Sharpening Your Conversation Skills

There are three aims and purposes of conversation. The first is the plain enjoyment and pleasure of self-expression and interaction with other people. One of the most enjoyable things we ever do is to spend time with people we like and whose company we find stimulating. This potential pleasure is the driving force behind all of our social activities.

President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration and Address

From Andre

Sorry people for the lack of posting I’m now back on the grind!

Become A Good Observer

by Jim Rohn

We must never allow a day to pass without finding the answers to a list of important questions such as: What is going on in our industry? What new challenges are currently facing our government? Our community? Our neighborhood? What are the new breakthroughs, the new opportunities, the new tools and techniques that have recently come to light? Who are the new personalities that are influencing world and local opinion?

We must become good observers and astute evaluators of all that is going on around us. All events affect us, and what affects us leaves an imprint on what we will one day be and how we will one day live.

One of the major reasons why people are not doing well is because they keep trying to get through the day.

CHANGE IS GOOD

I remember a comment, while reading an article on changing our habits made by Dr. Fisher : “If I always do what I’ve always done, I will always get what I’ve always gotten”.

That is true. Change is a part of life and every single day everything is changing.

At the same time the truth is people generally do not like change. Also, people tend to resist change. This is a bad habit!

We fear change. Any change, whether it is good or bad, is always anxiety producing. All changes cause some discomfort. Of course, we do not like anxiety and we do not want to change anything.
Therefore, we need the courage to change our bad habits and negative behavior. We use our anxiety as an excuse for not changing. We are always trying to do the same things, expecting to get something different. Unfortunately, that is impossible. We have to pay a price for changing ourselves. But, it is worth it.

Mind Power

“The Eagle who thought he was a chicken”

“A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.

“Years passed and the eagle grew old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. The old eagle looked up in awe. ‘Who’s that?’ he asked.

“‘That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,’ said his neighbor. ‘He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth; we’re chickens.’

“So the eagle lived and died as chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.” (By Anthony de Mello, S.J.)

I don’t remember ever reading a more powerful and brilliant fable. Actually this isn’t a fable, but a textbook about the power of mind and thoughts. It is about fate, destiny, low self- esteem, low self-confidence and comfort zones. In short, this is a story about human life.

Sharpening Your Conversation Skills

There are three aims and purposes of conversation. The first is the plain enjoyment and pleasure of self-expression and interaction with other people. One of the most enjoyable things we ever do is to spend time with people we like and whose company we find stimulating. This potential pleasure is the driving force behind all of our social activities. We like to get together with people with whom we have a lot in common and just share ideas, letting the conversation go where it will.

The second aim or purpose of conversation is to get to know the other person better. In sales, and in all kinds of business, you require prolonged exposure to another person in order to get a feel for how he or she thinks, feels and reacts. This can’t be accomplished in a short meeting.

The third aim of conversation is to build trust and credibility between the two people. This is perhaps the most important thing we do as we proceed through life and it is only possible with the kind of continuous

Thinking Like A Winner

After studying the research done in cognitive psychology over the last 25 years, I’ve come to a simple conclusion: The degree to which you feel in control of your life will largely determine your level of mental well-being, your peace of mind, your happiness and the quality of your interactions with people. Cognitive psychologists call this a “sense of control.” It is the foundation of happiness and high achievement. And the only thing in the world over which you have complete control is the content of your conscious mind. If you decide to exert that control and keep your mind on what you want, even when you are surrounded by difficult circumstances, your future potential will be unlimited.

Your aim should be to work on yourself and your thinking until you reach the point where you absolutely, positively believe yourself to be a total winner in anything you sincerely want to accomplish. When you reach

Becoming a Person of Integrity

Integrity is a value, like persistence, courage and industriousness. Even more than that, it is the value that guarantees all the other values. You are a good person to the degree to which you live your life consistent with the highest values that you espouse. Integrity is the quality that locks in your values and causes you to live consistent with them.

Integrity is the foundation of character. And character development is one of the most important activities you can engage in. Working on your character means disciplining yourself to do more and more of those things that a thoroughly honest person would do, under all circumstances.

To be impeccably honest with others, you must first be impeccably honest with yourself. You must be true to yourself. You must be true to the very best that is in you, to the very best that you know. Only a person who is living consistent with his or her highest values and virtues is really living a life of integrity. And when you commit to living this kind of life, you will find yourself continually raising your own standards, continually refining your definition of integrity and honesty.

You can tell how high your level of integrity is by simply looking at the things you do in your day-to-day life. You can look at your reactions and responses to the inevitable ups and downs of life. You can observe the behaviors you typically engage in and you will then know the person you are.

How to Budget Your Money

Before you can do any financial planning, it is important to examine your income and your expenses. When you spend more than you earn, you are heading for financial disaster. Calculate every cent you spend daily, no matter how small it is. Everything adds up.

Steps

1. Calculate your regular income. Include that of your spouse also, as well as regular income from other sources.
2. Make a list of all income sources and amounts. Do you receive regular overtime or a large bonus? Is it guaranteed? Can you calculate average amounts by using past bank statements or pay slips? Try to be accurate and get to an average ‘net’ (after taxes) income.