Seven Solid Steps to Thinking Big

One of my old bosses had a funny habit. He would always walk into his office asking a secretary, “So what heroic exploit do I have planned for today?”

At the time this question seemed a joke to me and I did not give it much thought. Only years later after I had changed several jobs, started my own websites and learned a thing or two about human psychology I started to see the real connection between Thinking Big and Accomplishing a Lot.

Oh, have I mentioned that this boss of mine was one of the most productive, creative, intelligent and,definitely,the strangest person I have ever worked with?

He passed away a few years ago, but every time I think of him I catch myself smiling.

Today I want to ask you a question – What heroic exploit have YOU planned for yourself?

Anything daring? Anything fascinating? Anything that will push you out of your comfort zone?

No?!

Then maybe it is time you took a few minutes to turn your mind loose and imagine how you can make this day more memorable, more exciting, and more gratifying.

It really is a pity to live in a Universe full of unlimited possibilities, infinite ideas and thousands of new life experiences and not plan something heroic.

So how about we make a tiny mental effort, set our fears, doubts and excuses aside and start thinking BIG.

Here are 7 Solid Steps that can help:

1. Remove physical boundaries.

Psychologists have recently discovered that the popular self-help phrase “the sky is your limit” is true on a lot more levels than we can imagine. It turns out that just being in a room with higher ceilings or, even better, walking outside, has a consistent impact on people’s thinking. This impact is directly transferred to mental processes. The higher the ceiling in the room is, the more effective we are at creating connections, recalling facts and thinking big.

Try it! Maybe all you need to do to improve your creativity is simply change room.

2. Write your plans on A3 paper or a white board.

This is another trick that helps to expand your thinking. Many creative people instinctively do it right. Some of them have wall-size boards where they brainstorm and write down their ideas. You can do it too, when writing down your plans or your goals. Instead of filling your agenda with a column of tasks, take an A4 or better A3 piece of paper and mind map your to-do list on it. You might be surprised how much easier it is to identify priorities and find the best order to do your tasks.

3. Connect with the right people.

People you spend time with, have the power to belittle your dreams or to open your horizons.To become a big thinker start connecting with extraordinary people, who will inspire you and frequently push you out of your comfort zone.
For example, if you need business advice, write to someone who you consider a business guru. If you are thinking about changing jobs – send your CV to the top-of-the-list companies. What is the worst thing that can happen?

I recently read about an experiment, where a company posted two separate ads in a newspaper for the same position and with the same skill description. The only difference was the salary. One ad offered almost twice the pay of the other one. Guess what happened? Ten times more candidates showed up for the lower-paid job!
Something to think about…

4. Pay attention to your words.

I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt, who said “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”

It does not mean that in order to become a big thinker, you have to start any small talk by sharing your ideas. It simply suggests that the more your conversations evolve around gossip, corruption, cataclysms or any other topic that stirs negative emotions in you and the people you talk to, the less likely you will be enriched by the communication.

5. Look for the potential.

Train your mind to imagine the possibilities. Give yourself permission to dream big. Learn to see people not as they are, but as they can be!
This might not be something they teach us in college, but this is one of the most important life skills that we will ever need.

6. Practice adding value.

For many of us it may be challenging to think big when it comes to our personal career and plans for the future. However, when we switch our focus from ourselves and concentrate on creating value for others we suddenly find strength, creativity and vision that we never thought we had. As if the whole Universe is collaborating with us to help us achieve our goals.
Truly great thinkers always concentrate on adding value to the world or as Steve Jobs would have said it “putting a dent in the Universe”.You can do the same:

• Practice adding value to things.
• Practice adding value to people.
• Practice adding value to yourself.

Think improvement in everything you do. Think high standards in everything you do!

7. Start Small.

Dreaming big is a great start. The challenge, however, is the transition from the big picture to daily actions. This is where most people get stuck. Every great venture starts out small. Some of the most lucrative companies in the world such as Apple, Mattel and Amazon started in a garage. Starbuck’s Coffee was founded with $18,900 by two high school teachers and a writer. AndMother Teresa began to fulfill her mission of serving the poor by taking a nursing course and teaching children of the slums how to read and write.

No matter how huge or overwhelming the goal may seem, it can be always broken down to simple and very do-able steps.

So what heroic exploit have you have planned for yourself today?
And what is the first step that you can take?

Benefits of Being Polite

We all believe in the philosophy that the essence of life is talking. Communicating with others is as necessary as food. If we dont, we tend to fall ill. Today people are rarely talking.

The art of conversation has almost died down. People just usually sit and chat in their office breaks about things that are not even worth thinking about. Lets face it; we all are going towards doom where each one of us is talking to pass/kill time. The art of using communication is no more existing. People are concerned about others influence in their lives and not about their influence in others life.

It is an unbelievable thing that an effective communication through polite words can have wonderful impact on you and others lives as well. You can win the hearts of many people, climb the corporate ladder, have promotions but not have wonderful relationship with people around you.

The path to a successful life comes thorough the stairs of politeness. An act of politeness can do wonders that no monetary thing can do. Let us go deep in the art of efficient speaking by these methods.

Talking about ideas and not people

Its truly said, great minds talk about ideas and small minds talk about people. Politeness is an attitude of life. Talking about ideas heightens your politeness towards innovations and stimulates your mind too. This is effective for the speaker and the listener both. To start talking about people you can breathe out all negative energies about anyone: latest crush, which dress she wears, which perfume she uses, her bad attitude. The idea is that everything you talk about people usually comes negative. This develops a feeling of self love and comparison at all means. You do not value your life as much as you do to others.

Using intellect instead of the tongue

Usually people chatter on at length not worrying about the impact it would have on others. Since people are so occupied in themselves theyd rather talk about themselves only. This instigates them to speak rubbish endlessly. Have you ever thought how much of an impact we can have on others by our words? By trying to use our brains before speaking, we will save others sentiments and preserve a healthy relationship between our near ones.

Avoiding gossip

The one who usually starts a gossip or backbiting about someone does not know that he is the one to  have the last laugh. People who start commenting and spreading rumors about others usually end up in a muck of politics and bickering about themselves from the other end. Such people should be avoided at arm's length. Even listening to gossip is as harmful since the listener had the power to listen to negative communication. This unhealthy gossiping could have been stopped if the listener would have ignored the speaker.

Exchange of compliments

We should not limit our compliment intake be restricted to our close relatives. People like our helpers such as servants, cleaners, house maids are those on whom we can count on. Speaking politely to them will ensure that your day is made. They are the ones who offer your services to make your life comfortable. So we should make endeavors to enrich their lives by complimenting and praising them.

Look for positive things in negative people

We all have negative and positive sides. Nobody on this earth has a squeaky clean nature. We all have flaws, however some people are observed negatively by their rude behavior and we become very judgmental about them putting them in the negative category. We should understand that people who are rude have their own weaknesses. They do not choose to be like that. Frustrations at work or domestic front make them act in this behavior. Such people should be offered more help than others comparatively. Talking politely with them will make a difference in their lives and yours too.

Feel positive about you all the time

Quite often we do not realize that we subconsciously become negative. Pent up emotions and unfulfilled desires make us behave rudely towards others and emit negative radiations from the body. Thus we tend to overreact and become rude and harsh to others in some or the other way. This might demolish the social circle that we have. So politeness in the hearts at all means will result in polite attitude.

Whatever is rested in your heart is bound to come out in the open some or the other day. Make sure  you have a prosperous life with a polite attitude and selfless love. This will make you immortal in the hearts of millions as people are going to remember for your polite words and not by your status.

A photographer once clicked a photograph of ex-president of India, Dr. Kalam with a shawl placed on  his shoulder. After the photo shoot was over, the photographer rudely took off the shawl and walked off. The President smiled. After being asked about his composed behaviouir, he politely answered that maybe the photographer needed the shawl more than he did, and continued his work.

People with big positions come and go but it is only their humble nature that draws millions of people towards them. Their polite words filled to the brim with modesty and love melt the hearts of even the rudest amongst the crowd. By talking politely to all we can make an impact on others lives.

Rules of Etiquette : Being Polite Being polite at school requires doing homework, being on time, being friendly and saying nice things about everyone.

The 12 Laws of Karma:

THE 12 LAWS OF KARMA THE GREAT LAW As you sow, so shall you reap. This is also known as the Law of Cause and Effect. Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us. If what we want is Happiness, Peace, Friendship, Love… Then we should BE Happy, Peaceful, Loving, a Friend. THE LAW OF CREATION Life doesn’t just HAPPEN, it requires our participation. We are one with the Universe both inside and out. Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state. BE and DO yourself… what you what to have in your Life. THE LAW OF HUMILITY What you refuse to accept, will continue for you. If what we see is an enemy, or someone with a character trait that we find to be negative, then we ourselves are not focused on a higher level of existence. THE LAW OF GROWTH Wherever you go, there you are. For us to GROW in Spirit it is we who must change and not the people, places or things around us. The only given we have in our lives is OURSELVES and that is the only factor we have control over. When we change who and what we are within our heart our life changes too. THE LAW OF RESPONSIBILITY Whenever there is something wrong, there is something wrong in me. We mirror what surrounds us and what surrounds us mirrors us We must take responsibility what is in our life. THE LAW OF CONNECTION Even if something we do seems inconsequential, it is very important that it gets done as everything in the Universe is connected. Each step leads to the next step and so forth and so on. Someone must do the initial work to get a job done. Neither the first step nor the last are of greater significance They were both needed to accomplish the task. Past, Present, Future They are all connected… THE LAW OF FOCUS You can’t think of two things at the same time. When our focus is on Spiritual Values it is impossible for us to have lower thoughts such as greed or anger. THE LAW OF GIVING AND HOSPITALITY If you believe something to be true, then sometime in your life you will be called upon to demonstrate that truth. Here is where we put what we SAY that we have learned into PRACTICE. THE LAW OF HERE AND NOW Looking back to examine what was, prevents us from being totally in the HERE AND NOW. Old thoughts, old patterns of behavior, old dreams… Prevent us from having new ones. THE LAW OF CHANGE History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path. THE LAW OF PATIENCE AND REWARD All Rewards require initial toil. Rewards of lasting value require patient and persistent toil. True Joy follows doing what we’re suppose to be doing and waiting for the Reward to come in it’s on time. THE LAW OF SIGNIFICANCE AND INSPIRATION You get back from something whatever you’ve put into it The Value of something is a direct result of the energy and intent that is put into it. Every personal contribution is also a contribution to the Whole Lack luster Contributions have no impact on the Whole or work to diminish it. Loving Contributions Lift Up and Inspire the Whole

Three Words That make Relationships better

 

 

 

There are many things that you can do to strengthen your relationships. 

Often the most effective thing you can do involves saying just three words. 

When spoken sincerely, these statements often have the power to develop new friendships, 

deepen old ones and even bring healing to relationships that have soured.

The following three-word phrases can be tools to help develop every relationship.

Let me help:

Good friends see a need and then try to fill it. 

When they see a hurt they do what they can to heal it. 

Without being asked, they jump in and help out.

 I understand you:

People become closer and enjoy each other more when the other person 

accepts and understands them. 

Letting your spouse know - in so many little ways - that you understand them, 

is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship. 

And this can apply to any relationship.

 I respect you:

Respect is another way of showing love. 

Respect demonstrates that another person is a true equal. 

If you talk to your children as if they were adults you will strengthen the bonds 

and become closer friends. This applies to all interpersonal relationships.

I miss you:

Perhaps more marriages could be saved and strengthened if couples simply and sincerely 

said to each other I miss you. This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted,

needed, desired and loved. 

Consider how important you would feel, if you received an unexpected phone call 

from your spouse in the middle of your workday, just to say I miss you.

Maybe youre right:

This phrase is very effective in diffusing an argument. 

The implication when you say maybe youre right is the humility of admitting, 

maybe Im wrong. Lets face it. When you have an argument with someone, 

all you normally do is solidify the other persons point of view. 

They, or you, will not likely change their position and you run the risk of seriously 

damaging the relationship between you. 

Saying maybe youre right can open the door to explore the subject more. 

You may then have the opportunity to express your view in a way that is 

understandable to the other person.

Please forgive me:

Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their mistakes 

and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles and failures. 

A man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong, 

which is saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

I thank you:

Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. 

People who enjoy the companionship of good, 

close friends are those who dont take daily courtesies for granted. 

They are quick to thank their friends for their many expressions of kindness. 

On the other hand, people whose circle of friends is severely constricted often 

do not have the attitude of gratitude.

Count on me:

A friend is one who walks in when others walk out. 

Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true friendship. 

It is the emotional glue that bonds people. 

Those that are rich in their relationships tend to be steady 

and true friends. 

When troubles come, a good friend is there indicating 

you can count on me.

Ill be there:

If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night, 

to take a sick child to hospital, or when your car has broken down 

some miles from home, you will know how good it feels to hear the phrase

Ill be there. 

Being there for another person is the greatest gift we can give. 

When we are truly present for other people, important things 

happen to them and us.

We are renewed in love and friendship. 

We are restored emotionally and spiritually. 

Being there is at the very core of civility.

Go for it:

We are all unique individuals. 

Dont try to get your friends to conform to your ideals. 

Support them in pursuing their interests, no matter how far out they seem to you. 

God has given everyone dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only.

Support and encourage your friends to follow their dreams. 

Tell them to go for it.

I love you:

Perhaps the most important three words that you can say. 

Telling someone that you truly love them satisfies a person

deepest emotional needs. 

The need to belong, to feel appreciated and to be wanted. 

Your spouse, your children, your friends and you, all need to hear 

those three little words: I love you.

Love is a choice. You can love even when the feeling is gone.

 

Your State of Mind

 

Top 10 Productivity Hacks

We all need a productivity boost now and then  sometimes throughout the day. We each want to be productive for very personal reasons  to accomplish more, to make more money, to get done earlier to make more time for our personal lives, to accomplish our goals. But whatever the reason, these Productivity Hacks will do the trick. Here they are, in reverse order. #10: Take care of your Most Important Things first. Your Most Important Things for the day  the things you most need to accomplish that day  should take priority over everything else. However, we all know that fires come up throughout the day, interruptions through phone calls and email and people dropping by, new demands that will push the best-laid plans aside. If you put off your MITs until later in the day, you will end up not doing them much of the time. # 9: Wake up early. Decide what youd like to accomplish each morning, and build your morning routine around that. Like to exercise? Put that in there. Healthy breakfast? Go for it. Check email? Fine. The mornings are a fresh start, peaceful and free of ringing phones and constant email notifications. If you get your Most Important Things done in the morning, the rest of the day is just gravy. # 8: Simplify information streams, crank through blogs & email. Think about all the information you receive (email, blogs, newsletters, mailing lists, magazines, newspapers and more) and edit brutally. You will drastically reduce the time you spend reading. For everything else that begins to come in after your editing process, ask yourself if you really need to be getting that information regularly. Most of the time the answer is no. Now, after this process, you should be left with less to read. Heres the next step: crank through it all, really only reading the really interesting ones. # 7: Declutter your workspace; work on one thing at a time. The decluttering your work space part of it is simply to remove all extra distractions, on your desk and on your computer. If youā™ve got a clean, simplified workspace, you can better focus on the task at hand. # 6: Get to work early; work fewer hours. My best days come when I get into work early, and begin my work day in the quiet morning hours, before the phones start ringing and the din of the office begins it crescendo to chaos. It is so peaceful, and I can work without interruption or losing focus. I often find that I get my MITs done before anyone comes in, and then the rest of the day is dealing with whatever comes up (or even better: getting ahead for the next day). # 5: Avoid meetings; when you must meet, make it effective. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, Sorry, I cant make it. Im tied up with a project right now. And thats always true. Ive always got projects Im working on that are more important than a meeting. # 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. Youre only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential. # 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you donā™t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks. # 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a timer. When the timer goes off, unplug again until the next scheduled time. # 1: Do something youre passionate about. This might not seem like the normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you ll work like hell to get it done. You ll work extra hard, you ll put in even more hours, and you re less likely to procrastinate. Its for work that you dont really care about that you procrastinate. Read the full post for tips on how to find your dream job and do work you truly care about.

10 Self Improvement Activities

These self improvement activities will help you become more productive, get into the positive state of mind and achieve better quality of life. In this article you will also find out how to use your energy effectively, what is the quickest way to achieve personal growth and how to excel in every activity. 1st Self Improvement Activity: Use your energy on important things If you want to succeed in life, you should not waste your energy on activities that do not bring any benefits. Such useless activities include surfing the Internet without any purpose, watching TV, worrying and wasting money. When you are involved in such activities, you have no or little energy left for activities that can create a better future. It is worth prioritising and accomplishing important tasks first, and then if you still have enough energy, you may decide to do the unimportant. 2nd Self Improvement Activity: Focus on one task at a time If you want to get perfect results, you should only concentrate on one activity. This way all your energy will go into it and you will accomplish it perfectly. If you waste your energy on several things at the same time, you will get average results because you will divide your energy between the activities. 3rd Self Improvement Activity: Control your thinking To avoid chaos in your mind resulting in chaos in the outside world, you should try to observe your thoughts. Once you start doing that, you will notice how many negative thoughts you get daily. By observing negative thinking you will be able to emotionally disengage from it. As a result, negative thinking will affect you less and you will notice that your days are getting more peaceful and positive. 4th Self Improvement Activity: Get organised When you live in an organised manner, you do not suffer from stress and your life is peaceful and balanced. To start living this way, you should start planning your day in advance. This will eliminate any stress caused by being late to a meeting or forgetting to complete some task. You should also live in tidiness because by keeping your home clean you also keep your mental state clear and peaceful. Such mental state will benefit you in many ways, including improved memory and less negativity. 5th Self Improvement Activity: Live in the present Although this self improvement activity may seem strange to you, it is a very important activity that many ignore. The majority of people do not live in the present. They either dwell on their past or daydream about the future. They seem to forget the most important time of all - the present. You should enjoy every present moment because your current state of mind always manifests in the outside world, creating your future accordingly. Therefore if your main mood is very positive, you will experience only happy days. However, if you dwell on negative thoughts, you are sure to encounter many obstacles and misfortunes in the present and days to come. 6th Self Improvement Activity: Complete each task in a perfect manner Whenever you are working on some project, try to accomplish it in the best way possible. Always ask yourself 'Is this project turned out as perfect as it could possibly be?' If the answer is no, try to correct or add something to it until there is nothing that you can improve. This way you will make sure that each single task you accomplish is done in an excellent manner. By doing this you will create successful future because you cannot possibly fail if you only get perfect results. Also, when you entirely focus on one task excluding everything else, you will notice that you start enjoying the task. If you concentrate on the task but still do not enjoy it, that means that you probably see the task as a means to an end rather than the process. You should start focusing on the process itself to find enjoyment in the task. Such enjoyment will fuel motivation and you will accomplish everything quicker and better. If you enjoy your work, you will put only positive energy into it. As a result, your completed tasks will bring you success. 7th Self Improvement Activity: Challenge yourself Nothing develops you more than challenges. Challenges force you to shift your comfort zone, experience new situations and make you grow. Without challenges life would be very boring and depressing. Challenges are necessary for every human being who is seeking quality life. Only through trial and error you realise who you really are, which activities you like and what preferences you have. You can easily measure the success of a person by the amount of challenges s/he had. 8th Self Improvement Activity: Read personal development books There is nothing more important than searching information about self improvement. Without reading any self improvement books or articles you cannot improve yourself. 9th Self Improvement Activity: Socialize only with positive people Positive people can inspire, empower and make you happy. It is so much worth to be at least once in a while with positive people rather than constantly spend time with negative friends or relatives. If you spend your days with, for example, lazy people, you may notice that you are becoming lazy. If all your friends' main qualities are negative, try to avoid all of them. This way you will not be affected in a negative way and after some time will start attracting positive people. 10th Self Improvement Activity: Exercise Daily exercise develops determination, focus and patience. It improves your health and strengthens your body. It makes you more active, positive and invincible. People who exercise every day are always perceived as strong-willed and disciplined. Conclusion These personal improvement activities are sure to put you on the track to success. I hope that you will apply the steps in this article and, as a result, will greatly improve the quality of your life.