7 Benefits of Being Present

Life is a great and wondrous mystery, and the only thing we know that we have for sure is what is right here right now. Don't miss it. ~ Leo Buscaglia

What can you do about the past and the future? Nothing much, except that the thought of it takes away the energy from what you can do now. Develop a habit to live from moment to moment. The present is the only time that you have full control to do what you want to do. Being present benefits your well-being profoundly. Think of the following benefits when you are here and now.

1. Focus: There are no distractions. Your thought is not somewhere else. Your heart and mind are on the job at hand. You enjoy what you do. You truly live in the moment.

The other day a man asked me what I thought was the best time of life. "Why," I answered without a thought, "now." ~ David Grayson

2. Listening: Are you absent-minded? You are hearing things but you are not actually listening. It is like a schoolboy who is staring at the teacher and his mind is thinking about recess. To be present is to pay attention and listen to the other person talking to you. You respect the other person when you listen with your heart and mind.

3.Peace of mind: You are not disturbed by the unpleasantness of the past or the uncertainties of the future. Your thought is about what you can do and what you want to do now.

 If you are carrying strong feelings about something that happened in your past, they may hinder your ability to live in the present. ~Les Brown

4. A clear mind: Your mind is in the present and you are not burdened by other thoughts. You think clearly, sensibly, and logically.

Living in the moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift. ~ Oprah Winfrey

5. Alert: Being present is being responsive. You are more aware of what is happening to you and you are able to react quickly. When you drive, your mind is on the road. While you are eating, you think of the food that you are chewing.

 6. Happiness: To avoid incessant thinking and be absorbed in the present moment like a child is to be happy. You are influenced by your thoughts. Too much thinking of the past and future will rob you of your mood to enjoy the present moment.

 Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present. ~Jim Rohn

7. More productive: You are fully conscious of what you are doing when your mind is calm and your thinking is clear. You act more decisively and you work more effectively and efficiently.

 Losers live in the past. Winners learn from the past and enjoy working in the present toward the future. ~ Denis Waitley


The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~ Buddha

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. ~ Coreta Kent

3 Business Concepts to Promote Yourself Effectively

There are three popular business concepts that are very useful to promote yourself and create a trusted brand:

·         4 P’s of Marketing (Product Price Place Promotion)

·         USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

·         SWOT analysis (Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats)

Product

It is about the services that you can provide for others. What can you offer to others? The USP comes into the picture. What are you good at and competent in? What can you do better than others? What is your expertise? What are your interests and passion? In fact, this is your “strength” part of SWOT analysis.  Highlight your strong points is the key to project a positive image of yourself.

Price

This is what you get in exchange for your services. It can be in the form of salaries and wages or fees you charge as a doctor or an accountant. The more valuable services you can offer, the higher the reward you will get. It is prudent that you sharpen your skills and make yourself more valuable and unique in the eyes of the public. This could be the “threats” part of your SWOT analysis because there are people, who are equally if not more capable, willing to accept a lower and competitive fee.    

Place

It is to strategically place yourself where the demand for your services is most needed. If you are a financial genius, Singapore is the place for you. It is one of the top international financial hubs of the world. This is the place to exhibit your talents and be handsomely compensated. This, in fact, is the “opportunities” part of your SWOT analysis.

Promotion

In this area, it is a double-edged sword. If you do it wrong, it can be your “weaknesses” in your SWOT analysis. It is important that you send out the right messages and are able to honor your promises. It is better to under-promise and over-deliver. It is less stressful for you and easier to protect your reputation. It is also a pleasant surprise to your clients.     

Are you taking advantage of the business concepts to promote yourself?

7 Effective Ways to Write Articles with Focus

Focus

Whatever you focus on expands. ~Christopher M. Knight

When you write, focus on thinking right and doing right to produce the right article.   

1.      Focus on the subject: Do research and get to know the subject well. Provide accurate information and not mislead readers. Be knowledgeable about the subject and cover the subject in depth. When you write, be unique, be original, be authentic and be comprehensive about the subject.

2.      Focus on the readers: Focus on giving value to the readers. Write and pay attention to detail.  Provide handy tips, useful information, solutions to everyday problems. Write to motivate the readers to make changes in their life for the better and not write for the sole purpose of ranking well in search engines. It is a selfish focus.

3.      Focus on presentation: Write to communicate by using simple words and short paragraphs. Use bullet points or number for each main point and highlight keywords to facilitate readers reading your articles. No pop-ups and no ads in the middle of an article to distract the readers.  Allow the readers to finish reading an article on the same page without further scrolling.  

4.      Focus on grammar and spelling: Aim for flawless English. Your work represents you. Project a positive image. Write with care and edit well.  

5.      Focus on the long term: Write consistently, persistently, and regularly. Write and post on subjects within your niche to build and gain trust and authority. Write every day to sharpen your writing skills and be more effective in expressing yourself. 

6.      Focus on building relationships: Solicit feedback and listen to your readers.  Give more of what the readers want. 

7.      Focus on a Positive attitude: Think of what is good for the readers and write from your heart. Keep learning, seek improvement, learn from mistakes and go for excellence.

 

Always focus on your effort, instead of the results of that effort. ~- Russell Simmons

My Top Three Popular Posts in July 2011

1. 7 Productive Things to Do Online Effectively

The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn`t think they could learn before, and so in a sense, it is all about potential. ~ Steve Ballmer


2. 7 Advantages to Continue Working When You Retire

According to an article, As First Baby, Boomers Retire, Many Facing Personal Finance Disasters, more than 10,000 baby boomers a day have turned 65 since January 2011, a pattern that will continue for the next 19 years. However, 60% of baby boomers don’t have enough for retirement. What can you do to fortify your financial independence and make ends meet? The only viable solution is to continue working. There are several benefits when you delay your retirement:


3. 10 Essential Things a College Student Should Learn

Learning without thought is labor lost. ~Confucius According to educationalists, as reported in the newspapers, students who enter tertiary institutions, such as colleges, polytechnics and universities, are academically excellent. However, they are lacking in things which are more important in the real world:

10 Benefits of a Part-Time Job during Semester Breaks

My son, a polytechnic student in Singapore, is due for his long 7- week first-semester vacation. It is important for him to spend his time wisely like getting a part-time job. There are distinct advantages to work temporarily in a job relating to his study:

1. Learn how a department relates to the operation of a company: My son is studying IT. He can work in the IT department in one of the industries such as a hotel in the hospitality industry. He will learn the connection between his particular department with all other departments. Taking note that it is essential for all departments to work closely on a common interest in order to run operations successfully.

2. Get to know more about your future job: You will get to know and learn the nitty-gritty of working in an IT department. Get to know the structure of a department and know who is reporting to whom.

3. Expose yourself to the real world: Get the feel of the job. Are you happy with the environment? Can you adjust yourself to suit the place?

4. Learn to communicate effectively: This is the place to develop your communication skills. Can you express yourself clearly? Can you understand messages and take orders?

5. Learn more about the technical aspect of the job: Find out what you have learnt and what is actually being done. Do you see the differences? Why?

6. Looking at things from a business perspective: Learn to think and work like a business person. What is the best approach to get something done? It has to be efficient and effective in order to be productive.

7. Polish the usage of English: It is also an excellent opportunity for those whose mother tongue is not English and to find out more about how English is being used in business.

8. Gain valuable experience: Prospective employers always ask the same question: Do you have the experience to do the job? Working part-time is an effective way to gain real-world experience.

 9. Get a testimonial for your future career: Learn the job well and do your best to gain the appreciation of your employer. You will get a good reference letter from him. It is invaluable when you start to build your career in the future.

10. Earn some money; Why not earn your own way and lessen the financial burden of your parents? It is thrilling that you can work and earn some pocket money.


A part-time job is an effective way to prepare for your future.

What Can Mathematics Teach You about Solving Problems

What you have learnt about solving mathematical problems can be equally applicable to solving your everyday problems by using the same strategy and approach:


1. Cool head: Like solving a mathematical problem, you avoid doing it when you are under stress, tired, and impatient. Work on a problem with a fresh and calm mind.

2. Focus: You need to do mathematics with mental concentration and avoid distractions. Likewise, you solve a problem with full attention and avoid interruption to your train of thought.

3. Be clear about your problem: A problem in mathematics is stated clearly, you know the problem precisely and you know what to do to solve the problem. It is easier to solve a problem when you know exactly what it is.

4. Simplify a problem: In mathematics, you are often asked to simplify a problem. Similarly, state your problem in simple terms so that you can see the problem clearly.

5. Solving a complicated problem part by part: A mathematics problem can be complicated, but it can be solved part by part, one step at a time. Your real-life problems are the same. Break down a complicated problem into bite-sized pieces and tackle one small part at a time.

6. Getting from the known factors to solve the unknowns: There are unknown factors in mathematics. However, you are given some known factors to find out what the unknown factors are. In solving a real-life problem, you start with what you know and slowly probing into the unknown to find a solution.

7. Write it down: You answer a mathematical problem by showing clearly the logical steps you have taken to arrive at the correct answer. In life, it is equally important to show the steps to be taken in solving a complicated problem. You want to make sure that a problem is resolved correctly, logically, and sequentially.


Are you solving your problems with a mathematical approach?

7 Positive Habits to Adopt

If you were to choose one habit to adopt in each area of your life, what would you choose? I consider the following habits the most important in the following areas of your life:



1. Health – the  habit of exercise


You are made to move. Inaction kills you. Daily exercise and walking promote energy, alertness, and poise in you. Besides, daily vigorous exercise such as jogging is an effective way to discharge toxins from your body through breathing and perspiration. You will live a better life when you move around more and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.




2. Work – the habit of working with your heart


When you work with your heart, you are enthusiastic about what you do. You enjoy the process of working and you are focused. You are determined to do the best you can to produce quality output. You do what is right at the right time. When you work wholeheartedly, you always seek better ways of doing things so that you will be more productive.



3. Money - the habit of savings


There is no wealth without savings. The habit of savings is the starting point to build your fortune. When you are able to save, it means you spend less than what you have earned. When you have accumulated substantially, you can invest what you have saved and grow your wealth. Savings is the only habit to get rich.



4. Relationships - the habit of thinking of the other person


It is your outgoing concern that touches the heart of your loved ones, friends, and co-workers. When you do things for your own personal interest, nobody cares about you. It is only when you are sincerely interested in others that you are able to gain their trust and respect in you. Give your best to others and you will get the same in return. Be good, do good, and feel good.



5. Mental attitude - the habit of positive thinking


Positive thinking gives you the confidence to live life. You will look for a solution when you encounter a problem. Positive thinking is looking at things from a brighter perspective. A positive mental attitude is optimistic about life because you are hopeful.



6. Emotions: the habit of just be happy


The ultimate aim of life is to be happy. However, happiness cannot be sought directly. It is a by-product of your positive thoughts and attitude. It is also about what you do to yourself and others. Thinking right and doing right is the way to happiness.



7. Spiritual: the  habit of counting your blessings


The way to get peace of mind is to be contented with your situation in life. It means you are not comparing yourself with others. You are happy with the way you are, but you have your aspiration in life and you are working towards it. Life is meaningful.




What habits do you think are the most important in your life?

10 Effective Ways to Stay Young While You Are Growing Old

To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent that is to triumph over old age. ~Amos Bronson Alcott

 Don’t worry about your age, you can always stay young. Here are the things that you can do to stay youthful and feel great about yourself:

 1. Live life fully: The most important thing is to occupy your time with meaningful things to do such as taking up a new hobby, participating in a community project, or starting a blog. Avoid emptiness and find new challenges in life.

 2. Physically active: To stay lively, alert, and energetic is to stay active. Exercise regularly and walk often. A sedentary lifestyle is bad for your health and makes you lazy. Go outdoors; get the sunshine and fresh air.

 3. Get connected with younger people: Young people are full of zest and enthusiasm. Get involved with youngsters and be influenced by their liveliness and behave like one. You are instantly young again.

 4. Sleep well: A good night’s sleep is able to rejuvenate your body, regain your energy, release your tension, and repair damages are done to your body during the day. To sleep well is to sustain your youthfulness.

 5. Be happy: The best thing to do is to tell yourself to be cheerful when you wake up in the morning. Start a new day on a bright and sunny note. Greet people you meet, smile at them, and laugh often. When you want to be happy, just be happy.

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. ~ Michael Pritchard

6. Eat right: Be strong and energetic by eating nutritiously. Have more fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Avoid junk food and give up bad habits like drinking and smoking.

 7. Positive mental attitude: Be confident and feel good about yourself. Be hopeful and optimistic about life. Look to each new day eagerly and anxiously.

 8. Live now: One effective way to live life fully is to live in the moment. Like what you do and enjoy the process of doing it. Happiness is living here and now, not in the past or the future. Do not allow your mind to wander about, be here and now and involved fully in what you are doing.

 9. Keep learning: Learning new things in life such as blogging is to keep your brain sharp, active, and alert. Be flexible and welcome changes in life. There is never a dull moment when there is always something new every day to learn.

 10. Peace of mind: Fill with heart with love and be loved. This is the way to get peace of mind. Peace of mind is also about counting your blessings and be contented. Live the way you want, and like the way you live. Just be yourself.

 You are growing old in age but you can always stay young at heart and in spirits.

5 Winning Ways to Learn From Two Top Badminton Players

Lin Dan of China and Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia are the top two badminton players in the world now. We can learn five important things from them to achieve success in our life:

 1. Physical fitness: To be physically fit is to be in top form and ready to take on challenges in life. You are full of energy, alert, and possess the stamina to compete under stressful conditions. Regular training is imperative to maintain strength, suppleness, and stamina. For all of us, regular exercise is the way to stay fit and healthy to go all the way in life.

 2. Determination: Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei have made up their mind to win the World Badminton Championships. They are determined and there is no other option for them except to win the game. Success is truly worthwhile when it is challenging and you aim high. You have to be ambitious in order to achieve greatness in life.

 The determination to win is the better part of winning. ~Daisaku Ikeda

 3. Mental fitness: Winning a game is more than just physical fitness. In the end, it is the toughness of the mind that matters. You have to stay cool and calm with a mental concentration on the game. To achieve success in life you have to be composed, collected, and react to things positively.

 The key to winning is poise under stress. ~Paul Brown

 4. Focus on effort and not the results: Instead of thinking of winning, focus on the game and execute each stroke bravely, carefully, and precisely. You win when you play with your heart and mind. Focus on doing the right things right and the results will take care of themselves.

 Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all-time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. ~Vince Lombardi

 5. Luck: The two players are so good that luck has to play a role to decide the final winner. Luck is always on your side when you are prepared because you are more likely to get what you want in life.

 Be prepared, work hard, and hope for a little luck. Recognize that the harder you work and the better prepared you are, the more luck you might have. ~Ed Bradley


 Winning doesn't always mean being first. Winning means you're doing better than you've ever done before. ~Bonnie Blair

Are You Working With Your Heart?

Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed - there's so little competition. ~ Elbert Hubbard

Every working day I have my lunch at one of the two food stores near my place of work. I can see a distinctive difference in how the food is cooked and presented. From what I have observed at one outlet, the cook does not take too much care in cooking. As long as the food is done, it is served. There is no visual appeal in the way food is presented. The other cook takes great delight in presenting the food. It is artistically presented and rich in aroma. The food is the same; the difference is the attitude of the two cooks. One works with his heart and the other one does not.

 Do you work with your heart? Here are the positive signs:

 1. Like what you do: A poor attitude is that you treat your work like something you want to get rid of and you just want to get it done as quickly as possible. Adopt a positive mindset and find interest in what you do. You produce quality output when you work with your heart and mind.

 2. Enjoy the process of the work: You are fully immersed in what you do and it is a pleasure for you in doing a job. You just want to do the best you can.

 3. Take pride in what one does: You are happy with what you have done and you take ownership of it. You treat your finished work as a masterpiece. You are happy because you do it with your heart and soul.

 4. Seek improvement: You don’t stop at what you can do. You want to get better. You learn from others and you create your own ideas to work more productively.

 5. Accept responsibility: You do not look for excuses and you don’t blame others when your work is not up to expectation. You react positively and accept the fact and see what you can do next instead of dwelling on your failures. You are resilient and you bounce back.

 6. Focus: When you work with your heart and mind, you are focused. You pay attention to what you do and you avoid distractions.

 7. An open mind: You are flexible and you welcome new ideas. You accept criticism with an open mind. You listen, learn and improve.

 The best work is done with the heartbreaking, or overflowing. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Are You Living in the Now?

When shall we live if not now? ~M.F.K. Fisher

If you can answer the following soul-searching questions positively, I am sure you are enjoying your life now. Are you?

1.      Are you here and now?

When someone is talking to you, you are hearing things, but are you listening? When you are driving, is your mind on the road, or are you thinking about something else? You may be physically here, but your mind is somewhere else. There is a Chinese saying 心神不定 (xin shen bu ding). It means your “heart and spirit” are not stable. Can you bring yourself back to where you are now and live in the moment?

2.      Can you concentrate on what you do now?

Can you pay full attention at work? Are you worrying about something else that distracts your concentration?  

3.      Are you enjoying the process of doing things?

To enjoy the process of doing things is to be happy in what you do. Be interested in what you do even if the task may be mundane.   

4.      Are you feeling energetic?

The energy promotes an eagerness to get things done. There is an attitude of do-it-now in you. You are in the mood to take action.

5.      Is your mind fresh, calm, and alert?

Is your mind being disturbed? Is there something bothering you? Can you focus on what you do now?

6.      Do you feel good about yourself?

Are you confident and self-assured? Are you ready to take on the world without hesitation?

7.      Is there something that you look forward to doing every day?

There must be something that gives you enthusiasm in life. What is it? It is something that you are passionate about. 

8.      Are you hopeful?

When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you look forward to what you can achieve in life. Life is hopeful when there is a direction.

   

9.      Do you have an organized daily life?

Every new day is an exciting day when you have planned ahead and you are ready to get things done. A disorganized life is a confusing life when you do not know what you want to do and what is important and meaningful to you. 

10.  Do you feel relaxed and at ease?

Are you feeling tense? Does your heart beat faster? Are you angry? To be relaxed and feel at ease is to avoid negative feelings.

You don't get to choose how you're going to die.
Or when.  You can only decide how you're going to live. Now.  ~Joan Baez

9 Feng Shui Rules You Should Follow

This is a guest post by Michael Schnippering 

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of promoting good chi energy in a location such as your home. It also focuses on utilizing tools to remove any harmful or negative energies.

Though the practice is ancient, its popularity has spread throughout the entire world, and more and more people are discovering that there is indeed a link between the health of a home and a person’s own physical, mental, and emotional health.

The science and art of Feng Shui can get very complex, but even the new practitioner can take steps to implement Feng Shui principles with great success. Here are 9 Feng Shui rules that are very important to follow:

1.      Clear Clutter: This is mandatory – any extra junk or clutter in your home needs to be removed. You cannot have good energy in your home if it is filled to the rafters with stuff. You should do this before you do anything else, as it will likely have the biggest impact in a positive way.

2.      Correct Furniture Placement: There are two things to keep in mind. First, arrange furniture so that it does not block energy from flowing through the house. Secondly, wherever possible, place your furniture such that when people sit in it, their backs have a wall behind them.

3.      Separate Work and Sleep Locations: You do not want to combine the different energies of sleep and work, for that can be harmful. Keep them separated for better energy usage. If you bring work to bed you will have trouble sleeping.

4.      Quick Fixes: If anything breaks or needs repair, do not put this off – do it as expeditiously as possible. Broken items will cause breakdowns in your relationships.

5.      Feature Living Things: throughout your home, place living items such as plants, bowls of fruit, or fresh flowers. These all have chi, or life force, and will help boost your own chi.

6.      Use Water: If you put some sort of representation of water in your home, this is very good. You can put it in a small waterfall, for example. Just make sure that you avoid areas where water should not be.

7.      Color Your World: So much of successful Feng Shui means using the right colors. Colors are very powerful. Get rid of plain white walls and put some paint up. Just use the right colors.

8.      Stay Away from Lines and Sharp Corners: Soft, round shapes promote good energy but harsh lines send out bad chi energy. Try to minimize this and especially keep beds and sofas and chairs away from any line that points to them because it is sending bad energy straight to the location.

9.  Door to Door:  Do not have your front door straight in line to your back door – all the luck will head straight out of your house as soon as it enters.

If you follow these guidelines, you will have successfully implemented Feng Shui principles in your home. You will notice right away that the positive energy is flowing better and harmful energy is minimized.

BIO: Michael Schnippering is the founder of Feng Shui at Work. He is committed to the true art and science of Feng Shui. Over the years his Feng Shui practice has taken him to various parts of the United States, Germany, France, Spain, Colombia, and Argentina.

10 Positive Attitudes to Get Things Done Productively

The key to get things done is to adopt the right mental attitude. When your thinking is right, you will act accordingly and do what is right.

1. Quality: Doing quality work is the main aim and the right attitude to get things done. It is not necessary to be perfect but go for excellence by doing the best you can. Provide value and substance in what you do.

 2. Integrity: Be honest and do what is right. Do not succumb to bribery or threats to do otherwise. You walk tall when your conscience is clear.

3. Be focused: You work with concentration when you like what you do and you enjoy the process of doing it. Develop an interest in what you do.

4. Learning: You may be competent, but you have to do continuous learning to stay up-to-date. To learn new ways of doing things is to be more effective and productive. It is the only way to stay ahead.

5. Innovation: Challenge yourself to do the usual things differently. To change is to seek improvement. It is an ongoing process.

6. Pride: Be confident of yourself and be proud of what you do. Feel good about your talents and expertise.

7. Avoid small staff and distractions: Stay organized and do what is important. Avoiding distractions and ignoring minor issues is an effective way to get things done productively.

8. Enthusiasm: Are you passionate about what you do? Are you interested in your work? Do you wake up in the morning and eager to get things done? You work with your heart and soul when you are enthusiastic about what you do.

 9. Be energetic: To work with energy and zest is to be fit and healthy. Regular exercise is the way to promote energy, alertness, and calm.

10. Create trust and authority: When you work diligently and get the right things done, you will, over time, gain trust and authority from others.

The secret of getting things done is to act! ~ Dante Alighieri

5 Ways to Achieve Greatness

Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. ~William Shakespeare

Successful and famous people are remembered for what they do for mankind. Here are some of them: Thomas Edison, Mother Teresa, Bill Gates, Helen Keller, Shakespeare, Beethoven, Alexander Graham Bell, Napoleon, George Washington, Columbus, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Louis Pasteur.

Do not worry about what you can do. You can do something in your own way to attain greatness. Here are the ways to do it:

1. Think possible: You are limited by what you think you can do. You never know what you can do until you do it. Don’t give excuses to yourself. Be positive and go ahead and do it.

2. Think big and aim high: Be ambitious and break out of your comfort zone. Go to uncharted territory. Go beyond what you can do to achieve greatness. Set a big goal and go for it.

3. Be clear: What can you do to contribute to society? What do you want others to remember you by? Think of something you want to do and it is meaningful to you and useful to others.

4. Be passionate be enthusiastic: Enjoy what you do and respond to events positively. Accept setbacks and failures as challenges. Be Focused. Do you work every day and be down-to-earth. Do what you should do and do not think of what you can get. When you give your best, the rest will take care of itself.

5. Perseverance: Achieving greatness is a continuous journey in life. There is no destination. Working consistently and persistently is the way to go. It is about working hard and working smart over a long period of time.

To achieve greatness is to reach your highest potential.

5 Ways to Sharpen Your Senses

Five Senses

Technology brings us instant gratification, but to sharpen your senses, namely sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell, you have to go slow. It is the only way to fully appreciate your senses:

1. Sight: To understand and digest what you have read, you have to read slowly. To observe something is to take your time and look carefully. To appreciate a thing of beauty is to look intently. Be slow to really see what you are looking at.

2. Hearing: To listen carefully is to be here and now. You are not listening when you are physically here and your mind is wondering about. To really listen is not to interrupt but to seek understanding, to be with the person who is talking to you. To appreciate a piece of great music is to pay attention to your mind and soul. Be relaxed and not in a hurry to do something else.

3. Taste: To really enjoy what you eat, you have to sit down, eat slowly, chew each mouthful, and concentrate on your eating. Do not eat and watch TV, read a newspaper or glued to your monitor. It is counterproductive and bad for your health. Your tongue is able to tell what you eat is sweet, salty, bitter, sour, or spicy. Just taste it slowly.

4. Touch: What do you do when you meet an old friend whom you have not met for a long time? You give a warm embrace and touch each other. How do you console another person in grief? You hold the other person tightly. Do you have a cat at home? What does it enjoy? When you stroke the cat slowly, it will purr away. It is enjoying your gentle touch. When you do it quickly, the feeling is not there and the cat does not like it. A sense of touch, to give meaning and to fully enjoy it, is to do it slowly and tenderly.

5. Smell: Life is not to live in a hurry. Go back to nature and smell the fragrant flowers. Breathe in the fresh air and feel the warm touch of the sunshine. How do you get tempted to eat or drink something? You are seduced by the rich aroma when you sniff it, like a warm cup of coffee. What do you do when you order a bottle of wine at a restaurant? You swirl and smell the wine in a glass. Great wine is more than just the taste, the scent matters. To enjoy it you have to drink slowly a sip at a time.


While you go slow to feast your five senses, do you have a sixth sense such as telepathy or premonition?

7 Reasons to Save

If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting ~ Benjamin Franklin

 Did you start saving while you were very young? Do you still set aside an amount each month from your budget as savings? You should be saving like the rich and famous. There are 7 solid reasons why you should save:

 1. Good habit: The amount is not important, the habit is. When you can save, it means you are spending less than what you have earned. More likely than not, you do not incur unnecessary debt. You get what you need, but you think twice before getting something you want.

 2. Emergency fund: Life is unpredictable, especially when money is concerned. A nasty accident or an unexpected retrenchment can cause havoc in your financial affair. It is prudent to have a cash reserve to cover around three to six months’ living expenses. So, the first priority is to save for an emergency fund.

 3. Save for a big-ticket item: it is a good strategy to save enough to buy a big-ticket item in cash rather than using your credit card or getting a personal loan. You exercise self-control and avoid getting into debt and incur interest charges.

 4. Save for a down payment for a car: It is also a better way to save for a larger down payment for a new car. Your car loan will be smaller and you also pay for a smaller amount every month and your loan period is also shorter. The most important thing is that you will incur fewer interest charges.

 5. Save for a down payment on a house: A house is a big investment. It is necessary to get a housing loan to buy your dream home. It is also wise to save and pay more for an initial amount and borrow less.

 6. Accumulate an amount for investment: How do you invest? First, you have to save a substantial amount and then you invest according to your risk tolerance. It is not enough just to save because the amount that you have saved plus the interest you have earned is not even enough to cover inflation. Making a prudent investment is the way to conserve your purchasing power and build your wealth.

 7. The starting point of a care-free financial future: Your financial future starts with savings and ends with a financially independent retirement. Fortune starts with savings and it is the foundation of wealth building. This is also the secret of the rich and famous.

 A penny saved is a penny earned. ~ Benjamin Franklin

12 Great Ways to be Healthy Spiritually and Mentally

Health is a large word. It embraces not the body only, but the mind and spirit as well;... and not today's pain or pleasure alone, but the whole being and outlook of a man. ~James H. West

Health is more than just physical health; total well-being encompasses spiritual and mental health as well. Are you healthy spiritually and mentally? Check out the following:

1. Positive thoughts: Positive thinking gives you the greatest health benefits. Your outlook in life is optimistic. You are confident and courageous. You bounce back when you are defeated because life is full of hope.

2. Deep breathing: Deep breathing releases tension and relaxes the mind. Do deep breathing often to calm your mind and be composed. Deep breathing brings focus to your mind and you will be able to think clearly.

3. Live in the moment: When you drive, do you concentrate on the road? When you work, is your mind on the task at hand? To enjoy life is to be mindful of what you do and enjoy the process of doing it. Your mind is here and now. This is the greatest joy in life when you can block off the past and the future and live fully in the now.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. ~ Buddha.

4. Be happy: Happiness is what you get when your thinking and attitude are right. It is because you will do right and can expect to get the right results.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is
the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
~Denis Waitley

5. Be loving: To get peace of mind is to avoid anger, hatred, resentment, and other negative emotions. Respect and look for the good in others and fill your heart with love.

Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.
Billy Graham

6. Self–esteem: You love the way you are with all your strengths and weaknesses. You are not concerned about what others think of you. You do what you want to do wholeheartedly and without reservation.

7. Be connected: To be connected, especially with live ones, is to get support mentally and spiritually. You share your happiness and sorrow with people close to you. You feel good when you can speak your mind.

8. Be active physically: Physical fitness is more than just for physical health. You will feel good about yourself when you are fit and full of vitality.

9. Do things that you are deeply interested in: Do you have a hobby? Is there something that you enjoy doing that gives you enthusiasm, enjoyment, and satisfaction? The most important thing is that it gives you meaning in life.

10. Look for solutions: To be healthy mentally and spiritually is to react to problems positively. You don’t dwell on a problem but actively look for solutions so that it can be out of your mind.

11. Flexibility: A healthy mentality is a flexible mindset. You are open to new ideas. You are willing to accept changes knowing very well that to change is to progress

12. A balanced life: A balanced life is about taking care of your physical, mental, and spiritual health. It is also about work, play and family. Striking a balance in every aspect of your life is your ultimate aim in life and a healthy way to live.

He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything. ~Arabic Prover