7 Delightful Ways to Transform an Ordinary Day to an Extraordinary Day

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. Ralph Waldo Emerson

You neither can go back to the past nor can you go forward to the future. The best time in your life is now because the present moment is the time you can do what you like and create an impact on your life. Why not live today fully the way you want it to be? All you have to do is just change your mindset. These are the secrets to make every day a special day:

1.      Be in a holiday mood: How do you feel when you are going on a holiday. You feel good, you are excited and you are looking forward to it enthusiastically. It is your mood and your feelings about going on holiday. Why don’t you behave the same every day to welcome a new day with excitement and enthusiasm? You turn a normal day into a wonderful day. 

2.      Be excited: When you wake up in the morning, don’t tell yourself that is another dreadful day because it is a working day and you are not going on a holiday. Change your thinking and wake up and get excited to welcome a brand new day. You look at a new day with a cheerful perspective when you are feeling good, energetic, and excited. Remember you can make a difference in your life by what you want to do and how you do it on a new day.   

3.      Be enthusiastic: How do you make an ordinary day special? Be enthusiastic and energetic in getting things done to achieve your daily goals. Do it right away and perform in top gear.  A new day is a lively and bouncy day when you act enthusiastically.

4.      Enjoy what you do: Do you like what you do? Do you enjoy working? Every day is a delightful day when you are interested in what you do. You get into the flow of work and forget about the passage of time.

5.      Take pride in what you do: Daily household chores can be boring. You can make a difference by changing your attitude. As an example, be proud of your spick-and-span kitchen. When you do a good job every day to maintain the kitchen spotlessly clean, it is a delight to look at and it makes you feel good and happy.

6.      Take delight in the small pleasures of life: The best thing in life is free. Go slow, pay attention and observe. Look at the clouds, the big trees, the children playing in the playground, the blooming and colorful flowers in your garden, and the boats drifting in the river.  The secret is to focus on and discover small and delightful things in your life every day. 

7.      Spice up your life: Normally you wait for festive seasons like Christmas and New Year to be in the mood. You decorate the house and you play Christmas songs to fill the air.  You can do it every day to fill your heart with joy and cheerfulness. You can listen to your favorite music, treat yourself to your favorite food and do all the things you enjoy every day. Why limit your uplifting mood only on special occasions? Pamper and celebrate with what you like best when a day ends well for you. You will have a good day when you choose to start a new day with the right frame of mind.

Don’t just live mechanically every day but celebrate life with each new day to make a sparkling difference.  

10 Happiness Quotes to Live By

Here are ten quotes that get you true and lasting happiness:  

1.      The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does.
James M. Barrie

You may not like everything that you do, but you can develop an interest in it. When you take responsibility and are proud of what you do, you will be happy.

2.      Happiness consists in activity. It is running steam, not a stagnant pool.
Oliver Wendell Holmes 

Happiness is taking action, working your plan, getting things done, and achieving your goals. 

3.      Remember happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think.
Dale Carnegie

When your thinking is positive, you will be happy because you are confident, looking at things optimistically and facing challenges in life resolutely.  

4.      Happiness doesn’t depend on what we have, but it does depend on how we feel towards what we have. We can be happy with little and miserable with much.
W. D. Hoard

Live you own life, don’t compare with others. Enjoy and be contented with what you have. Happiness is a state of mind.

5.      Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.
Eleanor Roosevelt  
 

You don’t pursue happiness directly. It is what you think, what you do and how you get things thing done, and how you feel when you are doing a task. When your thinking is right and you get the right thing done at the right time, you will be happy

6.      There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
Henry Ford 

You find happiness in what you do. It is the activity of enjoying what you do to get you what you want in life. It is the journey that counts.

7.      Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony.
Thomas Merton 

Happiness is a balanced life. It is living an orderly life in harmony with the nature between day and night and rest and work.

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

Happiness is living fully here and now. Don’t postpone your happiness to a future date. The time may not come and you may not be there. When you are there, most likely you will postpone your happiness to another future date. You will never be happy. 

9.      To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy . . . is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be sure to get up with the right frame of mind.  Be enthusiastic, by joyous, and be energetic.

10.   Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness.

Carl Jung

Life is not smooth sailing all the way. It has its up and down. Just remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel. When you are down, get up, get on and be resilient.

Take action; change your life, choose happiness.

7 Effective Skills to be Successful

Skills

It is reported in the newspaper that the following seven skills are essential for your career success:

1.      Analytical skills: According to Wikipedia, analytical skill is the ability to visualize, articulate, and solve both complex and uncomplicated problems and concepts, and make decisions that make sense based on available information. Such skills include demonstration of the ability to apply logical thinking to gathering and analyzing information, designing and testing solutions to problems, and formulating plans. These skills are especially essential for professional people.

2.      Technical skills: This is about your competency in doing the job well. You are hired because you have the relevant knowledge and the necessary skills to get things done. 

It is essential that you gain the necessary experience because employers are looking for sophisticated skills relevant to the industrial context and not taught in formal education.

Employers demand high-quality work with minimal errors. Knowledge workers are valuable and in demand

3.      Leadership skills: It is crucial for a manager to lead and manage in a volatile and uncertain business condition. He or she must be able to plan and organize and take proactive action. Conceptual skills and people skills are essential for the success of those at the managerial level.  

4.      Thinking skills: To be able to think productively, you need to gather information, understand the information and then analyze, evaluate, create your own ideas and make decisions.  

5.      Customer care skills: As customers demand quality and efficient service, the ability to satisfy their needs is the utmost importance.

6.      Communication skills: It is essential to write and converse effectively. Proficient in English, written and oral, which is weak among employees, is necessary to work efficiently and effectively.  

7.      Problem-solving skills: The ability to work independently and less supervision means you are able to apply your thinking skills to solve problems. Employers are looking for people to work and solve problems and not the other way round.  

The following soft skills, according to employers, are also critical for your career success;

·         Confident

·         Trustworthy

·         Resourceful

·         Working smart

·         Integrity

·         High moral values

·         Discipline

Be prepared and develop the necessary skills to achieve career success.

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7 More Effective Ways to Save Money

What are the children asking from Santa Claus this year? Here are the answers:

A job for their mom or dad. Money for the heating bill. Food or a place to live. Maybe gloves or boots.

Time is so bad that children don’t ask for things for themselves. It boils down to the fact that we really need to save for a rainy day. Here are more ways to save effectively:

1.      Habit: You must thank your parents for helping you cultivate the savings habit since young. You were given a piggy bank and when you were older; your parent opened a savings account for you in one of the banks in town.  You have seen for yourself the money in the account has accumulated into a substantial amount because you have developed the habit to save regularly.

2.       Budget: As an adult, you are smart enough to incorporate an amount earmarked for savings in your monthly budget. You very well know that to save with what is left over for the month does not work. To budget for it is the most effective way to save. 

3.       Discipline: A budget is a wonderful tool to manage your personal finance. Are you following the budget? It takes a lot of self restraints and personal discipline to follow your budget faithfully. The moment you go beyond the budget you are in debt.

4.       Financial goals: Your financial goals are a great incentive to save. You know what you want to do with your savings and you will determine not to touch the money. You may want to save for an essential big-ticket item, an emergency fund, down payment for your car or your dream house. Building wealth is another important goal. You know the starting point to build your wealth is from your savings. When you think of your money goals, you will not spend unnecessarily.  

5.       Avoid temptation: TV commercials are getting your attention. The billboard ads are seducing you to spend. Ads in the papers are irresistible. Your neighbor is driving a car which you wish were yours. Can you control your urge and avoid spending on what you want?

6.       Be fearful of debt: Do not think that you are gainfully employed and you are qualified for a loan. You pay more when you purchase with a loan. Interest is a dangerous element that can snowball into an amount that is beyond your means. Before you know you are declared bankrupt. As a bankrupt can you stand tall among your friends and relatives?

7.      Think of financial independence: I cannot imagine a situation that I have to ask for money from my friends and relative.  Financial independence is the greatest incentive to save. You live the life you want with what you have and you are happy because you don’t have to ask for financial assistance or depend on anyone.  A happy life is about peace of mind.

It is never too early to encourage long-term savings. ~Ron Lewis


Related post:

10 Effective Ways to Save Money

7 Don’ts to Avoid a Scam Effectively

John received a call from a stranger. The person told John that he owed the bank $9000 credit card debt. John replied that he did not have credit cards from that particular bank.  The other person on the line told him that there was a possibility of identity theft.  The caller told him not to panic but gave John a phone number purported to be the central bank. John called the number as instructed. Someone at the other end took the call and told him that there were many cases of identity theft.    John was desperate and the person purported to be a bank employee told him to transfer all his money from his accounts and deposit it into a new account. He requested for all his bank account numbers and got authorization from John to allow them to act on his behalf.  As John could not think of a better way, he did as told. A few days later John tried to call the same number but he couldn’t get through. John immediately checked his bank accounts and discovered to his horror that all his money was missing.

When you are in that situation, there are 7 things you don’t do:

1.       Don’t be panicky: Stay cool and calm when you are confronted by a strange telephone call. You can’t see the other person and the other person cannot see you. Whatever it is, the message is subject to verification.

2.       Don’t talk: Just listen and allow the person to finish talking. In this way the caller perceives you to be a”cool” person and not easily get cheated. When you get excited and interrupt, you may disclose more information.

3.       Don’t respond: It is not appropriate to respond in a telephone conversation about debt. Normally a bank will deal with it in writing like sending you a notice of demand. 

4.       Don’t disclose: Do not disclose your personal information over the phone. When you are dealing with a bank, they have already got the necessary information. There is no need for you to tell.

 

5.       Don’t cooperate: There is no need to follow instructions because it is not the right procedure especially since the caller is unknown to you.

6.       Don’t decide immediately: Put down the call and allow yourself a few minutes to think it over before you decide to do anything.

7.       Don’t keep it to yourself: It does not matter if you have avoided the scam or if you are unfortunate to be scammed, tell others the story to avoid more people getting duped.  

Adapted from an article in Feminine 540/20.3.11 205  

7 Effective Ways to Exercise Without Spending Money

Do you know you can keep fit and be healthy and energetic without spending a dime? Here are the things that you can do to enjoy good health and be happy:

1.       Jog: Why spend money and join a gym and get confined in an enclosure with stale air? Jog in the open, jog in a park, jog along the beach. Enjoy the fresh air and bathe under the sun to get vitamin D. Jogging is a great exercise to release stress, reduce tension and send more oxygen to every part of your body especially your brain.  There is a good feeling in you after a jog. Your only investment is a pair of jogging shoes.

2.       Tai chi: It is another way to feel good and get peace of mind. You can do it outdoor every day preferably early in the morning to be with nature. It is a form of meditation in motion for total well-being without spending a single cent 

3.       Walk: You don’t even have to walk for the sake of doing exercise. Take every opportunity to walk more often every day.  Go from office to office, go to the shop, and use the stairs instead of the lift. When you drive less and walk more you save money and promote your health.

4.       Home gym: You may need to invest only once, but it will last you a lifetime. It is so much better than paying monthly gym fees. While jogging improves your stamina, a home gym will fortify your strength. Together with stretching exercises, you will enjoy total fitness. 

5.       Deep breathing: Breath deeply and slowly through your nose into your stomach.  Breathing detoxifies, reduces stress, relaxes the mind, and sends more oxygen into the bloodstream.

6.       Exercise for the Brain:

This exercise, as recommended by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. in his book Brain Longevity, not only increases blood flow to the brain but also enhances overall cognitive function and stimulates proper function of the endocrine system.

Sit in the easy pose, or in a chair, with your arms out to your sides and your fingers pulled back from your palms and tensed as if they were claws. Raise your arms and cross over your head (alternating right over left, left over right), then bring them back down to your sides. Repeat this motion powerfully and rhythmically, as you begin to do the Breath of Fire. Coordinating one inhale and exhale with each movement of your arms. Continue without stopping for three, then thrust your tongue out as far as it will go and continue the movements for fifteen more seconds. Then inhale and hold your arms up at a sixty-degree angle for fifteen seconds. Exhale, and repeat. Then inhale again and hold the position for fifteen seconds. Exhale and relax by meditating or listening to music for three minutes.  Then breathe long and gently for three to four minutes.

The Breath of Fire:

The Breath of fire is a powerful exercise that almost always increases energy. Just three minutes of the breath of Fire will increase your physical and mental energy. To do the Breath of Fire, breathe through your nostrils rapidly—more than one inhalation per second. Do not pause between inhaling and exhaling. You should inhale by bringing your diaphragm down, instead of up. Breathe from your diaphragm, and keep your chest relaxed. Focus your mental energy on your navel area.

7.       Jump rope: Instead of joining a gym, it is an effective way to burn calories and lose weight, tone your muscle and improve cardiovascular fitness. Skip every day.

How do you keep fit without spending money?

How Valuable is Your Car?

Recently, there was a car accident in Japan costing $3.8 million and is purported to be the most expensive car crash in the world. 

There is nothing to worry about because these car owners are rich people and these are their toys, though the cars themselves are expensive brands in the world.

The question is: How valuable is your car? 

The make of the car is not important. When you have the money you can buy a luxurious model, otherwise, a small car will do. A car is a productive tool. It is of great value to you when it serves the following purposes:

·         Taking  you to work on time

·         Getting to meetings and appointments on time

·         Taking your family out for the weekends

·         Doing your errands

·         Transporting things

·         Going for  holidays or outstation trips

·         Going out at any time

To maintain its value, not the value of the car per se, you have to:

·         Drive optimally: Accelerate slowly and shift into top gears smartly and quickly

·         Do regular maintenance including rotating your tires

·         Wash and remove brake dust and  keep the car interior clean   

·         DIY: check your  tire pressures, check your oil level

When you look after your car well, it will sustain its value and look after you without fail.