Keep It SIMPLE

"Dreams are the seedlings of realities." - As A Man Thinketh

Look slowly around you. All that you see at this moment was one day but someone's dream - a "seedling of the reality" it was to become. In our lifetime we have benefited greatly from the dreams of so many.

Mandela, Mother Teresa, Einstein, Gandhi, Spielberg, Disney, Gates and the list could go on and on and on -- all began with a dream. Who could forget one of the most powerful speeches of all time by Dr. Martin Luther King, "I Have a Dream". While we haven't become the color-blind society we should be, go back and read the speech and see how far we've come since Dr. King first spoke those "seedlings" into reality.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Celine Dion performed a song called The Power of the Dream.

"Deep within each heart,
There lies a magic spark,
That lights the fire of our imagination…

Your mind will take you far
The rest is just pure heart,
You'll find your fate is all your own creation."

Sounds a lot like James Allen, doesn't it?

So maybe you don't see yourself as a Mandela or Mother Teresa. But if you haven't already discovered it, deep inside you there is a dream. It was put there by the one who created you.

Ralph Marston, whose Daily Motivator has brightened my day for some time now, writes,

"On a regular basis, take time to imagine the very best that life can be. Step aside for a moment from the day-to-day concerns of life. Re-establish contact with your highest goals and most treasured dreams. Remind yourself of the beautiful possibilities that life holds for you. Renew your determination to bring them to fruition.

"Spend some quality time with your dreams. They are real to the extent that you value them. To the extent that you commit to them and work for them, they will come true."

The final verse of Celine's song ends with:

"There's so much strength in all of us,
Every woman, child and man,
It's the moment that you think you can't,
You'll discover that you can."

And that's worth thinking about.

by Vic Johnson

POSITIVE vs. NEGATIVE
"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."
-- Charles "Tremendous" Jones

"Instead of always harping on a man's faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut of bad habits. Hold up to him his better self, his real self that can dare and do and win out."
-- Eleanor Porter

"Keep your face in the sunshine and you can never see the shadow."
-- Helen Keller

"Like taking a morning shower, make the planting of positive thoughts a daily practice."
-- Neil Eskelin

POTENTIAL/POSSIBILITIES
"Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential."
-- Sir Winston Churchill

"No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities - always see them, for they´re always there."
-- Norman Vincent Peale

"You are infinitely lovable, infinitely desirable, because the One who most desires and loves you is also infinite."
-- Deepak Chopra

"The only limitation in your life is the limitation of your own thinking."
-- James A. Ray

POWER
"If the average person realized the power he wields over his life and destiny, he would live in a perpetual state of wonder and thanksgiving."
-- Earl Nightingale

"Power tires only those who do not have it."
-- Giulio Andreotti

"Power is so characteristically calm, that calmness in itself has the aspect of strength."
-- Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"The power of one is above all things the power to believe in yourself. Often well beyond any latent ability previously demonstrated. The mind is the athlete, The body is simply the means it uses."
-- Bryce Courtenay

Better understated than overstated. Let people be surprised that it was more than you promised and easier than you said.

For effective communication, use brevity. Jesus said, "Follow me." Now that's brief! He could be brief because of all that he was that he didn't have to say.

You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and to share it, and for it to be effective, you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation.

The goal of effective communication should be for listeners to say, "Me, too!" verses "So what?"

Learn to express, not impress.

Be brief on the logic and reason portion of your presentation. There are probably about a thousand facts about an automobile, but you don't need them all to make a decision. About a half dozen will do.

Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.

What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know.

It's not the matter you cover so much as it is the manner in which you cover it.

by Jim Rohn

If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manger, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life. What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:

1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.

2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.

3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.

4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a Godlike word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.

5) Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.

6) Develop humor without folly. That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.

Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.

by Jim Rohn

The importance of good listening skills and the difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical ability while listening is a skill. Listening skills allow one to make sense of and understand what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills allow you to understand what someone is "talking about". Good listening skills make workers more productive.

The ability to listen carefully will allow you to:

• better understand assignments and what is expected of you;
• build rapport with co-workers, bosses, and clients;
• show support;
• work better in a team-based environment;
• resolve problems with customers, co-workers, and bosses;
• answer questions; and
• find underlying meanings in what others say.

How to Listen Well
The following tips will help you listen well. Doing these things will also demonstrate to the speaker that you are paying attention. While you may in fact be able to listen while looking down at the floor, doing so may imply that you are not.

• maintain eye contact;
• avoid interrupt the speaker;
• sit still;
• nod your head;
• lean toward the speaker;
• repeat instructions and ask appropriate questions when the speaker has finished.

A good listener knows that being attentive to what the speaker doesn't say is as important as being attentive to what he does say. Look for non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and posture to get the full gist of what the speaker is telling you.

Barriers to Listening
Beware of the following things that may get in the way of listening.

• bias or prejudice;
• language differences or accents;
• noise;
• worry, fear, or anger; and
• lack of attention span.

Listening Starts Early
If you have children you know what it's like to feel like you're talking to a wall. Kids have an uncanny ability to appear to be listening to you while actually paying no attention at all. While this is something that may pass with age it is important to help children develop good listening skills early. They will do better in school and you will keep your sanity. As the SCANS report points out, good listening skills will prepare children to eventually succeed in the workforce.

• When you tell your child to do something, ask him to repeat your instructions;
• Teach your child to maintain eye contact when talking to or listening to someone;
• Read out loud to your child and then engage her in a conversation about what you have read; and
• Engage your child in age-appropriate activities that promote good listening skills

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If you want to be a leader who attracts quality people, the key is to become a person of quality yourself. Leadership is the ability to attract someone to the gifts, skills, and opportunities you offer as an owner, as a manger, as a parent. I call leadership the great challenge of life. What's important in leadership is refining your skills. All great leaders keep working on themselves until they become effective. Here are some specifics:

1) Learn to be strong but not rude. It is an extra step you must take to become a powerful, capable leader with a wide range of reach. Some people mistake rudeness for strength. It's not even a good substitute.

2) Learn to be kind but not weak. We must not mistake kindness for weakness. Kindness isn't weak. Kindness is a certain type of strength. We must be kind enough to tell somebody the truth. We must be kind enough and considerate enough to lay it on the line. We must be kind enough to tell it like it is and not deal in delusion.

3) Learn to be bold but not a bully. It takes boldness to win the day. To build your influence, you've got to walk in front of your group. You've got to be willing to take the first arrow, tackle the first problem, discover the first sign of trouble.

4) You've got to learn to be humble, but not timid. You can't get to the high life by being timid. Some people mistake timidity for humility. Humility is almost a Godlike word. A sense of awe. A sense of wonder. An awareness of the human soul and spirit. An understanding that there is something unique about the human drama versus the rest of life. Humility is a grasp of the distance between us and the stars, yet having the feeling that we're part of the stars. So humility is a virtue; but timidity is a disease. Timidity is an affliction. It can be cured, but it is a problem.

5) Be proud but not arrogant. It takes pride to win the day. It takes pride to build your ambition. It takes pride in community. It takes pride in cause, in accomplishment. But the key to becoming a good leader is being proud without being arrogant. In fact I believe the worst kind of arrogance is arrogance from ignorance. It's when you don't know that you don't know. Now that kind of arrogance is intolerable. If someone is smart and arrogant, we can tolerate that. But if someone is ignorant and arrogant, that's just too much to take.

6) Develop humor without folly. That's important for a leader. In leadership, we learn that it's okay to be witty, but not silly. It's okay to be fun, but not foolish.

Lastly, deal in realities. Deal in truth. Save yourself the agony. Just accept life like it is. Life is unique. Some people call it tragic, but I'd like to think it's unique. The whole drama of life is unique. It's fascinating. And I've found that the skills that work well for one leader may not work at all for another. But the fundamental skills of leadership can be adapted to work well for just about everyone: at work, in the community, and at home.

by Jim Rohn

Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book.
Some people claim that it is okay to read trashy novels because sometimes you can find something valuable in them. You can also find a crust of bread in a garbage can, if you search long enough, but there is a better way.

Most homes valued at over $250,000 have a library. That should tell us something.
Everything you need for your better future and success has already been written. And guess what? It's all available. All you have to do is go to the library. And there's probably a library in every neighborhood.

Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind.
I now have one of the better libraries. I admit that I haven't read everything in my library, but I feel smarter just walking in it.

Don't just read the easy stuff. You may entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.
The book you don't read won't help.
Books are easy to find and easy to buy. A paperback these days only costs six or seven dollars. You can borrow that from your kids!

It isn't what the book costs; it's what it will cost if you don't read it

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

by Jim Rohn

In "The Awesome Power of Positive Attention," people need to develop. Each of these skills can be seen as a ministry skill - a tool that can be used to connect us with other people. Let's look at each.

Look. When meeting people, establish eye contact. We can see much in people's eyes: moods, emotions, and comfort level, for example. Locking eyes gives focused attention.

Listen. We may hear words but miss their meaning. Listening engages ears, heart, and mind concurrently. By listening, we process the words we hear as well as the tones, inflections, emotions, pauses, even the eye contact of the speaker to help gauge the response needed.

Question. Questions that encourage responses that require reflection help us get to know people and discover what’s happening in their lives. Don't make people feel as if you are an investigative reporter seeking information for a story. Use questions to help you get to know others better.

Touch. Our touch often can bring healing and comfort. Although touching people must be done with care - remember that not everyone wants to be hugged or even touched on the hand because of prior experiences in life - we can provide great comfort with a simple hug or touch on the shoulder.

Affirm. Praise and affirmation can be extremely encouraging for people. People who good at people skill seek opportunities to affirm and praise others for big and small things alike. Make your praise specific, related to some event or activity; descriptive, affirming how something was done well; shared, allowing others to both hear and celebrate the affirmation; and unrestricted, allowing everyone at some time to be publicly praised for good efforts as well as achievements.

"One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car backed out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. He was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital.' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So... Love the people who treat you right. And love the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day."

By Larry Crane

Asking is the beginning of receiving. Make sure you don't go to the ocean with a teaspoon. At least take a bucket so the kids won't laugh at you.

There is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the windows of opportunity for ideas to flow your way.

Resolve says, "I will." The man says, "I will climb this mountain. They told me it is too high, too far, too steep, too rocky and too difficult. But it's my mountain. I will climb it. You will soon see me waving from the top or dead on the side from trying."

Disgust and resolve are two of the great emotions that lead to change

They say that "everybody's a critic," and that never seems truer than when you're pursuing a dream. There will always be well-meaning people who want to "protect" you from your "unrealistic fantasies." Critics tried to discourage the people profiled in Unstoppable. Everyone ignored the negative input and achieved their goals. Follow their lead and you, too, will be UNSTOPPABLE!

1. The timing is all wrong. In 1987, prior to accepting Paramount's offer to host a late-night talk show, Arsenio Hall was told by
everyone: "It's too hard to crack into the late-night ratings.
Television isn't ready for a black talk show host. This is America, and you can forget it."

2. Why don't you get a real job? Not understanding his desire to become Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger's family pleaded with him,
saying: "How long will you go on training all day in a gymnasium and living in a dream world?"

3. It'll never work, you'll lose everything. Weeks before she opened her first store, cosmetic tycoon Mary Kay Ash's attorney said:
"Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don't, you'll end up penniless."

4. Don't rock the boat. In response to Muriel Siebertís application to be the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, officials responded: "The language on the floor is too rough and there's no ladies' room." She bought a seat anyway and remained the only woman there for nine years.

5. It's never been done before. Upon applying for a job after graduation from Columbia University, announcers for NBC Radio responded to Sally Jessy Raphael: "You have the perfect voice for broadcasting, but you should get a job as a secretary. We're not using women."

6. You don't have enough talent. Responding to his desire to become a recording artist, Ray Charles' teachers said: "You can't play the piano, and God knows you can't sing. You'd better learn how to weave chairs so you can support yourself."

7. Don't even try, you'll just be disappointed. When auditioning for a part in a high school musical, a teacher rejected Diana Ross saying:
"You have a nice voice, but it's nothing special."

8. You don't fit the mold OR you're not the right "type." Trying to convince her she didn't have the right look, fashion photographer Richard Avedon told Cher: "You will never make the cover of Vogue because you don't have blond hair or blue eyes." When she did make the cover, Vogue sold more copies than it had ever sold before.

9. Don't give up your day job. Commenting on the first manuscript of an unpublished author, a New York publisher told James Michener:
"You're a good editor with a promising future in the business. Why would you want to throw it all away to try to be a writer? I read your book. Frankly, it's not really that good." Michener's first book, Tales of the South Pacific, later won a Pulitzer Prize and was adapted for stage and screen as South Pacific.

10. There's no market for it. When hearing his plans to launch Perrier in the United States, several consulting firms advised Gustave Leven:
"You're foolish to try to sell sparkling water in the land of Coca-Cola drinkers."

The only opinion about your dream that really counts is yours. The negative comments of others merely reflect their limitations --- not yours. There is nothing unrealistic about a dream that aligns with your purpose, ignites your passion, and inspires you to plan and persevere until you attain it. On the contrary, it's unrealistic to expect a person with such drive and commitment not to succeed.

Choose to be unstoppable!

Cynthia Kersey

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
-- Leo F. Buscaglia

"Be sensitive to the plight of others. You have to know about the tragedies as well as the triumphs, the failures as well as the success."
-- Jim Rohn

"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these."
-- George Washington Carver

"My life is an indivisible whole, and all my attitudes run into one another; and they all have their rise in my insatiable love for mankind."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

"You have all the reason in the world to achieve your grandest dreams. Imagination plus motivation equals realization."
-- Denis Waitley

"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse."
-- Walt Disney

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"To realize a dream, you must have a dream to realize."
-- Mark Victor Hansen

What is it you really want? Unfortunately, so many people haven't dreamed in so long they actually don't even know what they want any longer! You have got to stir up that dream inside of yourself. Your dreams and your destiny aren't determined by "CHANCE" but by "CHOICE"!

You can have anything in life you want... if you know what you want! Do you remember in Alice in Wonderland, Alice asked the cat, "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" The cat answered, "That depends a great deal on where you want to go." Alice said, "Oh, I don't much care." He answered, "Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.’
Which way do you want your life to go? What do you want? It's your choice! You are in control. Quit blaming others for your disappointments! Make a quality decision to get up... and get going! Life goes on!

Renew your personal commitment to "Life". Renew your dreams. Renew your vision. Don't let time, circumstance, or catastrophe keep you from turning your life around. It's your choice!
You absolutely have to have a vision! Helen Keller once said..."The only thing worse than not having sight is not having vision."

Ancient scripture says... Without a vision the people perish! you'll shrivel up and die without a vision! If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?
Your vision must be effective, clear, challenging, and inspiring to be valid.
Where are you going? Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Never let anybody steal your dream or vision!

Life's results are not by chance... but, by choice!

1. Ask For What You Want.
2. Be Who You Say You Are
3. Care About Others.
   
4. Dare To Live Your Dreams.
5. Ease Through The Day.
6. Find The Best Fit.
7. Give To Another.
8. Hug A Friend.
9. Inspire Someone To Greatness.
10. Jump Over A Boundary.
11. Kick A Bad Habit.
12. Leap Across A Fear.
13. Mention Something Uplifting.
14. Never Say Never.
15. Open Your Mind And Heart.
16. Pursue Your Innermost Passions.
17. Quit Complaining.
18. Restore Your Smile.
19. Set Your Sights High.
20. Trust Yourself.
21. Use All The Day.
22. Value Everything.
23. Wait Until It Feels Right.
24. Xpress Yourself.
25. Yank Weeds From Your Mental Garden.
26. Zoom Into The Now.

"Do not dwell upon the sins and mistakes of yesterday so exclusively as to have no energy and mind left for living rightly today, and do not think that the sins of yesterday can prevent you from living purely today."
- As A Man Thinketh

It's been said that the majority of conversations by men over 40 are about the past. Sometimes it´s about the "good old days" and sometimes it's about the deals gone bad, the "if I only had" stories, the missed opportunities, etc.

Letting our "sins and mistakes of yesterday" dominate our thinking today robs us of our present joy and our future happiness. It causes us to miss the real opportunity of TODAY!

John Maxwell, in his outstanding best-seller, Failing Forward, gives some great practical advice:

"To move forward today, you must learn to say goodbye to yesterday's hurts, tragedies and baggage. You can't build a monument to past problems and fail forward."

Take time right now to list the negative events from your past that may still be holding you hostage. For each item you list, go through the following exercise:

1. Acknowledge the pain.
2. Grieve the loss.
3. Forgive the person.
4. Forgive yourself.
5. Determine to release the event and move on.

Your best days are definitely ahead of you if you treat your "mistakes" as necessary lessons to be learned. If you understand that each lesson brings with it a certain amount of wisdom, you can understand how truly enhanced your life is becoming. Many people can't achieve the success of their dreams because they won't leave their past behind. They won't tear down the monuments they've built to their old hurts and problems.

One of the best teachings I've ever heard on this was from a motivational speaker whose name has escaped me, but whose message didn't: "In life there are no mistakes, only lessons."

And that's worth thinking about.
Article by Vic Johnson

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Quote of the Day:

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

- Thomas Jefferson

by Jim Rohn

The process of human change begins within us. We all have tremendous potential. We all desire good results from our efforts. Most of us are willing to work hard and to pay the price that success and happiness demand.

Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential, that produces the intensity of our activity, and that predicts the quality of the result we receive is our ATTITUDE.

No one else "makes us angry." We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. We choose, not they. They merely put our attitude to a test. If we select a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, jealous or suspicious, then we have failed the test. If we condemn ourselves by believing that we are unworthy, then again, we have failed the test.

Having the right attitude is one of the basics that success requires. The combination of a sound personal philosophy and a positive attitude about ourselves and the world around us gives us an inner strength and a firm resolve that influences all the other areas of our existence.

This suggestion is from Mr SO COOL, Mark S. Chatterton [mark@chattertonworld.com]. I was in one of his seminar. I am serious he is SO COOL!!!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
7. Make time for prayer. Seek God with all you've got.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things You cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17. Smile and laugh more.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. GOD heals almost everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I'm thinking of ya!
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: * I am thankful for __________. * Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

"You want to change the World, Start with Yourself first"

Ever heard about this phrase before? Think about this, which is easier to do? Changing other people mind, attitude & behaviour to suit you OR to change yours to suit them. The ANSWER is so obvious but human ego is always in the way, blocking it. We know that it is easier to change within ourselves simply because we have control and the authority on ourselves BUT most of the time, our EGO will convince us that we have done nothing wrong and the one that need changes is other people not us. Is this sound so familiar? I'm guilty as well.

We need to look at a broader perspective and ask ourselves these questions.

• What do we really loose by changing?
• What do we gain from it?

The day YOU can answer honestly, your life will be much SIMPLEr.

As a human being, we practically make decision all the time. Be it what to eat, what to wear, where to go etc. We don't really think much when making these kinds of decision, its like our 2nd nature. BUT... why is it so difficult making decision in our career??? especially when we have a BOSS to report to.

We normally make decisions based on options available. We eliminate the worse option or we chose the best one. In the case where there is only one option available, then we go for it but NOT after considering all potential risks. The problem is when we have BOSS to report to, the option that we chose may not be agreeable by the BOSS. As such, we will keep thinking at the back of our mind which option that is preferred by our BOSS and as a result of that we are delaying in making the decision.

Myself, I'll make decision based on my knowledge, past experiences, best option available and advises from other people. If it is WRONG! Tough, learn from it and don't make the same mistake.

"Things get done when decisions are made, even if it 's the wrong one. BUT Nothing get done without decisions made"

It feels like not so long ago that we, Muslim celebrate IdulFitri. Now Ramadhan, a fasting month for Muslim has come again.

30 years back as a kid, Ramadhan means hard time, cannot eat, drink, lazy, sleepy etc. But today I have to teach my kidz what Ramadhan is all about. Time really flies so quickly. I consider myself very fortunate that I have a beautiful wife that really do a lot of stuff at home especially during Ramadhan. On top of her job, she prepares food (sometimes she buy at nearest bazzaar and sometimes she cooks herself), wakes-up the kidz at 5 am, sew for Raya clothes, house decoration etc.

I believe that my kidz today are more prepared for Ramadhan compare to myself back then. My youngest, Danish, start fasting since he was 4 (he is 6 now). Last year, he skipped one or two days only. Perhaps there are somethings good we (my wife & I) have done in bringing-up our kidz.

To Friends, Relatives, Acquaintances,Wife, Sons, Daughter. I apologies for all sins that I may have done towards you. I wish you all a good Ramadhan. Be good. Insyallah.

Some or most infos on this blog will be about lesson learned and advice from my teachers, parents, elders, friends, books and seminars; and not to mention, my own life experience that I want to share.

For a start, a simple proverb,

"Don't compare yourself with anyone on this world.
If you do so, you are insulting yourself"
- Alen Strike

Children nowadays in a more demanding world are brought up in a very competitive environment where their success is measured in comparison to others. In one perspective, I do agree with that and am also guilty in one time or another in treating my precious children (Nabil, Aman, Alan & Danish) that way. In another perspective, is it fair to the children? The statement " You must be better than your sister or brother" or "Why can't you be like so and so..?" are always coming out off our mouth. Don't you agree? I believe that parents today are putting too much pressure on their kidz (incl. yours truly) at their early age. But we always forget that as a kid, we were a lot worse than them. Look at us now, somehow rather we manage to survive. What I am trying to say here is that kids will always be kids. Let them live their lives as kids while they can. I strongly believe that when the time comes and with proper guidance, they will excel and succeed in their lives. Success in my definition is (1)happy family, (2)good health, (3)lots of true friends and .... Money and Power? How much is enough? Well....Life is Short. Name 3 people who possess Money and Power and at the same time have a happy family, in good health and have lots of true friends.

Though they are important (and i am not denying it) BUT study and good grades is only a very, very, very, very small percentage of what Life actually is all about. Life itself is a learning process NOT a destination.

Until next time, Roger & Out.

This is my first entry as a blogger. I am not sure why I am doing this since I don't really like writing or rather..... typing. BUT I guess I may have something to share with the world. Might they be ideas, creations, opinions, experiences etc., I hope they can benefit the world.

Live your life the fullest but Keep It SIMPLE