Not an Option

Recently I blogged about the newly crowned American Idol, Candice Glower. During one of her auditions Simon Cowell told her that at best she would be a lounge singer and sing in a hotel lobby and people will eat peanuts and turn their heads. Unlike many of us, Candice refused to let Simon's perception of her define who she was and who she was capable of  becoming. For Candice, failure was not an option and that kept her coming over and over still she won. I dare to say that when you find something you believe in and failure is not an option,  you have found what will you give your life meaning and significanse. You will cross seven oceans and climb fountains to get it. It is your heartbeat. If you are unwillingly to make sacrifices to get your dream, then you may want to check that you are following the right one. The joy that lies ahead is what gives you the motivation to fight for your dream. It keeps you late at night and pushes you to move on when others laugh and ridicule you. There are to many people who settle for less because they buckle under pressure. Pressure  reveals who you are during the tough times. Ask anyone who has achieved any meaningful success, and they will tell you so many more challenges they faced before reaching their goals. 

I do not know what you are going through but you cannot afford to quit. You may feel knocked out and that is okay, but you need to get up and try one more time. Silver and gold have to be refined through the furnace to become purer. What doesn't kill you will make you stronger. You have come too far to  go back now. The bend of a road is not the end of a road. You are not in this world to be a spectator, you are in it to enjoy, live and win it. You have a great future ahead of you and it is worth fighting for. Winners never quit, You are a one.

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Sign Me Up

Today we celebrate our fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to give us a safer and better future.  Like us, they  had parents, dreams, children, spouses and so many  unfulfilled dreams  These brave men and women gave it all up and walked their talk. Our fallen heros fought to ensure that we enjoy the freedom we have today. They had a dream bigger than themselves and they lived it. I believe memorial day is a reminder to us that we will be remembered for the problems we help solve or the ones we create.  Not everyone of us can or will join the army, but lets look around us, there are many wars that need to be won - poverty, HIV, cancer, autism, human trafficking, racism,   discrimination, corruption, etc. Our fallen heros did not look at problems and leave it for others, they owned and tried to solve it. Their golden words were "sign me up". So, what cause are you passionate about? What are you going to do about it? You have waited long enough, why not make this memorial day memorable by "Signing up".

Happy memorial day everyone!

Power of Persistence

It takes the hammer of persistence to drive in the nails of success.

How Bad Do You Want It?

I came across a story that captured my attention the other day. It was a story of Candice Glower, who recently became the Season 12 American Idol winner. Candice had auditioned for the show three times before finally winning the golden crown. I was amazed by her determination despite all the emotional roller coaster she had experienced in past seasons. I did some soul searching and wondered how many times I had taken a rejection to mean a period, rather than a comma. I asked myself what was the line between been hopeful and reaching for your dreams or being delusional and realistic. I do not have the answers to these questions but using Candice as a case study, we can see that Candice did not let the opinions of other people become her reality. Candice was a phenomenal singer, she was not a wannabe, her gift was evident. So in a room full of equal talents  with one prize money, who wins? The best singer - thats relative, the person with the total package - probably, the most determined - this was Candice story, she wanted it badly and couldn't imagine having it any other way.  

 Candice has shown that it takes more than talent and hard work to succede. We need the hammer of persistence to drive in the nails of success. The world always makes room for a person who knows where they are going. I submit to you that if you have the talent and want something bad enough, it will eventually happen. It may not happen the first time but just hang on.

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Gandhi's Tips For Personal Success

Paradox of Time by George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. 

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. 

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. 

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. 

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete. 

Warren Buffett's Advice on How to Be Happy: Get Turned On!

Warren Buffett has some advice for young people on how to be happy, and it has nothing to do with having billions of dollars.

During today's Berkshire Hathaway annualshareholders meeting in Omaha, 82-year-old Buffett and his 89-year-old business partner Charlie Munger were asked by a 30-year-old what advice they would give if they could communicate with themselves when they were 50 years younger.

Here's their response:

MUNGER: We're basically so old-fashioned that we're boringly trite. We think you ought to keep plugging along, and stay rational, and stay energetic. Just all the old virtues still work.

BUFFETT: But find what turns you on.

MUNGER: Yeah, you have to work where you're turned on. I don't know about Warren, but I've never succeeded to any great extent in something I didn't like doing.

BUFFETT: Charlie and I both started in the same grocery store and neither one of us are in the grocery business. 

MUNGER: We were not going to be promoted either, even though you had the family name. (Laughter.)

BUFFETT: My grandfather was right, too. If you're lucky, and Charlie and I were lucky in this respect. Well, we were lucky to be in this country to start with. But we found things we like to do very early in life and then we pushed very hard in doing those thing. But we were enjoying it while we did it. We had had so much fun running Berkshire it's almost sinful. But we were lucky. My dad happened to be in a business (he was a stockbroker) that he didn't find very interesting but I found very interesting. So when I would go down on Saturday there were a lot of books to read. You know, it just flowed from a very early age. And Charlie found ...

MUNGER: You've found a way to atone for your sins for having so much fun, you're giving all the money back .

BUFFETT: Yeah, but you give it all back whether you want to or not in the end. (Laughter.)

Culled from CNBC

What are you saying?

Many times kindest words are the mean words left unsaid. I am sure it does not come as a surprise  that many of us tend to remember the ugly words people have spoken to us and forget all the good ones. Words are powerful though they are like eggs,  once broken it cannot be put back together. It is better not to say anything in anger. Many people have lost significant relationships just because they spoke in the heat of the moment. Another extreme is not saying anything and bottling your emotions in. This is not healthy and will eventually lead to a break down in communication. If you are angry, take a walk, go the gym, change environment and think things through before communicating. If you have a tendency to bottle things up, speak up during good times and not while angry. Many people take the route of speaking with a third party, but this can also do more harm than good, if you do not eventually express yourself to the concerned party.

Your words can make or break, so speak responsibly.

Stop Selling Damaged Goods!

I am thinking about changing my old phone and am undecided between the Samsung Galaxy and the I-Phone. The Ad wars on TV is not really helping because of the bias information involved. One thing  that is clear is that each of these phone companies believe their products are the best and  market their strengths and uniquenesses. There is no doubt that Samsung and Apple products are good, but they are not perfect. I can't imagine buying a product if the sales associate tells me everything that is wrong about it. Likewise, it is important that we do not go around advertising our negatives and insecurities. A way we do this is based on how we think. If you believe you are not good enough or up to no good, there are certain opportunities, places or people you will not pursue.

I am not advocating we mislead or cover up our weaknesses, rather, discover what you are good at and strategically place yourself in environments and relationships that celebrate and value your uniqueness. This is where you will feel most valued and be most productive. If you are working with a manager who doesn't value your natural abilities, work always seems like a chore, but if you work with a manager that sees your assets as a benefit to the organization, you always want to be and give out your best. Too many times we focus on areas that we want to change in our lives and under value our star qualities, it is time to have a paradigm shift. If you are in an environment that makes you feel that you are average and probably doing you a favor, then it may be time to jump ship. You are not average, you are smart, beautiful, funny, you are simply the best. Someone/organization out there will see these qualities in you. You just need to discover them. Live from your power and not from your brokenness.

Before You Quit

Quitting like winning is a skill,  which ever one you exercise more is what develops and influences your choices. Tough times never last but tough people do. Anyone can start but only the strong finish. It takes the hammer of persistence to drive in the nails of success. Keep keeping on, you've got what it takes.