
milan......................
Monday, October 13, 2008
7 Techniques to Supercharge your Creativity and Solve your Problems
Do you ever encounter problems, challenges or obstacles in your business? If you answered 'no,' then you can stop reading and continue to rake in the fortune you must be making. For the rest of us, the answer of course is 'yes.'
For the most troubling problems, the biggest challenge is in your inability to come up with new and innovative solutions. This is because when you try to solve a problem, you probably use the same approach every time ('let me sit here and think about it until I come up with something?'). The next time you try to solve a problem, try applying any (or all) of these approaches:
1) Be Obvious - Cances are, whatever your problem is, there is some conventional wisdom about how to solve it. Ask yourself why you are not following it, and evaluate for yourself whether your reasons are valid. Sometimes the easiest solution is the one right in front of us.
2) Be Contrarian - The opposite of being obvious, being contrarian means to consider doing the opposite of what conventional wisdom says. If the standard advice is to buy, think about selling. Instead of working more, work less. Note: This does not mean you should automatically DO what the opposite is; it just means to let your mind wander over the opposite to get it working in another direction.
3) Start Where you are - Sometimes we get so caught up in the long term goal that we lose sight of where we are. Think about your problem and what you might do right now to solve it. Usually this results in frustration because we don't have a fully formed solution. But just because an idea is not fully formed does not mean that it does not have some validity. Start with your current idea and watch as new ideas present themselves.
4) Chunk up - If you can't figure out how to achieve your goal, try looking at the bigger picture. If your goal is to earn $10,000 this month and you can't figure out how, think bigger - maybe you want $10K because you want to earn six figures this year. Then start to brainstorm ways of earning six figures. Don't get so caught up on your problem that you lose sight of the bigger picture.
5) Chunk down - The opposite of chunking up. Think in terms of smaller details. Continuing with the $10K example, if you can't think of how to earn $10,000 this month, can you think of ways to earn $333 per day? Maybe, but even if you can't it gets the mind working in a new way.
6) Take a REAL Break - Stop working on the problem for a bit and let your subconscious work on it. This requires two things. First, you need to actually give your mind a break and recharge. Switching from thinking about one problem to another will not do it. Get away from the problem an your work, even if for only five minutes. Second, make sure you are not dwelling on the problem. Taking a walk to get away from work is great, but if you continue to mull over the problem your not really giving your mind a break from it.
7) Move - Get the blood flowing! Exercise, walk, run, stretch, whatever. Be it from blood flow, endorphins, or a change in focus, physical movement enhances creativity. I do some of my best thinking while shooting baskets. Find out what works for you and do it.
There are many different techniques you can use to solve a problem. Try the few above to start, and then come up with your own. Use them well, and watch yourself create new and exciting solutions faster than ever.
milan.............
For the most troubling problems, the biggest challenge is in your inability to come up with new and innovative solutions. This is because when you try to solve a problem, you probably use the same approach every time ('let me sit here and think about it until I come up with something?'). The next time you try to solve a problem, try applying any (or all) of these approaches:
1) Be Obvious - Cances are, whatever your problem is, there is some conventional wisdom about how to solve it. Ask yourself why you are not following it, and evaluate for yourself whether your reasons are valid. Sometimes the easiest solution is the one right in front of us.
2) Be Contrarian - The opposite of being obvious, being contrarian means to consider doing the opposite of what conventional wisdom says. If the standard advice is to buy, think about selling. Instead of working more, work less. Note: This does not mean you should automatically DO what the opposite is; it just means to let your mind wander over the opposite to get it working in another direction.
3) Start Where you are - Sometimes we get so caught up in the long term goal that we lose sight of where we are. Think about your problem and what you might do right now to solve it. Usually this results in frustration because we don't have a fully formed solution. But just because an idea is not fully formed does not mean that it does not have some validity. Start with your current idea and watch as new ideas present themselves.
4) Chunk up - If you can't figure out how to achieve your goal, try looking at the bigger picture. If your goal is to earn $10,000 this month and you can't figure out how, think bigger - maybe you want $10K because you want to earn six figures this year. Then start to brainstorm ways of earning six figures. Don't get so caught up on your problem that you lose sight of the bigger picture.
5) Chunk down - The opposite of chunking up. Think in terms of smaller details. Continuing with the $10K example, if you can't think of how to earn $10,000 this month, can you think of ways to earn $333 per day? Maybe, but even if you can't it gets the mind working in a new way.
6) Take a REAL Break - Stop working on the problem for a bit and let your subconscious work on it. This requires two things. First, you need to actually give your mind a break and recharge. Switching from thinking about one problem to another will not do it. Get away from the problem an your work, even if for only five minutes. Second, make sure you are not dwelling on the problem. Taking a walk to get away from work is great, but if you continue to mull over the problem your not really giving your mind a break from it.
7) Move - Get the blood flowing! Exercise, walk, run, stretch, whatever. Be it from blood flow, endorphins, or a change in focus, physical movement enhances creativity. I do some of my best thinking while shooting baskets. Find out what works for you and do it.
There are many different techniques you can use to solve a problem. Try the few above to start, and then come up with your own. Use them well, and watch yourself create new and exciting solutions faster than ever.
milan.............
Sunday, October 12, 2008
15 Tips For Making A Great Speech
Date 13-10-2008.
1. Listen to your internal dialog.
2. Visualize a positive out come.
3. It's not all your fault.
4. Do you believe in your message, do you have
something to say?
5. Look at your audience as an extension of your
family.
6. Prepare a good introduction and conclusion.
Open with impact, close with direction.
7. Be Natural.
8. Tape Yourself.
9. The audience want speakers who are believable,
dynamic, comfortable, enthusiastic, knowledgeable,
uses humor.
10. A good speaker leaves the audience hungry for
more. Stimulate them to action.
11. Over dress.
12. Read your audience's reaction. Learn to dance
with them. You lead, they will follow.
13. Ask for angled or curved seating, so the
audience can see each other's reactions.
14. Your audience will best remember the first and
last things you discuss, plus those which are
outstanding, relevant, and repeated.
15. FOR A SHORT SPEECH: Identify your topic. Write
the conclusion you want to reach. Write your
attention getting opening. Choose 3 key points
you want to make. Find or create a story or
illustration that proves each point. Add linkage
to bridge the gap between (transitions).
If I can do it, so can you. With 20 years of experience under my
belt, I put together a very special report for you; "Public
Speaking Made Easy". There are four simple steps, and great solutions
on dealing with the fear of speaking.
milan..........................
1. Listen to your internal dialog.
2. Visualize a positive out come.
3. It's not all your fault.
4. Do you believe in your message, do you have
something to say?
5. Look at your audience as an extension of your
family.
6. Prepare a good introduction and conclusion.
Open with impact, close with direction.
7. Be Natural.
8. Tape Yourself.
9. The audience want speakers who are believable,
dynamic, comfortable, enthusiastic, knowledgeable,
uses humor.
10. A good speaker leaves the audience hungry for
more. Stimulate them to action.
11. Over dress.
12. Read your audience's reaction. Learn to dance
with them. You lead, they will follow.
13. Ask for angled or curved seating, so the
audience can see each other's reactions.
14. Your audience will best remember the first and
last things you discuss, plus those which are
outstanding, relevant, and repeated.
15. FOR A SHORT SPEECH: Identify your topic. Write
the conclusion you want to reach. Write your
attention getting opening. Choose 3 key points
you want to make. Find or create a story or
illustration that proves each point. Add linkage
to bridge the gap between (transitions).
If I can do it, so can you. With 20 years of experience under my
belt, I put together a very special report for you; "Public
Speaking Made Easy". There are four simple steps, and great solutions
on dealing with the fear of speaking.
milan..........................
5 Steps on How to Set and Achieve Your Goals
Date 12-10-2008.
Which one is a goal?
I will lose 15 pounds
I want to run a marathon
Quit smoking
All of the above
None of the above
The correct answer is (5) - none of the above. The first three are wishes, not goals. However, you are not alone if you answered incorrectly because research has shown that less than 1% of the population actually understands how to effectively set a goal. This is why so many New Year's resolutions get broken and why so many people try keep failing at the very same goal. The desire to better ourselves is genuine, but the process we go about while seeking this desire is faulty.
Here are five steps to follow when setting an effective goal:
1) Your Goal MUST be meaningful to YOU
This means that you have to be the person to create it - not your spouse or employer. Make sure that the things you are investing your time and energy into are things you are passionate about. When you achieve it, you will be fired up about it.
2) Make your goals specific (quantifiable) and measurable (end date)
I will lose 15 pounds by October 31st, 2004 is a goal because you will know at the end of the time period if you did it or did not achieve it. Many people do not give themselves an end date because they are afraid of failure. In addition, not having an end date allows you to procrastinate.
3) Make your goals the right size
Goals should cause you to stretch and grow, but not be unrealistic. For instance, earning one million dollars your first year out of college has been done, but for most it is unrealistic. On the flip side, if your goal is to run a mile in 6:59 versus 7 minutes, you have not pushed yourself enough. Also, focus on a few achievable tasks at one time and move on as you reach them.
4) An Effective Goal is always written down
This is extremely helpful and essential because there will be times when you goals will make you uncomfortable and you may lose site of them. When this happens, you need to have them written down to keep yourself on track and accountable. Posting your goals on the refrigerator, bulletin board, or in your planner ensures that you will be reminded of them on a daily basis.
5) Review them on a weekly basis
You must review your goal in order to stay on track. Reviewing them causes you to commit to their achievement.
The positive results of achieving any goal are unforgettable. An individual's failure to achieve is seldom because they are incompetent. Rather, it is because they simply do not know the process of success. Follow these guidelines, be patient, and celebrate your success to come.
milan.........
Which one is a goal?
I will lose 15 pounds
I want to run a marathon
Quit smoking
All of the above
None of the above
The correct answer is (5) - none of the above. The first three are wishes, not goals. However, you are not alone if you answered incorrectly because research has shown that less than 1% of the population actually understands how to effectively set a goal. This is why so many New Year's resolutions get broken and why so many people try keep failing at the very same goal. The desire to better ourselves is genuine, but the process we go about while seeking this desire is faulty.
Here are five steps to follow when setting an effective goal:
1) Your Goal MUST be meaningful to YOU
This means that you have to be the person to create it - not your spouse or employer. Make sure that the things you are investing your time and energy into are things you are passionate about. When you achieve it, you will be fired up about it.
2) Make your goals specific (quantifiable) and measurable (end date)
I will lose 15 pounds by October 31st, 2004 is a goal because you will know at the end of the time period if you did it or did not achieve it. Many people do not give themselves an end date because they are afraid of failure. In addition, not having an end date allows you to procrastinate.
3) Make your goals the right size
Goals should cause you to stretch and grow, but not be unrealistic. For instance, earning one million dollars your first year out of college has been done, but for most it is unrealistic. On the flip side, if your goal is to run a mile in 6:59 versus 7 minutes, you have not pushed yourself enough. Also, focus on a few achievable tasks at one time and move on as you reach them.
4) An Effective Goal is always written down
This is extremely helpful and essential because there will be times when you goals will make you uncomfortable and you may lose site of them. When this happens, you need to have them written down to keep yourself on track and accountable. Posting your goals on the refrigerator, bulletin board, or in your planner ensures that you will be reminded of them on a daily basis.
5) Review them on a weekly basis
You must review your goal in order to stay on track. Reviewing them causes you to commit to their achievement.
The positive results of achieving any goal are unforgettable. An individual's failure to achieve is seldom because they are incompetent. Rather, it is because they simply do not know the process of success. Follow these guidelines, be patient, and celebrate your success to come.
milan.........
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Music Making as Spiritual Experience
Date 08-10-2008.
If you've been playing piano for some time, you may come upon periods where you forget yourself and only the music remains. You might even have had a spiritual experience. A phenomenon where emotion and intellect become one and the outside world disappears.
This experience is what we all want, whether we admit it or not. This is a very important part of making music - especially new age music. We want that moment where we can stop thinking and start feeling.
Of course, there are times when we create something for a specific purpose such as dance music, rock and roll, etc. But when you are attuned to your feeling and letting the music flow from your fingers the wonder and magic of it is enough to make you want to come back again and again for more.
To get to this place does not require any special ability. It only requires that you know a little about chords and how to use them. Then, you place your fingers on a chord and off you go.
What makes this complicated for some is their indecision about which chord or notes to play. After all, there are thousands of choices. The solution for this problem is limiting your choices. In the free lessons, I give you a scale to play and a few chords from that scale to improvise with. This is enough material to get the imagination going. Some students thrive on limits while others fight them. I fought them too until I realized that my goal was to feel good about music making - not to create a masterpiece.
As soon as I thought about creating anything - I froze up. Technically, I knew a lot but it did me no good. I reexamined my reasons for making music and came to the conclusion to keep it simple. Simple, in my mind at the time meant boring. But I finally let go of the need to please others and as soon as I did, I began to experience music making as a spiritual experience.
Now, there is nothing that heals me so much as just being at the piano - letting the notes fall where the will within the limitations I set for myself. First, I allow myself to gravitate to any sound that calls me. For example, it could be a minor chord. It might be the pentatonic sound that calls to me. Then I simply stay within that sound or tonality and all is well.
Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
milan................
If you've been playing piano for some time, you may come upon periods where you forget yourself and only the music remains. You might even have had a spiritual experience. A phenomenon where emotion and intellect become one and the outside world disappears.
This experience is what we all want, whether we admit it or not. This is a very important part of making music - especially new age music. We want that moment where we can stop thinking and start feeling.
Of course, there are times when we create something for a specific purpose such as dance music, rock and roll, etc. But when you are attuned to your feeling and letting the music flow from your fingers the wonder and magic of it is enough to make you want to come back again and again for more.
To get to this place does not require any special ability. It only requires that you know a little about chords and how to use them. Then, you place your fingers on a chord and off you go.
What makes this complicated for some is their indecision about which chord or notes to play. After all, there are thousands of choices. The solution for this problem is limiting your choices. In the free lessons, I give you a scale to play and a few chords from that scale to improvise with. This is enough material to get the imagination going. Some students thrive on limits while others fight them. I fought them too until I realized that my goal was to feel good about music making - not to create a masterpiece.
As soon as I thought about creating anything - I froze up. Technically, I knew a lot but it did me no good. I reexamined my reasons for making music and came to the conclusion to keep it simple. Simple, in my mind at the time meant boring. But I finally let go of the need to please others and as soon as I did, I began to experience music making as a spiritual experience.
Now, there is nothing that heals me so much as just being at the piano - letting the notes fall where the will within the limitations I set for myself. First, I allow myself to gravitate to any sound that calls me. For example, it could be a minor chord. It might be the pentatonic sound that calls to me. Then I simply stay within that sound or tonality and all is well.
Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
milan................
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