A couple weeks ago, I shared this little puzzle with you:
What does this say:
Godisnowhere
Did you read
"God is no where"?
Or did you read
"God is now here"?
Well, that little puzzle prompted a lot of interesting feedback. Here are a few of the creative responses we received.
---- I processed today's opening line as "god is no where". But I personally define that as "God is NO where" (in other words, God is in "no specific place", which -- to me -- means, God is EVERYwhere). So the potential for differences in perspective among people can go beyond definition into interpretation. Which calls for even more tolerance!
---- I thought it was interesting, I knew that the line godisnowhere would be about perspective, and I read it as, "God, I snow here". This statement can be taken as, 'I play an essential part in whether there are beautiful snowflakes that pass through my life, and similarly, whether I see them.'
---- Interestingly, my friend's 9 year old deaf son read this as GOD I SNOW HERE!
- Author Unknown
Friday, October 10, 2008
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Self-Image
Many people suffer from low self-esteem. Some are aware of this and some are not. Low self-esteem is generally related to a poor self-image. Our self-image is not always what we might wish. We might like to have a self-image of Superman or Wonderwoman, for example, but we might feel that we not only lack super powers but pretty much any power at all.
The funny thing is that we can control our self-image. Every one of us does super things and every one of us should feel like we are absolutely wonderful, remarkable people. If we don't, it is usually because someone else is controlling our self image.
Shake them off! Your self-image is yours alone. Decide how you wish to see yourself, and let that be your self-image. Then start living that image, because that is who you are and who you want to be.
- Author Unknown
The funny thing is that we can control our self-image. Every one of us does super things and every one of us should feel like we are absolutely wonderful, remarkable people. If we don't, it is usually because someone else is controlling our self image.
Shake them off! Your self-image is yours alone. Decide how you wish to see yourself, and let that be your self-image. Then start living that image, because that is who you are and who you want to be.
- Author Unknown
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
How to Make Measurable Progress Toward Your Most-Neglected Goals
To Master Plan your new life, you must begin with long-term goals that correspond to your core values. From that good start, you must establish yearly and monthly objectives. Based on those objectives, you create weekly and daily task lists. Doing all that will help greatly. But if you want to really change your life, you have to learn how to prioritize.
I didn't always know how to prioritize. For much of my business career, I relied on goal setting and task lists and was happy with the results. But when I turned 50 and started writing for Early to Rise, I began to read how other business leaders achieved their goals. And that's when I discovered what a huge difference prioritizing can make.
The most important lesson I learned came from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In that book, Covey presents a technique for prioritizing that impressed me greatly and soon became a central part of my planning process.
Divide your tasks, Covey says, into four categories:
* Not important and not urgent
* Not important but urgent
* Important but not urgent
* Important and urgent
In the "not important and not urgent" category, you would put such things as:
- Catching up on office gossip
- Shopping online for personal items
- Answering unimportant phone calls
- Responding to unimportant e-mails
In the "not important but urgent" category, you would include:
- Returning phone calls from pesky salespeople
- Making last-minute preparations for an office party
- Attending a required meeting that doesn't help your career
- Planning for a meeting that doesn't matter
In the "important and urgent" category, you might list:
- Making last-minute preparations for an important meeting with the boss
- Making last-minute sales calls to key clients
- Solving unexpected problems
And, finally, in the "important but not urgent" category, you might include:
- Learning how to write better
- Learning how to speak better
- Learning how to think better
- Working on your novel
- Getting down to a healthy weight
When you break up tasks into these four categories, it's easy to see that you should give no priority at all to "not important and not urgent" tasks. In fact, these tasks should not be done at all. They are a waste of time. Yet many people spend lots of time on them because they tend to be easy to do and sometimes enjoyable in a mindless sort of way. Or because they are afraid to get to work on important tasks because they are afraid of failure.
Even worse than spending time on tasks that are not important and not urgent is spending time on those that are not important but urgent. They should have been dealt with long before they reached the crisis stage.
If you discover that you are spending a lot of time on unimportant tasks, you've got a serious problem. Unless you change your ways, you're unlikely to achieve any of your important goals.
So which tasks should you give priority to?
In Seven Habits, Covey says that most people think they should give priority to important and urgent tasks. But this is a mistake. "It's like the pounding surf," he says. "A huge problem comes and knocks you down and you're wiped out. You struggle back up only to face another one that knocks you down and slams you to the ground." You are "literally beat up by problems all day every day."
All urgent tasks - both unimportant and important - are problematic: They are urgent because you've neglected something or because they are important to other people (like your boss). In either case, you need to find a way to keep most of them from winding up on your daily to-do list. This means making some changes in your work habits - usually a combination of being more efficient and delegating more chores to other people.
Urgent tasks will burn you out. And turn you into an unhappy workaholic. If you want transformation in your life, you have to give priority to the important but not urgent tasks - because those are the ones that will help you achieve your major, long-term goals.
It's not easy.
The important but not urgent tasks whisper, while the urgent tasks shout. But there is a way to get that critical but quiet stuff done in four simple steps:
Step 1. When planning your day, divide your tasks into Covey's four categories: not important and not urgent, not important but urgent, important but not urgent, and important and urgent.
Step 2. You will, of course, have to do the urgent tasks - at least until you get better at taking charge of your schedule. And you will have to find a way to get rid of the tasks that are not important and not urgent. But make sure you include one important but not urgent task that, when completed, will move you closer to one of your long-term goals.
Step 3. Highlight that important but not urgent task on your to-do list. Make it your number one priority for the day.
Step 4. Do that task first - before you do anything else.
Initially, you will find it difficult to do an important but not urgent task first. There are reasons for that.
* Since it is not urgent, you don't feel like it's important. But it is.
* Since it supports a goal you've been putting off, you are in the habit of neglecting it.
* You are in the habit of neglecting it because you don't think it's important and because you might be afraid of doing it.
* You might be afraid of doing it because you know, deep down inside, that it will change your life. And change, even good change, is scary.
But once you start using this little four-step technique, you'll notice something right away.
The first thing you'll notice is how good you feel. Accomplishing something you've been putting off is energizing. It will erase some doubts you have about yourself - doubts caused by years of "never getting to" your long-term goals.
That extra energy and confidence will grow, and will fuel you throughout the day. This will make it easier for you to accomplish other important but not urgent tasks.
As the days go by, you will realize that you are making measurable progress toward your neglected goals. In just a few weeks, you will be amazed at how much you've already done. And in 52 weeks - a short year from now - you will be a brand-new, much more productive person.
That year is going to pass by anyway. You are going to spend the time somehow. Why not do it by taking charge of your schedule? Why not spend that time on yourself - on what's really important to you?
- By Michael Masterson
I didn't always know how to prioritize. For much of my business career, I relied on goal setting and task lists and was happy with the results. But when I turned 50 and started writing for Early to Rise, I began to read how other business leaders achieved their goals. And that's when I discovered what a huge difference prioritizing can make.
The most important lesson I learned came from The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In that book, Covey presents a technique for prioritizing that impressed me greatly and soon became a central part of my planning process.
Divide your tasks, Covey says, into four categories:
* Not important and not urgent
* Not important but urgent
* Important but not urgent
* Important and urgent
In the "not important and not urgent" category, you would put such things as:
- Catching up on office gossip
- Shopping online for personal items
- Answering unimportant phone calls
- Responding to unimportant e-mails
In the "not important but urgent" category, you would include:
- Returning phone calls from pesky salespeople
- Making last-minute preparations for an office party
- Attending a required meeting that doesn't help your career
- Planning for a meeting that doesn't matter
In the "important and urgent" category, you might list:
- Making last-minute preparations for an important meeting with the boss
- Making last-minute sales calls to key clients
- Solving unexpected problems
And, finally, in the "important but not urgent" category, you might include:
- Learning how to write better
- Learning how to speak better
- Learning how to think better
- Working on your novel
- Getting down to a healthy weight
When you break up tasks into these four categories, it's easy to see that you should give no priority at all to "not important and not urgent" tasks. In fact, these tasks should not be done at all. They are a waste of time. Yet many people spend lots of time on them because they tend to be easy to do and sometimes enjoyable in a mindless sort of way. Or because they are afraid to get to work on important tasks because they are afraid of failure.
Even worse than spending time on tasks that are not important and not urgent is spending time on those that are not important but urgent. They should have been dealt with long before they reached the crisis stage.
If you discover that you are spending a lot of time on unimportant tasks, you've got a serious problem. Unless you change your ways, you're unlikely to achieve any of your important goals.
So which tasks should you give priority to?
In Seven Habits, Covey says that most people think they should give priority to important and urgent tasks. But this is a mistake. "It's like the pounding surf," he says. "A huge problem comes and knocks you down and you're wiped out. You struggle back up only to face another one that knocks you down and slams you to the ground." You are "literally beat up by problems all day every day."
All urgent tasks - both unimportant and important - are problematic: They are urgent because you've neglected something or because they are important to other people (like your boss). In either case, you need to find a way to keep most of them from winding up on your daily to-do list. This means making some changes in your work habits - usually a combination of being more efficient and delegating more chores to other people.
Urgent tasks will burn you out. And turn you into an unhappy workaholic. If you want transformation in your life, you have to give priority to the important but not urgent tasks - because those are the ones that will help you achieve your major, long-term goals.
It's not easy.
The important but not urgent tasks whisper, while the urgent tasks shout. But there is a way to get that critical but quiet stuff done in four simple steps:
Step 1. When planning your day, divide your tasks into Covey's four categories: not important and not urgent, not important but urgent, important but not urgent, and important and urgent.
Step 2. You will, of course, have to do the urgent tasks - at least until you get better at taking charge of your schedule. And you will have to find a way to get rid of the tasks that are not important and not urgent. But make sure you include one important but not urgent task that, when completed, will move you closer to one of your long-term goals.
Step 3. Highlight that important but not urgent task on your to-do list. Make it your number one priority for the day.
Step 4. Do that task first - before you do anything else.
Initially, you will find it difficult to do an important but not urgent task first. There are reasons for that.
* Since it is not urgent, you don't feel like it's important. But it is.
* Since it supports a goal you've been putting off, you are in the habit of neglecting it.
* You are in the habit of neglecting it because you don't think it's important and because you might be afraid of doing it.
* You might be afraid of doing it because you know, deep down inside, that it will change your life. And change, even good change, is scary.
But once you start using this little four-step technique, you'll notice something right away.
The first thing you'll notice is how good you feel. Accomplishing something you've been putting off is energizing. It will erase some doubts you have about yourself - doubts caused by years of "never getting to" your long-term goals.
That extra energy and confidence will grow, and will fuel you throughout the day. This will make it easier for you to accomplish other important but not urgent tasks.
As the days go by, you will realize that you are making measurable progress toward your neglected goals. In just a few weeks, you will be amazed at how much you've already done. And in 52 weeks - a short year from now - you will be a brand-new, much more productive person.
That year is going to pass by anyway. You are going to spend the time somehow. Why not do it by taking charge of your schedule? Why not spend that time on yourself - on what's really important to you?
- By Michael Masterson
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Words of Swami Vivekananda
Do not think that you are weak.
Stand up and reach all that you wanted to.
You can do anything and everything.
Believe in yourself. All power is within you.
You've have it all that is required to change the world around you.
Stand up and reach all that you wanted to.
You can do anything and everything.
Believe in yourself. All power is within you.
You've have it all that is required to change the world around you.
Monday, October 06, 2008
The Key to Sales Success
Learn to Listen Well :
A vital key to sales success is listening. The ability to listen well is absolutely indispensable for success in all human relationships. The ability to be a good listener in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of selling. It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater enjoyment from the sales profession.
Being A Good Talker is Not Enough :
Many salespeople have been brought up with the idea that, in order to be good at your profession, you must be a glad-hander and a good talker. You have even heard people say, "You have the 'gift of the gab'; you should be in sales!"
Focus On the Other Person :
Nothing could be further from the truth. As many as seventy five percent of all top salespeople are defined as introverts on psychological tests. They are very easy going and other-centered. They would much rather listen than talk. They are very interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people and they are quite comfortable sitting and listening to their prospects. They would much rather listen than talk in a sales situation. Poor salespeople dominate the talking, but top salespeople dominate the listening.
Practice "White Magic" With Everyone :
Listening has even been called "white magic." It is too rarely engaged in by business people. When a salesperson develops a reputation for being an excellent listener, prospects and customers feel comfortable and secure in his or her presence. They buy more readily, and more often.
Practice the 70/30 Rule :
You've heard it said that God gave man two ears and one mouth, and he is supposed to use them in that proportion.
Top salespeople practice the "70/30 rule." They talk and ask questions 30 percent or less of the time while they listen intently to their customers 70 percent or more of the time. They use their ears and mouth in the right ratio.
Action Exercises :
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, resolve today that, from now on, you are going to dominate the listening in every sales conversation. Become comfortable with silence.
Second, practice the 70/30 rule in every sales conversation. Listen 70% of the time and only talk and ask questions 30% of the time.
By: Brian Tracy
A vital key to sales success is listening. The ability to listen well is absolutely indispensable for success in all human relationships. The ability to be a good listener in a sales conversation is the foundation of the new model of selling. It leads to easier sales, higher earnings and greater enjoyment from the sales profession.
Being A Good Talker is Not Enough :
Many salespeople have been brought up with the idea that, in order to be good at your profession, you must be a glad-hander and a good talker. You have even heard people say, "You have the 'gift of the gab'; you should be in sales!"
Focus On the Other Person :
Nothing could be further from the truth. As many as seventy five percent of all top salespeople are defined as introverts on psychological tests. They are very easy going and other-centered. They would much rather listen than talk. They are very interested in the thoughts and feelings of other people and they are quite comfortable sitting and listening to their prospects. They would much rather listen than talk in a sales situation. Poor salespeople dominate the talking, but top salespeople dominate the listening.
Practice "White Magic" With Everyone :
Listening has even been called "white magic." It is too rarely engaged in by business people. When a salesperson develops a reputation for being an excellent listener, prospects and customers feel comfortable and secure in his or her presence. They buy more readily, and more often.
Practice the 70/30 Rule :
You've heard it said that God gave man two ears and one mouth, and he is supposed to use them in that proportion.
Top salespeople practice the "70/30 rule." They talk and ask questions 30 percent or less of the time while they listen intently to their customers 70 percent or more of the time. They use their ears and mouth in the right ratio.
Action Exercises :
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
First, resolve today that, from now on, you are going to dominate the listening in every sales conversation. Become comfortable with silence.
Second, practice the 70/30 rule in every sales conversation. Listen 70% of the time and only talk and ask questions 30% of the time.
By: Brian Tracy
Saturday, October 04, 2008
What We Don't Have
Too many of us are hung up
on what we don't have,
can't have or won't ever have.
We spend too much energy being down,
when we could use that same energy
if not less of it doing,
or at least trying to do,
some of the things we really want to do.
- Unknown
on what we don't have,
can't have or won't ever have.
We spend too much energy being down,
when we could use that same energy
if not less of it doing,
or at least trying to do,
some of the things we really want to do.
- Unknown
Friday, October 03, 2008
Truth
How and Why do we live in this world?
Because here is the truth.
We know the truth in many ways.
But we do not know it all,
Truth is simple but deeper than sea.
Truth is perfect but higher than heaven.
I am the truth, the way, the life.
Heavenly Father said himself.
Because all phenomena is true,
Truth is a permanent life, existence.
If something is not in truth,
It's wrong, fake, not perfect.
So, we follow the truth between the right
and wrong.
Always
Is there someone disappointed, want be dead?
Seek, ask, knock and look for the truth.
You will enjoy the life forever.
Then, what is the most important truth in our life ?
It is keeping promises between peoples.
- Author Unknown
Because here is the truth.
We know the truth in many ways.
But we do not know it all,
Truth is simple but deeper than sea.
Truth is perfect but higher than heaven.
I am the truth, the way, the life.
Heavenly Father said himself.
Because all phenomena is true,
Truth is a permanent life, existence.
If something is not in truth,
It's wrong, fake, not perfect.
So, we follow the truth between the right
and wrong.
Always
Is there someone disappointed, want be dead?
Seek, ask, knock and look for the truth.
You will enjoy the life forever.
Then, what is the most important truth in our life ?
It is keeping promises between peoples.
- Author Unknown
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