Acquire Wisdom and Live with Passion: September 2007

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Don't lose your courage

"Courage is knowing what not to fear." - Plato

Definition of Courage
According to the Oxford dictionary, courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. It is strength in the face of pain or grief.

We do need lots of courage
We need lots of courage to stand up for what’s right when we stand alone. Or to do what’s right despite disapproval. Or even to take risks that are for our own good. Many people dare not ask for further explanation when the question sounds stupid. Indeed, it also takes a lot of courage to admit you don’t know certain thing or don't even know what you’re doing.

Well, what would your life look like if you had absolutely no fear?

Let's take a look at this story:

There was once a man who was suffered from a deadly illness. Knowing that he will die soon, he was the first to join the military when his country was in a battle with the enemy. Hoping to die in battle, he would fight in the front line, exposing himself without any worry for his life. Eventually they won the battle and he was still alive!

His commander was extremely impressed with his bravery which contributed much to the victory, decided to promote and award him with medals of bravery and honor. On the day of presentation, he was looking very down and unhappy. Curious, the commander asked him the reason why and was told of his deadly illness. "How could I let such a brave soldier die?", the commander thought. So the commander hired the best doctor and finally cured the soldier.

But from that day onwards, the once fearless and brave soldier was no longer seen at the front! He would always avoid danger and tried his best to protect his life instead of risking it!

When you remain in your comfort zone, you can be like the soldier eventually holding you back from moving forward. Thus, don't lose your courage to do what is necessary! Break the chain and free yourself.

“Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.” - Dale Carnegie

"A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward." - Jean Paul Richter

Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours.

Photo 1 by Carl M. taken from this source
Photo 2 by Photo-Gedden taken from this source

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Saturday, September 29, 2007

Be thankful in all circumstances

"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” - Brian Tracy

When Matthew Henry, a bible commentator was robbed, that very night he prayed:

"I thank Thee, first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed."

Are you thankful for everything in your life? Are you thankful for your hardships, disappointments, and unfulfilled expectations? Take a look at the following quotes and ponder over it.

“Even though we can't have all we want, we ought to be thankful we don't get what we deserve.”

“If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get.” -Frank A. Clark

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." - William Arthur Ward

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John F. Kennedy

"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer

“Be thankful for hard times in your life. Try not to look at them as bad things, but as opportunities to grow and learn.”

Well, indeed, it is easy to be thankful for the good things in our lives, but not the difficult things. Nevertheless, difficulties are opportunities to better things; they are stepping stones to greater experience. Perhaps someday you will be thankful for some temporary failure in a particular direction.

Let's be thankful for everything in our life, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Photo 1 by Jimmy theSuperStar taken from this source
Photo 2 by .Bradi. taken from this source

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Friday, September 28, 2007

Quality Expectations

“The Quality of Expectations determines the Quality of our Action.” - A. Godin

According to PBN.com, In the last five years, there is an increase in customers’ expectations in terms of:

Customer service levels – 81.3%
Competitive pricing – 75.0%
Faster turnaround – 68.8%
Product quality – 43.8%

What about your own expectations about yourselves? Are you happy with how you are living your life now? It is good that we spend some time and think about it. Our wrong expectations may hinder our path in life because it is very seldom that an individual exceed his own expectations.

“Our environment, the world in which we live and work, is a mirror of our Attitudes and Expectations.” - Earl Nightingale

“If you paint in your mind a picture of bright and happy expectations, you put yourself into a condition conducive to your goal.” - Norman Vincent Peale

“When we create something, we always create it first in a thought form. If we are basically positive in attitude, expecting and envisioning pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, we will attract and create people, situations, and events which conform to our positive expectations.” - Shakti Gawain

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.” - Denis Waitley

"Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy." - Brian Tracy

Although, it maybe hard to live up to other people expectations, but don't give up on yourself. If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right too! Make very sure that you have great and quality expectations to do better.

Photo by kkimpel taken from this source

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Thursday, September 27, 2007

Stop the Abuse

"The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse." - Edmund Burke

Burglaries, rapes, homicides, etc. are becoming very rampant in Malaysia lately.

Child Abuse
Nurin Jazlin, an eight year old girl went missing on Aug 20, 2007 after she went to a night market by herself near her house. On Sept 17, 2007, her body was found stuffed in a sports bag at a three-storey shop lot. A post mortem showed that she had been sexually assaulted.

Nurin is among the 17 children under the age of nine that are still on the police's list of missing persons.

It is everyone's duty to stop all this abuse. To fight crime, closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed and more will be installed in crime-prone areas to improve security and safety according to our city council.

The requirement for video security has indeed become very important; to identify the attackers and/or victims should they be caught on tape. The presence of a surveillance camera might even prevent crimes from happening.

Video surveillance is indeed useful when utilized in public locations such as shopping malls, corners and parking lots.

Abuse of Technology
However, we need to be wary when video surveillance devices are easily available.

With technological progress, hidden camera surveillance gear has become cheaper, smaller and easier to use. We have to stop the possibility of unscrupulous landlords or hotel owners from installing hidden camera which can now be even in the form of a Down View Smoke Detector.

The government authority needs to regulate the purchase of such devices. What Do You Think?

Let's do our part to stop all form of abuses.

Photo by ibcbulk taken from this source

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Invest Your Time Wisely

“The Past is behind, Learn from it.
The Future is ahead, Prepare for it.
The Present is here, Live it.”
- Thomas S. Monson

With every rising of the sun, think of your life as just begun. When you truly appreciate life, you'll find that you have more of it.

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." - Thomas Jefferson

"A man who dares to waste one hour of life has not discovered the value of life." - Charles Darwin

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Do value your time! It is sad to say, until you know how precious your life is, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. Do you agree?

Photo by EarthCare taken from this source

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Monday, September 24, 2007

Spend time with your family

"The size of your heart is more important than the size of your home."

"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace of the world." - Mother Teresa

The dearest possession we have is our family. Togetherness is a very important ingredient to family life. The way to stay close is to do things together and share.

"Destroy the family, you destroy the country."

"Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." - Jim Rohn

"Family is what grounds you." - Angelina Jolie

"The wisdom you leave your children is more important than any wealth you might leave them."

There's no place like home. Do cherish your relationships with your family by spending time with your family members. If you ever heard any of your family members says that their home is like a hotel then something needs to be rectified quickly.

Photo by zosolino taken from this source

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Exploring and Living Life Fully

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” - Flora Whittemore

Ever since we are born into this world, we begin to learn about life and how it works by exploring. Curiosity about everything makes us want to learn something new every day. If we get bored, we will automatically look for something to do. That is the way we are. We like to learn new things. We also like to understand things and how they work.

However, many people begin to lose or stop making use of this ability when they had experienced failures or made some mistakes. Have you stop exploring or living?

“In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.” - Helen Keller

Life is meant to be lived fully and we can do that if we set our priorities right and make conscious decisions about how we spend our time. There are doors waiting for you to open and the key is in your hand. It is your life. Think about it!

Photo by ladyphoenixx_1999 taken from this source

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Saturday, September 22, 2007

Eat Less To Live Longer

According to Science Daily dated September 21, 2007, when cells experience certain kinds of stress, such as caloric restriction, these genes rev up and help protect cells from diseases of aging.

A decrease in calories can therefore extend lifespan by as much as one-third.

"To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals." - Benjamin Franklin

“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life.” - William Londen

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.” - Mark Twain

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." - Doug Larson

Therefore, it's important to watch what you eat. We should eat to live and not live to eat!

Photo by mobob taken from this source

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Friday, September 21, 2007

Remember to KISS?

"All the fun is in how you say a thing." - Robert Frost

KISS is an acronym of the phrase "Keep It Simple, Stupid". Another version of the phrase is "Keep It Short & Simple" which you might hear quite often before you deliver your speech or presentation to a group of people who have a very tight schedule.

Sidney Smith wrote: "The writer helps us the most who give us the most knowledge, and takes from us the least time."

If you understand this principle well, you will always try to keep your writing short and simple by going straight to the point.

I love short and simple quotes because they are easy to remember and give remarkable impact. Below are some of those short quotes that I love:

"Men learn while they teach.
"Conceit is the quicksand of success."
"Today is the future I created yesterday."
"I look within to find my treasures."
"Good, to forgive; Best, to forget."
"Our attitude determines our altitude."
"You never know what you can do till you try."
"You never miss the water till the well runs dry."
"We are often our own worst enemy."
"Mistakes are the best teachers."
"Delegate but don't forget."

The above short quotes can be good topics for blogging!

In commercial world, very few thin books make big money even though their content can be superb because many could finish reading those books without the need of buying. However, in blog I tend to believe that we don't need long posts because many people don't really have time to read as there are so many blogs nowadays. Besides, since we blog daily, breaking a long post into multiple posts should be more effective.

What is your view about this? By the way, if you have short quotes you love, please share in your comments. Thank you.

Photo 1 by sierraromeo taken from this source
Photo 2 by ario_j taken from this source

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Thursday, September 20, 2007

Live richly instead of die with riches!

"If you want to feel rich, just count the things you have that money can't buy"

Everybody want to be rich thinking that money can bring happiness! It does bring happiness but only temporary.

According to Benjamin Franklin, "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."

Many might agree that Money is indeed not the most important thing in the world. Unfortunately, many still love money. Have you heard the saying "In God we trust, all others must pay cash?"

“Money will buy you a fine dog, but only love can make it wag its tail” - Richard Friedman

"There are people so poor that the only thing they have is money."

"Money can't buy friends, but it can get you a better class of enemy." - Spike Milligan

"Money often costs too much." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Those who believe money can do everything are frequently prepared to do everything for money. Well, would you rather live richly or die with riches?

Photo 1 by Minimalist taken from this source
Photo 2 by tigerweet taken from this source

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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Don't fail to try new things!

"It is alright to try and fail, but don't fail to try!"

There is an element of risk whenever we venture into something new. The problem with many people is that they spend too much time worrying about failures, calculating risks and finally got themselves chain up and not able to take any actions to achieve anything they had dreamed about.

That is not the case with the young one. They always willing to try new things and dare to ask for this or that from their parent. They do not have any fear that their request will be rejected. This is not so when they have grown up.

Below are some quotes that might be useful:

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live.” - Leo F. Buscaglia

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.” - Andre Malraux

“Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever.” - Philip Andrew Adams

“It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” - Seneca

Isn't it true that we seldom procrastinate doing things that we enjoy, yet many of us frequently defer or avoid tasks that involve something new? Well, don't holds back any longer; just take all the necessary steps and success could be just around the corner for you!

Photo 1 by bryanpearson taken from this source
Photo 2 by bryankennedy taken from this source

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Monday, September 17, 2007

Preparation is a necessity for success

“Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” - Confucius

During festive seasons, my mum needs to spend almost the entire day to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the family. The preparation takes many hours but it takes less than an hour to finish the meal.

Building a successful business, doing well in studies or even to be able to cook a nice meal takes a lot of preparation. Are you willing to pay the price for success?

You can be successful if you are making all the necessary preparations.

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.”

“Happy people plan actions, they don't plan results” - Dennis Wholey

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

"It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." - Jackie Joyner-Kersee

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” - Arthur Ashe

In order to excel in anything, you must be prepared to work hard. Success takes work and preparation. Are you willing to put forth the time and effort that it takes?

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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Self-Help for Fear

What is stopping you from getting what you want in life? Is it the fear of failure?

"Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.” - Mary Manin Morrissey

The following are related posts, photos and videos that might be useful for you to overcome your fear. Check it out!

Related posts:

Photos:

Videos:

Post Your Feedback
I would appreciate very much if you were to let me know whether all the above links are helpful. Now hopefully you could try to achieve whatever beneficial things that you wanted!

Photo 1 by meganmillscrm taken from this source
Photo 2 by Christine (bpc) taken from this source

Help Needed To Improve This Post:

This post will be updated with more links as and when it is necessary
If you find any of the above links not useful, please let me know and I will remove it.
If you found any or have good posts at your blogs or sites for the above subject, please post those links as comments and I will add those links (subject to my review) to this post. Do grab this opportunity to get links and traffics from this blog and at the same time spread the goodness.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Leaders got to know their roles well

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way." - John C. Maxwell

Everybody has their roles
No matter whether you are a parent, an eldest in the family, a manager or one of the members in a team, what you do, how you act and perform your duty are very important.

Your children, siblings, workers or your colleagues could be watching very closely and might just follow your examples. Thus, make every effort to find out and know your roles well so that you could show good examples.

Leaders roles
“A leader's role is to raise people's aspirations for what they can become and to release their energies so they will try to get there.” - David R. Gergen

“True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not the enrichment of the leaders.” - Robert Townsend

“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.” - Ralph Nader

Take a look at this true story:

At the funeral
One of my young preacher friends was officiating at the funeral of a war veteran. The dead man's military friends wished to have a part in the service at the funeral home, so they requested the pastor to lead them down to the casket, stand with them for a solemn moment of remembrance, and then lead them out through the side door. This he proceeded to do, but unfortunately the effect was somewhat marred when he picked the wrong door. The result was that they marched with military precision into a broom closet, in full view of the mourners, and had to beat a hasty retreat covered with confusion.

This true story illustrates a cardinal rule or two. First, if you're going to lead, make sure you know where you're going. Second, if you're going to follow, make sure that you are following someone who knows what he is doing!

(Extracted from this source; Author: Shelton Cole)

Know your roles
You can't do your job well if you don't know your own role. Find out or ask your supervisor if necessary. If you are a leader, do take note that it is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven't been willing to try.

Photo 1 by Cheryl J taken from this source
Photo 2 by william.ward taken from this source

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Thursday, September 13, 2007

Don't reject your blessings

“Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.” - Socrates

What you are today is God's gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God. He is waiting for that gift right now. Make it something extraordinary.

Do take note that blessings may comes in different package.

Take a look at this story:

The Gift
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, in the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study and told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.

Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "with all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was a very successful businessman. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away and had willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse: Matthew 7:11 "And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.

(Source: Internet; Author Unknown)

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

Photo 1 by Colin 30d taken from this source
Photo 2 by nAODI taken from this source
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The Fountain Of Youth

"Age ... is a matter of feeling, not of years." - George William Curtis

A matter of reactions

It is now believed that a man reaches his peak mentally around the age of 35 and that this peak is maintained even past 70 years of age.

It has also been proven that the old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is untrue.

The learning power at 70 is about the same as it is at 17. As one authority put it, we do not become old through the passing of years, but rather by our reactions to the circumstances of life.

Interest makes the difference
When I and my family was in Genting Highlands - a famous mountain resort informally known as the Las Vegas of Malaysia, me and my wife were astonished at the casino. We saw aged man and woman so accustomed to all sort of gambling rules and have all the know how to operate any slot machines. On the other hand, we were totally lost and have no idea how those games or slot machines were played.

I also remembered at the very beginning, it was difficult to get older generation people onto Internet because many of them have phobia of IT stuff. However, when I show them how to use the Internet browser to look at the share price, the acceptance level suddenly shot up and the teaching becomes so easy!

Thus, age doesn't really matter and nothing is really difficult. It is just a matter of interest.

“There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.” - Sophia Loren

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young."

"The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” - Henry Ford

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." - Mark Twain

The Secret
To remain young while growing old is indeed the highest blessing. You become old by not continuing to grow. When you stay interested and keep learning, you will stay young.

You're as old as you feel!

What do you think? Do you agree?

Photo 1 by Idol taken from this source
Photo 2 by stranded_starfish taken from this source
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Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Be Polite To All

A good father advice to his son

"My boy," said a father to his son, "treat everybody with politeness, even those who are rude to you; remember, you show courtesy to others, not because they are gentlemen, but because you are one."

"Be polite and everyone will be polite to you."

Many will agree that the young must be taught about good manners and then somewhere along the line, we forgot that it is applicable to us as well. There is indeed a decline of politeness in our modern society. Do you agree?

"Parents are usually more careful to bestow knowledge on their children rather than virtue, the art of speaking well rather than doing well; but their manners should be of the greatest concern." - Fuller, R. Buckminster

"Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter which fork you use." - Emily Post

"Whoever one is, and wherever one is, one is always in the wrong if one is rude." - Maurice Baring

“Anyone can be polite to a king. It takes a gentleman to be polite to a beggar.”

Be gentle and not harsh at all times. Say "please", “thank you” and “excuse me” more. Be the first to say "Sorry". Put these into practice, and all will be charmed with your manners. Try it!

Photo by Lion_Heart taken from this source

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Monday, September 10, 2007

Life's Journey

Life is a journey and we determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there.

Too often we go through life on autopilot without even knowing. We just let each day pass like the one before it. Well, since we could never start life all over again, once we have reached old age, we might look back on life with regrets.

“If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living.” - Gail Sheehy

"Time is a companion that goes with us on a journey. It reminds us to cherish each moment, because it will never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived." - Jean Luc Picard

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness and fears.” - Cesare Pavese

In your life journey, your success and happiness depends partly on your choice of friends, companions, associates, and co-workers. When possible, choose wisely.

“It is better to travel alone than with a bad companion” - African Proverb

Happiness is a way of travel. Make very sure you live life fullest. Start living if you still haven't and it is time to switch off autopilot mode.

Photo 1 by rajeshburman taken from this source
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Sunday, September 09, 2007

You are happier by being grateful

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." - Marcus Cicero

It was proven

Psychologists Dr Michael McCullough and Dr Robert Emmons found that being grateful make people happier.

The Experiment
They asked volunteers to keep daily diaries for two weeks. One group recorded daily hassles, another group jotted down events, and a third, the ‘gratitude group’, listed five things they were thankful for each day. By the end, people in the gratitude group were so much happier, their spouses noticed a change.

Benefits of being grateful
People who frequently experience gratitude are also more optimistic and helpful, and have more determination and energy.

“Every good trait you’d want for yourself or for other people seems to go along with being grateful,” says McCullough.

Take a look at this story:

There was a story of a couple who had been fortunate to earn multi-millions and had chosen to continue to compete and indulged in many businesses, moral or immoral, legal or illegal, as their lusts for being the richest people in the world, they had continued to take risks, enjoyed their conquers, until one day, their empire of businesses burst, collapsed, and they had lost everything, and were bankrupted.

Then they had to live without proper shelters, and live by collecting from wastes. One day in a storm, they found a dime on the roadside, they picked it up and were so grateful for the dime, their tears rolled down in their cheeks, and mixing with the raindrops, there were feeling of joy for able to have a dime.

Only then, they learn how to be grateful and be happy. While in the past they had millions of dollars, they were not grateful, and continued to indulge in more activities to search greedily for more and wish to be number one in the world and be most powerful people in the world!

(Author: Unknown)

Therefore, as we are blessed with what we have now, let's be grateful and be happy and do not complain. Just make the most of what you have now.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

If you want to feel happier in as little as two weeks, write down four or five things you were grateful for each day.

What do you think? Are you going to try this exercise?

Photo 1 by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ taken from this source
Photo 2 by SeenyaRita taken from this source

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Friday, September 07, 2007

Don't get discouraged or depressed

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." - Henry David Thoreau

“How you look at a situation is very important, for how you think about a problem may defeat you before you ever do anything about it.

When you get discouraged or depressed, try changing your attitude from negative to positive and see how life can change for you. Remember, your attitude toward a situation can help you to change it -- you create the very atmosphere for defeat or victory.” - Franco Harris

“The hardest thing you can do is smile when you are ill, in pain, or depressed. But this no-cost remedy is a necessary first half-step if you are to start on the road to recovery.” - Allen Klein

"Pain is no evil unless it conquers us." - George Eliot

"It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters." - Epictetus

"Don't go through life, grow through life." - Eric Butterworth

To deal with depression, help yourselves by understanding what depression is and know what it takes to beat it. Seek help from your family and friends. Then start living a happier and healthier life now.

Photo 1 by sirwiseowl taken from this source
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Thursday, September 06, 2007

Learn to adapt to changes

"To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail." - Abraham H. Maslow

One of the reasons that may hinder us from reaching our goals is our inability to be flexible. Being too rigid in our thinking tends to make us difficulty in adapting to change. Adapting to changes in our lives sometimes can be easy and at other times can be difficult.

Everywhere, major change is occurring. Those especially in technology fields have to rethink the way they look at markets. I remember in the past, all banks put up signs that mobile phones are not allow in the bank. However, as more and more people are having mobile phone, I could now see many people using mobile phones in any of the bank without any problem. Think why?

“The key to success is often the ability to adapt.”

"When we allow ourselves to adapt to different situations, life is easier." - Catherine Pulsifer

"The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings." - K. Okakaura

“The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher” - Chinese Proverbs

“Enjoying success requires the ability to adapt. Only by being open to change will you have a true opportunity to get the most from your talent.” - Nolan Ryan

"If you do not change, you can become extinct. Get out of your comfort zone and adapt to change sooner. Take control, rather than let things happen to you." - Dr. Spencer Johnston

The only constant is change. Sometimes things change and are never the same again. Will you be ready?

Photo 1 by oskay taken from this source
Photo 2 by mattymatt taken from this source

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Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Learn more about me

I was tagged by Andrea of A circle of Women with the 5 things you probably don’t know about me meme. This is indeed a great way to get to know each other a little better. I had decided to reveal more about myself.

“Every day in every way I'm getting better and better”

Below are 5 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me:

I was an introvert in the past. Those days whoever asks me a question I will only answer yes or no and the conversation ends there. I had inferiority complex during that time. Anyway frequent public speaking had helped to change me. According to David Thornburg, “If we keep doing what we're doing, we'll keep getting what we got”. I believe I had improved myself because I am no more an introvert!
My birthday is one day before Halloween day. So my birthday could be easily remembered! - Right?
I am married on 8-8-88 and had celebrated my 19th Anniversary this year (2007). I have four boys. My children are very shy. Thus, I couldn't post their photos other than in the form of collages which can be viewed in enlarge mode.
I prefer mental exercise such as playing board games such as chess instead of doing physical exercise.
I am a Software Development Manager having a group of nice programmers and anits is one of my programmers.

Okay, now I would like to learn more about these people: Jennifer Jones, Surjit, Jesse, Karen, and Janice Ng.

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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Concern but Don't Worry

“There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem, and a concerned person solves a problem.” - Harold Stephens

"Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression." - Pythagoras

Worry is just about the worst form of mental activity there is - next to hate, which is deeply self destructive. Worry is pointless. It is wasted mental energy. It also creates bio-chemical reactions which harm the body, producing everything from indigestion to coronary arrest, and a multitude of things in between.

"A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work." - John Lubbock

Worry is like a rocking chair - it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere. It is the darkroom in which negatives are developed and is the most unproductive of all human activities.

Worry a little every day and in a lifetime you will lose a couple of years. If something is wrong, fix it if you can. But train yourself not to worry. Worry never fixes anything.

"Only one kind of worry is proper: to worry because you worry too much."

Health will improve almost at once when worrying ends. Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.

Do you have a lot of worries? How do you overcome it?

Photo by SamH one taken from this source

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Monday, September 03, 2007

Is making mistakes really bad?

Wrong concept about mistakes
In school, at home or at work we are told that it is wrong to make mistakes. We get scolded or punished for any mistakes made and are taught that failures are shameful things. This could be the reason why many people give up on their goals. They are not prepared for the mistakes and failures they will face on their way to what they want.

“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.” - John Maxwell

Mistakes are inevitable
The fact that the more challenging the goal we would like to achieve, the more frequent and difficult setbacks will be. The larger your ambitions, the more dependent you will be on your ability to overcome and learn from your mistakes.

“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” - George Bernard Shaw

Learn from mistakes
You can only learn from a mistake after you admit you’ve made it. Every mistake is a lesson. As soon as you start blaming other people you won't learn any possible lesson.

“A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake.” - Confucius

"An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." - O. A. Battista

Benefit of making mistakes

"Mistakes are stepping stones to success."

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” - James Joyce

"The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way." - Dale Carnegie

We learn more lessons when we make mistakes.

I learn a lesson when I sat on my glasses when I place it on my bed. That was indeed an expensive mistake. After that incident I would never place my glasses on my bed.

However, there are indeed some mistakes that are very painful and offer no chance to regret! So be very careful!

Have you learn a great deal from your mistakes?

Photo 1 by rob_pym taken from this source
Photo 2 by millzero taken from this source

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Sunday, September 02, 2007

Living with Integrity

“Integrity is what we do, what we say, and what we say we do” - Don Galer

Below is a conversation between a store owner with his new employee:

"My boy," said the store owner to his new employee, "Wisdom and Integrity are essential to the retail business.

By 'Integrity' I mean if you promise a customer something, you have got to keep that promise even if it means we lose money."

"And what," asked the teenager, "is Wisdom?"
"That," answered the boss, "is not making any stupid promises."

Source: Internet Author: Unknown

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.” - W. Clement Stone

“Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching. A person is not given integrity. It results from the never-ending pursuit of honesty at all times.”

“If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters.” - Alan K. Simpson

Do you agree? What does integrity means to you?

Photo by nonrev taken from this source

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