HOW TO FIND SUCCESS

Seahorse fruits decor arrangement - “Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds”

Rabbi Harold Kushner tells a wonderful story about a bright young man who was a sophomore Stanford pre-med student. To reward him for having done so well in school, his parents gave him a trip to the Asia for the summer.

While there he met a guru who said to him, "Don't you see how you are poisoning your soul with this success-oriented way of life? Your idea of happiness is to stay up all night studying for an exam so you can get a better grade than your best friend. Your idea of a good marriage is not to find the woman who will make you whole, but to win the girl that everyone else wants.

"That's not how people are supposed to live," the sage admonished. "Give it up; come join us in an atmosphere where we all share and love each other."

The young man had completed four years at a competitive high school to get into Stanford, plus two years of pre-med courses at the university. He was ripe for this sort of approach. He called his parents from Tokyo and told them he would not be coming home. He was dropping out of school to live in an ashram (a spiritual retreat).

Six months later, his parents got this letter from him:

"Dear Mom and Dad, I know you weren't happy with the decision I made last summer, but I want to tell you how happy it has made me. For the first time in my life, I am at peace. Here there is no competing, no hustling, no trying to get ahead of anyone else. Here we are all equal, and we all share. This way of life is so much in harmony with the inner essence of my soul that in only six months I've become the number two disciple in the entire ashram, and I think I can be number one by June!"

What this young man didn't get is that it's not always about competition and achievement -- doing more and doing it faster than anyone else. It's not HOW you do it; it is WHAT you do. Success is more about doing the RIGHT thing. Miss that, and nothing else matters.

Someone put it like this: "I spent my life frantically climbing the ladder of success. When I got to the top I realized it was leaning against the wrong building." Even if he got to the top first, it made no difference. There is no merit in being first to arrive at the wrong place.

Do you know what one difference between efficient and effective is? One who is efficient does the thing in the best possible way; one who is effective does the best possible thing. More important than efficiency is effectiveness. More important than climbing highest is climbing the right ladder.

Blessed are those who accomplish... the right thing. Blessed are those who scale the mountain and, whether or not they even make it to the top, they know they chose the right path. These people will have found success.

From Lifesupport.

FOR THE LOVE OF TENNIS

Stress level accumulated at the workplace is at its highest in recent years. It is getting increasingly harder to cope with the everyday demands of life. Whether it’s the workload or the gossip vine getting to you, there are only a handful of days where you don’t actually feel like banging your head on the wall. For the really bad days, it takes a lot of effort to refrain from lashing out at the next person you see.

There are many ways to deal with stress. Some people swear by the 15 minutes of meditation a day. Others prefer to sweat it out. Literally. A game of tennis, anyone? It does wonders for your stress levels.

Anyway, the whole reason why I have brought up the subject of tennis is this. On a family vacation recently, I happened to stay in a hotel room overlooking the tennis court. You won’t believe the kind of stuff that people put on to play tennis. Oversize t-shirts, paired with bicycling shorts. Rapper pants, sans top. You name it. It’s not exactly aesthetically pleasing, and most importantly, it’s functionally-stunted.

The last thing you want is to call it quits midgame, just because you’re drowning in your sweat (no thanks to your non-sweat-absorbing oversize T).

A tennis player today is spoilt for choice in the fashion department. Why limit yourself to o’ boring white? Pay a visit to TennisPlaza.com, and you’ll see what I mean. Those looking for tennis shirts would be pleased at the wide variety of shirts that they carry. For the ladies, whether you prefer tennis skirts or tennis skortz, there are many types that you can choose from. All these tennis clothing are designed with functionality in mind. The skirts, for instance , not only look pretty but does a pretty mean job of wicking sweat away.

And lastly, it’s not all about looks. When it’s time to change your tennis strings, it’s time to change your tennis strings. This is the one thing that you cannot afford to scrimp on. The strings they carry over at TennisPlaza are durable, and won't slide during play. You'll be sure to find strings to suit your fancy.

All this talk about tennis makes me wanna go dig out my tennis racquet again.

TELL TIME ON THEIR CLOCK

Coarse granite rocks - “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins. Not through strength, but through persistence.”

"Find out what makes them tick, then tell time on their clock." This was one man's solution for getting along well with people. Find out what makes them tick - learn to understand them. Then tell time on their clock - identify with them and speak their language.

There is an old story which Mark Twain was said to have told first. It is about a Missouri farmer who ran five times for the state legislature without winning. It wasn't because he didn't practice his speeches. He rehearsed his campaign talks every day while milking. He referred to himself as "your humble aspirant." He referred to his audiences as "my enlightened constituents." He talked of "obtaining a mandate" for his "legislative mission."

Then one day even his cow balked at his speeches and kicked him in the teeth. With his front teeth knocked out, the farmer could speak only words of one syllable. The result was he won his next election and kept getting reelected.

However Twain felt about the electorate of his day, the story still sheds light on the importance of "telling time on their clock." A highly educated and eloquent politician may not relate to his/her constituency. Many hard working, plain folk appreciate straight talk in plain language. They distrust those who seem to "put on airs" and feel as if that candidate might just try to "put one over."

However, they can relate to one who speaks their language. This is a person who knows what makes them tick. This is someone who identifies with their plight and lets them know it.

The principle works well for non-politicians, too. If it is important to relate well to others, first learn what makes them tick. How well do you know that teenager in your life (or parent) or that client or even that supervisor? In this global community, how well do you know those of different backgrounds?

Then tell time on their clock. Let them know you understand. Speak their language. You may be amazed at the way others will respond!

From Lifesupport.

HOPE FOR TOMORROW

There you are patting yourself on the back, having finally secured a job after all those months. Happily typing away in your cubicle, you get a phone call from home. Grandma has just been admitted to the hospital. You rush to the hospital. Your dad discreetly pulls you to the side, and tells you that grandma isn’t covered by insurance. Everybody has dug into their pocket for the grandma’s procedure, but they’re still short of some money. Your next payday is two weeks away. Whatever’s left in your pocket is just enough to get you by until the next pay check comes in. And getting some cash advance from friends is out of the question. What should you do?

Truth is, you never know what may happen tomorrow. That doesn’t mean that you’re not without hope, though. Have you considered payday loans?

With the internet, online payday loans offer you an advantage over conventional loans. It’s fast, discreet and a whole lot less hassle. But there are quite a few lenders out there, so how do you pick?

Hop on by to Power Payday Loan. They will do all the work for you. Just fill in their online form, and they will match you to potential lenders. If you’re approved, you get the cash advance the very next day. It’s really that simple.

But before you get all excited, make sure you answer ‘yes’ to the following questions:

• Are you at least 18 years of age?
• Do you have a regular source of income?
• Do you earn $1000/month (employed) or $800/month (fixed income)?
• Do you have direct deposit enabled on your bank account?

If payday loan is all new to you, be sure to check out How a Payday Loan Works on their website.

You can sleep at ease knowing you've got tomorrow covered.

ARE YOU READY TO BE SURPRISED?

Forest path trekking - “No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.”

Are you ready to be surprised? Life is full of surprises - to those who are aware.

History records amazing coincidences in the lives of two of America's founders - Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. You are aware that Jefferson labored for two weeks writing the Declaration of Independence. He showed his drafts to Adams and Benjamin Franklin, who edited it, honed Jefferson's ideas and refined the document. When it was finally finished, he brought it before the Continental Congress for approval. And America remembers her birth date, of course, as July 4, 1776.

Jefferson and Adams spent the next 50 years debating ideas about how this new nation should govern itself and what it should eventually become. Their administrations argued philosophies and legislation. Sometimes the two men were contentious, but later in life they seemed to develop more of an appreciation for each other. Though they lived far apart, they faithfully corresponded.

Surprisingly (and coincidentally) , they both died the same day! Adams is said to have uttered, just before he died, "Thomas Jefferson survives." He couldn't have known that Jefferson himself died only a few hours earlier.

Do you know what that day was? July 4 - Independence Day. Do you know what year? It was 1826, exactly 50 years from the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And the coincidences don't end there.

Couriers were dispatched with the news of the great men's deaths. From Braintree, Massachusetts the messenger with news about Adams traveled south. Jefferson's messenger came north from Monticello, Virginia. Do you know where they met? In Philadelphia ... under the shadow of the great hall where both men's lives were so dramatically shaped, and where they labored to give birth to a nation.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But historians of the day often attributed these coincidences to providence - as a good omen for a new nation.

Our lives are full of surprises and amazing coincidences, though we may not always take notice. Whether or not we see the hand of providence in coincidence, life teems with the remarkable.

Learn to notice what others do not see, and you can expect to be surprised. Learn to notice what others do not see, and what you see will amaze.

From Lifesupport.