Making Up Excuses

Yea. I am going to try this. Think of excuses why I can do it...

I asked a friend of mine recently why he seems unafraid of failure, and how he remains upbeat in the face of difficulties. And he shared his life philosophy with me - he said that every time he fails, he examines the situation critically, comes up with three reasons why he failed and from there, thinks of three ways he can improve. That way, he's always learning and constantly looking forward to a better future.

That made me think about how we all could benefit from that manner of thought. When we fail at something, or sometimes fail to do something, we make up excuses for ourselves - why we can't do something, why something can't be done, why we haven't moved towards our goals and so on.

Making up excuses takes a lot of energy and time. But it seems to be intrinsic to us, so here's a great way to make your excuses work for you. The next time you feel like making an excuse, instead of thinking of excuses why you can't, try making excuses why you can.

Since we all are experts in making up excuses, we won't need much training in this area, just a shift of focus. Instead of focusing on what we can't do, lets focus on what we can do. Instead of coming up with all kinds of excuses why it won't work, let's focus on why it can work. Kind of like how my friend comes up with three ways he can improve the next time. But you don't have to stop at three? give yourself no room to make up excuses why you can't.

Instead of focusing energy on excuses that don't serve you in moving forward, make up excuses that inspire and enthuse you to do what you want to do. Excuses like "there is no time like the present", "I am just the person to do the job", "I know all the ways it can work."

Be creative and think of as many as you like.

Take a break from your computer!!! No joking

I have just discovered a wonderful program called -
Break Reminder Programs (Its F.R.E.E. Come get it)

It's a good idea to take frequent breaks from the computer during your work day in order to help prevent repetitive stress injuries. Most sources I've read have recommended taking a break at least every half hour for 2-3 minutes, with some recommending a break every 15 minutes.

There are a number of break reminder programs out there, some free, some that cost $20-30 (most of these have a free trial). I'm on the hunt for a good one right now. I was just doing the Oh-I-know-when-it's-been-20-minutes thing, but it's easy to let an hour pass without realizing it. I'm going to try a few and I'll let you know which I like best.

I've just started trying a program called Workrave (http://www.workrave.org/welcome/). It's free, and seems pretty nice so far. It shows pictures of stretches and exercises during the longer breaks.

If you have not done your New Year resolution. Here's a suggestion...

How to Accomplish a Goal

Goals are dreams with deadlines." Taking the time to set your goals can give you a new sense of direction and purpose.

Steps

1. Set a realistic goal. Take a big dream, like "I want to be famous", and break it down into smaller, more manageable steps, like "I want to star in a science fiction movie", "I want to go to three auditions a week", "I want to move to L.A." and "I want to save $5000 so I can move."
2. Brainstorm ideas. Are there different ways to reach your goal? Write everything down that you can think of in three minutes, no matter how silly or impossible it may seem. For example, you could go to acting school, or maybe you could land a spot in a reality show that would get you started.
3. Be as specific as possible about what you want and how you could get it. Ask who, what, when, where, and why?
4. Visualize. Close your eyes and imagine yourself accomplishing your goals. Where are you? How did you get there? How do you feel? Do this often.
5. Write it down. Putting your goals on paper is a powerful form of commitment.
6. Create benchmarks or milestones. A benchmark is something you can use to measure your progress and know you're on track. For example, you can write "The first stage of reaching my goal will be done when I'm in the Entertainment section of the newspaper!" or "I'll know I've reached my goal of being famous when I'm a guest on Oprah."
7. Make a timeline. Draw a horizontal timeline with a dot at each end. The left end represents now, and the right end represents a point in the future. Specify what you want to happen and when, from now until then.
8. Revisit, evaluate, and if you need to, adjust your goals. Keep a written record of your goals in a place where you'll remember to read them every day. They'll change and adjust over time as your life does, so keep them up-to-date.
9. Be realistic about the time things will take. Many people don't allow themselves enough time, and give up too soon.
10. Consider new opportunities and options that come your way. Sometimes things have a way of unintentionally leading you exactly where you want to go.
11. Start working towards your goals today. Ask yourself, "What can I do today to get one step, however small, closer to achieving my goals?"
12. Be passionate. Striving towards a goal without passion is like a fire which slowly runs out of fuel to burn. Get excited, this will mean that you will love what you are doing.
13. Stay true to yourself. If you let yourself down, you will falter.

Tips

• You just fulfilled the last step in the list by reading this page. Congratulations, and keep going!
• Think of the big picture, and don't get discouraged - roll with the punches and keep your eye on the mark. It sounds cheesy, but it's true.
• Remember that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Read inspirational stories of people who have achieved extraordinary things.
• Don't forget the words of Lao-Tzu: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Warnings

• Things don't always work out as you had planned. Stick to your goals, but be flexible.
• Don't share your goals with people who might tear you down. This is very common, even amongst friends. Keep your ideas to yourself, and share them only with people who you think you can count on to be positive and supportive. However, be willing to accept criticism when it is constructive, as learning to challenge yourself in new ways can help you to improve and get closer to your goals.

Dealing With Procrastination

I just thought most of us have to deal with procrastination. What I did is that I tell myself that today will be more productive than yesterday. No matter where I am now, I can do something presently. Yea, take action too. Hope the article below helps you too...
To the end of your procrastination. Cheers...

Procrastination - why is it that some of us seem to struggle with getting things accomplished while others appear to make light work of their to do lists?

I have a confession to make ... I also have times (like mostpeople) where I struggle with working on certain tasks that I know need to get done. While I do make a concerted effort to keep such moments to a minimum, there are still times when the procrastination monster is known to rear its ugly head.

However, I should say that I don't consider the fact that at times procrastination finds its way into my life to be that big of a deal.

Why not you ask?

Because I understand that by simply being aware that I'm putting off doing something I can make the decision to replace what I am doing (procrastinating) with an action that will lead to my getting what I want to get done -- hence removing procrastination.

It comes down to a simple choice. Either I can choose to continue doing what I'm doing -- putting things off, or I can choose to take an active step that will get the positive results I desire.
So what I'm saying is that while we may not ever get to a point where we totally remove the desire to procrastinate, we can choose to take corrective measures to get ourselves on track.
You've got to remember that it is a choice that we make.Simply being aware isn't enough we also have to actually do the identified step that we know will put us on the path to the desired result...

If it's getting up earlier then you'll have to set that alarm clock or do whatever it takes to get up and get going.Action ... even the tiniest of steps leads to less resistance.

To illustrate my point I'd like to share an example with you...

Just before I decided to start writing what you're reading now I was doing something entirely different. I was doing some reading when the thought popped in to my head that I should write a column on procrastination. The point to consider is this... I had several very real choices to make in that instance. Whatever choice I decided on would give me very different results.
On one hand I could have (and almost did) made the choice to continue with my reading and forgo writing. Secondly, I could have chosen to make a note of the thought I had and simply told myself that I'd begin writing when I felt like it, or after I finished reading. Finally, and fortunately because I understand how if I'm not careful procrastination can spiral out of control I decided to immediately stop my reading and begin writing this article.

So you see, I still had the initial feeling of procrastination -- I still felt the feeling of wanting to put something off for later, but instead I opted to work on what I felt I should do.
Interestingly the further along I get on this article the less resistance to doing it I'm experiencing -- and so it is with procrastination. We best overcome it when we take active steps towards accomplishing the task at hand.

Be it exercising, working on school work, a business project, or just about anything one can imagine. Do the thing you are resisting doing as quickly as humanly possible and you'll drastically reduce the times where feelings of procrastination rob you of achievement in your given endeavors.

-- Here's to your success, Josh Hinds

Don't Mock God

Found this from an email. Read on...

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women who mocked God:

JOHN LENNON: Some years before during his interview with an American Magazine, he said: "Christianity will end, it will disappear. I do not have to argue about that. I am certain. Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, Today we are more famous than Him" (1966)". Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

TANCREDO NEVES: During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency. Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

CAZUZA: During a show in Canecão ( Rio de Janeiro ), whilst smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: God, that's for you.
I can't even explain how he died.

THE MAN WHO BUILT TITANIC: After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be. With an ironic tone he said: "Not even God can sink it"
The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic.

MARILYN MONROE: She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show. He is a preacher and Evangelist and the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.
After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:
"I don't need your Jesus" A week later, she was found dead in her apartment.

BON SCOTT: The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang: "Don´t stop me, I´m going down all the way, wow the highway to hell". On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his vomit.

CAMPINAS/SP IN 2005: In Campinas, a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend. The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter - holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: "MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU",
She responded: ONLY IF HE (GOD) TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, COZ INSIDE HERE IT'S ALREADY FULL" Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the boot was intact. The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, none was broken. Never doubt the Word of God!!!

P.S: If it was a joke, you could have sent it to everyone. So are you going to have courage to send this?. I have done my part, Jesus said, "If you get embarrassed about me, I will also get embarrassed about you before my father.
What benefit does it have, if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul?
What can man give in exchange of his soul? (Mathew 16:26).

A very interesting Story

This is one of the very interesting story I came across...

Lessons in teamwork from an age-old fable

1. Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ.The hare woke up and realised that he'd lost the race.
The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with.

2. But then recently, someone told me a more interesting version of this story. It continues.
The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realised that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed.
This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.
The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap.
It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable.

3. But the story doesn't end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race theway it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and thenchallenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route.
The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river.
The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.
The moral of the story? First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.
In an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you.
If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth andadvancement.
The story still hasn't ended.

4. The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realised that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time.
They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.
The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.

Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.
There are more lessons to be learnt from this story.
Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure.
The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both.
The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.

When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke's growth. His executives were Pepsi-focussed and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time.
Goizueta decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.
He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke's share of that? Two ounces. Goizueta said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn't Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something.
To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump and Pepsi has never quite caught up since.
To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things. Chief among them are that fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady; work to your competencies; pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers; never give up when faced with failure; and finally, compete against the situation, not against a rival.

Start Your Own Home Business!

Ever since the new economy or the Millennium came, our ecomomic well being has drastically changed. Most business have shift out of he country, restructured, resized, retrenched, upsized, downsized, out-sourced...

I think we should open our mind and think about what can we do rather than sitting down and let the economic tsunami overtake us.

How about having many different sources of income? Maybe a business idea you have been thinking about? I have learned that the difference the top earners did is that they "just do it".

Think about this article I found...


From A Slice of Life http://www.938LIVE.sg/asol/Newsletter/17 Jan.htm

When we were kids, we fantasized about growing up, getting a job, and making lots of money. That money would buy us truckloads of ice-cream and action figurines. But after years in the rat race, we now decide that we no longer want to be rats. We no longer want to make money doing a job that we don't love for a boss we can't endure, just so we can have our ice-cream and action figurines. We don't even want our sweets and toys any more - we want more love, more family, more time doing the things we love with the people we love.

A great way to get away from the corporate world and to provide for your own job security as well is to start a home business. No money to buy or rent an office? Worry not, you can register your business using your home address in Singapore! But what kind of business would you run from home? That is the most important and fundamental question. In order to answer it though, you'll need to ask yourself a series of other questions.

1 - What is the deepest desire of my heart?
2 - What stirs my passions?
3 - What flows naturally out of me?
4 - Where do I bring forth fruit or produce good results?
5 - What do other mature people see in me?
6 - What thoughts, visions, and dreams are impossible to put out of my mind?
7 - To what can I give 100% of myself for my whole life?
8 - What do people want to gather around me and help me to do?

If you will sit down and honestly consider these questions with somebody that knows you well, you'll come up with some surprising answers. You can find a purpose in life that will allow you to provide an income for yourself and your family while you are doing what your heart desires, everyday!

All hands aboard. Aye aye Captain!! 

Joseph trying to act cute with his wig 

Joseph is most happy with his Bear. Thanks to his mom 

The Fine Art of Gratitude

An article regarding Gratitude. Rather long but worth your reading...


"What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it -- would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have." - Ralph Marston

Think for just a moment of all the things that requirepractice: grammar, arithmetic, algebra, and even the guitar.Practice is probably something you think you're done with when you leave school or give up music lessons. But, have you ever thought of practicing the fine art of gratitude?

In our generation of instant satisfaction, the art of gratitude is nearly lost. How often do we pause to consider the seamstress who tailored the shirts that we wear? The truck driver who delivered the goods that we purchase at the store? The many hands that labor in the background to provide our many comforts?

The farmer grows the wheat, the wholesaler sells, the distributor supplies, the truck driver delivers, the baker kneads and bakes and the salesperson sells the bread.

If you consider them, their support staff and those who provide the background material and ingredients, it requires hundreds of laborers to provide a single loaf of bread.

There is, indeed, an art to gratefulness that can best be expressed as a GREAT-FULLNESS.
Every single thing we have has been given to us, not necessarily because we deserved it, but gratuitously, for no known reason.

And whatever source we believe is the giver - some spiritual concept or simply the breathtaking randomness of the universe - when we give thanks, we take our place in the great wheel of life, recognizing our connection to one another and to all of creation.

A Prescription for Better Living

Suppose for just a moment that practicing the fine art of gratitude were not only among our most important positive emotions, but one that links directly to physical and mental well-being. Suppose it is in our self-interest to feel gratitude because it makes us better people. Surprisingly, that is what research has been indicating.

Consider that recent academic studies have shown:
* People who describe themselves as feeling grateful in general tend to have higher vitality and more optimism, suffer less stress, and experience fewer episodes of clinical depression than the population as a whole.

These results hold even when researchers factor out such things as age, health, and income, equalizing for the fact that the young, the well-to-do, or the hale and hearty might have "more to be grateful for."

* Grateful people tend to be less materialistic than the population as a whole and to suffer less anxiety about status or the accumulation of possessions. Partly because of this, they are more likely to describe themselves as happy or satisfied in life.

* In an experiment with college students, those who kept a "gratitude journal," a weekly record of things they should feel grateful for, achieved better physical health, were more optimistic, exercised more regularly, and described themselves as happier than a control group of students who kept no journals but had the same overall measures of health, optimism, and exercise when the experiment began.

* Grateful people are more spiritually aware and more likely to appreciate the interconnectedness of all life, regardless of whether they belong to specific religions.

The Benefits of Gratitude

While forgiveness heals the heart of old hurts, gratitude opens it to present love. Gratitude bestows many benefits.It dissolves negative feelings: anger and jealousy melt in its embrace, fear and defensiveness shrink. Gratitude deflates the barriers to love.

Gratitude also evokes happiness, which is itself a powerfully healing and beneficial emotion. The great Taoist sage Chuang Tzu even went so far as to say that "When one reaches happiness, one is close to perfection." When we are happy, we like to make others happy, and this fosters kindness and generosity.

Gratitude is a gift to everyone. No wonder Saint Paul urged us to "Rejoice always" and to "Give thanks in all circumstances."

Like other attitudes, gratitude can be cultivated. We don't have to wait for someone to shower us with gifts before feeling thankful. We can develop gratitude by reflecting on the gifts that are already ours. These reflections can be done for a minute, a day, or throughout a lifetime.
Most people celebrate their birthday and holidays, but those who cultivate gratitude celebrate every day. We can be grateful because we are happy, but we can also be happy because we are grateful.

We tend to forget how very different the laws that govern the mind are from the laws that operate in the physical world. In the world, if we give a physical thing to another person, whether it be a toy or a diamond, we lose it.

Yet in the mind, the opposite is true. Whatever we intend for another person we experience ourselves, whatever we give we gain, whatever we offer flowers in our own mind.

If you feel hatred toward someone, that hate boomerangs back and scorches your own mind. On the other hand, if you offer love to someone, that love first fills and heals your mind.

Once this is understood, the desire to hate and hurt starts to shrink, while the desire to love and help begins to flourish. The words "As you give so shall you receive" are profound statements about the way our minds work.

How Grateful Are You?

Do you light a candle or curse the darkness? Do you bless each and everything that comes your way, trusting that its meaning will become clear--even if you can't possibly see how in the moment?

Take the following quiz to see how grateful you are.

1. I have so much in life to be thankful for.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

2. When I look at the world, I don't see much to be grateful for.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

3. If I had to list everything that I felt grateful for, it would be a very long list.
AgreeNeutralDisagree

4. I am grateful to a wide variety of people.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

5. As I get older, I find myself more able to appreciate the people, events, and situations that have been part of my life.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

6. Long amounts of time can go by before I feel grateful to something or someone.
Agree
Neutral
Disagree

Your response to each question will reveal your how well you practice the fine art of gratitude. Regardless of your responses, here's a closing exercise which will help you to put the principles of gratitude into practice.

I have so much in life to be thankful for such as...
I am most grateful to the following people and for the following reasons...
I intend on practicing the fine art of gratitude by doing the following...

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion.Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception.Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road." - John Henry Jowett
Everything Counts!Gary Ryan Blair

______________Gary Ryan Blair is President of The GoalsGuy. A visionary and gifted conceptual thinker, Gary is highly regarded as a speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to leading companies throughout the globe. Visit The GoalsGuy at http://www.getmotivation.com/qk.cgi/goals-guy-grb

Newspaper Headlines gone wrong!!!

Include Your Children when Baking Cookies

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted

Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case

Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents

Iraqi Head Seeks Arms

Prostitutes Appeal to Pope

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

Eye Drops Off Shelf

Teacher Strikes Idle Kids

Clinton Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Axe

Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told

Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

Stolen Painting Found by Tree

Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter

Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years

Never Withhold Herpes Infection from Loved One

War Dims Hope for Peace

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Deer Kill 17,000

Enfields Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy

Arson Suspect Held in Massachusetts Fire

Ban on Soliciting Dead in Trotwood

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

An Inspiring Song......A soldier's inspiration

Here is a man who is in Iraq since 2003. His wife is at home wih 3 kids. Everyday, we hear about soldiers killed.

This song has kept him going on. We know there is more than weapons that keep him alive...

http://ecards.emicmg.com/soldierStory/

"I wanted to share a song that has been a real inspiration to me. It is a new hymn written, I believe, a year or two ago but it has the feel of the traditional hymns. I have listened to it almost every night and even tend to sing/reflect on its words on my trips across town between the Palace and Baghdad International Airport. It has been an inspiration to me because each of its verses remind me of fundamental principles..."

Important Anouncement!!!

I have decided to have a blog after my name. The previous blog is my son's, at http://poonzhihe.blogspot.com/. It should be his to keep.

Therefore I will move some of the post over here. So enjoy my postings.