The Steve Jobs Inspired Dream!

 By Susmit Pratik 

Photo: farm7.static.flickr.com

It happened once that I had nothing to do. I am kidding hah!

I always have nothing to do. Again kidding. ENOUGH of it.

So I was once wondering about people and their role models. Back recently the great Steve Jobs met an unfortunate death. No doubt about what an amazing person he was. But after his death he became even more of a hero. He deserved it. The passion he had for his work cannot be matched by someone easily. So after a while, when I got over the fact that he is no more in this world. I was thinking about people and their iCons. What clicked me was that people instead of taking proper inspiration and lessons from them, they just blindly follow them. Well this doesn't make any sense right now. But it will as you continue reading this.

So I was/am in an engineering college pursuing Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering. When the great Steve Jobs passed away many people who had no idea about him even got to know about him and how great he was as he was a hot topic of discussion among the media. So I decided to give a few books about him to some of my college mates. All of them were ambitious guys from my department only. After they finished reading, I asked them what do they conclude from his biography? What inspiration does it give? Well, most of the guys were saying things like we don't need to study and just need to drop out of college and work towards creating a company like APPLE INC. Some said they should continue pursuing the Bachelors and after finishing the degree they should focus on creating some great stuff related to computers and softwares. So this is about the little survey I did.

Let me talk first about the guys who thought about dropping out of the programme. Just because Steve Jobs did it, you don't need to drop out to become successful. And what they were dreaming of was just about copying what he did. Now let me tell you. The most important lesson that Steve gave us. Follow what you want to! Not what he followed! It was his dream to innovate the computing arena! You should have a dream of yourself. The same thing goes for guys who said they should continue pursuing the degree and make something like him. No. You should do whatever you feel like doing. And yea, if you want to do something you dream about, you should have enough patience, should be ready to face the problems, should be able to accept that what you want may not be so easy to achieve. You will have to work hard for it. And if you don't have these traits you don't have enough zeal for your dream. So better get passionate about what you want to do or complete the degree and get a job which most of the guys do. And doing a regular office job sucks. You shouldn't get a job ever. And its completely my opinion. No. never. That's the worst thing to do. Why do you want to trade in your time for money? And get no flexibility in return? So its better to follow your dream live your life the way you want and become independent.

Apart from the inspiration of following our dream, he gave us another lesson in life. If you have a dream, you should be passionate like hell for it. Even a little compromise is blocking your path to excellence.

Another problem with people is that they don't even know what they want to do out of their life. Well this is no weird situation. People don't know what they want (STEVE JOBS said this). If you are unclear about what to do, don't over think. Give it some time. And if you end up doing something else, you will know what you like and want to do in your life, wrong decisions make you who you are. Just give a bit time to life and you will have everything figured out.
So to sum up, I want to say that, get inspired, choose role models, but don't do simply what they did. It was their dream. They followed it. Its your turn now. To follow your dream. If you're reading this it means you're ambitious enough to do some epic thing. So just follow it, cut out the fear. But yea, first be financially independent. Best of luck!

Thank You for reading!

If you liked this article then please check my blog ( http://anonymousindians.wordpress.com/ ) which is new right now and will be gaining some more inspirational articles soon!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susmit_Pratik

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7634161

Share

Vulnerability Builds Business?

 By Reeny Carvotta Barron 

Photo: lh5.ggpht.com
 
Making connections with clients and colleagues is and ongoing part of building a successful business. Have you ever had the experience of working with someone who seemed perfect - nothing seemed to ruffle their feathers or get in their way? They've got that perfect 'shiny exterior' and yet you can't seem to really get to know them? They seem somehow insincere and never quite reachable, never vulnerable. They're willing to talk about your vulnerabilities, even offer advice, but they don't open up about theirs. Frustrating? At best. Crazy-making at the worst.

Everyone over the age of fifteen (maybe ten, but just to be fair!) knows that life is full of challenges. We can't control many of the situations we encounter in life, even though we can control how we respond to them - and that response shapes and informs who we are and how we show up in the world, makes us who we are.

Truthfully, though, our biggest learning often comes out of our 'worst' mistakes - regardless of how we handle those situations in the moment. And, we've all been through tough times - some big, some small, some life changing. What has impact is different for all of us, but that common vulnerability is what makes us human, it's where our compassion is born and it's where it lives and develops.
When we share that vulnerability is when we become multi-dimensional and real - to everyone in our lives - clients and colleagues included. I'm not suggesting that you open up at every opportunity or that you tell your deepest secrets or greatest fears. I am suggesting that you be real and don't always strive to only show the 'perfect' and polished sides of your self.

Notice the word message contains the word 'mess'. Sometimes if you let your mess come through in your message, you become an example for people, an inspiration and most of all you become real. No one wants to follow someone they can't relate to or connect with. People connect with you when they know you can really relate to their pain and their experience, not because you studied it in school, or attended the workshop, but because you've been there and you know what it feels like to feel scared, or desperate, or hopeless or even just plain challenged in life!

If you're working as a transformational entrepreneur, a coach, a healer - it helps your clients to understand you've been there, you've overcome odds to do what you do today and that by revealing your mess and seeing and understanding the lessons in those messy situations, you are a fully realized human being, someone solid, someone worth working with.

Think of the people you admire who've faced adversity, come out the other side and are role models for picking oneself up and getting the job done, whatever the job is. Their stories are more powerful because of what they've overcome in life to achieve and be where they are today. We champion the people whose stories we know and we're skeptical of those who seem to just get there with no struggle. Be real, be authentic, don't be afraid to use your experience as an example for others. You just may be surprised how that willingness to be open shows up in your bank account!

Passion and Possibilities - the essence of Your Your Business Your Life. Reeny's blog includes inspirational articles showing you how to use your business to create your ideal lifestyle.
"Get Started" Find out what stands in your way, clarify your gifts,define who you are in the heart of your business.

Here you will have access to simple tools and templates that you can use right NOW to realize change in yourself and your business as you continue to make a difference http://www.passionandpossibilities.com/gifts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Reeny_Carvotta_Barron

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7654802

Share

Learn More Study Less Review

By Jo Brew  

Photo: prweb.com
 
I bought Learn More Study Less so I thought I'd do a review of the course to help anyone who's thinking about purchasing it. I'm going to tell you what you get, what's good, what I didn't like and I'll also tell you about some extras that come with the course.
In the Learn More Study Less course you get a series of 12 video modules, a workbook, worksheets, case studies and interviews. The course essentially does 3 things. First it explains how knowledge is stored in your brain. Then it teaches 4 different holistic learning techniques that will help you learn faster and easier and finally it teaches some strategies for productive study. The main part of the course consists of a workbook and videos which teach the sequence of how we learn and techniques on how to do it all broken up into 12 modules.

Module 1 is an introduction on how best to use the guide to get the best results. Nice and concise and set up the course nicely. Module 2 teaches you how to create a productivity system to avoid stress, eliminate procrastination and learn better. Very helpful. Several modules deal with different holistic learning strategies for remembering complex and technical information, a 3 step approach to memorizing difficult topics, image association for vocabulary (great for learning a new language) and flow based note taking. Module 5 covers speed reading vs. active reading, it teaches both methods. This module teaches you how to read better so you can spend less time studying books.

There is a module specifically for how to prepare for exams and how to manage a crisis when you can't (or haven't!) prepared ahead. Module 6 will also help you learn how to break down any course into its parts so they can be learned holistically. There are 2 modules covering how to set achievable goals and which learning tactics you should use based on your personal strengths and weaknesses. The last module (12) is where you apply what you've learned into a 3 month action plan where you'll have a manageable and structured plan to match you new improved learning techniques.
There are some extras included in the course which include 3 audio interviews with real life students and their stories and different learning examples. Each audio has accompanying notes (in a PDF file) which index the topics and times in the interview. Another little extra was an eBook on 6 case studies. They each included different learning techniques and challenges and also included a couple of images from the student's actual notes to show how they implemented a particular learning model. On the critical side I would have liked to have an mp3 file for each of the videos so that I could just listen to them when driving or away from my computer.

I was also a bit overwhelmed at first when faced with workbook of over 200 pages! But don't worry too much about that, watch the videos first to get an overall understanding of the different learning strategies and how the course is structured then you can dip into the book as more of a reference. It's what they recommend and I think it's a good idea.
There's no getting around the fact that this course in itself requires learning new skills and habits all of which will take time. This is not so much a negative about the course; it's just the nature of learning.

So if you want to reap the benefits of this course it's going to take your commitment to re-training your study habits and the course teaches strategies to help you do this.
Learn More Study Less is not designed to be a quick fix "magic pill" if you're already mid way through studying for exams, because the course is about teaching you "how to learn" and chances are that what you're currently learning has been by repetition and memorizing which makes learning difficult. You need to start your learning in the right way so you understand the information and can easily be able to recall what you've learned. If you take the time to create new and better learning habits, they will become second nature to you, meaning learning will be easier, faster, and more enjoyable and you'll be able spend less time studying and cramming. That's what will make learning easier and as the course suggests means you'll learn more and study less.

To view the video review and access Learn More Study Less program go to http://tiny.cc/learnmorestudylessreview

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jo_Brew

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7608743

Share

How to Be More Creative?

By Mestipen Casamir  

Photo: content5.videojug.com
 
Whenever we talk about creativity and innovation, we normally think of geniuses. We all have grown up with the concept: there is a bunch of individuals in our society, who are really smart. They are able to come up with ideas that most others are not able to come up.
Somehow these geniuses whip up ideas which seem to be right out of other galaxies for the rest of the lay persons like us. Somehow the few of us posses uncanny ability to think up ideas which are really hard for the rest of us to think of.

Is that the reality? No doubt, there are many geniuses on earth. These are really smart imaginative individuals who have outstanding thinking and imaginative abilities. There is absolutely no doubt about the fact. Geniuses definitely exist.
But do we have to be among those few to be really creative and come up with innovations? If you have tried to study the creative process broadly you will eventually realize that the born genius is just the part of the picture.

Of course, many people have realized, it's not only the genes, hard work equally matters. Even with minimum luck on your side, hard work will trump anything else.
So let's say I'm not one of those born geniuses and I can't seem to be able to come up with creative ideas. Given that, how can I improve my creativeness?

The answer seems to lie here; Take action. Action seems to be the key, which many of us lack and we end up wrongfully attributing our inability to action to our inability to be creative.
Indeed, we need self-discipline to start action and we need self-discipline and determination to keep us going and not give up. We not only have to start taking action, but we have to keep taking action in spite of all the setbacks and problems that we may face.

But at the core, lies the following simple process that will improve your creativity.
Lets say you can't think of something cool. But can you think of something mundane? As per your own evaluation? Lets assume you are able to think of something simple. If you can't think of anything, you are stuck. Nobody can help you there. But if you can think of at least something. Help is there.

Next crucial step, is execution or implementation. Implement that simple idea. Do it. Even if it is the most ridiculous idea in the world, have some faith and courage and just do it.
Next step is to get feedback. When I said, implement your idea, it usually means you put your idea out to others. That would make it easy for you to get feedback.

Here lies another issue. We are afraid of negative feedback. Psychologists have found that the pain from the fear of the failure, is much worse than pain of actual failure. Go figure!!
The way our mind works, it's just too good at creating a perceived fear of the failure. There are several mechanisms at play here. We can't go into all the details. But I'll point you to one example.
We tend to overestimate how much others judge us. When you are walking by in a crowded street, you are likely thinking a lot about how others are perceiving you. That would greatly dictate, how you walk and how you express yourself etc.

But guess what, others are busy thinking along the same line! They are equally busy thinking that others are watching them. Given this, nobody gives a damn about you! But you are unnecessarily very much burdened by this imaginary process, at least psychologically.
Here we go. We have irrational fear of negative feedback. We just need to shake it off. Don't let it stop you from taking action, even if it is a simple action. Take action and get feedback. Feedback is very likely going to be bad. Just prepare yourself.
No wonder there is famous saying that, "Always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst". Be ready to get negative feedback.

Here we face yet another pitfall. Despite all the rationale about preparing for worst etc. At the end of the day, we just can't easily take negative feedback. Some of us are inherently good at it and they succeed fast. But most of us just wallow in the negative feedback, no matter how much rationally it may make sense.

There are techniques out there to help you out, whereby you can control your emotional self better and can take negative feedback easily. We'll talk about those at detail in other articles.
Assuming you've taken the initiative and taken the simple action you could think of. Assuming you have prepared yourself and are not so bad at taking negative feedback. Now what do you do?
Never get feedback from friends and family. They will give you biased feedback to not let you down. It will be difficult, but you have to get it from someone you can trust to give you honest feedback, or it has to be a stranger.

Try to get feedback from more than one source. Is there a common theme? If there is, you have the next step already defined for you. They may say "what you are doing is good and here is what you should do next".

It is important that when you seek feedback, you frame your question such that you get a measurable answer. You ask them to give thumbs up or thumbs down and you should make sure you ask them to give you feedback about what to do differently.

If there is consensus feedback, you know what to do next. If there is no consensus. You have to go back to table and think of what is the next simple idea that comes to your mind that is different.
Don't make the mistake of repeating the same thing over and over and hoping to get different outcome. That is a sign of stupidity as per Einstein's famous saying.

Key is to try something different. Simple and different. Doesn't have to be fancy. Take action. Seek feedback. Keep repeating this process. Never stop and keep iterating on this process and I guarantee that you will find yourself more creative and more innovative in no time.
You have to realize that I may have simplified some of the ideas here for sake of keeping the length of this article. But I hope you get the gist of the article.

Take simple action. Solicit feedback. Frame your feedback questions such that you get quantifiable answers. If something didn't work, next step should be to do something different. Keep repeating the process until you reach where you want to be.

That is how you can be more creative and more innovative.

Mestipen Casamir is a writer with expertise in human psychology and personal development. You can check out his latest website No More Chances, where he provides details, reviews and advice about how to achieve success and how to live a better fulfilling life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mestipen_Casamir

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7635134

Share

Give Me Motivation: Top 10 Secrets to Stay Motivated

 By Ruble Chandy 

Photo: images.askmen.com
 
Having dreams and goals is not enough to attain success. You need to stay motivated constantly to reach the finish line. Like life, success in your profession also involves a lot of obstacles and struggling phases. However, you need to keep moving on and not give up. Motivation is the best option to kick-start, continue pursuing and reach your ultimate goal. You need to stay motivated while pursuing your goals to enjoy abundance. Self-motivation is better than any motivation. Instead of looking for motivation elsewhere, get self-motivated.
You can make use of these  

Top 10 Secrets to Stay Motivated:

1. Determine goals
You need to figure out where your goals lie. What are you aiming at that will bring you success? Knowing your goals will help you stay motivated and help you attain them with ease.

2. Maintain a positive attitude
Stay positive. It will help you in staying motivated to your goals. Sticking to a positive attitude will help you overcome many difficult situations and increase your productivity. You can also brighten up the moods of your colleagues with your optimism and enthusiasm.

3. Leave personal problems aside and stay focused on work
Don't bring your problems to your office desk. Maintain a line between your professional and personal life. It will help you stay focused and motivated to handle office issues better. Moreover, worrying about personal problems at work will not help in solving your personal issues. It will only distract the focus of your colleagues. Keep problems at bay and focus wholly on the job at hand.

4. Upgrade your knowledge and skills
To have an edge over others, you need sharpen your skills and upgrade your knowledge. All this will help you gain self-confidence and help you perform better. This is a good motivational factor.

5. Be passionate
Life without passion is useless, and work without passion seems like targeting the bull's eye in the dark. Doing passionate work will give you a unique dimension in your professional life. If you love your work, you will enjoy it; and when you enjoy it, you tend perform better. So, make passion your motivator to be a good performer.

6. Decrease or eliminate energy drains
Surround yourself with positive people. Negative vibes will create more problems in your life. Having people around you, who will motivate you whenever you feel a drop in your confidence, will help you drain out negative energies like people who let you down or underestimate you.

7. Practice self-talk
Did you know the most trustworthy person is none other than "you"? Self-talk is like massaging your conscience as it acts as a great building block for a successful life. For instance, say "I can do it" rather than "I can't do it."

8. Confront challenges and fears
One cannot grow unless he/she confronts challenges and fears. You may come across many hurdles and downfalls, but lifting yourself up after every fall and maintaining the same focus will help you come out as a winner.

9. Meditation
Practicing meditation is like meeting your soul, interacting with your inner being and creating a balance in your life. A balanced life is synonymous to a successful career. Meditate to relax your mind and body. It will also rejuvenate and prepare you for a new day of challenges in your profession.

10. Acknowledge and reward success
Acknowledgements and rewards enhance motivation. You can perform better, when you are appreciated and rewarded for your hard work. Accept the little that you get in the form of acknowledgement or reward and stay motivated.

To conclude, your meticulous efforts in following these and other tips will help you stay motivated in order to reach your goals not only in a business scenario, but in any other scenario in life.

World Class training for professionals - We coach professionals how to be in Ananda a state of bliss and reconnect with a lost, current or greater opportunity, so that they can enjoy the life style they deserve, celebrate and integrate their victory and give back to the greater good.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruble_Chandy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7625434

Share

3 Ways People Deal With Failure

Author: Adam Khoo

Photo:  inc.com

What separates people who enjoy success from the majority who end up never getting what they want is how we respond to failure. It is what we do about failure that makes a big difference.

There are three ways in which people respond to failure.

Pattern 1: Give Excuses, Lay Blame & Give up

What do some people do when they don't get what they want? They will start giving themselves lots of excuses and blame everything and everyone around them. They say things like, 'it's not fair', 'I'm just not smart enough' 'It's just too difficult', 'I'm too young' or 'I'm too old', 'I just didn't have the luck', 'the depressed economy affected me'.

Feeling helpless and frustrated, this first group will stop taking action and give up! They will resign themselves to their goal being out of reach and live a life of mediocrity.

Pattern 2: Keep Trying the Same thing Over and Over Again

These are the people who have a lot more determination than the first. When they don't get their outcome, they will not quit. They will get themselves to take action again. The motto of this group is, 'I failed because I did not try hard enough' 'If I keep trying, I will eventually succeed'. So they keep taking action, putting in more time, energy and effort. No matter how many times they fail, they just keep trying harder and harder.

Will they eventually achieve their goals? It depends. If they set small, incremental goals, they may, with enough time and effort eventually succeed. However, if they set big and exceptional goals, like becoming the top in their field, they will never be successful by just trying again and again. They may experience a better result, but they won't reach the goals they desire. Why?

Because, although they keep taking action, they do not change their strategy. If you keep using the same approach, you are going to keep getting the same result. I have seen so many professionals and businessmen repeat this limiting pattern.

I know many businessmen who fail in their business only to start again and do the same thing. They keep putting in ads that don't work, they hire ineffective people or they use the same business model.

Pattern 3: Get Feedback, Change Strategy and Take Action until you Succeed.

So what is the pattern that all successful individuals exhibit? When they don't achieve their goals, they don't think of it as failure. Instead, they perceive it as feedback. Either feedback that the strategy they used was ineffective or that they did not take enough action. They then use this feedback to immediately change their strategy and take action again.

If they still don't succeed, they will get more feedback, change their strategy and take action again. They keep repeating this process until they get what they want. They do whatever it takes. So, remember, every time you don't get what you want, it is life giving you feedback. It is this continuous feedback you need to help you adjust your approach until you hit your target.

Thomas Edison took almost 10,000 attempts before inventing the light bulb. When asked how he did it, he said that he had to first find 9,999 strategies of how not to invent the light bulb. He then used this feedback to change his strategy until he got what he wanted.

Successful people re-look and change their strategy whenever they encounter 'failure'. They understand that failure is feedback. Understand this principle and you will overcome failure and achieve success in no time at all.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/3-ways-people-deal-with-failure-50885.html

About the Author

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and a self-made millionaire by the age of 26. Discover his million dollar secrets and claim your FREE audio CD program '6 Ways To Achieve Anything' here.   

Share

Key Success Factors in Business

 By Daniel Kasztura 

Photo: indolinkenglish.files.wordpress.com
 
I would like to take some time, important time, to touch the subject of key success factors in business.
Today I want to focus on the business in network marketing sector. The sector which is the closest to my heart, so to speak. I love network marketing. It gives so much opportunities to make your dreams come true.

If you really mean to achieve a great success in network marketing, one of the key success factors is the help of your family and friends.
You know, it is very difficult to reach your goals when your loved ones don't bother to support you all the way to your success. You see, when you start your own business, you must realize that it makes a difference whether your closest friends are willing to show you their support, help and care.
You can really do business on your own. Of course it is possible. But the chances to achieve success are increasing drastically if your friends decides to be helpful and supportive. Their help can appear as one of the most important success factors of all.

How to gain the support of your loved ones? How can you convince them to be helpful? Well, first of all, try and educate them about the business you are in. Sometimes you are looking for some strange reasons why they don't want to help. And it may simply appear that they just aren't familiar enough with what you are doing in your business.

One of the key success factors can be the ability to persuade your friends that the expected results of your business activities will be that huge.
The next thing you should do when it comes to getting help from your family and friend is to specify exactly what kind of help you expect from them. This simple thing can be one of the success factors in gaining the support from your loved ones. Tell them what you need and how exactly it will help your business. It is so often the case that friends and family members want to reach out and help, but don't know what they can do.

You have to remember to show even more gratitude and appreciation for the help of your friends in comparison to others. Show them your respect. Be sure that having the support of friends and family is something we you really want when it comes to big decisions, like starting a business. In the matter, the success factors are the ability to be informative, unafraid to ask for help and willing to return the favor.

My name is Daniel Kasztura. I live in Poland. I love being myself.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Kasztura

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7517902

Share