7/31/2009

Playing to Win

Playing to Win

Most of us would like to succeed at every endeavor and be superhuman. Unfortunately, unlike those superheroes we know of, we bleed and get hurt every time we fail. So, instead of pursuing our goal, we back out and quit. Life is a game, and our goal may not have to be to win in every round. What should
be important is that we learn from the rules so that we really do get to triumph in the end.

In our professional lives, we would like to be with a team of winners, but to make this even remotely possible, we need to create a good relationship among the players. We all need a sort of wake up call to realize that winning is rarely easy. It takes a lot of hard work, patience, and time.

We need to celebrate every single moment of that journey. Yes, we may make bad choices along the way, but at least we know whether they work or not. Once we make that decision to bravely venture into the unknown, we need to take careful and deliberate steps.

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When we play the game of life, we also need to realize that in order to win, we must come up with innovative ideas. We need to let go of perceived notions and let our creative juices flow. If we become willing to test things out, we get to strategize even better. Yes, we may be unsuccessful, but the disappointment is not the entire point of the journey.

The most accomplished individuals in today’s world have failed, but they let their thirst for victory guide them through the entire process. In the end, their failures were soon forgotten because what people ultimately remember is their courage to take risks. In fact, many have become icons that inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

To succeed in life, we need to face each day with a kind of hope that gives us the strength to overcome hurdles and still smile after a sad and depressing day because we know that things can always get better.

We need to play to win. As long as we have the strength to wake up each morning and drag ourselves out of bed, we can still do something that will make a difference in our lives.

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7/21/2009

Lighten Up and Enjoy Your Life

Lighten Up and Enjoy Your Life

Here's a clue on how improving your outlook in life helps you: take a look at the world’s leaders. Some of these people rose from nothing simply because they had hope and belief. They never stopped in their mission and did everything within their power to achieve success and happiness.

Unfortunately, many people have the mistaken notion that happiness and success are mutually exclusive concepts, and that to be on top, you have to step on others along the way. The road to success may be ridden with potholes, but a slow and sure journey towards the end is better than one that is done in a hurry.

You need to enjoy life and know that happiness is closer than you think.

What you need to know is that you are here to enjoy life and to fulfill your purpose. We all are meant to do something good, and we must take heed to our calling to feel this utter contentment. You might be distracted from the right path for many reasons, and as a result you gradually lose all hope until you end up in total misery.

But where is happiness and how can you attain it? Most people seek it in the future. They wait for certain things to happen for them before they can say that they are happy.

These short sighted individuals can never think in the present. A wise man understands what he possesses at the moment. There is nowhere but here and nothing but now.

Know that you have a purpose in life. Working towards this purpose at a gradual but steady pace will keep you hopeful even during your darkest moments. You will have a sense of responsibility and this is what will keep your smile on despite adversities.

The peace and happiness you seek is already within you. It just needs to be rediscovered and unearthed. Embrace what you have right now and celebrate what is yet to come. We are all capable of great things. Fear limits what you can achieve and you must remove this from your heart. Your psyche knows no boundaries, so let your faith open your mind to unending possibilities.

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7/20/2009

Personal Habits that Can Ruin Your Career

Personal Habits that Can Ruin Your Career

Let's say that you attend every meeting, work beyond the required number of hours, give constructive suggestions, and show up on time every morning. You are a model employee, but despite your amazing work conduct, you might not be as far along your career as you had hoped.

What’s wrong with this picture? You may not be asserting and advocating yourself enough, especially in the office. As ambitious as you are, you may still doubt yourself, and this hinders your success. As much as you try to be the best there is, you may still be committing a few mistakes along the way.

Could you be downplaying your accomplishments? Socially speaking, boys are encouraged to toot their own horn while girls are required to be more modest about their talents. Whether you are male or female, you must take a step forward and champion your accomplishments.

Your supervisors may be too busy to notice your accomplishments. Chances are that they don’t know what you’re doing, and you need to tell them. Help them become aware by sending short and humble notes that hint that you are proud of what you’ve done because of the number of hours you put into it. A simple message like that will not make people think that you are egotistical. It’s short and sweet, but it’ll surely open the eyes of your supervisors so that they can help you fast-track your career.

Could you be speaking in a less than professional tone? You may find yourself using a lot of slang when talking to your supervisors. These speaking habits may hurt you professionally. Be authoritative when you talk so that people will believe in what you have to say. If you know that what you’re saying is true, show it in your facade. People would rather listen to experts.

Are you confident enough? If you want to command attention and ask for the respect that you so deserve, you must let go of the fear of rejection. If companies can negotiate, so can you. Research on what you have to say and attend meetings well-prepared. If you know what you are talking about, then you’ll be ready to take your stand.

Everyone fears failure, so they simply take the coward’s way out and play it safe. It's perfectly understandable that you want your life’s course to run smoothly. You don’t want to get into a situation that threatens to destroy the reputation you built, but ironically, real growth occurs when you step out of your comfort zone and set foot in the new territory.

So if you want you career
to blossom, you may just have to take a deep breath and go for it. This attitude is what can make people admire you. You just need the guts to play the game.

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7/17/2009

Power Living

Power Living

Do you ever feel jealous of the life someone else is living - the life that you want to live? If so, then maybe debt has stopped you from living the life you feel you deserve. Anyone can have the good life, all they need is some careful financial planning and the determination to get what they want.

Sometimes, you feel entitled to buy the things you want, in spite of the cost, or cash available, and make the splurge. Then all of a sudden, you find yourself way over your head in debt.

When you live in a world that is constantly changing, you have to be smart about planning your future. You can't just breeze through life free of concerns. You need to learn from every decision you make. Without careful planning and careful debt management, you're liable to lose everything that you’ve built .

So, how can you live life to the fullest and enjoy the fruits of your labor? Here are few simple rules to live by:

1. Don't be greedy. You have to set limits for everything. Calculate your expenses and weigh them against the things you want. There are certainly a few desires you can live without

2. Work hard to earn the things that you want. Give yourself a reward and allow just a limited amount of monthly purchase for the things that can go to you and not your responsibilities. One purchase a month may be enough, just know that you are also liable for your decisions.

3. Research about what you can do to earn extra income. Information is available at our fingertips, and all we need to do is see how much time we can allot for extra work. Earning even a small amount is still a plus on your budget, so grasp every opportunity and fulfill your work with the right amount of enthusiasm and drive.

4. Be patient and never give up. Success does not happen overnight. To be the kind of person you want to be, you need to work hard and show resiliency. Hurdles are a part of life, so don’t let these stop you from getting what you want. Learn from every mistake and move on.

We all need to work hard to get what we want. Unless we are born with no financial restrictions, we need to learn the balance of life and the need for hard work. We need to be confident in our own abilities to earn our way

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7/08/2009

Get Rid of Destructive Thoughts and Self Doubt

One of the biggest secrets to getting what you want is to let go of all negative thoughts. Studies reveal that optimistic people have healthier lives, and destructive thoughts can make you feel insecure about the things you can really do..

It’s normal to doubt certain areas in your life. Things don’t always pan out that way you hoped they would, and you’re bound to make mistakes along the way. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that you always have to think of the worst outcome all the time. Don't anticipate failure This is probably the biggest blunder you’ll ever make. You need to take a dip in the pool of self-assurance and swim in the sea of faith.

To avoid awkward circumstances, you might come up with a number of excuses as to why you shouldn’t engage in a certain situation. These excuses act like your prison. Recognize that everyone needs to try out new things for them to fully grow. Life doesn’t hand you instant happiness on a silver platter. You have to work at it. Small baby steps will be fine, just as long as you keep moving forward.

Another important thing you must do is to stop thinking about any recent run-in with bad luck. Stop subconsciously telling yourself that you can never be happy. This is a classic case of self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you expect things to work against you, the more they will.

Why? Because your actions will likely be influenced by your negativity. Keep dreaming and hoping, but more than that, never stop trying.

As you work your way up the ladder of success, you are probably very careful not to step on anyone’s toes. This is a very healthy attitude, but you can become too fearful about imposing something on someone else. Just remember that as long as you are not lying, cheating, breaking the law, or carelessly causing someone pain, you owe it to yourself to live your life to the fullest.

Things don’t happen just because they are meant to be. You can make fate work for you by believing that you are always given the opportunity to better your life. If you want something badly enough, just eliminate negative thinking and go for it. The rewards of taking the chance outweigh the hindrances that come with it.

Keep the ball rolling and you’ll see that the world actually works
for you.

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7/06/2009

Being a Winner in Everything You Do

Being a Winner in Everything You Do

Some people begin tasks with the attitude for failure. As soon as they’ve started the first step, they’ve already set their minds for disappointments. This is the idea of self-preservation for most people.

There is a big distinction between the attitudes of the successful versus the unsuccessful. There will be times that you can’t help but be disappointed with how things are turning out, especially when you’ve set yourself up to be all gung-ho about it.

When you give it your all and come out being successful, the delight and satisfaction you’ll feel will be incomparable. Developing a winner's outlook is one of the most basic characteristics needed for achievement. Sadly, society programs us to expect the worst yet hope for the best. This explains why so
many people live a life filled with frustration and misery.

A lot of people do not want to take responsibility for the way their life has turned out. Some people learn at an early age to play the victim of fate. This allows them to absolve themselves of any accountability. "It's not their faullt."

When you have a half hearted attitude towards what you do, you will never get the result that you want for the simple reason that your heart won’t be in it. The successful, on the other hand, face up to their responsibilities and believe that they can achieve just about anything they desire if they just never give up.

Once winners decide to do something, it is only a matter of time before it actually happens. If you want to be a winner, don't think that you can never be the best, and the most you’ll achieve is the silver medal. Go for gold by seeing yourself through your decision. Have a 'Winner's Attitude'.

Set your priorities and make sure that you create a balance just so you have a healthy attitude towards everything.

We all have the potential to become winners, we just need to believe in ourselves and be open to the chances that come our way.

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7/02/2009

Enhancing Your Conversation Skills

Enhancing Your Conversation Skills

All of us intuitively know when we are about to have a difficult conversation with somebody. Yet, there are still a few of us who do not have any trouble striking up random conversations.

Usually, difficulty happens when we know that there is a likely chance that negative feedback will occur.

Some conversations may also seem difficult because we think that there are just too many things at stake.

We may have already taken a position where a retraction would lead to embarrassment.

Which is why it's important that we reflect on things before we put our foot in our mouths.

Here are a few guide questions we can ask ourselves before we get into a form of interaction:

1. What do I want from this conversation?
2. What can I expect from it?
3. What sort of fears will crop up midway?
4. Am I making assumptions about the person I'm about to talk to?
5. Am I willing to listen and understand?

For interaction to be successful, we need to (read more)