Hi everybody,
I haven't been online for a moment & I will probably be away for a while again.
I have been busy & when I say 'BUSY', I really mean it! It's not the "I'm busy" excuse for not having been creative enough to write a single article for a long time.
I am happy to say that I've fought my procrastination habits & succeeding this only changed a lot in my way of percieving situations.
I've opened a live FOREX account, adressed 2 letters to the Presidency of my country to present 2 different projects I will develop. I am currently preparing my business plans. I am making my first steps into the real estate market. All this in a matter of a month.
I am more confident than ever & I am not ready to stop! I feel like being a totally different person. I am ready to take any kind of challange!
Listening to motivation tapes did work for me! Staying away from negativity & motivating other people as if I was the most successful person in the world helped to me move forward. It's just amazing.
I have reached a level where I believe that whatever I do, I CANNOT FAIL!
Today, I will share 2 video of Anthony Robbins. For those of you who don't know who he is... watch the videos! then I'm sure you will Google his name, lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4Bx1Qs7p40
I will leave you with 3 questions & I would like you to answer to them, then pass them on to your friends, family or anybody around you:
-If you knew you could never fail, what would you be doing?
-Are you doing everything to achieve these things?
-If not, Why not?
5.16.2007
Learn Currency Trading (FOREX)
A few years back I in gained an interest in currency trading, one of my friends worked for Chase Bank in their, arbitrage department where they took advantage of a price differential between two or more markets by trading lots of $100,000. I had an interest but I had no idea where to start I thought it was such a complex skill that required an ivy league education. Until I learned about the Forex (Foreign exchange) market, Forex trading is relatively new and has increase dramatically over the past 10 years. All that is required is the knowledge, a computer, high speed internet connection and starting cash.
Companies make huge amounts of cash from trading Forex, I once heard that Mercedes Benz makes more money trading currencies than they do selling cars. I don't know if its true but it is possible. Individual Forex traders are able to do the same thing as large banks do but on a much smaller scale. The Forex market is a much more immediate reflection of a countries economy and changes accordingly, with the interest rate manipulation of their respected financial governing bodies as well as good old supply and demand. Currencies like the Japaneses Yen (JPY) US Dollar (USD), British Pound (GBP) and European (EUR) are the major currencies as well the major economies in the world. Most of the worlds transactions are made in one of these major currencies oil for example is largely settled in USD this is because of the strategic relationships the USA has with various oil producing nations as well as the stability and value of the USD. Foreign countries also hold reserves of other currencies in the treasury a major shift in the reserve levels or base currency of major transaction can affect the value of a currency and therefore the strength of the corresponding economy and if dramatic enough can result in war, irregardless other reasons given for war 99% of the time their is no other legitimate reason to fight a war because wars are extremely expensive thus the cost of going to war must out weigh the potential lost value experienced by the declaring country.
So currencies are serious business and its not going anywhere anytime soon, trading currencies are also more liquid than trading stock with so many large banks and countries involved. When I started it took me 1 month to train myself by reading and watching various videos to learn the system, it took another month of trading on a demo account for me to learn the trends and develop a profitable trading strategy. So, in 2 months I taught my self a new skill and was up and running my own business with no overhead.
By Nero
Companies make huge amounts of cash from trading Forex, I once heard that Mercedes Benz makes more money trading currencies than they do selling cars. I don't know if its true but it is possible. Individual Forex traders are able to do the same thing as large banks do but on a much smaller scale. The Forex market is a much more immediate reflection of a countries economy and changes accordingly, with the interest rate manipulation of their respected financial governing bodies as well as good old supply and demand. Currencies like the Japaneses Yen (JPY) US Dollar (USD), British Pound (GBP) and European (EUR) are the major currencies as well the major economies in the world. Most of the worlds transactions are made in one of these major currencies oil for example is largely settled in USD this is because of the strategic relationships the USA has with various oil producing nations as well as the stability and value of the USD. Foreign countries also hold reserves of other currencies in the treasury a major shift in the reserve levels or base currency of major transaction can affect the value of a currency and therefore the strength of the corresponding economy and if dramatic enough can result in war, irregardless other reasons given for war 99% of the time their is no other legitimate reason to fight a war because wars are extremely expensive thus the cost of going to war must out weigh the potential lost value experienced by the declaring country.
So currencies are serious business and its not going anywhere anytime soon, trading currencies are also more liquid than trading stock with so many large banks and countries involved. When I started it took me 1 month to train myself by reading and watching various videos to learn the system, it took another month of trading on a demo account for me to learn the trends and develop a profitable trading strategy. So, in 2 months I taught my self a new skill and was up and running my own business with no overhead.
By Nero
5.05.2007
Financing a Small Business: Equity or Debt?
01.05.07, 4:30 PM ET
To raise money for your new business, you must decide whether you want to borrow money or sell ownership interests to equity investors. Often, you may not have many options--the person with money to lend or invest will obviously have a lot to say about it. But you should understand the pros and cons of choosing one over the other.
Taking Out Business Loans
Borrowing money to fund your business has many advantages. Often, you'll borrow this money from a friend or family member, but if you're lucky, you may be able to borrow from a commercial lender too.
Advantages of Borrowing MoneyThe main advantage of borrowing money is that, while the lender will charge you interest for using the money, the lender won't have any say in how you run or manage your business. More importantly, a lender won't be entitled to any of the profits you make; all you have to do is to repay the loan on time. In addition, you can typically deduct the interest payments (but not principal repayments) as a business expense.
If you can borrow money from a friend or family member, you'll typically pay a lower rate of interest than if you borrow the money from a commercial lender, and you can avoid paying the loan fees commercial lenders tend to charge. As an added bonus, you may be able to negotiate more flexible repayment terms than a commercial lender would permit.
Disadvantages of Borrowing Money
If you borrow money, you may be committing your business to a fairly large business expense. You may have to make loan payments when your need for cash is greatest (usually during your business's startup or expansion). And if you have problems paying the loan back or keeping up with the payments, you can ruin your relationship with family or friends.
If you borrow from a commercial lender, the lender may require you to pledge property as security for the loan. (If you don't repay the loan, the lender can take the property and sell it to recoup the money.) If you pledge business property as security for the loan, and your business slows down (or doesn't take off) and you can't make loan payments, you may lose these valuable assets just when you need them most. Worse, if you pledge personal assets, such as your house or stock portfolio, you risk losing them to pay a business debt.
Even if you organize your business as a corporation or a limited liability company (each of which provides owners with limited liability for business debts), almost all commercial lenders will require you, as the owner of a new or small business, to personally guarantee the loan and/or to pledge personal assets to cover the loan, which wipes out this limited liability.
Accepting Investments
If you have friends, family, or other people who want to invest in your business outright (become part-owners) instead of simply lending you money, you can raise money for your small business this way too. However, allowing people (called equity investors) to own part of your business comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages of Equity InvestorsFirst, there's a good practical reason to take investments: Raising money through equity investors allows you to use your cash to pay business startup expenses rather than large loan payments. And unlike a loan, if your business loses money or goes broke, you probably won't have to repay your investors their initial investment. As long as you've thoroughly disclosed the risks involved in your business, your investors should understand and accept that they are not guaranteed to get their money back.
Further, investors often have business experience and can offer you valuable advice, moral support and assistance.
Disadvantages of Equity InvestorsOn the downside, equity investors usually end up taking a larger share of your business's profits than a bank or other lender. (Since an investor is at a greater risk of losing his or her investment, you have to compensate the investor for this risk with a bigger payoff.)
In addition, your investors will be co-owners, and they have a legal right to be informed about all significant business events, as well as a right to ethical management. Your co-owners can (and probably will) sue you if they feel you are compromising their rights. This means you always have a responsibility to take your investors' interests into account when you make business decisions, even if it's not what's best for you.
In some circumstances, your investors may be considered passive investors and their investment interests "securities." Dealing with securities creates a lot of paperwork, starting with securities registration, and brings a host of other legal requirements down on your head. However, not all offerings of securities must be registered with the federal and state securities exchange commissions. The following are exempted:
--private offerings to a limited number of persons or institutions
--offerings of limited size, and
--intrastate offerings.
For a quick summary of these exemptions, see the SEC website at www.sec.gov.
Summary of Loans vs. Investments
| Loans | Investments | |
| Advantages: | The lender has no management say or direct entitlement to profits in your business. | Investors are sometimes partners or board members and often offer valuable advice and assistance. |
| Your only obligation to the lender is to repay the loan on time. Loans from close relatives can have flexible repayments terms. | You can be flexible about repayment requirements. | |
| Interest payments (but not principal payments) are a deductible business expense. | If your business loses money or goes broke, you probably won't have to repay your investors. | |
| Disadvantages: | You may have to make loan repayments when your need for cash is greatest, such as during your business's startup or expansion. | Equity investors require a greater share of your profits than interest on a loan. |
| You may have to assign a security interest in your property to obtain a loan, which may place your personal assets at risk. | Your investors have a legal right to be informed about all significant business events and a right to ethical management. | |
| Under most circumstances, you can be sued personally for any unpaid balance of the loan, even if it's unsecured. | Your investors can sue you if they feel their rights are being compromised |
Loans or Investments: Which Should You Choose?
If you're trying to finance a startup venture, it's better to seek equity investments, because you generally only have to repay investors if the business turns a profit.
For ongoing needs, loans are better for businesses with cash flow that allows for realistic repayment schedules, and for businesses that can obtain the loan without jeopardizing personal assets.
Deciding whether to borrow money or to take on co-owners can be tricky. If you don't already know a tax adviser who specializes in small business issues, it would be wise to find one. Your personal tax situation, the tax situation of the people who may invest, the terms of a potential loan, and the tax status of the type of business you plan to open are all likely to influence your choice.
5.03.2007
Business negotiating tips
Adopt a take-no-prisoners attitude
| By Marcia A. Reed-Woodard |
May 2, 2007-- Sekou Kaalund, Citigroup Securities & Fund Services' head of strategy, mergers & acquisitions, and planning, says Hostage at the Table: How Leaders Can Overcome Conflict, Influence Others, and Raise Performance by George Kohlrieser (Jossey-Bass; $27.95) reveals how psychological insights and proven techniques used in successful hostage negotiations can empower anyone who feels immobilized or held "hostage" in their business and personal relationships.
"Negotiation skills are paramount to success in a business environment [because of] client, employee, and shareholder relationships," he offers. Kaalund reports that the book has helped him enhance his conflict-resolution skills and negotiate more powerfully.
His key takeaways:
- Never think like a hostage. Bolster your confidence and diminish feelings of powerlessness by identifying the choices you have and the potency you bring to bear on the negotiations.
- Bond with your enemy. Establish a connection with all parties involved in negotiations, even when you may find them despicable. Refrain from demonizing others by remembering that the people are never the problem.
- Talk your way to success. Discuss solutions that will satisfy negotiating parties. Explain how all parties can achieve their goals without undermining those of others. Don't stop talking until you've reached an amicable agreement.
4.21.2007
Good Credit 101
MONEYWISE
Your Money
What every college student needs to know about credit cards
By Lois Barrett
Shaz Jumaralli was only four months into her sophomore year of college, but she had already accumulated $3,500 in credit card debt. At first, having a credit card seemed reasonable, even necessary, for the 19-year-old student. She had planned to use it to pay for meals until the university meal plan kicked in each semester. But Jumaralli's good intentions went awry once she had that "plastic" in hand. Jumaralli ended up working two jobs to pay off the debt.
Admirably, Jumaralli cleared up her balance while still in school. Many students, however, end up graduating with inordinate credit card debt on top of student loan burden. Financial experts caution that college students in particular must understand that credit cards are not "free money," and that every time they charge an item, they are in fact receiving a very expensive loan.
Before filling out a credit card application, every college student should take advantage of personal finance workshops on campus or nearby. Books such as Sanyika Calloway Boyce's Crack Da Code: What Every College Student Needs to Know About Money, Love & the Dream Job (Smart Concept Books Publishing; $14.95 and Websites such as Cardratings.com can also help build knowledge.
When Jumaralli began shopping for her card, she did do a lot of things right. She checked to see if annual percentage rates were fixed or variable. She also checked the default rate -- the rate customers pay if they miss a payment.
Understanding the basics of money and credit management is a must before obtaining a credit card. Here's what you need to know before filling out a card application or accepting a pre-approved offer:
The interest rate: Although students often qualify only for student credit cards, which traditionally have higher interest rates, they should still shop around for the best deal. According to Cardweb.com, low-interest-rate cards currently carry APRs below 14%.
The introductory rate period: That initial low rate could expire in mere months. Know the jump rate -- the rate the card will jump to after the introductory rate expires.
The default rate: Credit card interest rates can often skyrocket because of even one late payment. Jumaralli's credit card had a fixed APR of 9.99% but shot up to 23.99% when she missed payments.
The annual fee: Students should choose a card with no annual fee.
The credit limit: Cards with low limits -- no more than $1,000 -- help students avoid the temptation of overspending. Keep the limit low by not accepting periodic limit increases.
Consequences can be grave for college students who can't control their spending. Bad credit can affect the ability to obtain a loan, apartment rental, or job. More and more companies run credit checks on prospective employees. To graduate from college with little or no credit card debt and an excellent credit history, MetLife financial planner Robin Vetere suggests charging only necessities, such as school supplies and books, not clothes, bar tabs, vacations, or other discretionary purchases. Also crucial is paying the bill in full and on time every month.
Your Money
What every college student needs to know about credit cards
By Lois Barrett
Shaz Jumaralli was only four months into her sophomore year of college, but she had already accumulated $3,500 in credit card debt. At first, having a credit card seemed reasonable, even necessary, for the 19-year-old student. She had planned to use it to pay for meals until the university meal plan kicked in each semester. But Jumaralli's good intentions went awry once she had that "plastic" in hand. Jumaralli ended up working two jobs to pay off the debt.
Admirably, Jumaralli cleared up her balance while still in school. Many students, however, end up graduating with inordinate credit card debt on top of student loan burden. Financial experts caution that college students in particular must understand that credit cards are not "free money," and that every time they charge an item, they are in fact receiving a very expensive loan.
Before filling out a credit card application, every college student should take advantage of personal finance workshops on campus or nearby. Books such as Sanyika Calloway Boyce's Crack Da Code: What Every College Student Needs to Know About Money, Love & the Dream Job (Smart Concept Books Publishing; $14.95 and Websites such as Cardratings.com can also help build knowledge.
When Jumaralli began shopping for her card, she did do a lot of things right. She checked to see if annual percentage rates were fixed or variable. She also checked the default rate -- the rate customers pay if they miss a payment.
Understanding the basics of money and credit management is a must before obtaining a credit card. Here's what you need to know before filling out a card application or accepting a pre-approved offer:
The interest rate: Although students often qualify only for student credit cards, which traditionally have higher interest rates, they should still shop around for the best deal. According to Cardweb.com, low-interest-rate cards currently carry APRs below 14%.
The introductory rate period: That initial low rate could expire in mere months. Know the jump rate -- the rate the card will jump to after the introductory rate expires.
The default rate: Credit card interest rates can often skyrocket because of even one late payment. Jumaralli's credit card had a fixed APR of 9.99% but shot up to 23.99% when she missed payments.
The annual fee: Students should choose a card with no annual fee.
The credit limit: Cards with low limits -- no more than $1,000 -- help students avoid the temptation of overspending. Keep the limit low by not accepting periodic limit increases.
Consequences can be grave for college students who can't control their spending. Bad credit can affect the ability to obtain a loan, apartment rental, or job. More and more companies run credit checks on prospective employees. To graduate from college with little or no credit card debt and an excellent credit history, MetLife financial planner Robin Vetere suggests charging only necessities, such as school supplies and books, not clothes, bar tabs, vacations, or other discretionary purchases. Also crucial is paying the bill in full and on time every month.
4.12.2007
How determined are you?
http://kontraband.com/show/show.asp?ID=5870
will you be able to finish the impossible quizz?
If you do, just tell me what was the last question.
In a week or 2 I will post the anwers,but it doesn't mean you will be able to finish the quizz.
Take a deep breath before starting :p
will you be able to finish the impossible quizz?
If you do, just tell me what was the last question.
In a week or 2 I will post the anwers,but it doesn't mean you will be able to finish the quizz.
Take a deep breath before starting :p
4.06.2007
Management Lessons
Lesson Number One ***********************A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it. Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up. _________________________________________________________________
Lesson Number Two ************************A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree. Management Lesson:
Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there. _______________________________________________________________
Lesson Number Three ************************** When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The Brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions." The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up. All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the Feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed. All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit! Management Lesson:
You don't need brains to be a Boss - any asshole will do. __________________________________________________________________
Lesson Number Four ************************A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lessons:
1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
Lesson Number Two ************************A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree. Management Lesson:
Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there. _______________________________________________________________
Lesson Number Three ************************** When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss. The Brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions." The feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."
The hands said, "We should be Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money." And so it went on and on with the heart, the lungs and the eyes until finally the asshole spoke up. All the parts laughed at the idea of the asshole being the Boss. So the asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work. Within a short time the eyes became crossed, the hands clenched, the Feet twitched, the heart and lungs began to panic and the brain fevered. Eventually they all decided that asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed. All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit! Management Lesson:
You don't need brains to be a Boss - any asshole will do. __________________________________________________________________
Lesson Number Four ************************A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on it. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, it began to realize how warm it was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung and promptly dug him out and ate him!
Management Lessons:
1) Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3) And when you're in deep shit, keep your mouth shut!
4.02.2007
Work On Your Power Of Attraction:Integrity
Do you think people can trust you? Can anybody rely on you? Because this is what integrity is about.
For people to respect you and admire you, they have to trust you & feel that they are safe with you.
You can't provide false information to people trusting you, you can't lie & you can't use them either.
However, you can choose to appear as someoe with integrity while you are not. Businessmen for instance usually think integrity can't always be effective. Make sure your game is slick enough not to be noticed if you're planning to misleading you partners . I'm sure you wouldn't like to be caught in the middle of a lie, because it could destroy your credibility & the reputation you took so long to build.
For people to respect you and admire you, they have to trust you & feel that they are safe with you.
You can't provide false information to people trusting you, you can't lie & you can't use them either.
However, you can choose to appear as someoe with integrity while you are not. Businessmen for instance usually think integrity can't always be effective. Make sure your game is slick enough not to be noticed if you're planning to misleading you partners . I'm sure you wouldn't like to be caught in the middle of a lie, because it could destroy your credibility & the reputation you took so long to build.
3.15.2007
How To Get A Charisma Makeover
by James Delrojo
People these days spend a fortune on trying to make themselves attractive. Many of them even go so far as to have cosmetic surgery. A term that has become popular is total makeover, where a person seeks to improve every part of their physical appearance.
If you want to become successful you would be better served by having a charisma makeover than you would be by having a total physical makeover.
Why is charisma important?
Becoming successful always involves other people. Those people may be clients or staff or partners or mentors or your power group or people you network with, but whoever they are, the greater your charisma the easier success will be for you.
Charisma is often believed to be a natural charm that some have and some missed out on but it is not true. Charisma is learned. There are several components that combine together to produce charisma and if you work to improve each of those components your personal charisma will improve substantially.
Let's look at five of the components of charisma.
The Smile
Charismatic people generally smile more often and more genuinely than average people. This smile is not a fake "politician" smile but is a reflection of a warm, positive personality. They are genuinely happy to be alive and they have a positive view on what the world has to offer them.
The Voice
Charismatic people speak with confidence and sincerity. The tone of their voice conveys that inner confidence and inspires others to follow them. Their voice is expressive and their topics of conversation are interesting. People want to listen to charismatic people.
The Body Language
The body language of charismatic people is congruent with what they are saying. If they are talking about happy, joyful feelings they look happy. If they are talking about serious issues they look serious. Their body language always matches and compliments their theme.
Charismatic people are masters of mirroring, matching, pacing and leading. These are body language techniques that help build rapport and then control that rapport so that the other person's sense of comfort is being controlled in such a way that they feel more comfortable when they fall in line with what the charismatic person is proposing.
The Communication Skills
Charismatic people use communication skills so well that other people feel more important or more valuable when they are around the charismatic person.
Charismatic people understand that charisma is all about making the other person feel better, more valuable and happier. They achieve this to the extent that other people start to feel better each time they see the charismatic person, even from a distance.
Much of this is achieved by knowing when and how to listen and when and how to speak. These are skills that can be learned and should be learned by anyone who is serious at becoming successful.
The Passion
Charismatic people are passionate people.
Most people are ordinary. Their lives lack passion and direction. They are going nowhere, living the same year over and over again.
When ordinary people are put together with passionate people who have good communication skills, then the ordinary person gets a lift from the charismatic person's passion and confidence. They feel that by going along for the ride with this person their own dull life will be enhanced and they will be more important.
Charismatic people become the leaders. They set the trends. They have the inspired goals and sense of purpose that others lack.
Spend some time giving yourself a charisma makeover and success will suddenly become a whole lot easier for you.
People these days spend a fortune on trying to make themselves attractive. Many of them even go so far as to have cosmetic surgery. A term that has become popular is total makeover, where a person seeks to improve every part of their physical appearance.
If you want to become successful you would be better served by having a charisma makeover than you would be by having a total physical makeover.
Why is charisma important?
Becoming successful always involves other people. Those people may be clients or staff or partners or mentors or your power group or people you network with, but whoever they are, the greater your charisma the easier success will be for you.
Charisma is often believed to be a natural charm that some have and some missed out on but it is not true. Charisma is learned. There are several components that combine together to produce charisma and if you work to improve each of those components your personal charisma will improve substantially.
Let's look at five of the components of charisma.
The Smile
Charismatic people generally smile more often and more genuinely than average people. This smile is not a fake "politician" smile but is a reflection of a warm, positive personality. They are genuinely happy to be alive and they have a positive view on what the world has to offer them.
The Voice
Charismatic people speak with confidence and sincerity. The tone of their voice conveys that inner confidence and inspires others to follow them. Their voice is expressive and their topics of conversation are interesting. People want to listen to charismatic people.
The Body Language
The body language of charismatic people is congruent with what they are saying. If they are talking about happy, joyful feelings they look happy. If they are talking about serious issues they look serious. Their body language always matches and compliments their theme.
Charismatic people are masters of mirroring, matching, pacing and leading. These are body language techniques that help build rapport and then control that rapport so that the other person's sense of comfort is being controlled in such a way that they feel more comfortable when they fall in line with what the charismatic person is proposing.
The Communication Skills
Charismatic people use communication skills so well that other people feel more important or more valuable when they are around the charismatic person.
Charismatic people understand that charisma is all about making the other person feel better, more valuable and happier. They achieve this to the extent that other people start to feel better each time they see the charismatic person, even from a distance.
Much of this is achieved by knowing when and how to listen and when and how to speak. These are skills that can be learned and should be learned by anyone who is serious at becoming successful.
The Passion
Charismatic people are passionate people.
Most people are ordinary. Their lives lack passion and direction. They are going nowhere, living the same year over and over again.
When ordinary people are put together with passionate people who have good communication skills, then the ordinary person gets a lift from the charismatic person's passion and confidence. They feel that by going along for the ride with this person their own dull life will be enhanced and they will be more important.
Charismatic people become the leaders. They set the trends. They have the inspired goals and sense of purpose that others lack.
Spend some time giving yourself a charisma makeover and success will suddenly become a whole lot easier for you.
3.12.2007
Work on your power of attraction: Creativity
It took me a moment to put that article together, because I was not inspired at all for weeks. I still don't know how to put it together. I guess, if I keep writing I will end up finding the right words.
& this is supposed to be about creativity. I'm a very creative person. I may not always express it, but I know I am! (yeah right! you're struggling to put one article together. come on now!) I know that's what you are thinking.
Well, how would you define creativity? Is it about drawing beautiful things or writing incredible stories? I used to do that a lot when I was in high-school. When I got bored I would just start drawing on the table. Then of course, when I was caught I had to come on saturday morning to clean all the tables of the classroom. My mother never found out about my advisor-order community services because I had the good explanation for getting up early few saturdays per month.
I can't lie, but I could make you believe whatever I want, if my life depended on it. It's a survival reflex.
My definition of creativity is the ability to find a solution to any kind of problem very quickly or the ability to visualize things in 3D in your mind easily.
You are creative. Don't think that just because your entourage is not complimenting you on the things you call painting that you are not creative.
Creativity is within all of us. All you have to do to experience this creativity is to think more often out of the box. Look for answers where nobody goes. Think theorically & be playful. Be unique, be a child, be curious!
Think about it. People are always seduced by playful minds. If you are creative enough, your entourage will always expect unpredictable ideas from you. They will enjoy your discussions, because you have a different way of interpreting events.
I have to work on everything but creativity to become magnetic. I enjoy seeing the reaction of people when they just meet me & I love hearing that I am different from most of the girls of my age.
You too, work on becoming unique & creative. Don't be afraid to be a child sometimes.
You can excercise yourself by finding explanations to current events. Forget about everything the medias are saying & find your own explanation.
Have fun :)
& this is supposed to be about creativity. I'm a very creative person. I may not always express it, but I know I am! (yeah right! you're struggling to put one article together. come on now!) I know that's what you are thinking.
Well, how would you define creativity? Is it about drawing beautiful things or writing incredible stories? I used to do that a lot when I was in high-school. When I got bored I would just start drawing on the table. Then of course, when I was caught I had to come on saturday morning to clean all the tables of the classroom. My mother never found out about my advisor-order community services because I had the good explanation for getting up early few saturdays per month.
I can't lie, but I could make you believe whatever I want, if my life depended on it. It's a survival reflex.
My definition of creativity is the ability to find a solution to any kind of problem very quickly or the ability to visualize things in 3D in your mind easily.
You are creative. Don't think that just because your entourage is not complimenting you on the things you call painting that you are not creative.
Creativity is within all of us. All you have to do to experience this creativity is to think more often out of the box. Look for answers where nobody goes. Think theorically & be playful. Be unique, be a child, be curious!
Think about it. People are always seduced by playful minds. If you are creative enough, your entourage will always expect unpredictable ideas from you. They will enjoy your discussions, because you have a different way of interpreting events.
I have to work on everything but creativity to become magnetic. I enjoy seeing the reaction of people when they just meet me & I love hearing that I am different from most of the girls of my age.
You too, work on becoming unique & creative. Don't be afraid to be a child sometimes.
You can excercise yourself by finding explanations to current events. Forget about everything the medias are saying & find your own explanation.
Have fun :)
3.04.2007
Master Procrastination
by Paul A. Douglas, Ph.D.
Time management consultant R.Alec MacKenzie, has suggested that of all management ills, procrastination looms as the most obvious and readily admitted. This time management problem affects us all to a greater or lesser degree. However, some people are more affected than others. We often joke about our procrastinating habit, but it is really not a joking matter. Relationships have failed because of procrastination, organizations have folded because of it and people have died as a result of it.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is doing the urgent rather than the important.
Procrastination is watching television when you should be exercising.
Procrastination is enjoying a long lunch, when things are stacked up back at the office.
Procrastination is avoiding a person rather than facing them and solving a problem.
Procrastination is putting off that activity with your children because you have more important things to do.
There are really four reasons why we procrastinate, the task is unpleasant, the task is overwhelming, the task requires a decision and involves risk and the task is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being of low priority.
To conquer procrastination we must overcome our inertia, that is our tendency to resist taking action. From physics we learn that a body remains at rest unless and until a force is exerted against it. As well from physics we learn that it always takes less effort to sustain movement once inertia has been overcome. Below are some suggestions that may help you to deal more effectively with procrastination:
1. Set a deadline. A deadline gives a sense of urgency to a task. It also provides structure. We tend to move more quickly to accomplish a task when a deadline is set. Challenge yourself to accomplish a particular task within a given time frame, "I will have this task finished by Friday noon."
2. Reward yourself for accomplishment. When you have completed that unpleasant task within the time frame you have established, reward yourself for that job well done. It may mean simply enjoying a soda or going for a walk or taking a relaxing moment to do something you enjoy. This positive self- stroking will help reinforce your new behavior.
3. Do the most unpleasant thing first. Your mother was right when she insisted you eat your spinach first. If you will attack the most unpleasant part of the task first, the rest will be downhill.
4. Break the object of your procrastination down into smaller units. This is what Allan Lakein calls in his book - How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, the "Swiss cheese" method. He says treat that large and overwhelming task like a block of Swiss cheese, by gnawing a hole here and gnawing a hole there, before you know it, you have reduced it to a size where you can gobble it all up. The accomplishment of great things always comes from the accomplishment of many, many small things. Most of us approach our work in a different way. We pull that enormous task out of our in-basket, recognize the scope and magnitude of the task and shove it back in the pile, leaving it in abeyance while we do something that is quick, fun and easy. For this reason I instruct people as they use their date book organizers, not to write anything on their prioritized daily "to do" list which will take them more than an hour. If it will take more than an hour it should be entered as two or more individual tasks. If for example, it is going to take you five hours to do a personnel planning report, it would be best to enter this on your list as a number of individual tasks, probably over a number of days, such as:
Gather required documentation
Prepare the outline
Write the objectives, etc.
Tasks are overwhelming because of their size, their complexity or the amount of time involved in their completion. By breaking down a task into sub-units, we provide for ourselves structure, and we reduce complexity.
5. Make a commitment to strengthen your resolve. Let other people know about your deadline and commitment. We may frequently break commitments we make to ourselves but we are far less likely to break commitments that we make or share with other people. It can be painful and embarrassing to have to admit to others that we have failed. Organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or Weight Watchers or a myriad of other highly successful self-help groups have recognized this principle. By making a public commitment you are less likely to procrastinate; so make a commitment to your boss, your spouse or friend.
Take some time to analyze your procrastinating habit. Ask yourself the following six questions:
1. What things do I tend to put off most often?
2. What am I putting off right now?
3. How do I feel about my procrastination habit?
4. What has my procrastination cost me?
5. What do I feel is the cause of most of my procrastination?
6. What can I do to overcome my procrastination?
If you can master your procrastination you have gone a long way toward the management of your time, for contrary to conventional wisdom, it is the internal time wasters - our inability to say no, our own personal lack of organization and our procrastinating habit that are our greatest time thieves. The steps I have outlined above will help you to overcome your inertia and gain greater control of yourself, your time and your life.
Time management consultant R.Alec MacKenzie, has suggested that of all management ills, procrastination looms as the most obvious and readily admitted. This time management problem affects us all to a greater or lesser degree. However, some people are more affected than others. We often joke about our procrastinating habit, but it is really not a joking matter. Relationships have failed because of procrastination, organizations have folded because of it and people have died as a result of it.
What is procrastination?
Procrastination is doing the urgent rather than the important.
Procrastination is watching television when you should be exercising.
Procrastination is enjoying a long lunch, when things are stacked up back at the office.
Procrastination is avoiding a person rather than facing them and solving a problem.
Procrastination is putting off that activity with your children because you have more important things to do.
There are really four reasons why we procrastinate, the task is unpleasant, the task is overwhelming, the task requires a decision and involves risk and the task is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as being of low priority.
To conquer procrastination we must overcome our inertia, that is our tendency to resist taking action. From physics we learn that a body remains at rest unless and until a force is exerted against it. As well from physics we learn that it always takes less effort to sustain movement once inertia has been overcome. Below are some suggestions that may help you to deal more effectively with procrastination:
1. Set a deadline. A deadline gives a sense of urgency to a task. It also provides structure. We tend to move more quickly to accomplish a task when a deadline is set. Challenge yourself to accomplish a particular task within a given time frame, "I will have this task finished by Friday noon."
2. Reward yourself for accomplishment. When you have completed that unpleasant task within the time frame you have established, reward yourself for that job well done. It may mean simply enjoying a soda or going for a walk or taking a relaxing moment to do something you enjoy. This positive self- stroking will help reinforce your new behavior.
3. Do the most unpleasant thing first. Your mother was right when she insisted you eat your spinach first. If you will attack the most unpleasant part of the task first, the rest will be downhill.
4. Break the object of your procrastination down into smaller units. This is what Allan Lakein calls in his book - How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, the "Swiss cheese" method. He says treat that large and overwhelming task like a block of Swiss cheese, by gnawing a hole here and gnawing a hole there, before you know it, you have reduced it to a size where you can gobble it all up. The accomplishment of great things always comes from the accomplishment of many, many small things. Most of us approach our work in a different way. We pull that enormous task out of our in-basket, recognize the scope and magnitude of the task and shove it back in the pile, leaving it in abeyance while we do something that is quick, fun and easy. For this reason I instruct people as they use their date book organizers, not to write anything on their prioritized daily "to do" list which will take them more than an hour. If it will take more than an hour it should be entered as two or more individual tasks. If for example, it is going to take you five hours to do a personnel planning report, it would be best to enter this on your list as a number of individual tasks, probably over a number of days, such as:
Gather required documentation
Prepare the outline
Write the objectives, etc.
Tasks are overwhelming because of their size, their complexity or the amount of time involved in their completion. By breaking down a task into sub-units, we provide for ourselves structure, and we reduce complexity.
5. Make a commitment to strengthen your resolve. Let other people know about your deadline and commitment. We may frequently break commitments we make to ourselves but we are far less likely to break commitments that we make or share with other people. It can be painful and embarrassing to have to admit to others that we have failed. Organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, or Weight Watchers or a myriad of other highly successful self-help groups have recognized this principle. By making a public commitment you are less likely to procrastinate; so make a commitment to your boss, your spouse or friend.
Take some time to analyze your procrastinating habit. Ask yourself the following six questions:
1. What things do I tend to put off most often?
2. What am I putting off right now?
3. How do I feel about my procrastination habit?
4. What has my procrastination cost me?
5. What do I feel is the cause of most of my procrastination?
6. What can I do to overcome my procrastination?
If you can master your procrastination you have gone a long way toward the management of your time, for contrary to conventional wisdom, it is the internal time wasters - our inability to say no, our own personal lack of organization and our procrastinating habit that are our greatest time thieves. The steps I have outlined above will help you to overcome your inertia and gain greater control of yourself, your time and your life.
2.25.2007
4 distractions that will prevent you from reaching success
We are born with the makings of success. The desire and ability to focus the whole of our being on something is basic human impulse that is at the heart of all success. Remember what it was like to focus heart and soul on what you were doing? That's the state of mind you must recapture if you want to be a big success in the adult world. Few people attain real success because over the years most fall victim to distractions that rob them of the strength and purity needed to focus 100% on what they're doing. To get on the success track, we must relearn how to focus. We must develop the ability to spot distractions and build the strength to banish them from our minds.
Distraction #1
FATIGUE: A healthy, vital mind naturally focuses itself on the problem or challenge at hand. That state of relaxed concentration takes a brain that's supplied with the sugar, oxygen and other nutrients and hormones needed for optimal levels of brain activity. When you're learning or problem solving, your brain uses 70% of your body's blood supply. If your body can't supply the fuel needed to maintain this high energy level, you become distracted and descend to non-productive activities at lower energy levels.
We depend too much on coffee to stimulate our metabolism each morning. Problem is, the nervous energy coffee produces lowers your metabolic efficiency and accelerates the onset of nervous fatigue. By mid-afternoon you're too strung out to concentrate.
Daily physical exercise is the only way to keep your mental energy level high throughout the day. Exercise tunes your metabolism to function at a high enough level of efficiency to supply your brain with optimal flow of energy-packed, well-oxygenated blood. When you're out of shape, the blood flow to your brain provides only a fraction of the sugar and oxygen. You find yourself getting distracted after only two or three hours of intense mental activity. A half hour of exercise each day gives you two, three or four more hours of peak mental efficiency each day. That can double or even treble your productivity and turn you into an entirely different person in both outlook and the capacity for work.
The kinds of exercise that works best are those that can be performed daily come hail or high water and that can be sustained without interruption at a pleasant level of exertion for at least 30 minutes. Sports like tennis and racquetball are prone to scheduling conflicts and can rarely be maintained on a regular basis for more than a few weeks. What's more, unless both you and your partner are expert players who play without breaks, they don't provide the sustained cardiovascular workout needed to raise your metabolic efficiency. Also, if you're the competitive type, you can overtax or even injure yourself, thereby lowering your energy level and cutting into productivity.
The best workouts are solitary endurance sports like jogging, swimming and cycling that can be done any time. The best times are mornings, before your workday starts. Evening sessions are far more likely to fall victim to the demands of social or business entertainment.
Distraction #2
PEER PRESSURE: Your career is stalled. You're stuck in a nothing job with no prospects for the future, and no ideas on how you're going to improve them. As you start complaining about the miserable conditions you're forced to endure at work, your colleague tells you sunnily that she's going to become the company's top executive by focusing her energies in ways that will multiply her productivity and effectiveness.
You are :
(a) filled with good wishes for her success;
(b) filled with envy, resentment and concern lest she actually accomplish even a small part of what she's setting out to do and leave you lying bitterly in the dust;
(c) scornful of the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Pollyanna who thinks she can do better escape being reduced to a bitter old wreck along with everyone else.
If you have an honest bone in your body, you'll admit your actual reaction is likely to be closer to b or c than a. That's human nature. Knowing that, you can see why it would be foolhardy to depend on your peers to support your plans for success. That isn't to say you should alienate yourself from them, just to expect their initial reactions to be less than supportive or encouraging. Be prepared for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if they turn out to be better people than the human mean.
The need for approval is conditioned in all of us. Like addiction to drugs, alcohol or junk food, this need can be a major distraction. A decision to be a success takes willingness to forego your daily fix of peer approval and acceptance. You will need to keep your own counsel and provide your own support system while meeting the negativity of your peers with a constructive, optimistic outlook. Remember, if you do succeed, you may be managing your former peers. Your continued success will depend on your ability to inspire them to work at their most productive.
Inevitably, once your focus on success becomes known, your peers will come to resent and distrust you to varying degrees. This is the one hurdle that trips up many otherwise talented, ambitious and highly effective people. The prospect of becoming the target of constant sniping, gossip and free-floating resentment is too scary and distracting for most people. They just don't have the stomach for success.
If you're determined to rise above mediocrity, know that the envy, resentment and distrust of former peers is inevitable and, what's more, isn't caused by anything peculiar to your own personality or character.
Remember, too, that diverting your energies to try to diffuse the negativity is counterproductive. It would merely encourage your former peers to step up the pressure in the hope of bringing you back down to their level.
The notions of brotherhood/ sisterhood and equality that fill books and movies simply don't govern the workings of the business world. A successful company simply isn't a democracy. Workers aren't equal. If we were, communism wouldn't have failed so miserably and capitalism wouldn't work so well. Some people learn to be more effective at focusing their energies on creating value for their organizations and clients. If you are one, peer resentment will simply have to be a fixture of your career. The key to keeping it from becoming a fatal distraction is to expect it and accept it as an indispensible part of success, not something inspired uniquely by you. John Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln seem like gods to Americans. While they lived, they were hated and reviled by more people than loved them. Their greatest successes were achieved only to the extent they had the strength and good sense to avoid being distracted by public opinion.
Distraction #3
MISCONCEPTIONS: Unrealistic expectations of what success entails is another deadly source of distraction. Even genuinely successful people become confused and distracted when their experiences don't jive with their expectations of what success should be like. They begin second-guessing themselves in the hope of realizing an idealized state that has never existed on earth.
A common misconception involves the regard they expect to enjoy from others. Even those who could handle the hostility of peers as they built their early successes have trouble accepting the fact that no matter how successful they become, the hostility will remain, never to be replaced by universal respect and acclaim until the day they die or are otherwise rendered non-threatening.
There's good reason for that-your success simply isn't very important to anyone but you. Those who love you will rejoice in it as long as you don't forget who you are and who they are. Strangers will accord you a measure of respect and admiration for your achievement. These feelings, however, aren't nearly as deep or constant as the expectations that will have become fixed in your own mind.
No matter how successful you become, your success will never be what others judge you by. You will continue to be judged first and foremost on the human level. What's more, your success will make others expect of you even more honesty, courtesy, kindness and generosity. Noblesse oblige, as they say.
Your success will simply multiply the demands on you to be a warm, courteous and considerate human being. Fail to meet them and the superficial respect and admiration quickly sour into scorn and hatred. Since few people are saints, even among the super-successful, you're likely to alienate as much as win over those who come in contact with you. This fact baffles some successful people, making them question the genuineness of their success.
Money is the basis for another distracting misconception. Many people mistakenly assume that success provides access to unlimited amounts of money and unlimited time and freedom with which to spend it. Truth is, only a miniscule fraction of all successful people enjoy incomes that provide unlimited material rewards.
Take Bill Gates, commonly reckoned the world's richest person, with a fortune valued at over $8 billion. Putting aside for the moment Gate's well-known stinginess-which helped immeasurably in his quest for success, neven he isn't free to spend recklessly. If he tried to cash in his Microsoft stock, share prices would plummet instantaneously, costing him and his company billions in lost wealth. The annual income he draws from the company is measured in millions, not billions. As head of a company that prides itself in its ability to control waste, Gates would severely damage his credibility and leadership position if he were to become a profligate spender in his personal life. More importantly, Gates is severely constrained by the need to focus his energies on running his company. He simply can't afford the time for shopping sprees, even if he were so inclined. His chief pleasure is growing his company, not in dissipating what he's built up.
There are many other examples. Warren Buffet, the world's most successful investor, denied his only daughter's request for a $30,000 loan for a down payment on a house on the ground that he owed a duty to invest his money wisely. The late Walmart founder Sam Walton, who once headed up the Forbes 400, drove a beat up pickup truck and lived out his life in the same modest home he bought 30 years earlier.Successes who become distracted by the myth that success means profligate spending and start pushing the limits of their successes with their burgeoning insecurities provide the world with dozens of juicy morality plays every year . Who hasn't heard of the music star who had his estate auctioned off, the real estate tycoon put on a tight allowances, the former rock star who lives on the streets. Success takes a decade or more to build but mere months to send into the bankruptcy courts.
Successful people who lose their focus on creating value and distract themselves with the supposed rewards of success soon find themselves on the slippery slope to a humbling disaster.
Distraction #4
FEAR OF FAILURE: The fatal distraction is fear of failure. For most even the remote possibility of public humiliation and financial ruin is so terrifying that they never entertain the risk. For them success is never more than a pipedream, something to gawk at and gossip about from a safe distance.
Even after you muster the focus, faith and fortitude to get on the success track, sooner or later fear of failure can start to distract you. It can keep you from trying what ought to be tried, taking the countless calculated risks that are the building blocks of success. It whittles down your grand success adventure into a struggle for survival.
That's when you need to remind yourself what success is about-giving yourself the opportunity to fail. Success and failure are two sides of the freedom to take full responsibility for your actions. That's the only way we humans build worthwhile things. Making a thousand light bulbs that didn't work taught Thomas Edison how to make the one that changed life on earth. From internal combustion engines to computer chips, from Kentucky Fried Chicken to Microsoft, the story of success is the story of perseverance in the face of repeated failure.
When the prospect of failure looms so large it distracts you from your focus on success, remember that the faster you make mistakes, the faster you learn how to become successful. If you aren't failing, you aren't succeeding.
Distraction #1
FATIGUE: A healthy, vital mind naturally focuses itself on the problem or challenge at hand. That state of relaxed concentration takes a brain that's supplied with the sugar, oxygen and other nutrients and hormones needed for optimal levels of brain activity. When you're learning or problem solving, your brain uses 70% of your body's blood supply. If your body can't supply the fuel needed to maintain this high energy level, you become distracted and descend to non-productive activities at lower energy levels.
We depend too much on coffee to stimulate our metabolism each morning. Problem is, the nervous energy coffee produces lowers your metabolic efficiency and accelerates the onset of nervous fatigue. By mid-afternoon you're too strung out to concentrate.
Daily physical exercise is the only way to keep your mental energy level high throughout the day. Exercise tunes your metabolism to function at a high enough level of efficiency to supply your brain with optimal flow of energy-packed, well-oxygenated blood. When you're out of shape, the blood flow to your brain provides only a fraction of the sugar and oxygen. You find yourself getting distracted after only two or three hours of intense mental activity. A half hour of exercise each day gives you two, three or four more hours of peak mental efficiency each day. That can double or even treble your productivity and turn you into an entirely different person in both outlook and the capacity for work.
The kinds of exercise that works best are those that can be performed daily come hail or high water and that can be sustained without interruption at a pleasant level of exertion for at least 30 minutes. Sports like tennis and racquetball are prone to scheduling conflicts and can rarely be maintained on a regular basis for more than a few weeks. What's more, unless both you and your partner are expert players who play without breaks, they don't provide the sustained cardiovascular workout needed to raise your metabolic efficiency. Also, if you're the competitive type, you can overtax or even injure yourself, thereby lowering your energy level and cutting into productivity.
The best workouts are solitary endurance sports like jogging, swimming and cycling that can be done any time. The best times are mornings, before your workday starts. Evening sessions are far more likely to fall victim to the demands of social or business entertainment.
Distraction #2
PEER PRESSURE: Your career is stalled. You're stuck in a nothing job with no prospects for the future, and no ideas on how you're going to improve them. As you start complaining about the miserable conditions you're forced to endure at work, your colleague tells you sunnily that she's going to become the company's top executive by focusing her energies in ways that will multiply her productivity and effectiveness.
You are :
(a) filled with good wishes for her success;
(b) filled with envy, resentment and concern lest she actually accomplish even a small part of what she's setting out to do and leave you lying bitterly in the dust;
(c) scornful of the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Pollyanna who thinks she can do better escape being reduced to a bitter old wreck along with everyone else.
If you have an honest bone in your body, you'll admit your actual reaction is likely to be closer to b or c than a. That's human nature. Knowing that, you can see why it would be foolhardy to depend on your peers to support your plans for success. That isn't to say you should alienate yourself from them, just to expect their initial reactions to be less than supportive or encouraging. Be prepared for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if they turn out to be better people than the human mean.
The need for approval is conditioned in all of us. Like addiction to drugs, alcohol or junk food, this need can be a major distraction. A decision to be a success takes willingness to forego your daily fix of peer approval and acceptance. You will need to keep your own counsel and provide your own support system while meeting the negativity of your peers with a constructive, optimistic outlook. Remember, if you do succeed, you may be managing your former peers. Your continued success will depend on your ability to inspire them to work at their most productive.
Inevitably, once your focus on success becomes known, your peers will come to resent and distrust you to varying degrees. This is the one hurdle that trips up many otherwise talented, ambitious and highly effective people. The prospect of becoming the target of constant sniping, gossip and free-floating resentment is too scary and distracting for most people. They just don't have the stomach for success.
If you're determined to rise above mediocrity, know that the envy, resentment and distrust of former peers is inevitable and, what's more, isn't caused by anything peculiar to your own personality or character.
Remember, too, that diverting your energies to try to diffuse the negativity is counterproductive. It would merely encourage your former peers to step up the pressure in the hope of bringing you back down to their level.
The notions of brotherhood/ sisterhood and equality that fill books and movies simply don't govern the workings of the business world. A successful company simply isn't a democracy. Workers aren't equal. If we were, communism wouldn't have failed so miserably and capitalism wouldn't work so well. Some people learn to be more effective at focusing their energies on creating value for their organizations and clients. If you are one, peer resentment will simply have to be a fixture of your career. The key to keeping it from becoming a fatal distraction is to expect it and accept it as an indispensible part of success, not something inspired uniquely by you. John Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln seem like gods to Americans. While they lived, they were hated and reviled by more people than loved them. Their greatest successes were achieved only to the extent they had the strength and good sense to avoid being distracted by public opinion.
Distraction #3
MISCONCEPTIONS: Unrealistic expectations of what success entails is another deadly source of distraction. Even genuinely successful people become confused and distracted when their experiences don't jive with their expectations of what success should be like. They begin second-guessing themselves in the hope of realizing an idealized state that has never existed on earth.
A common misconception involves the regard they expect to enjoy from others. Even those who could handle the hostility of peers as they built their early successes have trouble accepting the fact that no matter how successful they become, the hostility will remain, never to be replaced by universal respect and acclaim until the day they die or are otherwise rendered non-threatening.
There's good reason for that-your success simply isn't very important to anyone but you. Those who love you will rejoice in it as long as you don't forget who you are and who they are. Strangers will accord you a measure of respect and admiration for your achievement. These feelings, however, aren't nearly as deep or constant as the expectations that will have become fixed in your own mind.
No matter how successful you become, your success will never be what others judge you by. You will continue to be judged first and foremost on the human level. What's more, your success will make others expect of you even more honesty, courtesy, kindness and generosity. Noblesse oblige, as they say.
Your success will simply multiply the demands on you to be a warm, courteous and considerate human being. Fail to meet them and the superficial respect and admiration quickly sour into scorn and hatred. Since few people are saints, even among the super-successful, you're likely to alienate as much as win over those who come in contact with you. This fact baffles some successful people, making them question the genuineness of their success.
Money is the basis for another distracting misconception. Many people mistakenly assume that success provides access to unlimited amounts of money and unlimited time and freedom with which to spend it. Truth is, only a miniscule fraction of all successful people enjoy incomes that provide unlimited material rewards.
Take Bill Gates, commonly reckoned the world's richest person, with a fortune valued at over $8 billion. Putting aside for the moment Gate's well-known stinginess-which helped immeasurably in his quest for success, neven he isn't free to spend recklessly. If he tried to cash in his Microsoft stock, share prices would plummet instantaneously, costing him and his company billions in lost wealth. The annual income he draws from the company is measured in millions, not billions. As head of a company that prides itself in its ability to control waste, Gates would severely damage his credibility and leadership position if he were to become a profligate spender in his personal life. More importantly, Gates is severely constrained by the need to focus his energies on running his company. He simply can't afford the time for shopping sprees, even if he were so inclined. His chief pleasure is growing his company, not in dissipating what he's built up.
There are many other examples. Warren Buffet, the world's most successful investor, denied his only daughter's request for a $30,000 loan for a down payment on a house on the ground that he owed a duty to invest his money wisely. The late Walmart founder Sam Walton, who once headed up the Forbes 400, drove a beat up pickup truck and lived out his life in the same modest home he bought 30 years earlier.Successes who become distracted by the myth that success means profligate spending and start pushing the limits of their successes with their burgeoning insecurities provide the world with dozens of juicy morality plays every year . Who hasn't heard of the music star who had his estate auctioned off, the real estate tycoon put on a tight allowances, the former rock star who lives on the streets. Success takes a decade or more to build but mere months to send into the bankruptcy courts.
Successful people who lose their focus on creating value and distract themselves with the supposed rewards of success soon find themselves on the slippery slope to a humbling disaster.
Distraction #4
FEAR OF FAILURE: The fatal distraction is fear of failure. For most even the remote possibility of public humiliation and financial ruin is so terrifying that they never entertain the risk. For them success is never more than a pipedream, something to gawk at and gossip about from a safe distance.
Even after you muster the focus, faith and fortitude to get on the success track, sooner or later fear of failure can start to distract you. It can keep you from trying what ought to be tried, taking the countless calculated risks that are the building blocks of success. It whittles down your grand success adventure into a struggle for survival.
That's when you need to remind yourself what success is about-giving yourself the opportunity to fail. Success and failure are two sides of the freedom to take full responsibility for your actions. That's the only way we humans build worthwhile things. Making a thousand light bulbs that didn't work taught Thomas Edison how to make the one that changed life on earth. From internal combustion engines to computer chips, from Kentucky Fried Chicken to Microsoft, the story of success is the story of perseverance in the face of repeated failure.
When the prospect of failure looms so large it distracts you from your focus on success, remember that the faster you make mistakes, the faster you learn how to become successful. If you aren't failing, you aren't succeeding.
2.24.2007
Get rid of your bad habits
By the time we reach the peak years of our career, most of us have picked up a deadly collection of time-killing habits. Each one eat into our capacity to focus on success. TV and the morning newspaper are two of the worst. Devotees watch their days dawn stillborn, suffocated in the awful banality of pulpy events and canned banter.
Long juicy phone chats with friends and enemies are deadly. If you need a ten minute chat every hour to get through your workday, you should feel lucky you even have a job. A phone chat costs you not only the time it takes to dial and talk, but also the time and energy to restore your focus to the effort at hand, not to mention the lost momentum caused by the interruption.
Coffee or snack breaks rob precious minutes from prime work hours while adding flab and lowering energy levels. Grabbing coffee and a donut seems like it should take a minute or two. In fact, a donut break is more likely to cost 20-30 minutes, especially when you consider the time it takes to refocus on what you were doing. If you must nibble, bring a snack to work and keep it on your desk so you can munch without breaking stride. Just make sure it's energy boosters like baby carrots or trail mix, not slothmakers like donuts, cookies or breads. Anything starchy makes you drowsy and costs you the keen edge you need for focus.Bad habits can turn a highly effective person into a hopeless bumbler.
The trick to dealing with bad habits is to substitute a good habit in their place. Substitute a morning run or swim in place of TV or the morning paper. Substitute a call to a few key clients or associate in place of a chat with friends or a coffee break. Use the impulse to indulge a bad habit as the stimulus that triggers a good habit. The next time you feel the urge to get your third cup of coffee, consciously replace it with the desire to make a business call to a favorite client, or at least reach for a carrot or glass of water. The next time you feel the urge to call your significant other to engage in a long gripe session about your lazy, stupid, ugly boss, condition yourself to call your boss instead and suggest ways to add to the bottom line. That way you're actually using the conditioned power of your bad habits to trigger a good habit. If Pavlov could do stimulus-response conditioning with canines, you can train yourself to do the same.
Obviously, relaxation and entertainment must have a place in your life. The key is to save them for the end of the workday, after hours or weekends when they help us unwind rather than indulging in them early in the day and causing our workdays to start stillborn.
Long juicy phone chats with friends and enemies are deadly. If you need a ten minute chat every hour to get through your workday, you should feel lucky you even have a job. A phone chat costs you not only the time it takes to dial and talk, but also the time and energy to restore your focus to the effort at hand, not to mention the lost momentum caused by the interruption.
Coffee or snack breaks rob precious minutes from prime work hours while adding flab and lowering energy levels. Grabbing coffee and a donut seems like it should take a minute or two. In fact, a donut break is more likely to cost 20-30 minutes, especially when you consider the time it takes to refocus on what you were doing. If you must nibble, bring a snack to work and keep it on your desk so you can munch without breaking stride. Just make sure it's energy boosters like baby carrots or trail mix, not slothmakers like donuts, cookies or breads. Anything starchy makes you drowsy and costs you the keen edge you need for focus.Bad habits can turn a highly effective person into a hopeless bumbler.
The trick to dealing with bad habits is to substitute a good habit in their place. Substitute a morning run or swim in place of TV or the morning paper. Substitute a call to a few key clients or associate in place of a chat with friends or a coffee break. Use the impulse to indulge a bad habit as the stimulus that triggers a good habit. The next time you feel the urge to get your third cup of coffee, consciously replace it with the desire to make a business call to a favorite client, or at least reach for a carrot or glass of water. The next time you feel the urge to call your significant other to engage in a long gripe session about your lazy, stupid, ugly boss, condition yourself to call your boss instead and suggest ways to add to the bottom line. That way you're actually using the conditioned power of your bad habits to trigger a good habit. If Pavlov could do stimulus-response conditioning with canines, you can train yourself to do the same.
Obviously, relaxation and entertainment must have a place in your life. The key is to save them for the end of the workday, after hours or weekends when they help us unwind rather than indulging in them early in the day and causing our workdays to start stillborn.
2.23.2007
FAITH
FAITH is the 'eternal elixir' which gives life, power and action to th impulse of thought!
FAITH is the starting point of all accumulation of riches!
FAITH is the basis of all 'miracles' and mysteries that cannot be analysed by the rules of science!
FAITH is the only known antidote to FAILURE!
FAITH is the element, the 'chemical' which, when mixed with prayer, gives one direct communication with Infinite Intelligence.
FAITH is the element the transforms the ordinary vibration of thought, created by the finite mind of man, into the spiritual equivalent.
FAITH is the only agency through which the cosmic force of Infinite Intelligence can be harnessed and used.
from THINK & GROW RICH, by Napoleon Hill
2.18.2007
Your Top 4 Strategies To Thrive During Stressful Situations
by Go To Coaching
Stress. You’ve got to love it! It can make you great or it can make cowards of us all! In a previous article I discussed exactly what stress is and what it does to your body and mind.
Today I want to share with you some successful stress reducing strategies that you can start to use today. Although these concepts are not new, they are powerful and if you choose to apply them in your life now you are guaranteed to see results!
The number of strategies available to combat stress is large. Lets focus on the following 4 extremely effective approaches:
1. Nutrition
2. Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Breathing
You can apply each of these tactics right away and as a result you can expect to see an immediate difference. That is of course if you choose to act now and apply this information!
Although there are many other strategies you can use, I challenge you to try these four and notice how your stress levels begin to fall like the Wide World of Sports Skier off that jump. As a byproduct you will also notice other improvements such as increased energy, enhanced focus, better decision making abilities, and a general sense of well being.
That all sounds great doesn’t it? So what specifically do you have to do in order to take advantage of these stress-reducing techniques? The following is a quick guideline for each strategy:
Nutrition
• Eating high water content and nutrient dense vegetables
• Minimizing processed foods, caffeine, sugar, salt, alcohol, and saturated fats can also have a positive effect on stress management.
• If a food makes you tired, bloated, or congested – eliminate these foods or eat less frequently.
Sleep
• Sleeping at least 7.5 hours and up to 9+ can help enhance the body’s natural resistance to stress
• If you can’t get it every night try every other night.
• Also give yourself at least one day to recover completely!
Exercise
• Total body activities such as jogging, swimming, biking, paddling, surfing, yoga, and hiking for at least 30 minutes and no more than 2 hrs for 3-5 times per week
• Remember with each exercise session to create variety – avoid doing the same thing on back to back workout sessions
Breathing techniques
• Take 40 really deep breaths throughout the day
• Relax your abdominals
• Begin by drawing air in and allow your belly to expand out
• Ensure your ribs expand out and not up
• Pause for a second when you have taken a full deep breath
• When exhaling reverse the process
• Start from the top of the chest and move towards your abdominals
• As you expel all the air out, your abdominals should be tight and contracted – hold this for a second
• Repeat 10 times 4 times per day
We have discussed what you can do to diminish the effect of stress on you so that you may thrive in the face of stress! Breaking this cycle requires you to be proactive in your diet, sleep, exercise and even how you breathe. Stress can be an obstacle or an opportunity for growth – its your choice!
Choose Victory! The Go To Coaching Team
To find out how Go To Coaching Inc. can help you achieve your goals visit www.gotocoaching.com
Stress. You’ve got to love it! It can make you great or it can make cowards of us all! In a previous article I discussed exactly what stress is and what it does to your body and mind.
Today I want to share with you some successful stress reducing strategies that you can start to use today. Although these concepts are not new, they are powerful and if you choose to apply them in your life now you are guaranteed to see results!
The number of strategies available to combat stress is large. Lets focus on the following 4 extremely effective approaches:
1. Nutrition
2. Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Breathing
You can apply each of these tactics right away and as a result you can expect to see an immediate difference. That is of course if you choose to act now and apply this information!
Although there are many other strategies you can use, I challenge you to try these four and notice how your stress levels begin to fall like the Wide World of Sports Skier off that jump. As a byproduct you will also notice other improvements such as increased energy, enhanced focus, better decision making abilities, and a general sense of well being.
That all sounds great doesn’t it? So what specifically do you have to do in order to take advantage of these stress-reducing techniques? The following is a quick guideline for each strategy:
Nutrition
• Eating high water content and nutrient dense vegetables
• Minimizing processed foods, caffeine, sugar, salt, alcohol, and saturated fats can also have a positive effect on stress management.
• If a food makes you tired, bloated, or congested – eliminate these foods or eat less frequently.
Sleep
• Sleeping at least 7.5 hours and up to 9+ can help enhance the body’s natural resistance to stress
• If you can’t get it every night try every other night.
• Also give yourself at least one day to recover completely!
Exercise
• Total body activities such as jogging, swimming, biking, paddling, surfing, yoga, and hiking for at least 30 minutes and no more than 2 hrs for 3-5 times per week
• Remember with each exercise session to create variety – avoid doing the same thing on back to back workout sessions
Breathing techniques
• Take 40 really deep breaths throughout the day
• Relax your abdominals
• Begin by drawing air in and allow your belly to expand out
• Ensure your ribs expand out and not up
• Pause for a second when you have taken a full deep breath
• When exhaling reverse the process
• Start from the top of the chest and move towards your abdominals
• As you expel all the air out, your abdominals should be tight and contracted – hold this for a second
• Repeat 10 times 4 times per day
We have discussed what you can do to diminish the effect of stress on you so that you may thrive in the face of stress! Breaking this cycle requires you to be proactive in your diet, sleep, exercise and even how you breathe. Stress can be an obstacle or an opportunity for growth – its your choice!
Choose Victory! The Go To Coaching Team
To find out how Go To Coaching Inc. can help you achieve your goals visit www.gotocoaching.com
Stress: What is stress?
by Go To Coaching
I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day and we started talking about one of the many pharmaceutical commercials being aired. In fact, it may have been a hodgepodge of several.
Regardless, our conversation was directed at all the leading questions that these companies ask during their respective commercials. “Are you tired?” “Are you overwhelmed?” “Are you fatigued?” “Are you not feeling like yourself?” Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
It could be sleep deprivation, it could be depression, it could be allergies, it could be an assortment of many things. The underlining theme is the stress that either causes or is caused by these ailments. The take a pill and call me in the morning mentality is only a band-aid. Instead of being reactive and taking a drug, choose to be proactive by attacking the stress.
So what exactly is stress? Here are a couple textbook definitions:
1. Richard Lazarus, University of California Professor of Psychology, defines stress when “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize”.
2. Hans Selye’s, one of the pioneers of stress research, states: “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.”
Whether you actually experience the stress or you think you may be under stress, guess what, your body goes through the same physical reaction. Just more ammunition for the belief that the mind is more powerful than the body! So now that we have a better idea what stress is lets find out what causes it.
So what are common scenarios that we engage in daily that allow stress to accumulate in our life?
- Public speaking
- Academic tests
- Changing jobs
- Loss of a loved one
- Driving in rush hour traffic
- Loosing
- Isolation
- Large crowds
- Loud noises
- Natural disasters
- Acute injuries and illnesses
- Chronic illnesses
- Competition
- Relationships
Stressors you may not have considered:
Eating, physical activity, exercise, winning, and silence.
Within these scenarios what is really causing the stress? Stress occurs in our physical, psychological, spiritual, and social lives.
Physically we see stress caused by a wide variety of things including:
- Poor Nutrition
- Drug use
- Excessive caffeine, sugar, alcohol, nicotine and food additives
- Dehydration – not enough water consumption
- Lack of oxygen –not from holding your breath when you don’t get what you want
- Musculoskeletal imbalances – think about it this way – when your joints ache, when your muscles are tight, when you feel clumsy
- Too little or too much exercise
- Hormonal imbalances
- Food allergies/sensitivities
- Low blood sugar – not eating multiple small meals per day
- Trauma
- Chronic pain
- Ph balance – caused by poor food choices – eating too many processed foods
- Illness (virus, bacteria, fungus, mold, dust, parasites, other toxins and pollutants)
Psychological stress originates from:
- Perceptions
- Emotions
- Attitudes
- Beliefs
Social stress occurs with:
- Finances
- Relationships
- Isolation
- Crowding
- Social overload
- Lack of support
- Conflict
Spiritual stress results from:
- An individual’s lack of purpose
- Faith
- Value
- Direction in their life
- Guilt
All of these factors combine to create a cumulative stress on our system. Which may lead to unwanted outcomes.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that stress and its resulting effects cause 85% of all disease conditions. Furthermore, Bruce Lipton, PhD, a cellular biologist from Stanford estimates 95% of all illnesses are directly influenced by stress.
Disease is not the only result of stress. The physical, emotional and behavioral effects of stress are vast and can be all encompassing. From poor performance at work to grinding your teeth at night. From developing digestive problems to explosive diarrhea. If you allow it, stress can influence every facet of your life.
You just learned what stress is and how it can negatively effect you. If you want to learn what you can do to diminish its effect on you and be proactive to break this cycle so that you can thrive in the face of stress, check out www.gotocoaching.com and look for other articles related to Stress reduction.
To your health! Go To Coaching Inc.
I was having lunch with a friend of mine the other day and we started talking about one of the many pharmaceutical commercials being aired. In fact, it may have been a hodgepodge of several.
Regardless, our conversation was directed at all the leading questions that these companies ask during their respective commercials. “Are you tired?” “Are you overwhelmed?” “Are you fatigued?” “Are you not feeling like yourself?” Yes, yes, yes, and yes.
It could be sleep deprivation, it could be depression, it could be allergies, it could be an assortment of many things. The underlining theme is the stress that either causes or is caused by these ailments. The take a pill and call me in the morning mentality is only a band-aid. Instead of being reactive and taking a drug, choose to be proactive by attacking the stress.
So what exactly is stress? Here are a couple textbook definitions:
1. Richard Lazarus, University of California Professor of Psychology, defines stress when “demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize”.
2. Hans Selye’s, one of the pioneers of stress research, states: “stress is not necessarily something bad – it all depends on how you take it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is detrimental.”
Whether you actually experience the stress or you think you may be under stress, guess what, your body goes through the same physical reaction. Just more ammunition for the belief that the mind is more powerful than the body! So now that we have a better idea what stress is lets find out what causes it.
So what are common scenarios that we engage in daily that allow stress to accumulate in our life?
- Public speaking
- Academic tests
- Changing jobs
- Loss of a loved one
- Driving in rush hour traffic
- Loosing
- Isolation
- Large crowds
- Loud noises
- Natural disasters
- Acute injuries and illnesses
- Chronic illnesses
- Competition
- Relationships
Stressors you may not have considered:
Eating, physical activity, exercise, winning, and silence.
Within these scenarios what is really causing the stress? Stress occurs in our physical, psychological, spiritual, and social lives.
Physically we see stress caused by a wide variety of things including:
- Poor Nutrition
- Drug use
- Excessive caffeine, sugar, alcohol, nicotine and food additives
- Dehydration – not enough water consumption
- Lack of oxygen –not from holding your breath when you don’t get what you want
- Musculoskeletal imbalances – think about it this way – when your joints ache, when your muscles are tight, when you feel clumsy
- Too little or too much exercise
- Hormonal imbalances
- Food allergies/sensitivities
- Low blood sugar – not eating multiple small meals per day
- Trauma
- Chronic pain
- Ph balance – caused by poor food choices – eating too many processed foods
- Illness (virus, bacteria, fungus, mold, dust, parasites, other toxins and pollutants)
Psychological stress originates from:
- Perceptions
- Emotions
- Attitudes
- Beliefs
Social stress occurs with:
- Finances
- Relationships
- Isolation
- Crowding
- Social overload
- Lack of support
- Conflict
Spiritual stress results from:
- An individual’s lack of purpose
- Faith
- Value
- Direction in their life
- Guilt
All of these factors combine to create a cumulative stress on our system. Which may lead to unwanted outcomes.
The Center for Disease Control estimates that stress and its resulting effects cause 85% of all disease conditions. Furthermore, Bruce Lipton, PhD, a cellular biologist from Stanford estimates 95% of all illnesses are directly influenced by stress.
Disease is not the only result of stress. The physical, emotional and behavioral effects of stress are vast and can be all encompassing. From poor performance at work to grinding your teeth at night. From developing digestive problems to explosive diarrhea. If you allow it, stress can influence every facet of your life.
You just learned what stress is and how it can negatively effect you. If you want to learn what you can do to diminish its effect on you and be proactive to break this cycle so that you can thrive in the face of stress, check out www.gotocoaching.com and look for other articles related to Stress reduction.
To your health! Go To Coaching Inc.
Portrait of the month: Damon Dash
Damon Dash is in town for 24 hours. He's flown in on a private jet with an entourage that includes personal assistants, publicist, valet, cameramen, laptop geeks and sundry "friends". With this crew he'll work, party a little and then be back in New York in time to take the kids out the following evening. As you might expect from the man who admits he's the walking embodiment of his own multi-faceted, money-printing urban lifestyle brand, Dash doesn't do things on the cheap. Despite meeting in a luxurious suite at London's fashionable Soho Hotel he still insists on having his food prepared by his own chef.
How could you not say in the same sentence that this man was CEO and founder of Roc-A-Fella Records which had Jay-Z and Kanye West; who started Rocawear clothing; who was owner of Armadale vodka and America magazine; a man who bought Pro-Keds sneakers and who makes movies; a man who does a lot of things and does them well?" Answer: because most people would run out of breath.
The only reason why Damon Dash is where he is today is becase he always want more money. He never gets enough.
The 33-year-old thinks about money a lot. He grew up telling his childhood friends in Harlem that he would one day make it big and winning a scholarship to a leading private school meant he got to study wealth at close quarters. "I'm comfortable in very extreme situations," he says. "I can go into the depths of the 'hood with the roughest type of guys and feel 100% comfortable because I lived through it, survived it and felt comfortable with it. I'm also confident I can go into the boardroom with non-urban people and feel 100% comfortable because I have lived the non-urban life at times and I survived it. I can relate and I can also translate."
This ability comes in handy when it comes to dealing with what he describes as "square businesses".
This ability comes in handy when it comes to dealing with what he describes as "square businesses".
"Some people have a serious disconnect with the culture of people they are trying to sell to," explains the self-proclaimed marketing manager for the street. "I don't want to talk about exploitation but business is business and if you want to sell to a certain demographic, you have to understand it. The majority of big corporations don't. They haven't any experience of struggle and they don't know what's cool. They're kinda nerdy actually."
Yet for all the ultra-bling diamond-encrusted watches, über A-list dinner-party guests and membership of the hip-hop aristocracy, there is something strangely nerdy about Damon Dash. Perhaps it's his easy fluency in marketing spiel or the towels and trainers discarded after a single use. Or maybe it's because becoming part of his entourage requires passing out of what he happily describes as "boot camp".
"When I want to employ somebody I try to build them from A-Z," explains Dash. "Before I put you in the field with one of my businesses, I would spend very intensive time with you to put you through the shit work so you appreciate the move up. You got to watch how I work and see what I expect from people. If you pass through boot camp, you can move on and get into my company."
Once there, he says, you're unlikely to leave. "I like to empower people and give them their own businesses so they can go ahead and run them. They can then run those parts of the world that I can't." The recent parting of the ways with Jay-Z has allowed Dash to put these theories into practice. The new Damon Dash Music Group gives individual artists their own labels under one umbrella, while Dash Dibella Promotions, a co-venture with wizened fight promoter Lou Dibella, aims to "empower" its stable of boxers.
"When I want to employ somebody I try to build them from A-Z," explains Dash. "Before I put you in the field with one of my businesses, I would spend very intensive time with you to put you through the shit work so you appreciate the move up. You got to watch how I work and see what I expect from people. If you pass through boot camp, you can move on and get into my company."
Once there, he says, you're unlikely to leave. "I like to empower people and give them their own businesses so they can go ahead and run them. They can then run those parts of the world that I can't." The recent parting of the ways with Jay-Z has allowed Dash to put these theories into practice. The new Damon Dash Music Group gives individual artists their own labels under one umbrella, while Dash Dibella Promotions, a co-venture with wizened fight promoter Lou Dibella, aims to "empower" its stable of boxers.
He calls his personal assistant Sophia into the room. It's her birthday. "She is actually two years old," smiles Dash, "because I have been personally raising her for the last two years. She came and got into boot camp and I had her doing all kinda stuff. Crying was involved but she passed so I put her in the field. She's 23 years old. Imagine what she's going to be like when she's 30 after seven years of being around me and learning from me in an intensive way?"
FROM THE GUARDIAN UNLIMITED
You have a thing for vodka?
I have a thing about buying things and not owning them, ya know what I'm saying?
You have a hard time buying things and not owning them?
Yeah, like if we're promoting something we don't own ... we know what we like, and if it's real, we could do the research and make it better and then we could market it and sell it. I have a problem with making other people money.
You seem pretty passionate about making more money — but do you ever have moments when you look around and say holy cow... I'm really rich!?
The funny thing about that is the more money I make, the more I want. On my first vacations, I'm going to the Bahamas or something. Then, you make money, then you go to St. Tropez. And what you notice is everybody's richer than you in St. Tropez, so I don't feel rich. I can't afford to just frivolously buy a $30 million yacht, you know what I'm saying? So I aspire to have what everybody around me has and more...
I'm never trying to be a big fish in a little pond. I wanna be a big fish in the ocean.
I have a thing about buying things and not owning them, ya know what I'm saying?
You have a hard time buying things and not owning them?
Yeah, like if we're promoting something we don't own ... we know what we like, and if it's real, we could do the research and make it better and then we could market it and sell it. I have a problem with making other people money.
You seem pretty passionate about making more money — but do you ever have moments when you look around and say holy cow... I'm really rich!?
The funny thing about that is the more money I make, the more I want. On my first vacations, I'm going to the Bahamas or something. Then, you make money, then you go to St. Tropez. And what you notice is everybody's richer than you in St. Tropez, so I don't feel rich. I can't afford to just frivolously buy a $30 million yacht, you know what I'm saying? So I aspire to have what everybody around me has and more...
I'm never trying to be a big fish in a little pond. I wanna be a big fish in the ocean.
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive
2.17.2007
Work on your power of attraction: sense of humor
What's Humor Anyway?
Humor is what makes something funny; a sense of humor is the ability to recognize it. Someone with a well-developed sense of humor has the ability to recognize what's funny in others and can amuse others as well.
Sense of humor can help you:
Humor is what makes something funny; a sense of humor is the ability to recognize it. Someone with a well-developed sense of humor has the ability to recognize what's funny in others and can amuse others as well.
Sense of humor can help you:
- see things from many perspectives other than the most obvious
- be spontaneous
- grasp unconventional ideas or ways of thinking
- see beyond the surface of things
- enjoy and participate in the playful aspects of life
- not take yourself too seriously
Don't think that because you want to be someone important & influent, you have to be always serious & impress people by appearing as someone cold and condescending.
Being an easy-going person is essencial, because it helps people feel comfortable even in the most tense situations. Don't hesitate using your sense of humor. You should even be able to laugh at yourself without giving the impression to be a complete fool. It's a way to show that you are self-confident & that you can take any joke.
Don't be afraid to be funny, but don't abuse of your sense of humor. Avoid corny jokes. Please no racist, sexist, sexual joke. People might not take you seriously. Worst, they might find you boring & avoid you.
Another thing to avoid is to become too familiar with people. Being funny, doesn't mean sharing your personal informations. Don't forget your ultimate goal is to create professional links & establish a strong reputation. I will come back on this point in another post. But keep in mind that less people know about you & better it is.
Just make sure people smile when they are around you.
2.14.2007
Forget the 5 Dollar Words
Direct and concise is best
By: MAX MESSMER, Scripps Howard News Service, Scripps Howard News Service (SH) -
When compiling their resumes and cover letters, job seekers often attempt to showcase their expansive vocabularies. Unfortunately, instead of sounding savvy and sophisticated, many come across as pretentious. The truth is that being clear and concise impresses hiring managers more than using - or misusing - fancy five-dollar words.
"SKILLS: Enrich performance-based employee remuneration, enhanced with consistent encouragement, support and coaching."
"Support sales staff" might have been the better choice of words.
COVER LETTER: "I always aggressively take on the demeanor of meticulous leadership."
Lead us away from that nonsensical sentence.
In addition to avoiding convoluted language, it's also important to target your application materials to the specific employer and position. The next applicant missed the boat completely:
COVER LETTER: "I visualize myself as a person viewing a stream - the stream being a business. I see rocks beneath the surface causing the water to run with ripples. I view myself as the one who removes those rocks, leaving a smooth-running stream."
We visualize a long-winded job seeker failing to produce a compelling cover letter.
COVER LETTER: "Intuitive people value imagination. When I look at an apple, I imagine myself baking a pie or putting the apple into a fruit salad."
In this case, an apple a day keeps the job offer away.
QUALIFICATIONS: "I enjoy challenging tasks involving measurable results and imaginable solutions."
All good, but why place this information under "Qualifications"?
While some job applicants try too hard to impress, others just don't try hard enough:
COVER LETTER: "Teachers say they are preparing you for the real world, but when exactly does the real world multiply matrices? Or when am I going to have to know the smallest unit of organic compounds? To me, it seems useless and a waste of time to teach these senseless things."
We sense a real attitude problem here.
By: MAX MESSMER, Scripps Howard News Service, Scripps Howard News Service (SH) -
When compiling their resumes and cover letters, job seekers often attempt to showcase their expansive vocabularies. Unfortunately, instead of sounding savvy and sophisticated, many come across as pretentious. The truth is that being clear and concise impresses hiring managers more than using - or misusing - fancy five-dollar words.
"SKILLS: Enrich performance-based employee remuneration, enhanced with consistent encouragement, support and coaching."
"Support sales staff" might have been the better choice of words.
COVER LETTER: "I always aggressively take on the demeanor of meticulous leadership."
Lead us away from that nonsensical sentence.
In addition to avoiding convoluted language, it's also important to target your application materials to the specific employer and position. The next applicant missed the boat completely:
COVER LETTER: "I visualize myself as a person viewing a stream - the stream being a business. I see rocks beneath the surface causing the water to run with ripples. I view myself as the one who removes those rocks, leaving a smooth-running stream."
We visualize a long-winded job seeker failing to produce a compelling cover letter.
COVER LETTER: "Intuitive people value imagination. When I look at an apple, I imagine myself baking a pie or putting the apple into a fruit salad."
In this case, an apple a day keeps the job offer away.
QUALIFICATIONS: "I enjoy challenging tasks involving measurable results and imaginable solutions."
All good, but why place this information under "Qualifications"?
While some job applicants try too hard to impress, others just don't try hard enough:
COVER LETTER: "Teachers say they are preparing you for the real world, but when exactly does the real world multiply matrices? Or when am I going to have to know the smallest unit of organic compounds? To me, it seems useless and a waste of time to teach these senseless things."
We sense a real attitude problem here.
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