Improve Social Skills

If you're seeking a way to better your social skills, there are a

lot of resources available that will help you in refining your

social skills and bettering the way you communicate with other

people.

It's not only possible to discover how to better your social

skills; it's simpler than you believe.

Envisage how much less complicated your life would be if you could

Free yourself of nagging self-doubt and find confidence knowing you

are able to handle any social state of affairs.

Have you ever questioned how some individuals appear to shine at

socializing? Discovering how to better your social skills will provide

you the ability to understand what to say in any state of affairs and be

the type of individual other people love to be around.

You are able to develop the skills required to begin a conversation

with anybody you come across, deal effectively with clumsy

situations, live with rejection graciously, and win the blessing and

appreciation of all that you come across.

You'll be able to read the body language of other people, effectively

work out issues, and acquire the ability to diffuse tender situations

with apparently little effort.

In the process of learning how to better your social skills, your selfpride

will soar and your confidence will accomplish an all-time high.

Awareness of your own fundamental interaction with others is the

beginning step in bettering your social skills.

Learn to place which sorts of spots make you uncomfortable and then

alter your behavior to accomplish favorable results is a vital step in

bettering your social skills.

You are able to learn to become cognizant of behaviors in others that

propel you to react in negative ways and modify your own behavior to

turn the spot into a favorable experience.

You have to accept responsibility for your own behavior and don’t

fear apologizing for mistakes in judgment or insensitive actions.

Asking other people for honest feedback about the way you interact

with other people may be really helpful. Accept the negative feedback

along with the electropositive and make alterations accordingly.

Your gestural communication is as crucial as the things that you state.

Favorable body language is exceedingly crucial in your interactions

with others. If your words and your actions don't jibe, you'll have a

hard time succeeding in social spots.

In order to discover how to better your social skills, you have to

become and good listener. You have to fight the urge to react

immediately and truly listen to what the other individual is

attempting to communicate.

Providing suggestions or criticism before you're sure of the other

individual’s intent may simply lead to frustration for both parties.

Bettering your social skills is a process and can't be achieved

overnight. Attempting to better or change too many things at a time

will be counter-productive. You'll get discouraged and overpowered if

you try to alter your whole personality all at once. Pick one or 2 traits

at a time and work at those over a period of time. Learn to capitalize

on your personal intensities and make a favorable impact on other

people.

Maximize your favorable personality traits and utilize them in your

interactions with other people. Great communication and good

listening skills are the most crucial tools you are able to utilize in

bettering your social skills.

You are able to learn how to better your social skills by formulating

first-class listening skills, learning to resolve issues and conflicts,

understanding body language, and accepting responsibility for your

own damaging behavior.

Determination and self-awareness will make your want to better your

social skills a reality.

Setting Destinations

It's unfortunate that many individuals truly do undervalue the might
of goal setting. It's crucial to set goals to provide you direction, a
sense of purpose and centering in life. Goal setting supplies you with
a guideline of where you wish to go in your life. If you don't
understand where you're going, don't be surprised when life takes you
to a spot where you don't wish to be.

For you to accomplish your goals you have to understand where you
wish to go or be. At the same time you have to understand where you
are at the moment. Only by recognizing these 2 all-important details,
are you able to lead yourself in the correct direction. It's the same as
utilizing a map to reach a place. To set about where you wish to go,
you have to understand where you are. In life you need to do the
same.

Many good and industrious individuals wind up in unfulfilling lives as
they don't set goals for themselves. They let outside events prescribe
the path of their lives. They respond to conditions in their life rather
than masterminding conditions for their future benefit. With the
bustle and fuss of daily life, they get caught up with the daily
activities.

Most individuals are on endurance mode. They're living for the here
and now only. They're busy from morning to evening, making ends
meet and making a point they and their loved ones are fed. Woefully
most individuals don't plan for their future. They might plan for the
immediate future but surely not set goals for where they wish to be in
20 or 30 years.

The truth is that if we don't set goals and arrange our priorities in life,
we're going to awaken one day and recognize that we haven't achieved
much in life. Without goals, we meander aimlessly through life. The
truth is we're forever going to be busy and if we don't prioritize our
actions we might discover that at the end of the day we have zip to
show. Don't mistake being engaged with being productive. You are
able to be busy daily and not achieve much.

Something magic occurs when we set goals. Goals center attention
toward goal-relevant actions and away from goal-irrelevant actions.
When we have a goal, we center our time, energy and gifts on what we
wish to achieve rather than wasting our lives away.

The next time you're about to accomplish something, ask yourself,
"Does it propel me closer or move me away from my destination?"
Make certain you minimize the actions that move you away from your
destination and adopt actions that get you going toward your goal.
Make certain you design your future. If you fail to design, you design
to fail. Don't wake up one day and regret that life has passed by you.
Goal setting is the vehicle that may metamorphose your life from an
average one to a great one. Take action today and set your goals to
live a satisfying life.

Affirm It

If you believe that positive affirmation impacts only the subconscious
then wait until you hear this. Analyses have discovered that
individuals who perpetually bombard themselves with favorable
words instead of entertaining damaging thoughts and words have
among other things stronger muscles.

Research states that an individuals muscles get stronger and more
dynamic when the subconscious mind is filled with favorable words.
The same content indicated that the human muscles tend to get feeble
when an individual thinks and verbalizes that he's tired or that he
detests the world or that he can't do a specific thing.

Apart from muscle strength, favorable affirmations likewise impact
your energy state. A jolly individual is commonly a result of a positive
brain programming. Positive affirmation doesn't only impact the
physical but likewise the emotional welfare of an individual.
Because of this, authorities have always suggested to individuals to
begin their day with great and favorable thoughts and words.
Beginning the day correctly would extend the vivacious feeling
throughout the day and would yet act as a multiplier effect to all other
favorable facets in your life.

Positive affirmation brings to life individuals capacities, strengths,
gifts, and skills. Perpetually repeating the things that you're capable
of doing and blanking out hesitant feelings that commonly hinder you
from acting on a particular goal may help a lot in accomplishing a
favorable result. A light mind-set, a grinning face, and a worry-free
aura are commonly the features of very successful individuals. The
precept of positive affirmation leans on the common tenets that the
brain is simply so powerful and what it states is commonly followed
and miraculously accomplished by the body.

Other people likewise trust that positive affirmation carries with it a
few mysterious effects that no rational being has ever successfully
explained. Authorities merely claim that these positive affirmations
may easily penetrate an individual’s subconscious mind, thus
impacting his actions, behavior, and mental attitude.
Authorities recommend a few tips for you to continue knowing
yourself better. Knowing what you wish, your goals, aspirations, and
ambitions is the first necessity when on the beginning road to success.
Affirmations have to directly come from you and not from others for
it to become effective.

An individual’s will is so mighty that it has to be nurtured by ceaseless
repetition of positive self-talk. It serves as the engine for the physical
body to move and move quicker. The lack of it would deprive you the
opportunity to move forward from the beginning level of personal
growth.

Forever remember that any sort of development would call for a clear
affirmation of your destination and vision. Positive affirmations are
mighty statements that you are able to utilize during your self-talk.
And to acquire the most benefit, you must utilize affirmations that are
in the here and now tense. Abide by these guidelines for formulating
great affirmations and you ought to do ok. A statement in the here
and now tense is regarded by authorities to be more effective than a
statement in future tense as the element of time is a crucial factor that
may affect your behavior.

Overcoming The Adversity: The Story Of Father and His Daughter

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life
was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it.
She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as
one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with
water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to
boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and
ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil,
without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he
was doing. After twenty minutes, he turned off the burners. He took
the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the
eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and
placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked, "Daughter, what do you see?"
"Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied.
"Look closer”, he said, "and touched the potatoes”. She did and noted
that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the
shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile
to her face.
"Father, what does this mean?" she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs, and coffee beans had
each faced the same adversity, the boiling water. However, each one
reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water
it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile with the thin outer shell
protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then
the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were
exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created
something new.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on
your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee
bean?"

In life, things happen around us and things happen to us, but the only
thing that truly matters is what happens within us.

Why Seek Inspiration?

For anything excellent and great that you wish to accomplish in your life, there's one imperative requirement - inspiration. A great inspiration brings with it a wave of power that by itself may propel you over the finish line. Conversely when we're empty of inspiration, everything may appear hard, boring and dull, and we acquire no joy out of what we're doing.

Inspiration is so crucial as it keeps the mind positive and centered on the greater picture. We frequently believe we're in command of our minds and what we think, but even a brief analysis of our thoughts brings out another story: that our damaging thoughts act as a big barrier to our self growth.

The mind is really prone to wavering and doubt, shifting from one way to the other at a moment’s notice. Frequently when you feel a deep inner yearning to achieve something, the mind will initially go along with it, lured by the novelty factor. But, when the going gets fierce and you start to encounter roadblocks in accomplishing your goal, the mind will frequently be the first one to jump ship! By bringing in outer sources of inspiration to your life, you help your mind “see the forest for the trees” and work with you to accomplish your goals.

Occasionally the process of bringing purpose and meaning into your life means you have to boldly step into territory unmapped by most of the individuals around you. You start to explore choices beyond the nine-to-five cycle of eating, working and sleeping, and start to move away towards a deeper sense of being. As many of those around you aren’t as interested as you are in living out your total potential, it's really simple to feel that you're ploughing a lone furrow, and this may make you question if indeed you're doing the right thing . That’s why staying in touch with inspiring individuals and reading inspiring stories is so crucial, as it lets you see that other people have been in same place as you. If they've gone on to accomplish their goals, then why can’t you?

As the mind gets bored of new things really quickly, you perpetually need to refill your source of inspiration:

Having like minded individuals around you can be excellent in that regard - you are able to guarantee that if one individual in the group isn’t feeling particularly inspired, somebody else will be, and their inspiration will act as a lift-me-up tonic. Likewise, together you serve as a valuable source of fresh ideas - when one individual discovers something that works for them, and then he or she may share that with everybody else.

Forever keeping a sense of newness in what you do is always crucial - for instance, to stop my meditation practice from getting dull and uninspired, I frequently add a fresh piece of music to my morning routine, or redecorate my meditation space.

Reading may be a powerful source of inspiration, as it directly bears upon the mind. Reading personal inspiration stories may be particularly powerful, as you are able to put yourself in the shoes of that individual and imagine yourself overcoming those roadblocks.

You are able to utilize the inspiration you have as a launching pad to increase your ambition - your inner yearning for fulfillment. Many individuals who give seminars on success in different areas all state the same thing - that the difference between accomplishing a goal and not accomplishing it is merely whether you desired it badly enough.

The very act of increasing your ambition helps to inwardly move you away from the situation you're disgruntled with, and you feel that inside your heart you're really beginning to bring about the changes that you wish to see in your life.

Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life

When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."

1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?

2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.

3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.

4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.

I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!

Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?

5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."

I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.

6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.

7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.

8. Prioritize your time for energy boosters and time expanders? Meditation, journal writing and exercise will increase your energy and miraculously add hours to your day.

9. Grab a large block of time each week to do exactly what you want. Two hours? A whole afternoon? An afternoon in an art museum (or an evening at a basketball game) will often unravel the knots that keep you working late.

10. Call for outside help if you're still trapped by the "should" monitor. Find a friend, counselor or coach -- someone who can offer you an objective insight and clarify priorities.

Bonus tip: Remind yourself every day: Very few people on their deathbed say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," or, "I should have done more dusting." Will you be one of the few?

Written by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D

Meaningless Goals

A farmer had a dog who used to sit by the roadside waiting for
vehicles to come around. As soon as one came he would run down the
road, barking and trying to overtake it.

One day a neighbour asked the
farmer "Do you think your dog is ever going to catch a car?" The
farmer replied, "That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is
what he would do if he ever caught one." Many people in life behave
like that dog who is pursuing meaningless goals.

Perhaps?

The Midas Touch

We all know the story of the greedy king named Midas. He had a lot
of gold and the more he had the more he wanted. He stored all the
gold in his vaults and used to spend time every day counting it.

One day while he was counting a stranger came from nowhere and
said he would grant him a wish. The king was delighted and said, "I
would like everything I touch to turn to gold." The stranger asked the
king, Are you sure?" The king replied, "Yes." So the stranger said,
"Starting tomorrow morning with the sun rays you will get the golden
touch." The king thought he must be dreaming, this couldn't be true.

But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed, his clothes,
and everything turned to gold. He looked out of the window and saw
his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise
and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden he
decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold
and he couldn't read it. Then he sat to have breakfast and the moment
he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He
was getting hungry and he said to himself, "I can't eat and drink
gold”.

Just about that time his daughter came running and he hugged
her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.
The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who gave
the wish came again and asked the king if he was happy with his
golden touch. The king said he was the most miserable man. The
stranger asked, "What would you rather have, your food and loving
daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?" The king cried and
asked for forgiveness.

He said, "I will give up all my gold. Please give
me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything
worth having." The stranger said to the king, "You have become wiser
than before" and he reversed the spell. He got his daughter back.

How would you like to be remembered?

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper
and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column.

The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by
mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he
regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what
people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies."

And also "He was the merchant of death." This man was the inventor
of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death," he
asked himself a question, "Is this how I am going to be remembered?"

He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the
way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started
working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is
remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his
values, we should step back and do the same.

What is your legacy?

How would you like to be remembered?

Will you be spoken well of?

Will you be remembered with love and respect?

Will you be missed?

Don’t We All?

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would
consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no
clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous
but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This
was one of those "don't want to be bothered times."
"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.
He didn't.
He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.
"That's a very pretty car," he said.
He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard keep more than his face warm.
I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came.
As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if
he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true
to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never
forget.

We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it
from those of higher learning and accomplishments.
I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the
three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.
I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum
in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun.

Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed
help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus
fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those
three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no
matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No
matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with
problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know
when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are
waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, which only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the
man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he
was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a
soul too comfortable in themselves.
Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum,
then said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs
help."

Don't we all?

20 qualities for a successful life

We often wonder how a person can be so successful in life! Is it because he inherited the
success or is it because of his unique character? There are certain traits that we can adopt
in order to be successful in life. These are:

1.Sincerity: Being sincere and following your values and beliefs would guarantee you
success. So don‟t try to be something that you aren't. Just be yourself and impress others.

2.Be genuine: Your actions are greater than your words. So don't exaggerate or deceive
others. Just be genuine.

3.Being wholehearted: You should be enthusiastic regarding things you do. So you should
whole heartedly devote yourself to do good to others and your community.

4.Honest: Being honest is quite difficult but when you let honesty guide you, you'll achieve
greater success. So never deceive or do fraud to get ahead in life.

5.Heartfelt: Be honest and appreciate others. Thank people who do good to you and reach
out to those in need.

6.Heartiness: Be warm and genuine with others. This would radiate your character and
affection towards others.

7.Humility: No matter how rich or successful you are, always be humble with others. This
would have a longer impact on others.

8.Personal integrity: It is important that no matter how successful you become, you should
always keep your values intact. Never trade your moral values for material benefits.

9.Incorruptibility: Be affirmative and hold your ground to stick towards your beliefs. Don‟t
let others corrupt you.

10.Good judgment: Show good and fair judgment in life. Treat everybody with equality and
respect. Life coaching and motivation for happy successful life

11.Focused: Always maintain your focus and give your total attention to the people you
interact.

12.Courtesy: Be good to others and show courtesy even to those who are strangers.

13.Civic and morally sense: Exhibit civility and respect. Don't dominate people and speak with kindness
and respect.

14.Wisdom: Wisdom is gained by experience. Be in touch with your inner self in order to
gain higher understanding and wisdom.

15.Charity: Be generous and charitable to others. Extend help even to those who have not
helped you.

16.Empathy: Know that everybody is different and has different needs. Understand others
feelings and thoughts.

17.Sympathy: Always be sympathetic to people under emotional stress. Try to understand
things from their view point.

18.Compassionate: Reach out and help those who are in distress. You wouldn't believe the
good wishes they'll send out to you.

19.Altruism: Think for others without being selfish. Do good and don't expect things in
return. Moreover, don't express to others the favors you do to them.

20.High-minded: Give your money, time and knowledge to others so that they can learn
from your experience. Don't stop short thinking that they'll get ahead of you. It takes a
high mind and a generous heart to do that!
The traits given above are some of the qualities that a successful person should possess.
Try to adopt them in daily life and make them a part of your character.

The Starfish

There was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that
along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the
tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays,
they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The
man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did
that repeatedly. Right behind him there was another person who
couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him
and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How
many can you help? What difference does it make?" This man did not
reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the
water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one."

Unconditional Love - motivating story
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after
having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a
friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt
pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an
arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live
with us."

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and
encourage you to succeed they lend an ear, they share a word of
praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

The Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One
man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the
fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and
families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military
service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when
the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the
time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside
the window.

The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where
his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and
color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a
lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water
while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm
amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the
landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the
distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite
detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and
imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade
passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he
could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window
portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought
entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing
everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As
the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days
passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into
resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found
himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that
thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window
began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other
man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the
window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across
the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button, which
would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the
coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing.

Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their
baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window,
she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--
no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if
he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make
the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him
alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his
first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He
strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced
a blank wall.

Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude
we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to
our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window.
And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what
makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never
find lasting joy.
The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like
programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank
vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive,
encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips
just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that
seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find
that there is much.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Bill Gates

Bill Gates was born on October 28, 1955 in a family having rich
business, political and community service background. His great grandfather
was a state legislator and a mayor, his grandfather was
vice president of national bank and his father was a lawyer.

Bill strongly believes in hard work. He believes that if you are
intelligent and know how to apply your intelligence, you can achieve
anything. From childhood Bill was ambitious, intelligent and
competitive. These qualities helped him to attain top position in the
profession he chose. In school, he had an excellent record in
mathematics and science. Still he was getting very bored in school
and his parents knew it, so they always tried to feed him with more
information to keep him busy. Bill’s parents came to know their son's
intelligence and decided to enroll him in a private school, known for
its intense academic environment. It was a very important decision in

Bill Gate's life where he was first introduced to a computer. Bill Gates
and his friends were very much interested in computer and formed
"Programmers Group" in late 1968. Being in this group, they found a
new way to apply their computer skill in university of Washington. In
the next year, they got their first opportunity in Information Sciences
Inc. in which they were selected as programmers. ISI (Information
Sciences Inc.) agreed to give them royalties whenever it made money
from any of the group’s program. As a result of the business deal
signed with Information Sciences Inc., the group also became a legal
business.

Bill Gates and his close friend Allen started new company of their
own, Traf-O-Data. They developed a small computer to measure
traffic flow. From this project they earned around $20,000. The era
of Traf-O-Data came to an end when Gates left the college. In 1973, he
left home for Harvard University. He didn’t know what to do, so he
enrolled his name for pre-law. He took the standard freshman
courses with the exception of signing up for one of Harvard's toughest
mathematics courses. He did well over there, but he couldn’t find it
interesting too.

He spent many long nights in front of the school's
computer and the next day asleep in class. After leaving school, he
almost lost himself from the world of computers. Gates and his friend
Paul Allen remained in close contact even though they were away
from school. They would often discuss new ideas for future projects
and the possibility of starting a business one fine day. At the end of
Bill's first year, Allen came close to him so that they could follow
some of their ideas. That summer they got job in Honeywell. Allen
kept on pushing Bill for opening a new software company.

Within a year, Bill Gates dropped out from Harvard. Then he formed
Microsoft. Microsoft's vision is "A computer on every desk and
Microsoft software on every computer". Bill is a visionary person and
works very hard to achieve his vision. His belief in high intelligence
and hard work has put him where he is today. He does not believe in
mere luck or God’s grace, but just hard work and competitiveness.
Bill’s Microsoft is good competition for other software companies and
he will continue to stomp out the competition until he dies. He likes
to play the game of Risk and the game of world domination. His
beliefs are so powerful, which have helped him increase his wealth
and his monopoly in the industry.

Bill Gates is not a greedy person. In fact, he is quite giving person
when it comes to computers, internet and any kind of funding. Some
years back, he visited Chicago's Einstein Elementary School and
announced grants benefiting Chicago's schools and museums where
he donated a total of $110,000, a bunch of computers, and provided
internet connectivity to number of schools. Secondly, Bill Gates
donated 38 million dollars for the building of a computer institute at
Stanford University. Gates plans to give away 95% of all his earnings
when he is old and gray.

Bill Gates from this story may seem a superhero and do it alone guy
but in reality, he is not. He was able to achieve it because of the kind
of people that he choose to mingle with.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Warren Buffet

The success story behind Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett---
who is also the company's largest shareholder and CEO---spans back
to his years packing groceries at his grandfather's grocery store.
Buffet showed maturity beyond his years when he decided that he
would rather make money than play games with the other children
his age.

Born Warren Edward Buffett on August 30, 1930 to a stockbrokerturned-Congressman, it is no wonder that Buffett showed an amazing
flair for business and numbers at such an early age. At 11 years old, he
jumped into the world of high finance by buying three shares of Cities
Service that he later sold. He immediate regretted the decision as the
numbers for Cities Service soared. Buffett learned his lessons earlier
than most, paving the way for the plethora of critical real-world
decisions he was going to make.

Warren Buffett was educated at Woodrow Wilson High School,
Washington, D.C. after his father was elected into Congress. He
received his college education at The Wharton School, University of
Pennsylvania then later at the University of Nebraska where he
received a B.S. in Economics. Choosing to further his education,
Buffett enrolled at the Columbia Business School where he graduated
in 1951 with an M.S. in Economics.

Warren Buffett experienced a variety of jobs before he landed himself
at Berkshire Hathaway. Fresh out of school, he worked as an
investment salesman at Buffett-Falk & Co., Omaha until 1954. From
1954 to 1956, Buffett served at Graham-Newman Corp., New York as
a Securities Analyst. From 1956-1969, he sat as a General Partner at
the Buffett Partnership, Ltd. Since 1970, Buffet has served at
Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Omaha as its Chairman and CEO.

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a conglomerate holding company that
oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. Since
coming onboard, Buffet has been instrumental in driving the
company to the colossal status it stands at today.
In 2008, Warren Buffet was ranked number one on Forbes list of
World's Billionaires making this the richest success story in the
world.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Although, a summary of his basketball career and influence on the
game inevitably fails to do it justice, as a phenomenal athlete with a
unique combination of fundamental soundness, grace, speed, power,
artistry, improvisational ability and an unquenchable competitive
desire, Jordan single-handedly redefined the NBA superstar.

Even contemporaneous superstars recognized the unparalleled
position of Jordan. Magic Johnson said, "There's Michael Jordan and
then there is the rest of us." Larry Bird, following a playoff game
where Jordan dropped 63 points on the Boston Celtics in just his
second season, appraisal of the young player was: "God disguised as
Michael Jordan.

A brief listing of his top accomplishments would include the
following: Rookie of the Year; Five-time NBA MVP; Six-time NBA
champion; Six-time NBA Finals MVP; Ten-time All-NBA First Team;
Nine time NBA All-Defensive First Team; Defensive Player of the
Year; 14-time NBA All-Star; Three-time NBA All-Star MVP; 50th
Anniversary All-Time Team; Ten scoring titles -- an NBA record and
seven consecutive matching Wilt Chamberlain; Retired with the
NBA's highest scoring average of 30.1ppg.

Michael Jordan makes the jump shot that catapults the Bulls over the
Utah Jazz in the 1998 Finals. However, his impact is far greater than
awards and championships. He burst into the league as a rookie
sensation scoring in droves with an unmatchable first step and
acrobatic drives and dunks and concluded his career as a cultural
icon. Along the way, he became a true champion who spearheaded the
globalization of the NBA with his dynamic on court abilities and
personal sense of style that was marketed to the masses.

He was an accessible star who managed to maintain an air of
mystique. He was visible as "Air Jordan," as part of a sneaker
advertising campaign and endorsing other products as well as the star
of the movie, Space Jam. However, he would vanish into retirement
twice only to return until hanging up the sneakers for the last time
after the 2002-03 season.

Although Brooklyn born, Jordan was bred in the more tranquil North
Carolina. The son of Delores and James Jordan, he shared a special
bond with his father, which included baseball being both of their first
love. However, following his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized
and was a spectacular athlete in his own right, Jordan began to play
basketball.

Jordan, coming off a gold medal performance at the 1984 Olympics
prospered in the pro game with a fabulous first season, earning the
NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He averaged 28.2 ppg, (third behind
Bernard King and Bird) 6.5 rpg and 5.9 apg. He also was selected to
the All-NBA Second Team. Perhaps more important, the Bulls
improved to win 11 more games than in the season prior to his arrival
and made it to the playoffs. Jordan averaged 29.3 ppg in the first
round series, but the Bulls lost in four games to the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his first season, he did not have outstanding shooting range and
was thought to roam to often on defense resulting from playing
trapping defenses in college according to his first NBA coach, Kevin
Loughery. Yet, his medium game -- eight to 15-feet from the basket
was impressive as evidenced by his .515 field-goal shooting
percentage and his steals tended to compensate for his less than
stellar straight-up defense. Improvement in both areas would come
and he would ultimately be regarded as threat from anywhere on the
floor and one of the best ever one-on-one defenders.

"There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us."
-- Magic Johnson

Even in the exhibition season before his rookie campaign, players and
coaches were sure that the Rockets and Blazers would regret their
picks. King, the eventual leading scorer for that upcoming season,
seemed sure as well when he spoke to Hoop magazine after a 1984
preseason game.

"All I can say," King says, "is that the people in Chicago are in for a
real treat."
He was right. Jordan's greatness and likeabilty was apparent in just
his first season. Home attendance at the venerable Chicago Stadium
and on the road rose dramatically. Fans of opposing teams were
seemingly content to see their team lose if in return Jordan put on
show.

Jordan's personal style was equally authentic and unique as his
basketball skills. Nike signed him to a major shoe deal because of his
anticipated appeal, but he surpassed even the loftiest of expectations.
One version of the sneakers he wore in his first preseason was an
unseen before blend of his team's red and black colors that the NBA
initially considered in violation of the "uniformity of uniform rule."
Subject to fines if he continued to wear them, he occasionally did and
the demand for that version and others in the Air Jordan line was
unprecedented.

The rookie's mesmerizing effect was even suggested to have extended
to referees as it was said that he was getting veteran preferential
treatment allowing him to take that additional step on route to the
basket rather than being whistle for a travelling violation. Many
assessed that he eluded defenders so easily that he had to be
travelling. However, video break down established that his first step
was just so quick and that he was not in violation of the rulebook.

Despite all the attention, Jordan retained a sense of humility. He did
not ridicule the Blazers for not taking him. Early on in his first
season, he told Sports Illustrated, "He [Bowie] fits in better than I
would. They have an overabundance of big guards and small
forwards." His self-effacement was more apparent when in that same
article he said, "I'd like to play in at least one All-Star game."
Three games into his second season, he broke a bone in his left foot.
He was voted to the All-Star team but could not play as he was
sidelined for 64 games. However, he came back late in the year to
score a NBA playoff-record 63 points in a first-round game against
the Celtics. The Bulls lost that game 132-131 in double-overtime and
the series in a sweep, but Jordan averaged 43.7 ppg in the series. If
there were any doubters to that point about Jordan's ability, surely
there were no more.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Mother Teresa

This great personality was born in Albania. Right
from the age of 18, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, popularly known as
mother Teresa, was into spirituality. It was in the year 1931, when this
young girl with a golden heart, acquired the name Teresa from the
French nun Thérèse Martin.

In 1937, she took vows and began
teaching in Saint Mary's High School in Calcutta.
In 1948, she got another opportunity from God to serve the society.

The same year, mother Teresa was relieved by Pope Pious XII from
her services and she was granted the status of an independent nun.
And thereafter, she got engrossed with the task of serving the poor
and sick people of Calcutta. The coming years witnessed the setting
up of a charity organization called the Missionaries of Charity. In
1950, her source of concern was the care of lepers, the people
discarded by society.

Missionary of Charity opened its branches in almost every country to
assist the poor, elderly, blind and people suffering from deadly
disease like AIDS. For the bright future of children, she opened up
schools. In 1979, she was awarded with Nobel Prize for the services
that she had rendered to the society. But the journey of this great
messiah on earth ended in August 1997, when she made her way
towards the heaven.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Beethoven

Beethoven was born on 16th, December, 1770 in Bonn of Germany.
His father was a singer in local palace choir. Beethoven's father was a
very common person and he was addicted to gambling. However, his
mother was a fairly kind-hearted and gentle female. She married an
assistant as her first marriage and married to Beethoven's father
when her ex-husband died.

Beethoven didn't have access to go to school for the reason that his
family was very poor. Nevertheless, he had a special feeling of music
when he was very young. His father wanted to make use of his
potential to make a big fortune. As a result, Beethoven had to practice
playing clavicorn and violin day and night under his father's pressure.
Beethoven had a performance on a stage for the first time when he
was only seven years old and he made a huge success. Some famous
musicians considered him as the second Mozart. Beethoven learned
how to compose music from Nifo and published his first work named
Concerto in A minor when he was 11. He went to Vienna to learn how
to compose music from Mozart and Haydn.


It seems that he would have a fairly bright future when Beethoven
received the first success in 1800. Nevertheless, he was troubled with
a terrible matter for years at that time. He found that he has became a
deaf person. There couldn't be anything more terrible than that for a
musician. He sank into a blue mood for a long time as a consequence.
Beethoven has an enthusiastic heart all the time. But his enthusiasm
was often unfortunate. He often tolerated both hope and enthusiasm,
disappointment and resistance. There was no doubt that all of these
emotions had become his unique source of creation. He fell in love
with Julia in 1801 and composed a music named Moonlight for her
specifically. To his disappointed, she couldn't understand his noble
soul and refused him. Beethoven was upset and despairing for that
and married a comte before long. It was the most hopeless moment
for him and once a time, he wrote down a paper of posthumous
papers.

He came to life in 1803 and composed some bright and warm music
such as The Second Symphonies. From then on, several more
beautiful and marvelous music were produced. Some of them are
fairly famous and I think you must have heard about them such as
The Eroica and The Storm.

Beethoven finished his masterpiece named The Ninth Symphonies in
1823. This piece of work expressed his world in his dream.
He suffered from pulmonary edema in Dec.1826, which was resulted
from a bad influenza. He passed away on 26th, March, 1827 for the
reason of suffering from hepatopathy.
It is said that the day on which Beethoven died was raining heavily
and storming seriously. It seems that even the God grieved over his
death.
Beethoven's funeral was fairly solemn and grand. It is estimated that
over 20 thousand people presented his funeral.

Success Stories Of Great People And Inspiring Leaders: Thomas Alva Edison

Thomas Alva Edison is one of America's most famous inventors.
Edison saw huge change take place in his lifetime. He was responsible
for making many of those changes occur. His inventions created and
contributed to modern night lights, movies, telephones, records and
CDs. Edison was truly a genius.

Edison is most famous for his development of the first electric
light bulb. When Edison was born, electricity had not been developed.
By the time he died, entire cities were lit by electricity. Much of the
credit for electricity goes to Edison.

Some of his inventions were improvements on other inventions,
like the telephone. Some of his inventions he deliberately tried to
invent, like the light bulb and the movie projector. But some
inventions he stumbled upon, like the phonograph. Of all his
inventions, Edison was most proud of the phonograph.

Edison invented and improved upon things that transformed
our world. Some things he invented by himself. Some things he
invented with other people. Just about all his inventions are things we
still use in some form today. Throughout his life, Edison tried to
invent things that everyone could use.

Edison created the world's first "invention factory". He and his
partners invented, built and shipped the product - all in the same
complex. This was a new way to do business. Today many businesses
have copied Edison's invention factory design.

A business friend once asked Edison about the secret to his success.
Edison replied, "Genius is hard work, stick-to-itiveness, and common
sense". But his "common sense" was very uncommon. More patents
were issued to Edison than have been issued to any other single
person in U.S. history: 1,093.

Lose Fear - You Are Mightier Than What You Thought Of

Fear is your foe – no other way to describe it.  I’m not discussing that natural life maintaining action along with a major boost of adrenaline that occurs if a wild animal is coming at you.  I’m discussing the fears individuals live with day in and day out.

Somebody once described fear as, “Sand in the machinery of life.”  Fear doesn’t assist you, it hampers you.  Fear doesn’t get you through an open doorway; it keeps you in the hall.  Fear never helps you put your better foot forward; it simply keeps both of your feet in concrete.

The psychology of now is, “Learn to live with your fears”, “adopt your fears”, “It’s normal to accept fears – everyone does.” 

It’s true; lots of individuals do bear fears. And there are individuals who are attempting to learn how to live with their fears, and adopt them.

However if it’s “normal” to have fears, then why would the Scripture discuss being delivered from all your fears?

There are a lot of facets and faces of fear.  One of the huge ones is having fear of what other people think of you.  Individuals do things, say things, and even purchase things because of the fear that they have of what other people think. 

A lot of times individuals join clubs or organizations because they're afraid that if they don’t, other people may think badly of them. 

Individuals say things and talk a particular way because they're frightened that they may not say the right thing in front of the right individuals. 

Individuals buy items because of fear not measuring up to those around them.  And on and on it endures. 

You don’t have to live with fear.  Here are three easy keys to doing away with fear.

1st, begin by realizing that The Higher Power truly loves you and that His love for you is unconditional.

2nd, ask The Higher Power to help you to get rid of all your fears.  He's promised to deliver you from all your fears. 

3rd, arrive at decisions based on what is best for you, not how it might or might not appear to other people.  You’ll never, ever be able to please everybody, so quit trying to.  You’ll never, ever be right in everybody’s eyes, so quit trying to. 

When you arrive at a decision, ask yourself, “Why am I establishing this decision?  Is it based on fear?”  Arrive at decisions based on what is correct and best for your life, irrespective of what other people think. 

You may live without fear.