A Poem Worth Reading...

Don’t ever let people tell you that you aren’t good enough
Because you are.

Don’t ever give up your dreams
Because you need them.

Don’t ever compromise your morals
Because they make you who you are.

Don’t ever hide your feelings
Because someone’s willing to hear them.

Don’t ever think you’ve got it all figured out
Because the next moment you won’t.

Don’t ever live your life in the past
Because then you’ll miss out on the now.

Don’t ever let people bring you down
Because they don’t deserve to.

Don’t ever be someone you aren’t
Because then you’ll never know you who really are.

Don’t ever let someone tell you how you feel
Because it’s not their right to.

Don’t ever give up something that feels right
Because it probably is.

Don’t ever worry about the petty things
Because they just don’t matter.

Don’t ever run away from your problems
Because they always find you.

Don’t ever be afraid to take risks
Because they make life worth living.

Don’t ever let someone take away your happiness
Because it was never theirs to take.

Story about Missed God's blessings because we can't see past our own desires

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound book, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
Angry, he rose his voice to his father and said "with all your money, you give me a used book?" and stormed out of the house.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.
Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped book, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the book and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined.
As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the book. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because we can't see past our own desires?

Words that can give meaning to Life...

You are strong when you take your grief and teach it to smile.

You are brave when you overcome your fears and help others to do the same.

You are loving when your pain does not blind you to the pain of others.

You are wise when you know the limits of your wisdom.

You are true when you admit there are times you fool yourself.

You are alive when tomorrow’s hope means more to you than yesterday’s mistake…

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Waves are inspiring not because they rise and fall ...,
But because each time when they fall, They never fail to rise again !!!

Three masters

When one Guru was dying, one of his disciple asked him "Guruji, who was your master?"He said, "I had thousands of masters. If I just relate their names it will take months, years and it is too late. But three masters I will certainly tell you about.
One was a thief. Once I got lost in the desert, and when I reached a village it was very late, everything was closed. But at last I found one man who was trying to make a hole in the wall of a house. I asked him where I could stay and he said 'At this time of night it will be difficult, but you can say with me - if you can stay with a thief'.And the man was so beautiful. I stayed for one month! And each night he would say to me, 'Now I am going to my work. You rest, you pray.' When he came back I would ask 'Could you get anything?' He would say, 'Not tonight. But tomorrow I will try again, God willing.' He was never in a state of hopelessness, he was always happy.
When I was meditating and meditating for years on end and nothing was happening, many times the moment came when I was so desperate, so hopeless,that I thought to stop all this nonsense. And suddenly I would remember the thief who would say every night, 'God willing, tomorrow it is going to happen.'

And my second master was a dog. I was going to the river, thirsty and a dog came. He was also thirsty. He looked into the river, he saw another dog there -- his own image -- and became afraid. He would bard and run away, but his thirst was so much that he would come back. Finally, despite his fear, he just jumped into the water, and the image disappeared. And I knew that a message had come to me from God: one has to jump in spite of all fears.

And the third master was a small child. I entered a town and a child was carrying a lit candle. He was going to the mosque to put the candle there.

'Just joking,' I asked the boy, 'Have you lit the candle yourself?' He said, 'Yes sir.' And I asked, 'There was a moment when the candle was unlit, then there was a moment when the candle was lit. Can you show me the source from which the light came?' And the boy laughed, blew out the candle, and said, 'Now you have seen the light going. Where has it gone? You will tell me!'

My ego was shattered, my whole knowledge was shattered. And that moment I felt my own stupidity. Since then I dropped all my knowledgeability.

It is true that I had no master. That does not mean that I was not a disciple. I accepted the whole existence as my master. My Disciplehood was a greater involvement than yours is. I trusted the clouds, the trees. I trusted existence as such. I had no master because I had millions of masters I learned from every possible source. To be a disciple is a must on the path.

What does it mean to be a disciple? It means to be able to learn. To be available to learn to be vulnerable to existence. With a master you start learning to learn.

The master is a swimming pool where you can learn how to swim. Once you have learned, all the oceans are yours." 

what is true Peace of Mind

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

If we can have a steady mind and peaceful heart midst problems, if we can keep ourselves controlled in most difficult situations, that is peace

Role of Challenges in Our Life...

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.

So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem?
How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what would you recommend?

How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

The Lesson

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired & dull, so we need a Shark in our life to keep us awake and moving?
Basically in our lives Sharks are new challenges to keep us active and taste better…

The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a challenge. If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are Conqueror. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions.

Wonders of Crack Pot

A water bearer in had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

MORAL:
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. There is a lot of good in us! Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life! 

Refusing to Accept Failure

 

Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to climb Mount Everest. On May 29, 1953 he scaled the highest mountain then known to man-29,000 feet straight up. He was knighted for his efforts. He even made American Express card commercials because of it! However, until we read his book, High Adventure, we don't understand that Hillary had to grow into this success. You see, in 1952 he attempted to climb Mount Everest, but failed. A few weeks later a group in England asked him to address its members.

Hillary walked on stage to a thunderous applause. The audience was recognizing an attempt at greatness, but Edmund Hillary saw himself as a failure. He moved away from the microphone and walked to the edge of the platform. He made a fist and pointed at a picture of the mountain. He said in a loud voice, "Mount Everest, you beat me the first time, but I'll beat you the next time because you've grown all you are going to grow... but I'm still growing!"

Never mind failures; they are quite natural, they are the beauty of life, these failures. What would life be without them? It would not be worth having if it were not for struggles. Where would be the poetry of life? Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. I never heard a cow tell a lie, but it is only a cow--never a man. So never mind these failures, these little backsliding; hold the ideal a thousand times, and if you fail thousand times, make the attempt once more. But if you cannot see that thing which you like best, and then see infinite life before the soul. Take your time and you will achieve your end.

The "Be" Attitudes

Be understanding to your enemies.
Be loyal to your friends.

Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be weak enough to know you cannot do everything alone.

Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with that you need yourself.

Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be foolish enough to believe in miracles.

Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.

Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are shrouded by the mists of uncertainty.

Be first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be last to criticize a colleague who fails.

Be sure where your next step will fall, so that you will not tumble.
Be sure of your final destination, in case you are going the wrong way.

Be loving to those who love you.
Be loving to those who do not love you; they may change.

Above all, be yourself.

TRG LearnFest- Key to Success "Positive Attitude

• Thursday, December 15, 2011
• Time 3:00pm until 6:00pm

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. - Winston Churchill I still remember that in my childhood days my mother used to say “Never judge anyone or anything with its size- even an ant can kill an elephant”. For me attitude is just like that small “Ant” t...hat is apparently so weak and harmless but has power to kill a giant like elephant. Attitude is the secret ingredient in the never fail recipe of success. It is the most deadly weapon in the history of mankind. The weapon that crowns its masters with success and punishes it’s ignorant with misery and suffering. Positive attitude is not believing that whatever happen will be good but it’s a art to convert all the challenges into opportunities, to push back the fears and move forward with faith, the art to hang in their just a little longer than all others, the art to use the adversities as launching pad of success, the art to step in unknown territories and tame the wild horse “Success”, it is the source of that never ending courage that help it’s master to get through the perilous waters to peaceful shores. Positive attitude is the weapon that helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If adopted as a way of life, it will bring constructive changes in life, and makes it masters happier, brighter and more successful. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing and strengthening. What you will see in Our Two Sessions: Stories Videos Song (Daddu Attitude- a song with a very strong message) Examples with which you can relate Golden Tips and methodologies followed by successful people since ancient time. Why you should attend our Sessions: To understand what really attitude is? To learn how it impacts your life, your work, your relations, your health etc To take control of your life in your own hand To learn how to emerge as winner in all situations To improve your performance at work To handle & improve your relations To enhance your self awareness To increase your personal effectiveness To improve your Quality of life To bring peace back in your life To identify hidden opportunities To become more creative To control stress To win back your smile and maintain it in all circumstances Who should attend our Sessions: All those who wants to be remembered in history as “Great Success” All those who want to enjoy the life filled with happiness, comforts & Success All those who want to learn turning dreams into reality All those who want to win the fight against fears All those who want to emerge as unbeatable winner. Trainers Profiles: Aisha Javed, ACMA Aisha carries a charming and energetic personality and enjoys sharing knowledge and experiences with others. She is quite popular with our previous participants. She is an excellent and experienced trainer and lot of people have benefited from her insights and stories. She has been ranked as an excellent facilitator not only by various multicultural audiences but also by corporate people. Currently she is active member of Zong Internal Training Faculty. She has conducted seminars, orientations and workshops with Institute of Cost and Management Accountants Pakistan Head office, Karachi Branch Council and ZONG on Importance of attitude, Handling Stress, Time Management, Smart Interview Techniques, Importance of Goals in our Life, Develop “Can Do Attitude”. Training is not just a profession for her – but a passion. She has also served as spokes person of virtual organization “Voice of Youth” for one year. This was NGO started by students that aimed at helping people by counseling on a virtual forum and help them in personal development. Aisha has around five years professional experience and currently working as Assistant Manager Budgeting & Analysis in Zong. She has also worked in Geo TV network as Management Accountant for one year in Karachi. Ali Anwer Adil, CIA, APA, CFC, CA-Finalist Ali is emerging training consultant with lot of potential, enthusiasm and innovative skills to impart knowledge on complex human behaviors in simple way, the style appealing to minds of listeners. Ali has deep insight of the belief systems and worked as counselor and mentor for many people helping them to manage their stress, its causes and ultimately finding their true selves step by step. He is faculty member of ZONG internal training programs covering the areas of positive attitude, stress management, time management, belief system etc. Ali has over 7 years of professional experience in Audit, Finance and Accounting and currently working as Executive Finance in ZONG. He has also worked for Ernst & Young Global Limited and Sidat Hyder Morshed Associates (Private) Limited in audit and consultancy, respectively. Training Company: “Silver Lining” is a metaphor for optimism in the common English-language idiom "Every cloud has a silver lining". Main purpose of this forum is to motivate people to face day to day challenges of life, help them to grow stronger & tap their true potentials. Silver Lining aims to provide a listening ear and helping hand in hard times and provide the launching pad for all your dreams to come true. We all are well aware of power of positive mind set but some time when faced with hard times we tend to forget all these things and gets indulged in negative thought patterns, stress & depression. It is at such times that we aim to remind you of all the good things in life, help you tap on your hidden strengths and most of all help you see the silver lining around the cloud that proves that good times and dawn is just in front of us. Registration: Rs 1000/- per participant per session Register online for Learnfest through following link http://trg.org.pk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=34 For registrations & payments deails, contact: Mujtaba Saadi Makhdoom Tel: (92 21) 3537 7251-2, 3537 4946 mujtaba@theturningforce.com learnfest@trg.org.pk About Learnfest: www.facebook.com/learnfest www.trg.org.pk/learnfes Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Lining/220412587976117

Lessons of the Square Watermelon

Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than their US counterparts and therefore don’t have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is how I would assume the vast majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, “How can we provide one?” It wasn’t long before they invented the square watermelon.

The solution to the problem of round watermelons wasn’t nearly as difficult to solve for those who didn’t assume the problem was impossible to begin with and simply asked how it could be done. It turns out that all you need to do is place them into a square box when they are growing and the watermelon will take on the shape of the box.

This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators which are much smaller than those in the US meaning that the growers could charge a premium price for them.

What does this have do with anything besides square watermelons? There are a few lessons that can you can take away from this story which help you in all parts of your life. Here are a few of them:

Don’t Assume: The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible before even thinking about the question. Things that you have been doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of the round watermelon and you likely don’t even take the time to consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things. This was one of the most difficult things for me to do because most of the assumptions I make, I don’t even realize that I’m making them. They seem perfectly logical on the surface, so I have to constantly make an effort to question them.

Question habits: The best way to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that you live your life. Forming habits when they have been well thought out is usually a positive thing, but most of us have adopted our habits from various people and places without even thinking about them. I have changed a large number of habits that I have had after taking the time to question them and continue to do so. Some of them I have know idea where they came from while others I can trace to certain people or instances in my life. It’s a never ending process, but by doing this, you can consistently strive toward making all aspects of your life more enjoyable instead of defaulting to what you have now.

Be creative: When faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution. This often requires thinking outside the box. Most people who viewed this question likely thought they were being asked how they could genetically alter water melons to grow square which would be a much more difficult process to accomplish. By looking at the question from an alternative perspective, however, the solution was quite simple. Being creative and looking at things in different ways in all portions of your live will help you find solutions to many problems where others can’t see them. I am not a creative person, but I’ve found that the more that you look at things from different perspectives, the more creative I have become. It’s a learned art and builds upon itself.

Look for a better way: The square watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient way to do something. The stores had flagged a problem they were having and asked if a solution was possible. It’s impossible to find a better way if you are never asking the question in the first place. I try to ask if there is a better way of doing the things that I do and I constantly write down the things I wish I could do (but currently can’t) since these are usually hints about steps I need to change. Get into the habit of asking yourself, “Is there a better way I could be doing this?” and you will find there often is.

Impossibilities often aren’t: If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through trial and error.

Take away the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships, etc) and you will find that by consistently applying them, you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.

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Trust the one who can see these 3 things in you: Sorrow behind your Smile, Love behind your Anger and Reason behind your Silence

Random...

Who should be blamed when a leaf falls from a tree?
Is it the wind that blew it away?
or
Is it the tree that let it go?
or
Is it the leaf who grew tired holding on?

Life unfolds a lot of misunderstandings everyday..every moment..

Its up to us to:
Solve it.
or
Leave it.
or
Live with it..

The Seasons of Your Life - Inspirational Video

Life can be compared to the characteristics of the seasons. There are times when you are faced with cold, hard, stormy weather in your life. Then there are times when you can make a new fresh start and grow. So when you are facing tough times remember that God has deemed a time for everything under heaven. You can't give up when in the winter of your life because you could miss the promise of your spring and the beauty of your summer.

Extraordinary People Challenge your Limitations

Story of a Blind Painter who is astonishing world with his work. His painting are master pieces that astonished the scientist and challenged their current theories......A must watch

The secret of Success as explained by Socrates

A young man asked Socrates the secret of Success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met.

Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river.

When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The man struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until he started turning blue.

The young man struggled hard and finally managed to get out and the first thing he did was to gasp and take deep breath. Socrates asked 'What you wanted the most when you were there?' The man replied 'Air'.

Socrates said 'that's the most secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted air, you will get it. There is no other secret'.

C O N F I D E N C E

When Henry Ward Beecher was a young boy in school, he learned a lesson in self confidence which he never forgot.

He was called upon to recite in front of the class. He had hardly begun when the teacher interrupted with an emphatic, "No!" He started over and again the teacher thundered, "No!"

Humiliated, Henry sat down. The next boy rose to recite and had just begun when the teacher shouted, "No!"

This student, however, kept on with the recitation until he completed it. As he sat down, the teacher replied, "Very good!"

Henry was irritated. "I recited just as he did," he complained to the teacher. But the instructor replied, "It is not enough to know your lesson; you must be sure.

When you allowed me to stop you, it meant that you were uncertain. If all the world says, 'No!' it is your business to say, 'Yes!' and prove it."

The world will say, "No!" in a thousand ways.
"No! You can't do that."
"No! You are wrong."
"No! You are too old."
"No! You are too young."
"No! You are too weak."
"No! It will never work."
"No! You don't have the education."
"No! You don't have the background."
"No! You don't have the money."
"No! It can't be done."


And each "No!" you hear has the potential to erode your confidence bit by bit until you quit all together. Though the world says, "No!" to you today, will you determine to say, "YES!" and prove it?

Have a POSITIVE DAY!

Simplify and be happy...

 A philosophy professor gave one question for the final exam…
The class was seated when the professor touched his chair & asked: “using everything we’ve learned, prove that this chair does NOT EXIST”. The whole class answered for an hour but the laziest student finished the test in less than a minute.. one week Later, the grades were posted in the class & the lazy student got the highest score..
Hs answer consisted of just 2 words.. “What chair?”
Don’t over analyze or complicate things. Simplify and be happy...

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10% of conflicts is due to difference in opinion; 90% is due to wrong tone of voice.

A perfect way to give Back

A man watched his 80 year old neighbor planting a small mango tree. “You don’t expect to eat mangoes from that tree, do you?”

The old man replied, “No! At my age I know I won’t. But all my life I have enjoyed eating mangoes — never from a tree I had planted myself. I wouldn’t have had mangoes if other people hadn’t done what I’m doing now. I’m just trying to pay the other fellows who planted the trees for me.

There’s always a perfect way to give back.

Motivational Message of the Day: Tap your true Potentials

Motivational Video of the Day: Baat kerne se Baat Banti ha

Story with Strong Message- Two Horses

Just up the road there were two horses in a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks like any other horse.

But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing....

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him.
This alone is amazing. If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell. It lets the blind friend know where the other horse is, so he can follow.
As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see that the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse, and that the blind horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk to where the other horse is, trusting that he will not be led astray.
When the horse with the bell returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, it stops occasionally and looks back, making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.
Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.
He watches over us and even brings others into our lives, to help us when we are in need.
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to find their way....
Good friends are like that...You may not always see them, but you know they are always there.
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours, and remember...
Be kinder than necessary
Everyone you meet is fighting
Some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeply,
Speak kindly.
And leave the rest to God!
For we walk by faith and not by sight. 

Practice Being Like a Child by Jim Rohn

Remember the master teacher said 2000 years ago, “Unless you can become like little children, your chances are zero, you haven’t got a prayer.” A major consideration for adults.

Be like children and remember there are four ways to be more like a child no matter how old you get –

1) Curiosity - Be curious. Childish curiosity. Learn to be curious like a child. What will kids do if they want to know something bad enough? You’re right. They will bug you. Kids can ask a million questions. You think they’re through. They’ve got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They can drive you right to the brink.

Also kids use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are studying them? A child’s curiosity is what helps them to reach, learn and grow.

2) Excitement - Learn to get excited like a child. There is nothing that has more magic than childish excitement. So excited you hate to go to bed at night. Can’t wait to get up in the morning. So excited that you’re about to explode. How can anyone resist that kind of childish magic? Now, once in awhile I meet someone who says, “Well, I’m a little too mature for all that childish excitement.” Isn’t that pitiful? You’ve got to weep for these kinds of people. All I’ve got to say is, “If you’re too old to get excited, you’re old.” Don’t get that old.

3) Faith - Faith like a child. Faith is childish. How else would you describe it? Some people say, “Let’s be adult about it.” Oh no. No. Adults too often have a tendency to be overly skeptical. Some adults even have a tendency to be cynical. Adults say, “Yeah. I’ve heard that old positive line before. It will be a long day in June before I fall for that positive line. You’ve got to prove to me it’s any good.” See, that’s adult, but kids aren’t that way. Kids think you can get anything. They are really funny. You tell kids, “We’re going to have three swimming pools.” And they say, “Yeah. Three. One each. Stay out of my swimming pool.” See, they start dividing them up right away, but adults are not like that. Adults say, “Three swimming pools? You’re out of your mind. Most people don’t even have one swimming pool. You’ll be lucky to get a tub in the back yard.” You notice the difference? No wonder the master teacher said, “Unless you can become like little children, your chances, they’re skinny.”

4) Trust - Trust is a childish virtue, but it has great merit. Have you heard the expression “sleep like a baby”? That’s it. Childish trust. After you’ve gotten an A+ for the day, leave it in somebody else’s hands.

Curiosity, excitement, faith and trust. Wow, what a powerful combination to bring (back) into our lives.

Short note of the Day

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." Henry David Thoreau 

 

That's why dreams are always symbolized with the cloud, a cloud that is waiting to shower success and Allah's blessing on us after getting the signal of faith and power of persistence from our side and as soon as this shower is complete our dreams are in front of us in real physical existence and sun of success smiling and shining above our head in the sky. 

Motivational Video Message of the Day

Nick Vujicic - No Arms No Legs No Worries Part 3

Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries! Part 2

Part 2 Continued...

Nick Vujicic, No Arms, No Legs, No Worries! Part 1

Sometimes we feel like life is unfair.

Well, this video of Nick Vujicic is a reminder that external factor are exactly just that! External.

The power to get what we want, be it personal or professional or financial, lies INSIDE us. It should never matter what the external situation or the external economy is like.

Moti Dose of the Day

Get Rid Of Excuses and Take Action

The biggest test most of us face is our habits; our laziness, absence of inspiration. I have yet to meet a person who does not want to be successful. Why then are only so few successful? The answer to that is no top-secret; we all wish to succeed, but very few are ready to invest in the hard work that is related to success, whatever be the aim. And, couple that with our born laziness, in many ways, it is the glamour pack of the media that is to be blamed for increasing the delusion that there are shortcuts to success or that success entirely depends on Luck. Nothing can be further from the truth...

No article on a successful photographer will speak of the hundreds; say thousands, of photographs that he had to take over many years of hard work before the essence of a creative person found expression in the person. Similarly, no interviewer will dwell on the back-breaking effort and years of struggle, often coupled with depression, that goes into the life of a painter before he gets critical acclaim. And that is because no one wants to dwell beyond the pretty picture-perfect image of success. As they say, no one wants to cast the first stone...

One way to correct our false notions is to read the biographies, of successful people and get inspired, by their struggles.

Another key is to write down on one side of a piece of paper all that you want to be. And on the other side of the same page, all the issues that are holding you back. For example, if you want a great physique, write against it all the hindrances that you are facing that are preventing you from achieving your goal. Maybe you are feeling lazy, or you wake up late each morning or you do not have the time, or whatever. When you put it down in black and white, you will discover that all the reasons are actually EXCUSES!

Face yourself and realize that the actual speed breaker along your goal to success is YOU. So wake up and make a real beginning. After all, tomorrow is another day...

Act Now

Ask your friends what is the greatest labour-saving device ever invented and you will get varied answers. Men may believe that it is the automobile, the computer, or maybe a robot.

Women may think it is the washing machine or plumbing which brings water into your homes. No, it is none of these; it is the word ‘tomorrow’. The word is a wonderful excuse for putting off things and it is also an excuse for not delivering. Sadly, it is also the reason for failures that have bedeviled the lives of many people who have not been able to leverage their potential.

We come across many talented people who had wonderful ideas. But they just did not execute it and before long, someone else walks away with the honors. For example, I met a talented stand-up comedian from Los Angeles who had come up with a wonderful concept for a comedy television series. But he sat on it for six months. Someone else wrote it out and presented it to the channel and it is now a top ranking television show in the US. He is cursing his stars now.

If you analyze the situation, the problem with our tomorrows is the gap between an idea and its execution. It is a sense of laziness that overcomes many of us. Delays pile up beyond days, and the days then turn into months. And before long we pass the anniversary of our big idea.

Many of us have fallen in this gap, but we learn our lessons. Unfortunately, many still do not. This problem is particularly true among teenagers who have a habit of chilling out and believe that their parents are killjoys for expecting things to be done in time. They grow out of this habit when they join the mainstream of the working class, because in an office situation, delays are not condoned beyond a point.

But it is largely the creative fields that are mainly seized with this problem, as there are no deadlines when you are alone. You will find many writers working endlessly on scripts as you will find many composers thinking of that great tune.

And the problem is that they do not push themselves to their limits. In my own case, I am frequently down with colds, viral fever and a bad throat due to my constant travelling. Yet I push myself to the very edge and report on the sets every time, and on time. I never make excuses and keep my commitments, much to the amazement of my manager. I am not alone in my profession; there are others too who are very professional. And that is the reason why they are successful.

So take your commitment seriously and do not procrastinate. Hold review meetings with yourself every night and analyse if the time you spent that day could have been more fruitfully spent. And finally, be a hard taskmaster on yourself. Because you will gain to benefit the most from the exercise.

Respecting Parents

I have been observing some thing from last couple of years that hurt me a lot. Our Parents sacrifice there happiness, their needs, their comforts and above all precious years of their life for us. At each stage of life their children are their first priority. Right from the day they are blessed with parenthood their life change completely, the only thing that matters most is their Children.

But sadly when parents get old and time comes that their children support them all there dreams and hopes are shattered. For children they are burden, last priority, a responsibility from which they always tries to shy away.

This ignorant attitude towards parents is not our tradition or part of our upbringing. We all are blessed with mind that is capable to differentiate between right & wrong. When with countless efforts of our parents and blessings of Allah we get good jobs and starts earning we should always keep in mind that what we are today is only because of our parents.

When we can tolerate other people even when they are wrong, when we can listen to others without arguing, when we can respect & love others in all circumstances then why not our parents? They deserve our attention, our love, our concern more than anyone else.

It's my request to all my readers to love & respect your parents, don't shout or misbehave with them. Try to give them time, try to show them how much they mean to you, how much you love them. Start doing so now as you don't know when this precious time is over and then you will regret.

Have a nice day ahead.
Aisha Javed

Ignored Blessings!!

Yesterday I realized strongly that there are so many blessings of Allah that we never thank for and while complaining about mishaps & hardships we always tend to forget thanking for them first. We are so used to them that we started taking them for granted. Like our eye sight, ability to use our hands normally, ability to walk, ability to listen, ability to talk, ability to eat normally, ability to breath normally, ability to think and so many others. We are using most of them in each minute of our life but when it comes to thank for blessings most of us sadly say “I am not blessed like other”. They don’t even count these as blessings.

Just imagine if anyone of these is not working for sometime due to some injury or any other medical reason our whole routine is disturbed and we are not even able to carry out our daily task properly.

It’s my request to all readers to stop complaining about hardships and start thanking for these small blessings and you will see the difference and peace in your life.

Even Allah Himself explained this in Quran in Surah Ibrahim Ayat 7 that:

“(Recall the time) when your Lord declared, .If you express gratitude, I shall certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, then My punishment is severe”

Tips for Self Motivation

1- Find something that you are interested in and passionate about
2- Be willing to leave your comfort zone
3- Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Wisdom helps us avoid making mistakes and comes from making a million of them
4- Don't indulge in self-limiting thinking. Think empowering, expansive thoughts.
5- Choose to be happy. Happy people are easily motivated. Happiness is your birthright so don't settle for anything else
6- Train yourself to finish what you start. So many of us become scattered as we try to accomplish a task. Finish one task before you begin another
7- Live fully in the present moment. When you live in the past or the future you aren't able to make things happen in the present
8- Dare to dream big dreams
9- Visualize your end result.
10- Push yourself harder

Confidence Is A Habit‏

When we get into the assertive habit, our automatic response to interpersonal situations is a feeling of confidence.As a result, we handle them with calm assurance and feel great. Confidence breeds confidence.If you want to get the same assertive habit, learn how to respond confidently to the following situations...

1. Handling Praise.

It is natural to feel pleased when we are paid a compliment from people we care about but we should always remember that they are only the views of others and that such views can always change.

To handle compliments confidently, keep in mind these points...

* Watch for signs of praise-addiction. Praise is nice but it should not be necessary for our own self-esteem.

* Thank people simply. Don't dismiss it when someone offers you praise, however sincerely you believe it was meant.

* Use the technique of positive assertion and positive enquiry to find out what other people liked, so you can do more of it.

2. Handling Criticism.

Criticism can hurt when it is expressed insensitively: "...I've only one criticism to make" or unskilfully: "...that was rubbish!"; or comes from people whose admiration we crave.  When we are harshly criticised, it is tempting to either hit back at the critic or find someone else to blame. If we do neither of these, we may end up blaming ourselves and feeling bad.

The confident response to criticism is to...

* Get it straight in your head that this is only someone else's opinion.  You can't make people like you.

* Take a wider view. Ask yourself how things will look in a month's time.

* Go to "the gallery". This is a place off-stage where you can consider what was said dispassionately.

* Try to swallow your pride and learn something from the criticism. You can do this by using the technique of negative enquiry and assertion.
 

3. Saying No.

We all find ourselves occasionally in situations where we say "Yes" to others when we really want to say "No": the boss who uses the willing workhorse; the mother-in-law who invites herself to stay; the friend who insists on buying you another round. You may think you are being "nice" by going along with their request but the chances are they won't see it that way and will simply impose on you again. You have exposed your weakness for them to exploit.

Reacting angrily to what you might see as an unreasonable request is equally inappropriate. It may result in you being seen as hostile.  In the workplace an angry refusal to do a piece of work may brand you as being un-cooperative. The only viable solution that does not upset others or make you feel bad is the confident one of saying No.

4. Overcoming Shyness.

Overcoming shyness and acquiring poise requires a confident way of thinking together with the techniques of social manners. To learn the art of social poise...

* Make the first moves when you are in new surroundings; don't wait for others.

* Look relaxed and if you're not, make out you are.

* Prepare by finding out who the guests are, what topics are likely to be of interest...then forget everything while you focus on them.

* Stay in low key, don't hog the conversation.

* If you are being introduced to people who are on an equal social footing to you, mention what you have in common.

* Get genuinely interested in others whoever they are.

 5. Admitting You're Wrong.

It is fear of the consequences of "owning up" that leads many unassertive people to hesitate about admitting mistakes. Some of the irrational self-talk that takes place in the unassertive person is: "I must be perfect at all times" or "If I admit my mistakes, I'll lose my chance of promotion" or "They won't like me any more" or "I'll look bad in their eyes"

To confidently admit a mistake...

* Remind yourself of your right not to be perfect.

* Own up as quickly and as simply as possible.

* Apologise if the mistake has caused anyone any problems; if not, still apologise out of courtesy. Apologise once and leave it at that.

* Ask others for help to solve the problem.

* Share the responsibility for putting things right.

6. Getting In Touch With Your Views.

The aggressive and passive points of view see the world as hostile and competitive. Other people are there to be beaten or to beat us. The consequences of this view of the world is that we continually compare ourselves to others. In the aggressive stance, we seek to prove that we are better than others or, in the submissive mode, that they are better than us.

The result is that we devalue our thoughts and feelings, believing that what others think or feel is more, or less, important than what we think or feel. We often make decisions about others according to their rank, status or position. The confident person makes no such value judgments. He or she gets in touch with their own point of view and expresses it openly and honestly.

7. Raising Our Self-Esteem.

 
We are all children of the universe, born equal and with the same assertive rights. Our self·esteem does not change because of who we are with or because of what we do. We each have the assertive right to get in touch with our own views and opinions and express them.

* Don't be overawed by others, no matter how loud they are, or what position in life they hold.

* See yourself and others as being worthy in your own right, not because of what you do.

* Surround yourself with people who value you for who you are.

* Find a way to tune in to your own views. Don't feel you have to have a special, witty, clever, novel or trendy view. No view is also a view.

* Practice articulating both positive feelings and negative feelings.find out which forms of expression you are best at.

Learn to apply these different responses in your own situations with other people and, after just a short while, you'll discover you've mastered the valuable art of confidence!

How to protect your smile in tough times? ^_^

 
1. Maintain Positive Attitude

2. Read motivational quotations and articles

3. Think about your achievements

4. Long drive

5. Observe Nature (Greenery, voice of sea, birds etc)

6. Try making faces in front of mirror :-)

7. Think about pleasant memories

8. Play with kids - an instant relaxer

9. Call your friends

10. Have something you love like ice cream, Chocolates, Gol Gappy (works well in my case) etc

11. Smiling at someone

12. Break you goals or problems into small manageable steps and then celebrate completion of each

Acronym "CAP"

• Courage Advents Prosperity 
• Commitment Assures Prosperity  
• Confidence Approves Performance 
• Confidence allows progression   

Acronym "SUN"

• Struggle Ultimately Nourishes 
• Self-respect Upholds Nobility  
• Struggle upbeats nurture 
• Self esteem uplifts nations    

Acronym "NEW"

• Nifty Effort Wins
• Never Entertain Worries
• Nourish Every Wish 
• Nurture enthusiasm wisely   

Acronym "END"

• Endeavor Never Deserts
• Enthusiasm Nourishes Determination  
• Efforts Never Die   

Acronym "HOPE"

• Help others to potentialise energey 
• Hope offers positive enterprise  
• Hurdling Obstacles Positively & Enthusiastically 
• Hope Overcome Passive Emotions
• Helping Other People Enthusiastically     

Rocky Motivational Speech

The last "Rocky" film directed by Sylvester Stallone. This clip features Rocky Balboa's inspirational speech to his son.

6 Critical Life Lessons

1. Run the Day

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.” ~Jim Rohn

It’s that simple, either you run your day or your day runs you. Either you say what’s going to happen or the events of the day will dictate to you what happens.
You must have a plan; you must have a track to run on. If you have no plan you will wander and you will accomplish a fraction of what you could have otherwise accomplished.
Decide to run your days; after all, they are your days.

2. Progress is Progress

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” ~Victor Kiam

Les Brown said, “If you fall down, try to land on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up.” It’s okay to fail, it’s okay to fall down, this is how you learn to succeed. What if a small child, after stumbling 20 times said, “This ‘walking thing’ isn’t for me?”
Then he or she would never learn what is innate in them to do. They would never reach the potential that lies within them concerning mobility.
If you stumble, if you make a mistake, that’s okay. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move forward until you succeed.

3. Expect Problems

“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.” ~Alfred A. Montapert
Expect problems and then overcome them, go around them, jump over them, run through them, eat them up and spit them out. Pain is nothing to a giant. A problem isn’t a problem. It’s just a test to qualify you for the next level.
So pass the test!

4. Get into Action
 
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” ~Thomas Jefferson

Your actions define who you are; your actions bring to light your potential, your passion, and your power. Your actions reveal your difference, and it is your difference from others that are the foundation of your success. How are you different from others? Do you know?
Get into action so that you discover your difference, and use your difference to create your legacy.

5. Think Bigger

“Go big or go home. Because it’s true. What do you have to lose?” ~Eliza Dushku

Save little accomplishments for little people! If you’re going to do something, do it big! No guts, no glory. You have to push yourself beyond the little box that you’ve been trapped in, and you have to break the chains of mediocrity which seem to keep you bound.
Anyone can do something small. If you’re going to be a success, “Go big!”

6. Balance

“Follow your dreams, work hard, practice and persevere. Make sure you eat a variety of foods, get plenty of exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle.” ~Sasha Cohen

My father use to say, “Balance is the key to life.” Any one extreme becomes a disadvantage. Work hard, but play hard. Life a healthy life that’s sustainable and you’ll be around long enough to turn the impossible, into the possible

Motivational Acronym of Day - PACT

• Positive Attitude Changes Things 
• Proactive Actions Construct Triumph
• Passionate Actions create Triumph 

Motivational Acronym of Day - PUSH

• Passion Upsets Success's Hindrances 
• Passion Ultimately Succeeded Humanity  
• Pray Until Something Happen
  

Motivational Acronym of Day - FEAR

• Face Everything And Recover
• False Emotions Appear Real
• Facilitate Everyone And Respect
• Foster Empathy Achieve Results
• Future Earned Against Robust 
• Forget Errors And Revive 
• Focus Eliminates All Restraints

Zig Ziglar’s Success Habits

Personal development icon Zig Ziglar said, “I’m a constant learner. You need to be a constant student because things change and you have to change and grow. And I emphasize the word grow,” he says. Here are Zig Ziglar’s five habits for your journey to the top:

1. Be a constant leader. Seek out information that you can learn and teach to others.

2. Encourage others and help them get what they want.

3. Express gratitude. “Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions,” Ziglar says. “The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

4. Recognize the value of relationships and their role in creating balanced success.

5. Be consistent in your words and actions. “When you make a promise, keep it.”

The Trouble Tree

I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse. He had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, the electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me to meet his family.

As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is," he smiled, " when I come out in the morning to pick "em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Learn To Control Your Anger - The Lesson: The Fence

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.
" A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."

Thinking Patterns of Successful People

1. Big picture thinking is not thinking small
This logic makes them continue to learn, a lot of listening and focused so that they become broad horizon.

2. Focused thinking is not scattered thinking
So it can save time and energy, big jumps they can achieve.

3. Creative thinking is not restrictive thinking
The process of creative thinking include: think-collect-create-correct-connect.

4. Realistic thinking is not fantasy thinking
Enable them to minimize risk, there are targets and plans, security, as a catalyst and has credibility.

5. Strategic thinking is not random thinking
So that simplifies, customize, anticipatory, reduce errors and other influences can be done.

6. Possibility thinking is not limited thinking
They can think freely and to find solutions to the situation at hand.

7. Reflective thinking is not impulsive thinking
Enable them to have integrity, clarify big picture, confident decision making.

8. Innovative thinking is not popular thinking
Avoiding a common way of thinking to achieve something better.

9. Shared thinking rather than solo thinking
Share your thoughts with others to get better results.

10. Unselfish Selfish thinking is not thinking
It allows them to collaborate with other people.

Motivational Acronym of Day - DIN

• Do It Now
• Deal Individuals Nicely
• Decision Is Necessary
• Dawn Is Near
• Dreams Instruct Novice
• Don't Initiate Negativity
• Double Income Now
• Deal Ignorance Now
• Delegation Is Necessary 

Motivational Acronym of Day - LIFE

• Living In Faith Everyday
• Lining In Faith & Efficacy
• Living In Freedom Everyday
• Living In Full Effect
• Living Inspiration For Everyone
• Learn Initiate Focus Excel
• Learning Improves For Excellence

Napoleon Hill-What the mind can conceive, believe & achieve.

SEE and HEAR Napoleon Hill explain how it is true that what ever the mind can conceive, and believe, the mind can achieve. Regardless of how many times you may have failed in the past, or how lofty your hopes may be. He breaks this down in easy to understand point form for immediate transformation of your life. He also talks about the wisdom billionaire Andrew Carnegie shared with him nearly hundred years ago, and how this information was instrumental in his own personal success, and the success techniques he was able to teach millions of others.

60 Valuable Tips for Personal Development

I know you want to be the best you can be. We all do. But sometimes we look for success in the wrong places or we try to achieve it in the wrong ways.

Here are 60 valuable Tips for personal development to help you stay on track:

1. The acquisition of knowledge doesn’t mean you’re growing. Growing happens when what you know changes how you live.

2. You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones.

3. A good idea without action is nothing at all.

4. It’s not so much about finding opportunities as it is about creating them.

5. 10% of our lives is decided by uncontrollable circumstances. 90% is decided by how we react to those circumstances.

6. What we don’t start today won’t be finished by tomorrow.

7. If you’re waiting for the perfect conditions, ideas or plans to get started, you’ll never achieve anything.

8. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

9. Change is often resisted when it is needed the most.

10. Discipline is choosing what you want most over what you want right now.

11. The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

12. Kindness and hard work together will always carry you farther than intelligence.

13. Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.

14. Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

15. Lots of successful people have failed as many times as they have succeeded.

16. Nobody succeeds all by themselves.

17. Right now, there’s a lot you don’t know.

18. Having a plan, even a flawed one at first, is better than no plan at all.

19. In the beginning, you need to say “yes” to a lot of things to discover and establish your goals. Later on, you need to say “no” to a lot of things and concentrate on your goals.

20. No matter how you make a living or who you think you work for, you only work for one person, yourself. The big question is: What are you selling, and to whom?

21. We all have different strengths. What worked for someone else might not work for you.

22. To be great does not mean you have to dominate others. It means you have to dominate your own potential.

23. Being successful is a journey, not a destination.

24. Results are more important than the time it takes to achieve them.

25. Being busy and being productive are two different things.

26. Being happy and being successful are two different things.

27. You don’t have to settle. It’s simply a choice you make every day.

28. Life is full of opportunities to feel exactly the way you want to feel.

29. You have every right to be happy, but it’s up to YOU and only YOU to exercise that right.

30. You have the ability to clear negativity from your mind with a single thought.

31. We are all multi-dimensional human beings with simultaneous dimensions of success and failure in our lives.

32. Your success isn’t just about you. It’s about how you positively impact the lives around you.

33. Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most fools do.

34. Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else – you are the one who gets burned.

35. Life isn’t always logical.

36. When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.

37. It’s usually only as good or as bad as you think it is.

38. There is a lesson in everything you do, and learning the lesson is how you move forward.

39. No matter how smart you are, you will make mistakes.

40. There’s no such thing as ‘risk free.’ Everything you do or don’t do has an inherent risk.

41. Saying “no” to the right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to the right opportunities.

42. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

43. When you’re caught up in the moment and your emotions are soaring, you’re bound to make poor decisions.

44. Simplicity is often a major factor of success. But the process of simplifying things is rarely easy.

45. Cutting your losses is often better than the alternative.

46. It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo, but it’s worth it.

47. You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it. Either way, it’s getting raised.

48. Oftentimes, the only reason they want you to fit in is that once you do they can ignore you and go about their business.

49. Confusion isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re growing and thinking.

50. When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.

51. When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.

52. Trying to be somebody you’re not is not sexy. Be you. That’s when you’re beautiful.

53. Good looks attracts the eyes. Personality attracts the heart.

54. Sometimes you just have to do your own thing your own way, no matter what anyone else thinks or says about you.

55. When you receive negative feedback, remember, it doesn’t matter how many people don’t get it, it matters how many do.

56. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

57. Truly ‘rich’ people need ‘less’ to be happy.

58. A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, need less, smile often and realize how fortunate you are right now.

59. If you want love, give love. If you want friends, be friendly. If you want money, provide value. It really is this simple.

60. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.

And remember, the extra mile is the stretch of road that’s never crowded. As long as you follow your heart and never stop learning, you’ll turn not older, but newer every day.