Aim High!

It is when you try to do something beyond what you have mastered that growth occurs. Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down. The difference between the ordinary and the extra ordinary is the little extra. 

Dare to be You!!!

No one ever became great by imitation. Imitation is limitation. Don't be a copy of something, when you are an original of yourself. There is no one else like you. Dare to be you. 

Let Go!

What Are You Going to Choose Today?

Everything going on in our life can be attributed to the decisions we made. Some might argue that some circumstances in life are beyond our choosing, but how  we respond to such is a choice. So choose to be a victor and not a victim, a responder and not a reactor to life, a lover and not a fighter. Choose to make peace and not war with your family, neighbors and friends. Choose to get back up after a fall. Choose to excel, love and most of all, choose to be you.

Seven Tips on Having a Great Day!

The way you start your day is a good indicator on how the day is going to end. Your day actually starts the night before. End your day on a good note and it will give leverage to starting your new day. Remember,  it is important to start the day right rather than trying to play catch up. The following are tips that have helped me have a great day:

1. Power Talk - What do you want your day to look like? You can only feature in a future you can picture. I start my day by creating it. Have a mental picture of what you want your day to look like. I say, "Today is going to be a great day". I say out loud that I am able to handle all the challenges that come my way. I remind myself that I have what it takes to pull the day off. I am a problem solver. The solution and not the problem.  I do not wait for things to happen, I make them happen. I do not need anyone to treat me a certain way in other to feel special or do my best. I am going to give today my best.
2. Priortize - Have you noticed that the little unimportant things can take up to 80% of your time and you have very little time to focus on the important things? The way out is focus on your highly important and urgent work first, and go from there.
3. Do - Do something that will make someones day better and brighter. How can you help someone on your team get closer to their goal. You will discover that the sunlight you bring out in others will shine on you too.
4. Exercise - You don't have time, you say? Why don't you take the stairs instead of the elevator or have a walking meeting? Exercise has a way of making us feel good and that enhances our productivity.
5. Schedule - Create time in your calendar to think and plan. Remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing and what you need to do daily to get you to where you want to be. Just reacting to what your day throws at you is not a good recipe for success.
6. Connect - Relationship depth have a taken a hit; no thanks to social media. You will be surprised how a brief conversation over the phone, a thoughtful note will energize you and make you more vibrant.
7. Take a Break - You have tons to do right? If you keep working without breaks you will reach a plateau and will start loosing productivity. Short breaks even for 5 to 10 minutes can get you going again.
Bonus  - A smile adds beauty to you. So, smile! It takes a  lot more energy to frown than to smile. 

HappY New Year!

Thank you for all your support and encouragement! I'll keep doing my best to keep you updated with messages and stories that will bring about a turning point in your 2014 Journey. Watch out for 2014, it is going to be better than ever! I wish you a prosperous year and may all your dreams come true.

Why You Should Stop Recycling in 2014

                                           

I recently moved to Oregon from California and as many would imagine, the weather was a big concern moving here. Few weeks in, I am actually enjoying the Portlandia experience. I had absorbed a lot of sunshine from California that will keep me going for a while. As a former graduate student in California, we had to manage the resources we had but moving into a new place necessitated we get a few things we could afford, one of which was a sofa. I was attached to the old one but we did not have much room to keep it, so we eventually donated it ( a form of recycling). My sofa had found a new home. Recycling can be beautiful because it ensures sustainability, conserves resources and eliminates waste. This is great when we think of natural resources, products or material items. Recycling on another note has prevented a lot of people from enjoying the new because they keep recycling old hurts, negative experiences and grudges in their minds. The problem with this is that it leads to emotional congestion.  These results in lack of productivity with symptoms such as frustration, depression, low self-worth and esteem, pessimism, and the whole nine yards. Just like I had to let go of my old sofa to create room for the new, we need to bring closure to the wounds we have been recycling for a very long time. It’s time to let it go if we want to enjoy the new. Not the basement or any other storage place, let it go.

If you’ve ever put in batteries into a remote control or any gadget, the manufacturers often advice not to mix old batteries with new ones in order to get optimum performance. Similarly, harboring the past contaminates the future. For example, imagine seeing a dead fly in your glass of water. You don’t recycle it, you eliminate it.  If you truly want to have a new year and not take any excess baggage with you from the past, then you have to have look within and ask yourself, “What do I have to stop recycling in my life? What are the things I need to have closure on? Who are the people I need to forgive or give a second chance. Who are the people in my life I have to say goodbye to? I know you may have attachments to the past because you have worked so hard and invested a ton, but you never know what you may be missing until the new arrives. I hope you stop recycling the past in 2014 and start the New Year with fresh rigor and expectation.

The Number One Thing You Must Never Give Away

I am sure you are wondering what the number one  thing you must never give away is. I'll go straight to the point. Self esteem/confidence/worth is the number one thing you must never give away. For example, if the only time you ever feel good about yourself is when someone pays you a compliment then you have let other person determine how you feel and how your day will go. You do not need anyone's permission to be yourself. You are destined for great things. You are a star and the number one thing that stars do is shine! No one can make you feel inferior without your permission. The way you see yourself comes largely from your identity. The good news is that identities are never written in ink. The day you discover that is the day you become free. Do not let your past experiences or background be a set back for you, rather let it set you up for bigger and better things. President Mandela did not let what other people's opinion of him crush his dream of seeing a free and united South Africa.  

What's your foundation? The strength of a building is dependent on its foundation. If the foundation is weak, the house will not stand when the storm comes. Where do you derive your identity from? Remember beauty will fade, a good degree or family name does not solve all life's problems. There are three things that will last forever; Faith, Hope & Love. The greatest of these is love. Mandela fought for it and he will forever be remembered.

What to let go Before 2014

      Driving and looking through the rear mirror will only result in anyone having an accident. You can't dream of a better future clinging to the past. So, it is imperative to let go of anything that maybe holding you back. A 100 m  sprint athlete or swimmer understands the importance of eliminating unnecessary weights in order to achieve optimum performance. Similarly, if we want to achieve our life's best, we need to get rid of any weights that easily entangles us. In life everyones journey is different but the following are weights that easily slow us down and prevent us from becoming our best:

Hurts & Bitterness - Except you exit the planet, people will hurt you, especially the ones you love the most. offenses are inevitable but carrying them is a choice. Holding grudges only keeps you within a cell while the offender roams free. You can choose to do something about it. Forgive and let go. Do not spend endless time talking about those painful issues, you only set yourself up to relive the negative experiences. Rather,  talk about your expectations.

Toxic Relationships -   It is important to periodically scan the relationships in your life. Some people in your life are like heavy weights that retard your progress. There is no point keeping them on, let them go. ( I am assuming you've had a chat with this people in your life but seems they are finding it impossible to change their spots).

Closet: Time to wander through your closet and give out clothes or any other items that you have not worn in a year.

Procrastination -  Do your words have any meaning or value to them? Do you say what you mean and mean what you say? let go of any lazy habits that prevent from keeping your most priced possession ( your words)

Weight - Health is wealth. Put on your running or dancing shoes and do some exercise. You will be amazed how refreshed you feel and this would inevitably turn on your creative side.

Pride: Pride is like baggage drop it. If you need help ask for it. Someone has the solution to your questions and vice versa. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. 

How to Prevent a Relationship Shutdown

Communication is the life blood of any relationship, once communication stops, your relationship begins to deteriorate. When you want to turn off your computer you are given the options - Standby, Turn off and Restart. These options are very similar to the options we have when we encounter difficulties in our personal and professional relationships. Each of these options have their consequences, but one that may be overlooked is the  cancel option.  This option enables you to think about the consequences of your action or inaction before you take a rash decision.   A good example of a "Turn Off" action is the recent US government shutdown. The House of Congress and the White House focused more on their differences and that resulted in a communication breakdown and resulted in almost a million people suffering for the poor decisions of their leaders. The divorce rate in America is about 50% and companies spend billions every year on managing conflict. It is no secret that your ability to get along with people you would rather avoid is critical to your success in both your personal and professional lives. When you meet people you like, you focus more on what you have in common. For those you would rather avoid, you tend to focus on your differences.  To stay connected with others, we have to train ourselves to focus on the good in others. I agree it may be difficult locating bright spots in some people, but if you find it, it will make your life a lot easier.

Depending on your personality, you will probably respond to tense situations differently. If your goal is to prevent your relationship from shutting down, it is important that you do not sweep situations under the carpet. Ignoring the elephant in the room will not make it go away, in fact, the elephant will destroy more things the longer its left wondering around. I hear you say, "I do not like confrontation" but the truth is, whatever you are unwillingly to confront never goes away. Mediums such as email, telephone can easily be escape routes but are more easily misinterpreted. A face to face, heart to heart conversation still works wonders. Remember you can prevent a shut down in your relationships by both sides compromising and not destroying it by finger pointing.