Everyone wants it: RESPECT
Here’s a “Basic Training” reminder about RESPECT:
RECOGNIZE the inherent worth of all human beings.
ELIMINATE derogatory words and phrases from your vocabulary.
SPEAK with people – not at them…or about them.
PRACTICE empathy. Walk awhile in others’ shoes.
EARN respect from others through respect-worthy behaviors.
CONSIDER others’ feelings before speaking and acting.
TREAT everyone with dignity and courtesy.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
It The Strangest Secret
George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, they make them.”
Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.
Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn’t know where he’s going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry – his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing… he becomes nothing.
How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I’ll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.
Suppose a farmer has some land, and it’s good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision.
We’re comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn’t care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant.
Now, let’s say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land…and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted. As it’s written in the Bible, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”
Remember the land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.
The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn’t care what we plant… success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal…or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant it must return to us.
You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.
Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.
Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn’t know where he’s going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry – his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing… he becomes nothing.
How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I’ll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.
Suppose a farmer has some land, and it’s good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn’t care. It’s up to the farmer to make the decision.
We’re comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn’t care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn’t care what you plant.
Now, let’s say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land…and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted. As it’s written in the Bible, “As ye sow, so shall ye reap.”
Remember the land doesn’t care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.
The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn’t care what we plant… success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal…or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant it must return to us.
You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.
Make Today Matter…What Matters Most
FACTS
The average person spends;
-100 hours a year commuting to work compared to 80 hours of vacation time.
- 91 hours a week at work for dual – career couples with kids.
- 1.8 hours a day doing household activities.
- 2.6 hours a day watching television.
- 8.6 hours a day sleeping.
Time is a non-renewable resource. Once it’s used up, you can’t get it back.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
1. Stop and think…then make a list of what matters most to you.
2. Create a list of how you currently spend your time each week.
3. Organize your list of weekly activities and identify activities that are required and those that are optional and waste time.
4. Take steps to rearrange your schedule or reduce optional activities so that you can spend time doing what matters most.
5. Don’t waste time.
YOU MATTER
What really matters most to you?
Your relationships with family, friends, and children?
Helping others? Passions? Faith? Security? Health?
At the end of each year, don’t you want to look back and see that you made a difference?
That you matter?
Today is the start of a new year.
Start it off by making a difference in you, in your life, and in the lives of those you love.
This is your opportunity.
Time spent on what matters most is never a waste of time.
POSITIVE TIP: Take Action...Make Your List!
The average person spends;
-100 hours a year commuting to work compared to 80 hours of vacation time.
- 91 hours a week at work for dual – career couples with kids.
- 1.8 hours a day doing household activities.
- 2.6 hours a day watching television.
- 8.6 hours a day sleeping.
Time is a non-renewable resource. Once it’s used up, you can’t get it back.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
1. Stop and think…then make a list of what matters most to you.
2. Create a list of how you currently spend your time each week.
3. Organize your list of weekly activities and identify activities that are required and those that are optional and waste time.
4. Take steps to rearrange your schedule or reduce optional activities so that you can spend time doing what matters most.
5. Don’t waste time.
YOU MATTER
What really matters most to you?
Your relationships with family, friends, and children?
Helping others? Passions? Faith? Security? Health?
At the end of each year, don’t you want to look back and see that you made a difference?
That you matter?
Today is the start of a new year.
Start it off by making a difference in you, in your life, and in the lives of those you love.
This is your opportunity.
Time spent on what matters most is never a waste of time.
POSITIVE TIP: Take Action...Make Your List!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Values of Life - Where Lies Your Priority
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first , " he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for you to take time off for a couple of glasses of wine with a family member or a friend."
So, where lies your priority, with the golf balls or - with the sand?
--------
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...
--------
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first , " he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for you to take time off for a couple of glasses of wine with a family member or a friend."
So, where lies your priority, with the golf balls or - with the sand?
--------
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of wine...
--------
Overcoming Adversity - A Carrot, An Egg and A Cup Of Coffee
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.
The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed…THE WATER.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
**When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? - It's definitely something worth thinking about...
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.
The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed…THE WATER.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
**When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? - It's definitely something worth thinking about...
Thursday, April 7, 2011
That Little Secret To Winning In Life
Personal attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. It is our disposition, perspective, viewpoint, or outlook.
Your own attitude affects others as well as you. It impacts every one you interact with from your family to the stranger you smile at on the street corner. Wayne Dyer rightly says, "I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside".
The little secret to winning in life is to create a winning attitude. You must think, see, and visualize like a winner for you to win. The moment you say, "I can't", "I don't think I am capable", "There is too much of competition out there", "I don't stand a chance", consider yourself having already forfeited your chance to win. This little voice of negativity goes on reinforcing and you ultimately end up as a loser in enterprise.
Instead, if you were to assert your right to win, you stand a solid chance to win and no set back can take away your attitude. When Alexander was on a world conquering spree, he crossed the Indus. The Indian King on the other side of the river Indus was reputedly a powerful king with a large contingent of elephants. Alexander's weary men had almost given up the battle but Alexander was ever a winner with an attitude of a true winner. He told his men, they were going to fight till the end and were not to return defeated.
Alexander won the battle. The large elephant contingent of King Porus running wildly amuck in utter confusion stampeded their own men. King Porus himself was no less of a winner with winning attitude. He was caught and brought before Alexander, who asked him "How would you like to be treated?" Porus didn't feel defeated at all. His attitude was still of a winner. "As a King treats another King" replied Porus. Alexander was highly impressed by the reply. He accorded King Porus, the highest honor due to a king. Alexander gave away every thing including the land he had won from Porus and let him rule as a sovereign.
It is not difficult to guess what might could have happened if Alexander and Porus did not have a winning attitude. Alexander could not have come as far as Indus from Greece without the winning attitude. Alexander might have lost the battle without fighting if he like his men believed he could not possibly defeat the strong army of the Indian king. He might have returned without crossing the Indus. Similarly, any other King in Porus' place might have pleaded mercy. But Porus was bold and brave. He stated ih his mind that he must be treated like a king. And he got what he wanted.
A person is never defeated when you possess a winning attitude. A winning attitude comes out of confidence in one's skills and abilities. A winning attitude is a natural expression of those intrepid diehard souls that never ever ever ever...give up.
Remember, that the world greatest human achievements comes from defeating great struggles. When you encounter lot of obstacles and overcome them, it's such a pleasure to celebrate when the reach the finish line. Your satisfaction increases to its peak, you manifest out to see your success.
Your own attitude affects others as well as you. It impacts every one you interact with from your family to the stranger you smile at on the street corner. Wayne Dyer rightly says, "I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside".
The little secret to winning in life is to create a winning attitude. You must think, see, and visualize like a winner for you to win. The moment you say, "I can't", "I don't think I am capable", "There is too much of competition out there", "I don't stand a chance", consider yourself having already forfeited your chance to win. This little voice of negativity goes on reinforcing and you ultimately end up as a loser in enterprise.
Instead, if you were to assert your right to win, you stand a solid chance to win and no set back can take away your attitude. When Alexander was on a world conquering spree, he crossed the Indus. The Indian King on the other side of the river Indus was reputedly a powerful king with a large contingent of elephants. Alexander's weary men had almost given up the battle but Alexander was ever a winner with an attitude of a true winner. He told his men, they were going to fight till the end and were not to return defeated.
Alexander won the battle. The large elephant contingent of King Porus running wildly amuck in utter confusion stampeded their own men. King Porus himself was no less of a winner with winning attitude. He was caught and brought before Alexander, who asked him "How would you like to be treated?" Porus didn't feel defeated at all. His attitude was still of a winner. "As a King treats another King" replied Porus. Alexander was highly impressed by the reply. He accorded King Porus, the highest honor due to a king. Alexander gave away every thing including the land he had won from Porus and let him rule as a sovereign.
It is not difficult to guess what might could have happened if Alexander and Porus did not have a winning attitude. Alexander could not have come as far as Indus from Greece without the winning attitude. Alexander might have lost the battle without fighting if he like his men believed he could not possibly defeat the strong army of the Indian king. He might have returned without crossing the Indus. Similarly, any other King in Porus' place might have pleaded mercy. But Porus was bold and brave. He stated ih his mind that he must be treated like a king. And he got what he wanted.
A person is never defeated when you possess a winning attitude. A winning attitude comes out of confidence in one's skills and abilities. A winning attitude is a natural expression of those intrepid diehard souls that never ever ever ever...give up.
Remember, that the world greatest human achievements comes from defeating great struggles. When you encounter lot of obstacles and overcome them, it's such a pleasure to celebrate when the reach the finish line. Your satisfaction increases to its peak, you manifest out to see your success.
The Power That Can Controls Our Lives
Deep within each of us lie two things that control our lives and the way we live them. Our behavior and attitudes and lifestyle are governed by them. If we want to change our life then we need to look at these foundational things that have governed us all our lives. These foundations are our beliefs and our values. They color our lives even though we may not be aware of them. They are deeply affected by our upbringing and the things that have happened to us and the conclusions we have drawn from those things.
Let us look at our beliefs in particular. Our beliefs have a positive or negative influence on us. If we have experienced bad parenting we will have some basic beliefs based on the experience with the first two important relationships in our life. Perhaps your father was abusive, or neglectful. That will have set up a unconscious foundational belief based on that experience that will flow into your perception of all other men. You will compare men to the first role model of a man that you had. You may even have a deep belief that all men are like your father and a response of distrust of men, or an expectation that all men will neglect you.
Here are 3 quotes that demonstrate the power of our beliefs.
"If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." -- Denis Waitley
"The most important thing about a man is what he believes in the depth of his being. This is the thing that makes him what he is, the thing that organizes him and feeds him; the thing that keeps him going in the face of untoward circumstances; the thing that gives him resistance and drive." -- Hugh Stevenson Tigner
"If you think a certain thought long enough and hard enough, it becomes a fixed belief and you will find yourself behaving on the outside in a manner consistent with it." -- Brian Tracy
Our beliefs will have a positive or negative effect on our life. We do however have a choice. We can choose what we believe, we can change what we believe.
First however we need to uncover what we believe. Take notice of fears and reactions as you live your life. They come from beliefs that you have, but you need to dig down to find the root. If, for example, the root is your experience of a bad father -face that experience and uncover the lie that you have believed from that experience. Your father was only one man; he made choices that were not good for you. Every other man is not your father, every other man does have to not make those choices and behave that way. You can choose to recognize the reality of your experience with your father and his actions, yet at the same time choose to believe that he does not typify what all men are like. He was a bad role model to you of what a man is like, but there are many men who are good fathers and treat their children the way you yourself would have liked your father to treat you.
That belief has been fed by your perceptions and expectations of men colored by your experience over many years and is deeply rooted in you. It will not change over night, but you can make a start to re-evaluate that belief and choose to believe differently. As you choose to change a belief, you will start to see changes in your behavior and responses. Start affirming the new belief that you have chosen, and look for evidence around you that confirms its truth.
Take back the power of false beliefs from your life and see the changes you desire.
Let us look at our beliefs in particular. Our beliefs have a positive or negative influence on us. If we have experienced bad parenting we will have some basic beliefs based on the experience with the first two important relationships in our life. Perhaps your father was abusive, or neglectful. That will have set up a unconscious foundational belief based on that experience that will flow into your perception of all other men. You will compare men to the first role model of a man that you had. You may even have a deep belief that all men are like your father and a response of distrust of men, or an expectation that all men will neglect you.
Here are 3 quotes that demonstrate the power of our beliefs.
"If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad." -- Denis Waitley
"The most important thing about a man is what he believes in the depth of his being. This is the thing that makes him what he is, the thing that organizes him and feeds him; the thing that keeps him going in the face of untoward circumstances; the thing that gives him resistance and drive." -- Hugh Stevenson Tigner
"If you think a certain thought long enough and hard enough, it becomes a fixed belief and you will find yourself behaving on the outside in a manner consistent with it." -- Brian Tracy
Our beliefs will have a positive or negative effect on our life. We do however have a choice. We can choose what we believe, we can change what we believe.
First however we need to uncover what we believe. Take notice of fears and reactions as you live your life. They come from beliefs that you have, but you need to dig down to find the root. If, for example, the root is your experience of a bad father -face that experience and uncover the lie that you have believed from that experience. Your father was only one man; he made choices that were not good for you. Every other man is not your father, every other man does have to not make those choices and behave that way. You can choose to recognize the reality of your experience with your father and his actions, yet at the same time choose to believe that he does not typify what all men are like. He was a bad role model to you of what a man is like, but there are many men who are good fathers and treat their children the way you yourself would have liked your father to treat you.
That belief has been fed by your perceptions and expectations of men colored by your experience over many years and is deeply rooted in you. It will not change over night, but you can make a start to re-evaluate that belief and choose to believe differently. As you choose to change a belief, you will start to see changes in your behavior and responses. Start affirming the new belief that you have chosen, and look for evidence around you that confirms its truth.
Take back the power of false beliefs from your life and see the changes you desire.
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