Monday, December 31, 2012
Two Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Morning
Greg McKeown
I recently spoke at a conference in Silicon Valley and I was pleased to
stay for the rest of the event afterwards. The final speaker, Connie
Podesta, said something which struck my curiosity. She said, "I am going to
share the two most important questions you will ever answer. If you answer
no to either of them I will know some things about you. I will know you are
more stressed than you need to be. I will know you are unhappier than you
need to be." She had my attention.
Here are the two questions:
#1 Are you proud of the choices you are making at work?
#2 Are you proud of the choices you are making at home?
We might feel tempted to push these questions aside as being overly
simplistic. Yet, as Oliver Wendell Holmes is credited with saying, "I
wouldn't give a fig for simplicity on this side of complexity but I'd give
my right arm for simplicity on the other side of complexity."
One reason these questions strike me as simplicity on the other side of
complexity is they remind us to pay attention to our current choices rather
than our current results. Our results, whether we are currently
experiencing success or failure, can be misleading because they happen
after the fact. They are lag indicators. Consider how these questions can
help:
In Times of Failure.There are clearly times when things are not going as we
want them at work or at home. We could complain about this. We could make a
fuss. We could become discouraged. Yet, if we ask these two questions every
morning we can focus our energy on the choices we can make. Messed up
something? Fine. We can get back on track. We can ask whether we are proud
of the choices we are making now.
In Times of Success. Success can be a poor teacher. It can teach us to
under invest in the things which generated the success in the first place. I
have argued this more fully in a piece for Harvard Business Review where I
intentionally overstate the case in order to make it: success can be a
catalyst for failure. We can begin to coast along and in the very moment of
our greatest outward achievements we can make choices which undermine our
future success.
In Rudyard Kippling's beautiful poem "If" he brings together both of these
scenarios when he penned counsel to his son:
"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same..."
Kippling cautions his son to distrust both success (triumph) and disaster
(failure) as imposters. He warns him both are deceptive.
Asking these two questions and becoming more deliberate in our choices can
seem like a small thing in the moment. Sometimes we feel we are too busy
living to really think about life. Yet failure to reflect on these
questions could contribute to a life of regrets. Indeed, an Australian
nurse, Bronnie Ware, cared for people in the last 12 weeks of their lives
and she recorded the most often-discussed regrets. At the top of the list:
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life
others expected of me." Next on the list: "I wish I hadn't worked so hard"
and "I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings."
I am not sure these are the most important two questions we will ever ask,
but surely we will have fewer regrets if we spend a moment every morning
asking them.
Edited by: Lawyer Asad
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Jump!
Hiroshi Mikitani
Rakuten Inc.
To be successful in business, you must act first and think later.
This may sound counterintuitive. Indeed, most of us have been counselled since we were children to think first. Don't just rush out there, consider every possibility, look before you leap. I've heard that advice, too. I reject it. My experience has been that there is no real, valuable thinking until you move into action. It is the action
that spurs thinking. Action is, literally, the food for thought.
Think of it in terms of learning a sport. Suppose you want to learn to play tennis. I can spend hours, even days, telling you about it, encouraging you
to think about what playing tennis would be like. But you won't learn a thing until you are out on the court, swinging at the ball, trying to play.
Then, in your actions, the reality of your situation will take shape.
The same is true in business. You can think about it all day long. But until you are out in the reality of your efforts, you will not be able to
see what truly needs to be done. When you are acting, you will see the
impact of your efforts. You'll get feedback and response. Not all of it will be good. But all of it will be valuable. All of it will help you understand your next move. And then your next.
Thinking is important. But don't put all your efforts into thinking while you hold off on action. It's okay to start slow. But be sure to start. You can think afterwards.
Edited by: Lawyer Asad
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Develop habits that get things DONE [video]
By now, I hope you've had a chance to watch my complimentary "Psychology of Time Management" video.
If you enjoyed the video – and have started using my 7-step goal setting process to implement your time management goals, you may be wondering how you can take things one step further.
Find out by watching my second free video, "Developing Habits That Get Things Done."
Remember, what you do with the time you have is exponentially more important than how much time you have.
I created "Developing Habits That Get Things Done" to explain exactly how to get more done, in less time. This is one of the most important techniques you can practice to develop strong work habits; and in turn, a pattern for success in every aspect of your life.
When you watch "Developing Habits That Get Things Done," you learn:
- One of the most important techniques you can practice to develop strong work habits (it's easier than you might think!)
- What you should do before you ever begin working, to ensure better efficiency once you start
- The type of approach you can take each time you work, to get your work done better, faster
- A question you can ask yourself each time you sit down to work, to make yourself highly effective in everything you do
- The attitude with which you must approach every task or project if you want to master it and achieve the best time management possible
If you've ever thought, "I wish I could get more done," then this is your solution. Developing habits that get things done is one of the essential components of mastering time management.
Watch "Developing Habits That Get Things Done" now.
Here's to getting it ALL done, faster,
Brian Tracy
Circulated by: Lawyer Asad
The Art of Taking Advice: It Isn't What You Ask, It's Whom You Ask
Friday, December 28, 2012
REAL FRIEND
Courtesy: Basant Agarwal
The Most Misunderstood Aspect Of Great Leadership
Mike Myatt, Contributor
I write about leadership myths, and bust them one-by–one.
I was recently asked what I consider to be the most misunderstood aspect of great leadership; in other words, what makes great leadership great?
What immediately came to mind is not only misunderstood, but it also happens to be the most often overlooked element of leadership, and the one
which also affords leaders the greatest opportunity for personal, professional, and enterprise growth. If you want to become a better leader
in 2013, I suggest you become comfortable with a leadership practice few are – surrender.
Surrender – not for the faint of heart
You'll rarely encounter the words leadership and surrender used together in complementary fashion. Society has labeled surrender as a sign of
leadership weakness, when in fact, it can be among the greatest of leadership strengths. Let me be clear, I'm not encouraging giving in or
giving up – I am suggesting you learn the ever so subtle art of letting go.
A leader simply operates at their best when they understand their ability
to influence is much more fruitful than their ability to control. Here's the thing – the purpose of leadership is not to shine the spotlight
on yourself, but to unlock the potential of others so they can in turn shine the spotlight on countless more. Control is about power – not leadership.
Surrender allows a leader to get out of their own way and focus on adding value to those whom they serve.
Surrender – control freaks need not apply
If you're still not convinced the art of leadership is learning the focus point should be on surrender not control, consider this: control restricts
potential, limits initiative, and inhibits talent. Surrender fosters collaboration, encourages innovation and enables possibility. Controlling
leaders create bottlenecks rather than increase throughput. They signal a lack of trust and confidence an often come across as insensitive if not
arrogant. When you experience weak teams, micro-management, frequent turf wars, high stress, operational strain, and a culture of fear, you are
experiencing what control has to offer – not very attractive is it?
Surrender allows the savvy leader to serve where control demands the ego-centric leader be served. Surrender allows leadership to scale and a
culture of leadership to be established. Surrender prefers loose collaborative networks over rigid hierarchical structures allowing
information to be more readily shared and distributed. Leaders who understand surrender think community, ecosystem, and culture – not org
chart. Surrender is what not only allows the dots to be connected, but it's what allows to dots to be multiplied. Controlling leaders operate in a
world of addition and subtraction, while the calculus of a leader who understands surrender is built on exponential multiplication.
I have found those who embrace control are simply attempting to consolidate power, while those who practice surrender are facilitating the distribution
of authority. When what you seek is to build into others more than glorifying self you have developed a level of leadership maturity that
values surrender over control. Surrender is the mindset which creates the desire for leaders to give credit rather than take it, to prefer hearing
over being heard, to dialogue instead of monologue, to have an open mind over a closed mind, to value unlearning as much as learning. Control
messages selfishness, while surrender conveys selflessness – which is more important to you?
Surrender – when not to
Keep this in mind – we all surrender, but not all surrender is honourable.
Some surrender to their ego, to the wrong priorities, or to other distractive habits. Others surrender to the positive realization they are not
the center of the universe – they surrender to something beyond themselves
in order to accomplish more for others. Bottom line – what you do or don't surrender to will define you. Assuming you surrender to the right things,
surrender is not a sign of leadership weakness, but is perhaps the ultimate sign of leadership confidence. I'll leave you with this quote from
William Booth: "The greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender."
Thoughts?
Edited by: Lawyer Asad
Thursday, December 27, 2012
BANANA BRAIN
Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middle sex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips.. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady..
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase
Attract More Blessings Into Your Life Today
These gifts are actually part of 2 new products I'm launching soon, namely 365 Days of Blessings and 365 Days of Blessings Audiobook...
Those products are NOT ready at the moment but I wanted to get these gifts to you first to give you a little sneak preview of what the end products are going to be like... =)
I've literally been working around the clock on them... and hope to have everything ready sometime around new year... so we can start your 2013 off with an awesome BANG...
In the meantime...
Click Here To Go Claim Your Christmas Gifts NOW
I'd love your feedback as it would help me make 365 Days of Blessings and 365 Days of Blessings Audiobook even more AWESOME...
Alright, enjoy and I'll talk to you again soon...
Merry Christmas once again... May God bless you and your family and loved ones abundantly =)
Founder and Chief Happiness Officer,
RichGrad.com
101PowerfulAffirmations.com
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
How to Be Naturally Attractive to Women
Science knows what attracts women to men. Now use this in-depth hypnosis
course to program your unconscious mind to take advantage of these
discoveries.
*Source: Uncommon Knowledge
If you have spent any time researching how to be more successful with
women, you'll have found so much information on what to do, what to say,
how to dress...
But what about if you don't feel confident enough to approach women in that
way? What about how you are coming across? What about your inner game
- those countless unconscious signals that women are picking up before they
even hear your voice?
Without confidence you're in trouble - she can smell your fear...
The thing about attraction is that it relies on instincts. It has to.
Nature has developed in us fine tuned senses to pick up the truth about the
person we're interacting with. Without that we would be susceptible to
being lied to and manipulated every minute of the day.
Women respond instinctively to men
Women's natural instincts require that you as a man connect in the right
way with her. (A classic example of a failure in this area is when she
'just wants to be friends'). This connection happens at an unconscious
level - nature's check to ensure the survival of the species.
All of which means that you can't pretend your way into a relationship. You
have to feel it through and through. Which is why you need to make those
changes at the deepest level.
Change your inner game so women find you more attractive, and you feel
much, much more confident in approaching them.
Hypnosis can change your 'inner game'
If you want to master new skills, develop new habits and generally enhance
your life, the most powerful tool available to you is hypnosis. In
hypnosis, you don't only learn at the conscious level, in your head. You
don't just learn the 'theory'. You literally reprogram the neural pathways
of your brain so that the new behaviour becomes a real, natural, fundamental
'part' of you. Just who you are and what you do.
10 Steps to Be More Attractive to Women combines
the essential findings of research scientists on what works in the
attraction game with carefully selected hypnosis sessions to make real
changes in you that will really make a difference.
The course has been created by Hypnosis Downloads' co-founder Mark Tyrrell,
and edited by Kathleen Fedouloff, also a professional hypnotherapist.
The course won't only make a difference to how you get on when you meet
women. It'll make a difference to the whole of your life, giving you a
confidence, self-assurance and ease with other people that is not 'put on'
as a ploy in the hope that somebody will be attracted - but is just who you
naturally are.
And a man who is at ease with himself and others is just - naturally -
attractive.
Start your journey to naturally attracting women here
When it comes down to it, nature rules. And once you know her rules, and
adjust your mind and body accordingly, you will be more naturally
attractive. Period.
From the very first step of the course, you will feel more confident in
yourself, and that in itself is attractive. As you progress through the 10
steps, you will be honing yourself into a man that women desire - not every
woman, but a good proportion, and more importantly, you'll understand what
attracts women to you - and what puts them off.
But the most vital aspect of this course is that every piece of new
information about attraction will be embedded in your mind by the 10
hypnosis sessions. So not only will you know what to do consciously, you'll
feel it too - and since attraction is unconscious, this is where the real
magic happens.
Edited by: Lawyer Asad
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas!
The Conscious Lifestyle: Facing Your Stress
Monday, December 24, 2012
5 Mistakes I Continue To Make in My Marriage
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The Psychedelic Secrets of Santa Claus
Saturday, December 22, 2012
22 Reasons to be an VEGETARIAN
Stacks of studies confirm that a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables and grains is your best bet for living a longer, healthier and more enjoyable life. There are literally hundreds of great reasons to switch to a plant-based diet; here are 22 of the best:
Vegetarians live about seven years longer, and vegans (who eat no animal products) about 15 years longer than meat eaters, according to a study from Loma Linda University. These findings are backed up by the China Health Project (the largest population study on diet and health to date), which found that Chinese people who eat the least amount of fat and animal products have the lowest risks of cancer, heart attack and other chronic degenerative diseases.
2.You'll save your heart. Cardiovascular disease is still the
3.You can put more money in your mutual fund.
Replacing meat, chicken and fish with vegetables and fruits is estimated to cut food bills.
4.You'll reduce your risk of cancer.
Studies done at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg suggest that this is because vegetarians' immune systems are more effective in killing off tumour cells than meat eaters'. Studies have also found a plantbased diet helps protect against prostate, colon and skin cancers.
5.You'll add color to your plate.
Meat, chicken and fish tend to come in boring shades of brown and beige, but fruits and vegetables come in all colours of the rainbow. Diseasefighting phytochemicals are responsible for giving produce their rich, varied hues. So cooking by colour is a good way to ensure you re eating a variety of naturally occurring substances that boost immunity and prevent a range of illnesses.
6.You'll fit into your old jeans.
On average, vegetarians are slimmer than meat eaters, and when we diet, we keep the weight off up to seven years longer. That's because diets that are higher in vegetable proteins are much lower in fat and calories than the SAD. Vegetarians are also less likely to fall victim to weight-related disorders like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
7.You'll give your body a spring cleaning.
Giving up meat helps purge the body of toxins (pesticides, environmental pollutants, preservatives) that overload our systems and cause illness. When people begin formal detoxification programs, their first step is to replace meats and dairy products with fruits and vegetables and juices.
8.You'll make a strong political statement.
It's a wonderful thing to be able to finish a delicious meal, knowing that no beings have suffered to make it..
9.Your meals will taste delicious.
Vegetables are endlessly interesting to cook and a joy to eat. It's an ever-changing parade of flavours and colors and textures and tastes.
10 You'll help reduce waste and air pollution.
Livestock farms creates phenomenal amounts of waste. The tons of manure, a substance that's rated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a top pollutants. And that's not even counting the methane gas released by goats, pigs and poultry (which contributes to the greenhouse effect); the ammonia gases from urine; poison gases that emanate from manure lagoons; toxic chemicals from pesticides; and exhaust from farm equipment used to raise feed for animals.
11 Your bones will last longer.
The average bone loss for a vegetarian woman at age 65 is 18 percent; for non-vegetarian women, it's double that. Researchers attribute this to the consumption of excess protein. Excess protein interferes with the absorption and retention of calcium and actually prompts the body to excrete calcium, laying the ground for the brittle bone disease osteoporosis. Animal proteins, including milk, make the blood acidic, and to balance that condition, the body pulls calcium from bones. So rather than rely on milk for calcium, vegetarians turn to dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and legumes, which, calorie for calorie, are superior sources.
12 You'll help reduce famine.
It takes 15 pounds of feed to get one pound of meat. But if the grain were given directly to people, there'd be enough food to feed the entire planet. In addition, using land for animal agriculture is inefficient in terms of maximizing food production. According to the journal Soil and Water, one acre of land could produce 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots or just 250 pounds of beef.
13 You'll avoid toxic chemicals.
The EPA estimates that nearly 95 per cent of pesticide residue in our diet comes from meat, fish and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens (PCBs, DDT) and heavy metals (mercury, arsenic; lead, cadmium) that cannot be removed through cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products are also laced with steroids and hormones.
14 You'll protect yourself from foodborne illnesses.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest in the US, which has stringent food standards, 25 per cent of all chicken sold in the United States carries salmonella bacteria and, the CDC estimates, 70 percent to 90 percent of chickens contain the bacteria campy-lobacter (some strains of which are antibiotic-resistan t), approximately 5 percent of cows carry the lethal strain of E. coli O157:H7 (which causes virulent diseases and death), and 30 percent of pigs slaughtered each year for food are infected with toxoplasmosis (caused by parasites).
15 You may get rid of your back problems.
Back pain appears to begin, not in the back, but in the arteries. The degeneration of discs, for instance, which leads to nerves being pinched, starts with the arteries leading to the back. Eating a plant-based diet keeps these arteries clear of cholesterol- causing blockages to help maintain a healthy back.
16 You'll be more 'regular.'
Eating a lot of vegetables necessarily means consuming fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Meat contains no fibre. Studies done at Harvard and Brigham Women's Hospital found that people who ate a high-fiber diet had a 42 percent lower risk of diverticulitis. People who eat lower on the food chain also tend to have fewer incidences of constipation, hemorrhoids and spastic colon.
17 You'll cool those hot flashes.
Plants, grains and legumes contain phytoestrogens that are believed to balance fluctuating hormones, so vegetarian women tend to go through menopause with fewer complaints of sleep problems, hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, depression and a diminished sex drive.
18 You'll help to bring down the national debt.
We spend large amounts annually to treat the heart disease, cancer, obesity, and food poisoning that are byproducts of a diet heavy on animal products.
19 You'll preserve our fish population.
Because of our voracious appetite for fish, 39 per cent of the oceans' fish species are overharvested, and the Food & Agriculture Organization reports that 11 of 15 of the world's major fishing grounds have become depleted.
20 You'll help protect the purity of water.
It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of mutton, but just 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. Not only is this wasteful, but it contributes to rampant water pollution.
21 You'll provide a great role model for your kids.
If you set a good example and feed your children good food, chances are they'll live a longer and healthier life. You're also providing a market for vegetarian products and making it more likely that they'll be available for the children.
22 Going vegetarian is easy!
Vegetarian cooking has never been so simple. We live in a country that has been vegetarian by default. Our traditional dishes are loaded with the goodness of vegetarian food. Switching over it very simple indeed.