10 Gratitude Quotes to Inspire You

Gratitude is about thankfulness, appreciation, and contentment. Be grateful, be happy and enjoy peace of mind.

1.      In daily life, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.

~ David Steindl-Rast

2.      If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get.

 ~Frank A. Clark

3.      The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.


~ William James

4.      Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.

~ Oprah Winfrey

5.      Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy – because we will always want to have something else or something more.

~ David Steindl-Rast

6.      Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to finding peace of mind and happiness inside. No matter what is going on outside of us, there's always something we could be grateful for.

~ Barry Neil Kaufman

7.      Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude.

~ Confucius

8.      If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice.

              ~Meister Eckhart

9.      Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others. 

~Cicero

10.  You cannot be grateful and bitter.

You cannot be grateful and unhappy.

You cannot be grateful and without hope.

You cannot be grateful and unloving.

So just be grateful.

~Author Unknown

7 Reasons Why Writing is important to Me

Easy reading is damn hard writing.

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

As a blogger and article writer, I write an article for my readers every day, but I want to learn more and write better to communicate with my readers. I am interested in taking up the Damn Fine Words writing course and learn to write more effectively for my readers. Here are 7 reasons why better writing is good for me and my readers:

1.    Write and engage the readers: I would like to learn and write in a more interesting way so that it is worth the time of the readers to read my posts. Writing awesome headlines and providing great content is crucial in writing. Write in an organized way so that readers can read easily and quickly.

2.       Write and solicit ideas from readers: I want to motivate readers to share their ideas by commenting on my posts.  Comments are few and far in between now. The conversation is a great way to grow readership. Write and touch on the emotions of readers.

3.       Write and educate: The ability to explain a complex subject is essential to effective writing.  Providing pertinent information, knowledge, and insights logically to enlighten my readers is the main purpose of writing.    

4.       Write and entertain: I will certainly be able to improve my writing if I can write amusingly and lively and at the same time teach my readers.  

5.        Value for the readers: I want to present ideas in a unique way and solve the problems of my readers so that they will come back for more.  The key is to write in my own style clearly and naturally for the readers and not search engines. It is also important to know precisely what my readers want and write accordingly. Quality articles are a good way to attract inbound links to my blog.

6.       Express effectively: Learn all about grammar and use the right word at the right place. Write and convince the readers to accept my ideas and take action.

7.       Learn new writing skills and techniques: Adopt the right steps to write an article and discover more ways to write better and be more effective in writing creatively and powerfully.  

The Damn Fine Words is a writing course produced by James Chartrand, owner of Men with Pens, one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers. I will be able to learn from one of the top writers and improve my writing and provide more reading pleasure for my readers.  When I am able to write in an influential way, my blog will be able to attract more readers and I will be able to build my reputation and authority. I will also be more prepared to secure business opportunities.

   

10 Things Employers Want from You

According to Malaysian Employers Federation executive director Shamsuddin Bardan, employers are in search of graduates who stand out in a crowd. Here are the things you should equip to get ahead of others in a competitive job market:

1.       Technical skills: Work is about performance.  To work competently is to equip yourself with knowledge and skills. Your value will be enhanced if you have multi-skills like business and IT.  It is up to you to take every opportunity to gain technical skills as soon as possible.

2.       Communication skills: It is not just about writing and speaking well, you must be able to listen and take instructions and get things done correctly. Writing is an important skill to convey and persuade others to accept your ideas.  You also need to speak eloquently in presentations to impress others. 

3.       Show your best outwardly: Dress smartly to command respect. Smile and acknowledge others you meet. The way you carry yourself is a reflection of how you will carry out your work. If you do not pay much attention to your appearance, will you care much about your work?

4.       Creditability: There are important soft skills that carry weight to develop your career. Be honest and reliable and be committed at work. Show up on time, keep promises and meet deadlines.

5.       Work in a team: Working well with others is an important skill to develop. Be interested in others and invest time and get to know them well. Paying attention to the people around you is the right way to cultivate human relationships. It is an effective way to get things done through others. 

6.       Commercial awareness: Get to know the nature of the business, its products, and its competition. Find out how external forces such as the world economy, employment, and currency exchange rates affect your industry and business. Develop a global mindset to spot the business trend.

7.       Creativity: The ability to analyze, digest, and apply information and data to solve problems is crucial to work successfully and independently. Taking a proactive approach to getting the most important things done is the productive way to work.

8.       Flexible: Be adaptive to changes and willing to accept constructive criticism.  Be open-minded to welcome new ideas. Change to move ahead.

9.     Positive attitude: Be enthusiastic and energetic while at work.  Be responsible and proud of what you do. Protect your reputation and build a trusted brand of yourself.

10.   Continuous learning: Manage your time wisely. Allocate time to learn new things and expose to new ideas. Be up-to-date with development in information technology.

Be prepared and be lucky.

Related articles:

10 Top Soft Skills for Career Success

7 Essential Technical Skills to Secure Your Job

Effective Ways to Build a Successful Career

Write to be Happy

According to an article, The Ten Happiest Jobs, authors are among the happiest people. I can understand why because I am a writer and a blogger:

1.       You are the boss: You only work for yourself. There is no time card to punch. There is no need to apply for leave. When you feel like it, you don’ work. Nobody is bothering you how you work when you work, where you work, or if you are working at all.  

2.       You can write anything under the sun: Who cares what you write. You just write things that you are happy to write about. You enjoy the freedom of expression.

3.       You can write anytime anywhere: You can write every day or once a week. You only write when you feel like it. You can write continuously or taking breaks now and then. You can write at home,   at a library, or in a coffee shop when the mood strikes you.

4.       You are able to influence others: it is especially so when you write about personal improvement, success, inspiration, and motivation. You feel good about yourself when you can make changes in other people’s lives positively.

5.        You are motivated by your own writing: The more I write about positive things in life, the more I am inspired to follow my own teachings.  I am truly delighted because it is ingrained in my mind.

6.       You get paid for your writing: As a blogger, I get paid for what I like and enjoy doing. The best part is that I don’t have to ask for a job to get paid. I can earn from Adsense effortlessly from my blog.

7.       You build a personal brand for what you write: Your sustained effort in writing will pay off in the long run. Because of what you write, you gain trust and build authority for your work.

You don’t have to be an author to be happy. All you need to do is to write and express your feelings in a journal or diary every day. You must have heard of a gratitude journal. It figures why people are happy when they write. Do it tonight before you go to bed and have a sweet dream.

10 Right Ways to be Successful

Success doesn't come to you… you go to it.

~Marva Collins

Success will not fall into your lap, you have to exert effort and go after it. Here are the effective ways to get what you want in life and attain success:

 

1.      Dreams: What inspires you? You need a unique and original idea that you are passionate about. It is your goal.  Your ambition should be built on your strengths so that you can go after your dreams fervently. Write down what you want to achieve in life so that you can look at it often and be motivated. There is a direction in life when there is a dream to guide you. When life is meaningful, you feel good about yourself.   

Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration, and inspiration.

~Evan Esar

2.      Work smart: To work smart is to acquire knowledge and learn the essential skills. To be creative is to conceive ideas from the known to the unknown.   

Smarts and action are on the same side of the equation where the sum is success. 

~Garrett Hazel

3.      Work hard: Success is about making a daily effort over a long period of time. Be excited and enthusiastic about what you do and enjoy doing the daily tasks. The key is perseverance; be consistent and persistent.

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.

~Robert Collier

4.      Focus: Total commitment is mindful of what you do and avoids distractions. Be alert and seize the opportunity when you spot one and get a lucky break. When you are prepared you are lucky.

5.      Believe in yourself: Thoughts are powerful. It shapes your attitude and action. When you think you can, you will, if you think you can’t, you will not.  Read motivational quotes in the morning and think of positive words to develop and establish self-confidence. Avoid negative people whose outlook in life is gloom and doom.

6.      View failures as stepping stones to success: You are going to meet with obstacles and failures in life. Do not be discouraged, these are just lessons to be learnt and be wiser. If you have not failed, you have not tried.

           Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time.
           ~Josh Billings

7.      Organized:  Always plan ahead and be efficient. A daily to-do list is a right tool to manage your time effectively. Be proactive and do the most important thing first in the morning. Organize your life and do what is right at the right time.

8.      Lifelong learning: There is no way to be content with what you know because there will be new technology, new products, new ideas, the latest information, and new insights every day. Stay up-to-date to be ahead.

9.      Change: Change is constant.  Technology impacts and changes our life greatly. Be flexible and embrace change to be progressive.

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.

~ Ronald E. Osborn

10.  Personal care: You will work with zest when you are fit and energetic. Exercise daily to stay calm and composed.  Meditate to get peace of mind and release stress.

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you're going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.

~ Oprah Winfrey

Try to discover

The road to success

And you'll seek but never find,

But blaze your own path

And the road to success

Will trail right behind.

~Robert Brault

Work Smarter and Get More Money

 According to an article, Working Smart for the Money, working smart trumps working hard.  So how do you go about working smart?

1.       Knowledge: The article says that human capital is closely associated with earnings. It is only wise to obtain knowledge and acquire skills. Since your work and your value are evaluated by your ability to perform, you have to be competent to do your job well. Knowledge and skills will give you the power to work smart.

2.      Creative: How to create value? The smart way is to have unique and original ideas Facebook is an original idea so is Pinterest and Plurk. A bright idea can attract a lot of money. 

3.      Productive: It is also mentioned in the article that smart people work less. Smart people are efficient and effective. They are able to accomplish more in less time and focus on important issues that impact the bottom line.  They do the right thing at the right time to achieve the desired results.

4.      Impress: It is necessary to work hard, but it is even better to work hard and smart. When you work, make sure you get noticed for what you do.  It is essential to impress the right people that you are a valuable worker.  The important point is that it will be easier to ask and get what you want, be it a bonus or salary increment.

5.      Positive attitude: Smart people project a positive image of themselves. They dress smartly and they have vital soft skills such as enthusiasm and confidence. They react to events positively. They are also flexible and willing to make changes and get ahead.

6.      Plan: Working smart is planning in advance and spending time every day and get ready a to-do list for the next day. Smart people are organized and they pay attention to details. The key is to think before you take action.  The question to ask is: What is the most productive way to get the job done? 

Are you working smart to make more money? Tell us about your secrets. 

10 Ways to Get People to Vote for You Online

I have never entered any contests online and this is the first time I am doing so. This is the contest that I have just participated: 

As voting is required in this contest, I can think of the following ways to get people to vote for you:

1.       Post a banner at the sidebar of your blog

2.       Post a line at the end of your article during the voting period

3.       Send an email to your subscribers

4.       Send a message to all social networking sites via Ping.fm. This will include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Plurk and many other sites.

5.       Go to Google+ and request those who have included you in their circles to vote for you in your personal and business pages.

6.       Send a direct email to those you know who can help you.

7.       Request for a vote from your email subscribers.

8.       Ask your friends and relatives to vote for you.

9.       Write a blog post like this one and request a vote.

10.   Request for a vote in online communities where you are a member.

You may ask for vote exchange if it is not against the rules of the contest. You can register at

 Get Online Votes. 

Related post:
10 Ways to Get Votes Online

Top 3 Posts In March 2012

1. 10 Benefits of Writing Diary/Journal 

According to Maud Purcell, the University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. Other research indicates that journaling decreases the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Pennebaker believes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.

It is good to know that journaling has health benefits, but I have found the following ten reasons to write every day: 


2. Are You Taking Advantages of Your Tax Deductions?

In Malaysia, the tax system offers individuals many tax deductions. Are you aware of it and are you taking advantage to reduce your tax burden?  Find out the deductions that you are entitled:


3. 7 Negative Behavior of Rich People

According to a news item, rich people are more likely to have a negative attitude.  It is noted in a seven-part study by psychologists at the University of California Berkeley and the University of Toronto analyzing people’s behavior through a series of experiments.

10 E’s to Write Effectively

Here are 10 E’s to hone your writing skills:

1.      Engaged: Capture the attention of readers and get them interested in what you have written. It has to be relevant.  It has to provide valuable information and solves the problems that they are looking for.

2.      Effort: Taking an effort to write is to write carefully. Do the research, check the facts, and provide useful links for additional insights to your article. Edit and proofread your finished work.  

3.      Emotions: Arouse the emotions of your readers in your captivating headlines. Make it irresistible to read your articles. 

4.      Express: Write clearly using simple words, short sentences, and paragraphs. The whole idea is to get your readers to understand your message fully. Write for human beings naturally and not for search engines.

5.      Extraordinary:  Write in your own style with your unique ideas. Even if it is an old subject look at it from a different angle. Say what you have to say without fear. In your opening article tell a story or quote a line from a famous person to start your article strongly.

6.      Easygoing: Make it easy for your readers to read your article quickly. Number your points to show the steps to be taken or provide bullet points to highlight the main ideas. Insert an appropriate image to enhance your post.   

7.      Educate: It is essential to make an article educational. Tell the readers what it is and teach them how to do it with complete information. 

8.      Entertain: If you can educate and at the time amuse the readers in your writing, you will gain traction from readers to read more of your articles.  

9.      Excellent: What is the best way to write? Eliminate garbage, write only the bare facts and avoid repetition.  

10.  Excite: At the end of your article encourage your readers to take action- change a bad habit, be more productive, earn more money…

What are your ideas to write effectively?

7 Effective Ways to Get Free Publicity Online

There are numerous free and effective ways to promote your personal brand on the Net. The most important thing is to highlight your strengths and show others what you do best.

1.       Blog: This is the best way to document your field of expertise in the form of articles on your blog. Write daily and provide useful information, When you are able to attract a lot of followers and readers, you are effectively building your trust and authority in the area that you are good at. A blog is your most valuable publicity tool.

2.       Press release: Press releases are not restricted to the promotion of business activities or products. You can display your writing skills by submitting a newsworthy item like this one, 7 Laws of The Hong Piow’s Success,   It has three clickable links to my website at a small cost of $1/=.

3.     Forums: Join discussion groups and offer solutions to problems and provide a link to your website in your email signature file.

4.     Blog directories: List your blog on major blog directories. I am listed under finance at Blogtoplist. This is an interesting blog directory because it is able to show your ranking among other similar blogs.  I get to recognize other niche bloggers and they get to know me too.

5.       Article directories: Posting authoritative articles on article directories like ezienarticles.com is a great way to allow more people to get to know you.

6.       Niche networks: I am a member of Money Crasher’s Top Personal Finance Blogs and Top Finance Blogs of TotallyMoney. I am also taking part in the Yakezie Challenge. Get to know other bloggers who blog about similar topics and get yourself noticed by them.   

7.       Guest posts: Extend your influence by doing guest posts on other influential blogs. You will be able to reach out to people who are not aware of your site.     

How do you get free publicity on the Net?

5 Reasons Why You Don’t Save

In the course of your life you may have delayed and postponed many opportunities to save until you regret it because it is too late to do so:

1.       Do not develop the habit to save when you are young: Perhaps your parents do not get you a piggy bank to start this thrifty habit. When you are much older your parents have forgotten to take you to a bank in town and open a savings account for you. Yet, it is the best time to develop a habit to save.  

2.       Your first job: You are excited when getting yourself a job and you want to treat yourself with your money because you are capable of earning a living. You also want to have a car to drive around. You want to have fun. You think you can save later in life because you are still young. It is wise to set aside an amount every month after getting your first job and getting paid every month. Start small and the amount can be substantial over time because of compound interest.  

3.       Building your Career: As you move on in life and get yourself established, you are thinking of buying your first house and getting married. The financial commitments deter you from the thought of saving money until later in life. It is never too late to save and the key is to get it started. When you decide not to save, there will be no money left over for a rainy day.

4.       When you are much older: As you grow older you are the husband and the father of two or three children, you are thinking of meeting the financial needs of your family and children’s education. It is still Ok to save at this stage because there is a constant source of income every month. If there is a will to save, there is a way.

5.       When you retire: If you are thinking of saving money, it is too late now because there is no more regular income to save even if you want to. You can only rely on your pension money which is too little to meet your normal requirements and not to mention unexpected medical expenses. When you are gainfully employed previously, you will be able to build an emergency fund and invest the extra to build a nest egg, life will not be gloom and doom when you are old.   

Save now while you still can and change your life for the better.

Related articles:

All About Living With Life: 6 Quick and Easy Tips to Pay Yourself First

7 Simple and Effective Ways to be Productive Daily

These are very simple ideas, but are you doing it every day to boost your productivity? 

1.       Plan ahead: An effective tool like a to-do list is an organized list of things to be done for the day. The fact is that if you do not write it down, your memory may fail you. I find that a to-do list has a positive psychological effect upon you as you cross out each completed task. Do it and you will feel good about yourself.   

2.       Be an early riser: The only way to have more time and avoid rushing about and get yourself tensed up in the morning is to start a new day early. If you can get up at six instead of eight, you will be able to accomplish more worthwhile activities in your daily life.

3.       Morning rituals:  As an early riser you are in control of your time and life. The key is to psych yourself up and get inspired and motivated so that you start a new day with excitement, energy, and enthusiasm. Read motivational quotes, think of positive thoughts, and avoid reading newspapers to dampen and spoil your mood for the day.

4.       Do the most important things: As you have the to-do list ready and the first item on your list is your priority. Go ahead and get it done in the morning when your mind is fresh and calm. Getting an important task done gives you a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. The rest of the day will be easy for you.

5.       Just do it: Have you had the habit of procrastinating? Do you get distracted easily? Can you be focused on the task at hand? Avoid thinking too much and just get it started and then followed by the next step.

6.       Learn: Productivity is not confined to getting things done. It is also about learning new things, new ways of doing things, and making changes to be more efficient and effective.     

7.      Write and review:  It is a wise move to keep a journal or log. You will be able to find out how productive you are every day.  Ask yourself this question: What have I done today? Have I achieved the tasks that I have planned? The point is to seek improvement and be more productive.

To be productive is not to do more and become stressed.  The aim of productivity is to work smart so that you will have more time for yourself to be creative and happy.  

7 Tips to Get Noticed on Social Media Positively

Are you able to provide access to your Facebook (Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords) account willingly when asked? As more and more recruiting officers are interested to peep into your private life to determine convincingly that you are suitable for employment, you have to be smart to protect your reputation and project your image online positively. Here are the effective ways to go about it:

1.       Keep your private life private: Do not post and show what you do privately, things that you do not want others to know including images. In this way you are free and without fear to show your Facebook account to others anytime. 

2.       Post messages wisely to be viewed publicly: Be wise and do not disclose confidential information about your place of work. Do not show indecent images to avoid bad publicity about your character and reputation.

3.       Link to your blog where you showcase your work: Do you have a blog that provides useful information?  Every time you upload a new post, send a message to Facebook and other social networking sites to notify others to read your post.

4.       Share useful information: Share links to useful and valuable information that you have noticed on the Net. After all social media is to share and care.

5.        Avoid bad mouthing: Don’t talk bad about people you do not like, especially your immediate boss or your co-workers. It only tells others that you have a relationship problem with people and you do not know how to get along with others and you cannot manage your emotions.

6.       Inspire and motivate others: As an example, I share motivational quotes daily to uplift the mood of readers.  Make others happy and you too.

7.       Squeaky clean: The key is to show and tell positively about yourself in social circles. Every time when you want to post something ask yourself: How does it affect my career, image or reputation? 

Do a house cleaning so that you can bare all.  

7 A’s To Work Productively

Here are 7 powerful words starting with the letter A which can make a difference in the way you work. Be inspired and motivated by these 7 words to work productively and bring success to your life:

1.       Ambitions: What are your aspirations? Know what keeps the fire in your burning. This is your ambitions, your goals and your dreams.  You must know what you want so that you will go forward in the right direction wholeheartedly and resolutely.

2.       Ability: Your skills and your mental attitude constitute your capabilities. You are measured by your performance. Your technical skills are what you need to get things done. However, it is more important that you do it with the right mental attitude.  Are you proud of what you do? Do you take pride in your work and look after your reputation? Always do the best you can with what you have.      

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

~Lou Holtz

3.       Alert: Be enthusiastic and excited about your work. Think and react quickly.  The most important thing is to possess an optimistic outlook in life and react to challenges confidently calmly and swiftly. 

4.       Absorbed: This is the ability to concentrate on the task at hand and not get distracted. When you are interested in what you do you will naturally be focused and immersed in your work.

5.       Act: Do you possess a do-it-now mentality and anxious to get things done? A plan may be good but if it is not executed promptly, it is useless.  Do, but do it now.

6.       Adaptive: Adopt an open mind and willing to listen and accept constructive criticism. Be flexible and welcome changes.  Making changes is to move forward and avoid getting stagnant.  Do not be complacent and work the same way day in and day out. Break away from your comfort zone and try new and better ways to get things done.  

7.       Approachable: Be friendly and acknowledge others you meet with a smile. Be interested in others and understand them better. Get to know their strengths and weaknesses. It will be easier for you to get things done through them. 

What other productively words starting with letter A can you add to this list?