Acquire Wisdom and Live with Passion: April 2007

Monday, April 30, 2007

Be Flexible

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”

"Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment." - Anthony Robbins

“Goals are simply tools to focus your energy in positive directions, these can be changed as your priorities change, new one added, and others dropped.”

Let's learn from the nature. Consider how water adapts to its environment: evaporation, condensation, melting, flowing, goes around rocks, fills containers, etc.

"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists."

Are you flexible enough?

Photo by marinegirl taken from this source

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Sunday, April 29, 2007

What is your greatest loss?

When Wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
When Health is lost, something is lost;
When Character is lost, all is lost!

We all value things differently. So what is the most precious thing in life you value most? Is it Wealth, Health, Relationship or Career? Well, why don't you spend some time and find out for yourself. Then do something about it!

The Bible tell us the greatest loss in Matthew 16:25-26 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Photo by TommyOshima taken from this source

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Frequent Self check is necessary

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes

Tony Robbins says: "The past does not predict the future - unless you live in it".

That last part - "unless you live in it" is the key - because we all do. Somehow, many still have not come to the realization of this fact. We may not make any good progress until we had truly decided to change for the better.

Dale E. Turner says: “Some of the best lessons we ever learn are learned from past mistakes. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.”

That's true. However, make sure you got get rid of all painful and damaging thoughts that entrap you. Forgive and love yourself and let go of the past and learn to live in the now.

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” - Buddha

“He who moves not forward, goes backward” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.” - C.S. Lewis

Photo by kukies taken from this source

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Saturday, April 28, 2007

Equip yourself with the necessary tools

We are fond of saying “A bad workman blames his tools”. A good workman, however, cannot be expected to do the best work with bad tools.

“You can't expect to meet the challenges of today with yesterday's tools and expect to be in business tomorrow.”

“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” - Abraham Maslow

“If you give people tools, and they use their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have expected.” - Bill Gates

Forbes had compiled a list of the 20 most important tools of all time.

Are you fully equipped to do your job well?

Photo by Eli White taken from this source

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Friday, April 27, 2007

Competence Starts with feeling competent

"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." - Forbes

It is important to have good self-esteem. Good self-esteem gives you the courage to try new things and the power to believe in yourself. It lets you respect yourself, even when you make mistakes. If you think you're important, you'll be less likely to follow the crowd who might be doing something dumb or dangerous. You value your safety, your feelings, your health - your whole self!

"A person's worth in this world is estimated according to the value they put on themselves." - Jean De La Bruyere

"No one can make you feel inferior without your permission." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand-break on."

"Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable." - Zig Ziglar

"To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives." - Denis Waitley

"Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it's amazing what they can accomplish." - Sam Walton

Photo by athenamat taken from this source

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Gotta Get Goals

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." - Fitzhugh Dodson

Ev Nucci and Peter Haslam tagged me. This meme was started by Alex Shalman. You can read the details of this meme here.

"Goals that are not written down are just wishes."

Well, below are some of my short term and long term Goals:

Short term Goals:
In Blogging

To post at least one entry every day to all my blogs
To achieve a total of 50,000+ page views by December 2007 - meaning more people are willing to acquire Wisdom and Live with passion

Long terms Goals:

Fear God and keep His commandments
To apply whatever knowledge or wisdom I had acquired or collected
To be totally committed to growing and learning and constantly striving to become more
To continue loving my wife and children, valuing my marriage
To value my close friends and family relationships
To do things well
To set a strong example of what's possible for others
To be contented but never having to worry about spending money on anything I need
To take care of myself to ensure that I have more to give

Each day I want to be committed to:

"To God Be The Glory" in whatever I could possibly achieve in my life.

Well, I tag all the guys below (too many to tag) because I am interested to know what Goals are guiding them:

Surjit of Gurushabad
Michele of OnlineShoppingBargains
Jennifer of Goodness Graciousness
EastCoastLife
Aziz of Hashout
Darren Rowse of ProBlogger
Ilker Yoldas of The Thinker Blog
Steli Efti of The SuperCool School
Jonathan of SmartWealthyRich
Erin of Whatever Blows My Skirt

The photo on the right belongs to ~Pardesi~ and is taken from this source

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Silence is Golden

At times, we need to calm down and keep our mouth shut.

Albert Einstein said "If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut.”

Mark Twain said “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

The best answer to anger is silence. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he'd keep his mouth shut!

The bible tells us in James 3:2-6 (NIV) that "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Photo by The Facey Family taken from this source

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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Be Thankful Always!

Let's remember to appreciate and treasure each day, because we don't know how many we're going to be given.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.

Photo by ohmomof1 taken from this source

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Monday, April 23, 2007

Looking for Instant Success?

"A firm foundation is built on growth, not rushing. We need to be patient."

“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Patience is a virtue.”

"First try seldom wins great success."

Nowadays, most people want instant gratification, instant fame and instant success. Well, what grows fast, fades fast too! There is an old saying, "Easy come and easy go!" Instant success could be temporary only. One must put in effort, time or money to build something that last.

The rush of improving our PageRank and Technorati rank.
Many are trying to improve their PageRank and Technorati rank by employing certain so call shortcuts. Everyone learn fast from each other because everyone wants instant success. Well, I did some research and found that Technorati is not happy about this and has taken some action. Besides, those that employed Link Farm can also be penalized by the search engines.

Make your choice!

What is your view about this?

Photo by arianta taken from this source

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Sunday, April 22, 2007

You need to look within

“The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs” - James Allen

"Look within!... The secret is inside you." - Hui-neng

"Seeing within changes one's outer vision." - Joseph Chilton Pearce

"When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct."

“The superior man will watch over himself when he is alone. He examines his heart that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause of dissatisfaction with himself.” - Confucius

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates

Photo by justindc taken from this source

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Take the greatest challenge

"Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give 120 percent, somebody else will." - Ron Blomberg

The real competition starts after 100 percent.

"There is no challenge more challenging than the challenge to improve yourself." - Michael Staley

"The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success."

“Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew. They're what make the instrument stretch - what make you go beyond the norm.”

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.” - Bernice Johnson Reagon

Photo by Sheree K taken from this source

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Saturday, April 21, 2007

Help others we are helping ourselves

"You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins." - Jim Stovall

"There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assist another human being - to help someone succeed" - Alan Loy McGinnis

"There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up." - John Andrew Holmes

"When we give another a lift, the exercise gives us strength."

This is one of the main success factors of Web 2.0 where it is all about linking, sharing and collaborating with people.

Just to illustrate this point, when I started this blog, I got to know Aziz, the author of hashout. Aziz has been very helpful. He is one of those who had gave me many suggestions to improve this blog.

Check out Aziz's blog. His blog design is fantastic and has variety of contents. You will never believe it can be done using a blogger account. All his blog content can be spoken. That is useful if you don't have time to read but would still like to listen.

Well, to be successful in blogging, we all need to help one another by exchanging links, shares and collaborates. Thanks to Aziz who had invited me to this review blog campaign.

Do let me know if you want to exchange links with me - okay?

Photo by endora57 taken from this source

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Commit to Excellence

"Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well." - John W. Gardner

"People forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well you did it." - Howard W. Newton

"Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." - Pat Riley

"Pleasure in the job put perfection in the work." - Aristotle

"Excellence is in the details. Give attention to the details and excellence will come." - Perry Paxton

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

"Cultivate excellent habits."

Photo by SirCharlie taken from this source

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Friday, April 20, 2007

Know all the steps required

"There is no one giant step that does it. It's a lot of little steps." - Peter A. Cohen

"Success starts with a dream, a thought; but that's only the first step. Writing it down is the second step. Doing one specific thing to bring it about is the third step."

"First step toward your success is for you to cause the turning point in life i.e. stop seeking idle pleasure and begin truly seeking success and happiness."

"Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently." - William Arthur Ward

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps." - Confucius

"Great results cannot be achieved at once; and we must be satisfied to advance in life as we walk, step by step." - Samuel Smiles

Photo by itspaulkelly taken from this source

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Don't let money become your master

“It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy.” - George Lorimer

“Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.” - Benjamin Franklin

"A life lived only for money is a lonely life."

“The art is not in making money, but in keeping it”

"Money does not change people, it only unmasks them." - Angelo Riccoboni

"The test is not how much money you have. The test is who you become when you have it."

"What we have to get straight in our heads is that owning the money doesn’t mean anything. It’s the doing with money that develops us - it’s not in the having. And when you have more, you’re enabled to do more." - Jack Canfield

“Money will come when you are doing the right thing.” - Mike Phillips

Photo by amalthya taken from this source

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

Have you come to realization?

One of the reasons people do not take the time to improve the quality of their life, is that they think things will just get better.

They go through each day hoping that their job will 'somehow' improve. They hope that some lucky combination of circumstances will come about and as a result, they will finally be recognised by their employer and rewarded with more responsibility and a bigger salary.

You need to realize that It doesn't get better...You have to!

There is an old saying that goes like this; "If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got!" How very true that is.

The starting point of all change is in the mind – or more precisely, how you think!

Here's how it works:
1. Your success comes from your results.
2. Your results come from your actions.
3. Your actions come from your thoughts.

So, when you think more effectively, you take better actions, which leads to better results. As you are the only person who is responsible for your thoughts, you decide how successful your career and life will be. It is always up to you, because only you have control of your mind.

Photo by cassetteject taken from this source

Condition your mind for success

In some mysterious way the subconscious mind tends to actualize what we visualize. So, even when the roof is caving in, picture yourself as a giant success.

"To win a race, you must first win it in your mind."

“Great athletes train their minds as well as their bodies. There are various mental conditioning techniques many use when preparing for an event. Perhaps the best known technique is visualization, creating a mental image not only of the desired result (the gold medal, a new world record, a hole-in-one), but also of every move that will be taken en route to the ultimate goal.”

I had started another blog with this objective; that is to help you condition your mind using images or photos. For example, if you were to mimic this photo and you will feel like laughing. Try it!

Photo by frogarythm taken from this source

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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Be comforted

This is my post to pay tribute to all family members and friends of the victims of Virginia Tech.

In Matthew 5:4 (NKJV), Jesus said.. "Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted"

“Sorrow comes to all... Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better and yet you are sure to be happy again.” - Abraham Lincoln

“Tears are words the heart can't express”

“We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” - Confucius

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

Photo by deborah lattimore taken from this source

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Laugh often to have a great day

“A laugh is a smile that bursts.” - Mary H. Waldrip

"The ability to laugh together is the essence of love." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Couples who laugh together stay together."

Jim Valvano said “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”

Photo by @LY$ taken from this source

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Quickly learn all you can from others

Who is the wise man?. To succeed early in life, choose the quickest way: Learn all you can from others. We can't learn enough soon enough from our own experience to succeed when young.

Do you know that you learn when you teach? Ensure you have perfected your own effective learning skills. Follow no one but learn from everyone.

The winner does in the beginning what the failure does not in the end - learns from others.

"Learn all you can from others. The school of experience takes so long that the graduates are too old to go to work." - Henry Ford

Photo by T. Lot taken from this source

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Having the ability is not good enough

“Ability is of little account without opportunity.” - Napoleon Bonaparte

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." - John Wooden

"Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence is the key to unlocking our potential." - Liane Cardes

"Joy comes from using your potential" - Will Schultz

“For success, attitude is equally as important as ability.” - Harry F. Banks

“You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” - Rosalynn Carter

“Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.” - Zig Ziglar

“We are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision.”

Photo by mscaprikell taken from this source

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Know who you are with

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." - Oprah Winfrey

Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." - 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NKJV)

"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four; calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." - Abraham Lincoln

"Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said." - Mark Twain

The Bible in Luke 6:43-45 (NKJV) tells us that we could distinguish the good and bad ...

"For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Photo by faraliza taken from this source

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Secure your future

"We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there." - Charles F. Kettering

“Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future.” - Denis Waitley

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." - Og Mandino

"The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine." - Mike Murdock

“You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” - Charles Jones

"Your environment largely shapes your future. Take the time to select one that will shape the kind you'd like to have."

"If all your days are like today, what will be your future?"

Photo by Jinaa.com taken from this source

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Sunday, April 15, 2007

No choice? - You have choices

"God created us, but he gave us the power of choice to shape our own lives and fortunes."

"We can't choose our relatives, but we can choose our thoughts which influence us much more."

"One of the big reasons, that most people go through life getting so little out of it is that, they do not really know what they want. Thing happen to them more by chance than by choice."

"Everything's in the mind. That's where it all starts. Knowing what you want is the first step toward getting it." - Mae West

"A person doesn't learn to choose a good alternative without choosing a few bad ones."

"Too many people, instead of choosing their jobs to fit their talents, let circumstances choose them. And what's left to chance gets chance results."

Tell yourself this: "My mind is a tool I can choose to use any way I wish."

So do you know what you want?

Photo by Meredith_Farmer taken from this source

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Cherish your friends

"In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends." - John Churton Collins

"A true friend sticks with you through thick and thin no matter what."

"A true friend is someone who knows there's something wrong even when you have the biggest smile on your face."

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

"Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say."

"True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it is lost." - Charles Caleb Colton

Photo by -mayk- taken from this source

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Saturday, April 14, 2007

Raise your standards

"All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs." - Anthony Robbins

“People seldom improve when they have no other model but themselves to copy after” - Oliver Goldsmith

"If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same results." - Anthony Robbins

“Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards. When people ask me what really changed my life eight years ago, I tell them that absolutely the most important thing was changing what I demanded of myself. I wrote down all the things I would no longer accept in my life, all the things I would no longer tolerate, and all the things that I aspired to becoming.” - Anthony Robbins

Photo by supersam5 taken from this source

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Removing barriers to success

"It takes courage to make a fool of yourself." - Charlie Chaplin

Imagine all those who tried to fly before Wilbur and Orville Wright succeeded. They were considered fools by many. But they were right: humans can fly.

“There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them.” - Tom Krause

“Life's real failure is when you do not realize how close you were to success when you gave up.”

“Remember the two benefits of failure. First, if you do fail, you learn what doesn't work; and second, the failure gives you the opportunity to try a new approach.” - Roger Von Oech

“Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.”

Photo by marttj taken from this source

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Friday, April 13, 2007

Learn to share

Happiness is never perfect until it is shared.

You can get anything you want... if you help enough other people get what they want.

To help people most, don't share your riches. Help them discover their own.

“Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.” - William Arthur Ward

"Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." - Princess Diana

Photo by gemsling taken from this source

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Be Innovative

“Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation.” - Milan Kundera

“Innovation comes from the producer - not from the customer.” - W. Edwards Deming

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat”

Check this out: The most innovative Toilet I had even seen in my life - Toilet Humor

Do you agree with me?

Photo by dark_mephi taken from this source

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Thursday, April 12, 2007

Take good care of your Heart!

“Tears are the safety valve of the heart when too much pressure is laid on it.” - Albert Smith

"Tears are words the heart can't express"

“Always give people a piece of your heart, not a piece of your mind”

"A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up."

"The nearest thing to perpetual motion is the heart. Guard it well. When it stops, you stop."

“It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.”

Happiness is not something you have in your hands; it is something you carry in your heart.

"Drive too fast and invite a car wreck; live too fast and invite a heart attack."

There's no reason to be the richest man in the cemetery. You can't do any business from there. - Colonel Sanders

Photo by Face It taken from this source

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Know yourself well

Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement.

"It is wisdom to know others; It is enlightenment to know one's self." - Lao-Tzu

"Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing." - Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." - Abraham H. Maslow

"You can live a lifetime and, at the end of it, know more about other people than you know about yourself." - Beryl Markham

The key to success is knowing yourself.

Photo by evansent taken from this source

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Make sure you use all resources available

The more you use your brain, the more you have. Using it, wakes up idle brain cells.

“Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.” - Anthony Robbins

“Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.” - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“I've continued to recognize the power individuals have to change virtually anything and everything in their lives in an instant. I've learned that the resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright.” - Anthony Robbins

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The True measure of a man

Deeds, not creeds, are the true measure of a man.

Deeds are fruits, words are leaves. A good deed is one that brings a smile of joy to the face of another.

“Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words.” - Fr. Jerome Cummings

“It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it” - Benjamin Franklin

"Well done is better than well said." - Benjamin Franklin

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." - Saint Basil the Great

The bible in Matthew 7:11-12 (NKJV) tell us that

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Photo by interplast taken from this source

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