SELF IMPROVEMENT AND MOTIVATION

Creativity is your key to the future. All progress comes about as the result of finding better, faster, cheaper, easier or different ways to do things and this requires the continual honing of your creative thinking skills. Your Key Job At Work One of the key functions of the executive is problem solving, which takes up as much as 50 percent of executive time. It can be said with some confidence that your ability to deal with problems creatively and effectively is the key determinant of your success as a manager. It would be hard to imagine an effective executive who could not solve problems and make decisions with a high level of competence. Step On Your Own Acceleration I've studied and lectured on creative thinking for years and I've come to the conclusion that there is virtually no problem you cannot solve, no goal you cannot achieve, no obstacle you cannot overcome if you know how to apply the creative powers of your mind, like a laser beam, to cut through every difficulty...

Why People Succeed or Fail Parkinson's Law is one of the best known and the most important laws of money and wealth accumulation. It was developed by English writer C. Northcote Parkinson many years ago and it explains why most people retire poor. The Way the Law Works This law says that, no matter how much money people earn, they tend to spend the entire amount and a little bit more besides. Their expenses rise in lockstep with their earnings. Many people are earning today several times what they were earning at their first jobs. But somehow, they seem to need every single penny to maintain their current lifestyles. No matter how much they make, there never seems to be enough. The Key to Financial Success The first corollary of Parkinson's Law says: "Financial independence comes from violating Parkinson's Law." Parkinson's Law explains the trap that most people fall into. This is the reason for debt, money worries and financial frustration. It is only when yo...

I was introduced to the works of Napoleon Hill by my father at a small young age. Little did I know that this would have such a profound impact on my life! I view the works of Dr. Hill as a reference guide for successful living and take pride in practicing as many of the principles as I can. One of the principles has to do with Auto-Suggestion. I am sure you have heard of a "Vision Board" but have you heard of a "Vision Room"? To fully implement the Autosuggestion principle, I dedicated one room in my house for the purpose of meditation and connecting with Infinite Intelligence. The room is covered wall-to-wall with images that motivate me to move closer to what I want in all aspects of life. At the centre of the room, there is a fountain that provides relaxing nature sounds to complement the meditation music that plays softly in the background. At the base of the fountain on a platform I have two candles. One candle represents where I am, and one represents where I...

Surviving a recession needs no superficial platitude. But being positive really helps. When times are uncertain the best you can do is build a positive attitude that brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking especially when you are in the workplace. What is attitude? Understanding the connotation of attitude is a complex task. Attitude is our acceptance and reactions of certain ways of life which stems from our individual mindset, which again develops from various factors which can be family and upbringing, environment experiences in human relations etc. Attitude could be rigid, flexible or moderate. The rigidity leads to becoming pessimistic or negative in approach. Required at Workplace: Flexibility in your attitude results in optimistic or positive approach. It is this positive approach that employers seek in their employees. They want to hire people who take the initiative and have the motivation to get the job done in a reasonable per...

You are influenced by, and you are a part of, the dominating circumstances of your daily environment. The medium by which this takes place is known as autosuggestions (suggestions you make to yourself, either consciously or unconsciously). Autosuggestion records in your memory every thought you express, and makes it a part of your character, whether the thought is positive or negative. It records every word which is spoken within your hearing, and gives it a positive or a negative meaning, according to your reaction to it. Autosuggestion records your thought reactions to everything you see or recognize through any of the five physical senses, and it records the “feel” which you pick up from your physical surroundings. The objects on which you deliberately concentrate your attention become the dominating influences in your environment. If your thoughts are fixed upon poverty, or the physical signs of poverty, these influences are transferred to your subconscious mind through autosuggest...

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player, while dying of AIDS. He got due to infected blood, he received during heart surgery in 1983 One, among thousands of his fans sent a message to him, expressing his sentiments: "Why GOD has to select you for such a bad disease?" Ashe replied to his fan: The world over 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis 5 lac learn professional tennis 50000 come to the circuit 5000 reach the Grand Slam 50 reach Wimbledon 4 to semi-final 2 to final When I was holding a cup I never asked GOD, "Why me?" And today in pain I should not be asking GOD, "Why me?" Happiness keeps you sweet; trial keeps you strong; sorrow keeps you human; failure keeps you humble; success keeps you glowing but only God keeps you going.

By Lisa Ocker Michael J. Fox seems at peace, even grateful for lessons learned from Parkinson’s disease. He’s inspiring millions with a new book and hit TV special. But his journey has not been easy. Michael J. Fox’s rock bottom came in the summer of 1992. Passed out on the sofa in his Manhattan apartment, a Coors tallboy toppled onto the rug next to him, he awoke as his 3-year-old climbed on top of him, prodding him to get up. Squinting through his hangover, he could see his wife standing in front of him. He slowly raised his gaze to meet hers. “Is this what you want? This is what you want to be?” she asked. Fox’s rock bottom wasn’t close to the tabloid Hollywood versions that end in a broken marriage, a car wrapped around a tree, an embarrassing YouTube video or worse. Sure, he liked to tie one on with friends, especially before he got married. And with such a quick rise to superstardom—starring in the hit TV show Family Ties just three years after dropping out of high school, follow...

Everyone wants to be physically healthy. You want to be mentally healthy as well. The true measure of "mental fitness" is how optimistic you are about yourself and your life. In this newsletter, you learn how to control your thinking in very specific ways so that you feel terrific about yourself and your situation, no matter what happens. Control Your Reactions and Responses There are three basic differences in the reactions of optimists and pessimists. The first difference is that the optimist sees a setback as temporary, while the pessimist sees it as permanent. The optimist sees an unfortunate event, such as an order that falls through or a sales call that fails, as a temporary event, something that is limited in time and that has no real impact on the future. The pessimist, on the other hand, sees negative events as permanent, as part of life and destiny. Isolate the Incident The second difference between the optimist and the pessimist is that the optimist sees difficulti...

Most successful people can be characterized as having very high levels of energy. Since energy is the fuel with which everything is achieved, there seems to be a direct relationship between energy levels and levels of accomplishment. It is hard to imagine a tired, burned-out person achieving much in life. On the other hand, energetic, positive, forward-moving individuals seem to get and enjoy far more of the things life has to offer than does the average person. Physical Energy is Basic We have been led to believe that there is basically one kind of energy. We supposedly replenish this energy by sleeping at night, and during the day, we use it up again. It is as though we are machines powered by batteries, and each night we recharge our batteries for seven or eight hours. However, there are some problems with this view of energy. The biggest problem is that it does not deal with the fact that there are actually three different kinds of energy, each of which is necessary for maximum per...

The most important moment in your life is when you recognize that you have met with defeat. It is the most important because it provides you with a dependable means to foretell the possibilities of your future success. If you accept defeat as an inspiration to try again, with renewed confidence and determination, the attainment of your success will be only a matter of time. If you accept defeat as final and allow it to destroy your confidence, you may as well abandon your hope of success. Every defeat you meet will mark an important turning point in your life, for defeat will bring you face to face with the necessity of renewing confidence in yourself, or of admitting that confidence is lacking. Defeat often serves to relive a man of his conceit. But there is a difference between conceit and self-reliance based upon an honest inventory of one's character. The man who quits when defeat overtakes him thereby indicates that he mistook his conceit for self-reliance. If a man has genuin...

I recall knowing the names Napoleon Hill and Think & Grow Rich growing up in 80’s & 90’s. However, during those years they had no meaning to my life as I lived it on a daily basis. In the late 1990s I was reacquainted with the name Napoleon Hill when I took a personal development seminar. In the seminar I set a goal to become computer literate. One of the first online searches I did was for Napoleon Hill. That search led me to the Napoleon Hill World Learning Center. I contacted the Director, Judy Williamson, and promptly found myself enrolled in the on line PMA-Science of Success course. I successfully completed the course and began implementing the 17 success principles on a daily basis. I now keep a copy of Think & Grow Rich within reach on my desk, as well as a list of the 17 success principles. I often refer to them when making decisions. As an employee, my “first among equals” of the principles is Think Accurately. Accurate Thinking in my mind is one of the keys to s...

The Law of Capital - your most valuable asset, in terms of cash flow, is your physical and mental capital, your earning ability. Your Earning Ability You may not even be aware that, unless you are wealthy already, your ability to work is the most valuable asset that you have. By utilizing your earning ability to its fullest, you can bring thousands of dollars each year into your life. By applying your earning ability to the production of valuable goods and services, you can generate sufficient money to pay for all the things that you want in life. The amount of money that you are paid today is a direct measure of the extent to which you have developed your earning ability so far. Use Your Time Well The first corollary of the Law of Capital says: "Your most precious resource is your time." Your time is really all you have to sell. How much time you put in and how much of yourself you put into that time, largely determines your earning ability. Poor time management i...

This are short simple motivation stories I would like to share with you all. Anything is possible, if you put your mind to it . Print a copy and distribute to as many as you care for and wish for their success. I am doing it for you. I wish you all the great things in life and well being. Do you feel the same for others? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A small boy - the fifth amongst seven siblings of a poor father, was selling newspapers in a small village to earn his living. He was not exceptionally smart at school but was fascinated by religion and rockets. The first rocket he built crashed. A missile that he built crashed multiple times and he was made a butt of ridicule. He is the person to have scripted the Space Odyssey of India single-handedly Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In 1962, four nervous young musicians played their first record audition for the executives of the Decca recording Company. Th...

Paraphrase Your Customer's Words The customer is only sure that you have been listening when you paraphrase what the prospect has said and feed it back in your own words. This is where the rubber meets the road in effective listening. This is where you demonstrate in no uncertain terms to the prospect that your listening has been real and sincere. This is where you show the prospect that you were paying complete attention to what he or she was saying. Paraphrasing is how you prove it. Question for Clarification When the prospect has finished explaining his or her situation to you, and you have paused, and then questioned for clarification, you paraphrase the prospects primary thoughts and concerns, and feed them back to him or her in your own words. Use the Right Words For example, you might say, "Let me make sure I understand exactly what you are saying. It sounds to me like you are concerned about two things more than anything else, and that in the past you have had a couple...

Too Much to Do, Too Little Time The most common form of stress that managers experience is the feeling of being overwhelmed with far too much to do and having too little time to do it in. In fact, "time poverty" is the biggest single problem facing most managers in America today. We simply do not have enough time to fulfill all our responsibilities. Because of budget limitations, staff cutbacks, downsizing, and competitive pressures, individual managers are forced to take on more and more work, all of which appears to be indispensable to the smooth functioning of our company or department. Become An Expert The solution to this problem of work overload is for you to become an expert on time management. There is probably no other skill that you can learn that will give you a "bigger bang for the buck" than to become extremely knowledgeable and experienced in using time management practices. Be Open to New Ideas The most foolish manager of all is either the manager who...

The Most Important Measure of Success Being respected by others is very important to each of us. A survey done by the Gallup organization found that the most prominent living Americans rated the respect of others as the most important measure of success in life. They worked very hard to earn the respect of their parents, the respect of their spouses and children, the respect of their peers and colleagues, and the respect of mankind at large. Why You Respect Yourself It seems that we truly respect ourselves only when we feel that we are respected by others, and we will go to great lengths to earn and keep that respect. When we feel that someone respects us for who we are and what we have accomplished, we tend to be more open to that person's influence. Two Things You Can Do We can do two things to put ourselves in a position to be respected by others. The first is to develop our knowledge of our field. The more people perceive you know about your subject, the more they will respect ...

Everyone makes mistakes and the busier you are, the more mistakes you will make. The only question is "How well and how effectively do you deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life?"In this newsletter, you learn the difference between a positive and negative worldview. You learn how to benefit from your mistakes and how to remain positive in the face of adversity. Let the Light Shine In This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened. Using Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People with a malevolent ...

Attitude is Everything The most important attitude for financial success is long-term thinking. Successful people think a long way into the future and they adjust their daily behaviours to assure they achieve their long-term goals. In a longitudinal study done at Harvard University in the 50s and 60s, they studied the reasons for upward socio-economic mobility. They were looking for factors that would predict whether or not an individual or family was going to move upward and be wealthier in the future than in the present. They studied factors like education, intelligence, being born into the right family, or having the right connections. In every case, they found individuals who had been born with every blessing in life who did poorly. They also found individuals who had been born or come to this country with no advantages at all who had been extremely successful. What was the distinguishing factor?They finally determined that there was only one key attitude that mattered. They called...

We’re in the midst of the worst global recession since the 1930s. It’s certainly the most challenging business climate I’ve experienced in my career. It seems like everywhere I go people are talking about “sustainability” or the ability to endure. I guess that’s to be expected, especially considering all the bad news we hear about those who are failing. What a shame! It doesn’t have to be that way. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be that way. Most of what we’re hearing and seeing center’s on how bad things are. I don’t dismiss the adversity we all face, however I also believe every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. Since there are so many people caught in the rut of distress, it’s easy to let down our guard and end up in the downward spiral with them. Don’t let that happen! Take charge of your life! Take action and exercise your privilege of choice. To a large degree, we control our destiny by shaping our thoughts. When mixed with a purpose, pers...

Use A Time Planner A time planner, broken down by day, hour and minute, organized in advance, can be one of the most powerful, personal productivity tools of all. It enables you to see where you can consolidate and create blocks of time for concentrated work. Eliminate All Distractions During this working time, you turn off the telephone, eliminate all distractions and work non-stop. One of the best work habits of all is for you to get up early and work at home in the morning for several hours. You can get three times as much work done at home without interruptions as you ever could in a busy office where you are surrounded by people and bombarded by phone calls. Create an Office in the Air When you fly on business, you can create your office in the air by planning your work thoroughly before you depart. When the plane takes off, you can work non-stop for the entire flight. You will be amazed at how much work you can go through when you work steadily in an airplane, without interruptio...

Once upon a time there was one storyteller. After getting tired of telling old fabricated stories, he left his house in search of a real life story. He reached a village and took a cottage for rent. After roaming in the village throughout the month, in search of true story, the storyteller couldn't find one. Disappointed, he decided to stop his search. The next day, while sitting in the cottage, he suddenly heard a voice - a woman was yelling at someone. The voice was coming from the big wall behind his cottage.He tried to hear the conversation; it sounded like the woman was abusing her daughter-in-law. The storyteller didn't like it but he was happy to finally get his story. Listening to the conversations each day he added them to his story. Though he couldn't see the characters of his story, he started hating the Mother-in-law, as she seemed to be villain. Now it was time to finalize the end of the story. But before he did, the storyteller wanted to see the characters onc...

One of the most important traits of all motivators at work is consideration. Employees report that the best managers they ever had were people who cared about them as people and as friends. These managers took the time to ask them questions about their lives, and to listen patiently while they talked about the dilemmas and problems and situations in their families. The more that the employees felt that the boss liked them and respected them, the more empowered and motivated they felt. Caring is the Key The flip side of this motivator is the de-motivating feeling that the boss doesn't care. This is almost invariably expressed in a lack of recognition, a lack of approval, a lack of appreciation and a general failure to pay attention to the employee over time. Spend Time Listening Remember, the amount of time that you spend talking to and listening to an employee is a signal to that employee that he or she is important to you and to the company. This is why the very best bosses spend ...

You Get What You Give Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his essay, "Compensation," wrote that each person is compensated in like manner for that which he or she has contributed. The Law of Compensation is another restatement of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. It says that you will always be compensated for your efforts and for your contribution, whatever it is, however much or however little. Increase Your Value This Law of Compensation also says that you can never be compensated in the long term for more than you put in. The income you earn today is your compensation for what you have done in the past. If you want to increase your compensation, you must increase the value of your contribution. Fill Your Mind With Success Your mental attitude, your feelings of happiness and satisfaction, are also the result of the things that you have put into your own mind. If you fill your own mind with thoughts, visions and ideas of success, happiness and optimism, you will be compensated by those po...

Freedom is a wonderful concept which we all desire. Those of us who live in the United States have much freedom which they accept without a great deal of thought. However, when they achieve real "freedom" it can often become a fearful responsibility. Like to keep it secured and ensure there is freedom and the country is not invaded again as what happen on 9/11. A story of my dad:- His transition into retirement brought this home to him very quickly. My dad's first morning of being retired, he woke up and realized that, for the first time ever perhaps, he was truly free - he could do almost anything he wanted, almost anytime he wanted and as often as he wanted. Then he thought, "What do he want to do?" He had done the usual preparation for retirement that included lifestyle considerations, health issues and monetary preparation, but he no longer had a definition of purpose. Vague ideas of travel, enhanced family time and community involvement were considered, but...