Life

The Power of Belief!

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The placebo effect has an evil twin: the nocebo effect, in which dummy pills and negative expectations can produce harmful effects. The term ‘nocebo’ was coined in 60’s and means ‘I will harm’ in Latin. Nocebo effect has been studied far less than the placebo effect but the results are as far-reaching.

Robert Hahn of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who has studied the nocebo effect extensively, says: “Beliefs and expectations are not only conscious, logical phenomena, they also have physical consequences.” In clinical trials, about a quarter of patients in control groups experience negative side effects, often matching in severity to those associated with real drugs. Patients undergoing chemotherapy often start feeling sick days before the treatment.

According to Hahn, surgeons are often wary of operating on people who think they will die – because such patients often do. The mere belief that one is susceptible to a heart attack is itself a risk factor. One study found that women who believed they are particularly prone to heart attack are nearly four times as likely to die from coronary conditions than other women with the same risk factors. The ultimate cause of the nocebo effect, however, is not neuro-chemistry but belief!

Sam Shoeman was diagnosed with end stage liver cancer in 1970s and given just months to live. Continue reading →

Maria Amelia Lopez – 97 years old blogger!

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0906 Maria Amelia LopezMaria Amelia Lopez was the oldest blogger when she died on May 20, at the age of 97. She started posting on a blog that his grandson created for her as a birthday gift two years ago. Her online journal, amis95.blogspot.com (roughly translates to ‘my 95 years’) soon became a worldwide sensation, reaching more than 1.5 million readers from the comfort of her seaside home in Spain!

Maria set an example for all those who think they are too old to use computers, Internet or blogging. She showed that the Web is not just for the young but for anyone who is interested in interacting with the world. ‘Communicating with others wakes up the brain‘, Maria wrote in one of her last entries on the blog. Read her interview here.

5 Most Popular Posts

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Following are links to the five most popular/favorite posts on this blog so far – considering the number of views, forwards and comments:

  1. How to improve the quality of life, one day at a time: Have a great day!
  2. The top three excuses for not exercising, and how to handle these: What’s your excuse?
  3. Lesson in patience, persistence and positive attitude from a uni student: Must read if you are in sales!
  4. A book recommendation with an excerpt: Make Today Count!
  5. Too much to do and too little time? Then this one’s for you: Do less, get more done!

I’ll look forward to your comments.

Make Your Day!

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One of the easiest ways to make your day is to make someone else’s day. It’s not possible to make someone else happy and not feel great about it yourself. And it doesn’t take much to make someone happy, especially strangers. Try a genuine compliment or a thank-you e.g.

  • Wow, very clean taxi!
  • You guys are really good; the queue is moving so fast! (Check-in counters at the airport)
  • Good job. Thank you! (Try that with a toilet cleaning staff and see what happens)
  • The food was nice, service was great and prices were OK too! (Ever asked to see the manager at the end of a great dining experience?)
  • Thank you so much; I really appreciate that!

Most people haven’t been complimented (or even talked to by a customer) in a long time, so it would mean the world to them. And how would you feel seeing that you have had such a positive impact on someone’s day/life? Of course, there will be some people with such low self-image that they won’t believe you or think you are being funny.

If you are fortunate enough to be in love with someone, remember the power of the three magic words. I love you! can help switch negative emotions to positive ones in a heartbeat.

Try it today. And tell us about your experience with compliments – both giving and receiving.

Man with no limbs – very inspiring video!

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If Nick can be happy, anyone can…

Don’t Eat the Marshmallow, Yet!

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In this short talk Joachim de Posada shares a landmark experiment on delayed gratification – and how it can predict future success. With priceless video of kids trying their hardest not to eat the marshmallow.

Who/What Do You Blame?

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Ever noticed how so many people blame somebody or something for the problems in their lives? I think most commonly blamed parties are:

  1. Upbringing – parents, teachers, school, college, university…
  2. Country – lack of opportunities, education, wealth…
  3. Circumstances – not luck, no money, no resources, no connections…
  4. Age – too young, too old…
  5. At work – industry, company, products, boss, colleagues…

If you are using one of these as excuses for not living your best life, think again! If you often find yourself saying: ‘I am late because of traffic’ or ‘I am overweight because of my genes’ or ‘I don’t have the time for _ because of _’ then you are the type who likes to fix the blame or give excuses instead of accepting responsibility.

“Be the change you want to see!” (Mahatma Gandhi)

Don’t Quit!

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Don’t watch this if you are feeling on top of the world:

Favorite Quotes: Paulo Coelho

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“When every day seems the same, it is because we have stopped noticing the good things that appear in our lives.” The Alchemist

“Profound commitment to a dream does not confine or constrain: it liberates. Even a difficult, winding path can lead to your goal if you follow it to the end.” Maktub

“When there is no turning back, then we should concern ourselves only with the best way of going forward.” The Alchemist

Do You Live in the Past, Present or Future?

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Most of the advice we get from experts is that we should live in the present, because ‘past is gone and nobody has seen the future’. I think thinking about all three is equally important:

Thinking of your past successes can boost your self image in times of disappointments. Reliving the happy memories of the past can provide instant happiness and shift your emotions. Going back in time and forgiving anyone who ever hurt you can be very liberating!

Living in the present allows you to notice the good things in your life, right now. It makes you grateful. Staying focused on what needs to be done right now, today, is the only way to achieve your goals. The only way to change your future is to change your present!

Dreaming of the future is vital too. That’s the only way to set and achieve meaningful goals in life. The most common success formula is still: dreams, goals, plan and action!

Where do you spend most of your thoughts: past, present or future?

John Francis’ 22 Years of Walking and 17 Years of Silence!

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Take out 20 minutes of quiet time and watch this:

The Power of a Dream – true story of faith and courage!

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I received this essay through a friend of this family:

On 21st January, 1991, my parents were overjoyed on the arrival of their first baby, my elder brother. But the happiness was short-lived as within a few hours of delivery my mother noticed that his eyes were prominently protruding and were dull grey in colour. The doctor gave the terrible news that my brother was suffering from Congenital Glaucoma. This disease is incurable and with each passing day he would lose his sight if the eye pressure was not under control. My mother was totally shattered but she had to accept Naqi’s problem as a challenge. My mother had a dream that Naqi should go to normal school and never pity himself nor be pitied by others. So from that day she took up this challenge to accomplish her dream.

In Pakistan there were very few facilities for visually impaired children and I saw mother struggle since the beginning even though in the early years I was too young to understand the circumstances. My mother’s family is in India which meant that she had no support and it seemed to be very difficult to cope with Naqi’s problem. My mother went to all good schools but they refused to admit Naqi as he had a great difficulty in facing light or recognizing colors. She was determined and fortunately went to one of the best schools in Pakistan, Springfield where they offered her a job plus admitted Naqi on a trial basis. Continue reading →

LIFE by Paulo Coelho (Selected Quotations)

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lifeA book full of selected quotes from Paulo Coelho’s many top selling books, including The Alchemist, The Zahir, Brida and Manual of the Warrior of Light. Some of the quotes from the chapter, The Path:

  • In order to have faith in his own path, a warrior does not need to prove that someone else’s path is wrong.
  • In order to arrive you must follow the signs. God inscribed on the world the path that each man must follow. It is just a matter of reading the inscriptions he wrote for you.
  • When we postpone the harvest, the fruit rots, but when we postpone our problems, they keep on growing.
  • In order to live fully, it is necessary to be in constant movement, only then can each day be different from the last.
  • There are moments in life when we need to trust blindly in intuition.

Health, Simplicity, Procrastination and Goals

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It wasn’t easy compiling this week’s list of links/posts as there were way too many awesome articles swirling around the blogosphere to choose from, but here are the shortlisted six that are a must-read.

For the week ending Sunday, 26/04:

Six things for happiness!

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What do you think really makes people happy? I have wondered this question for years. Is it money that allows you to buy the things and do the things that you like? Or is it strong relationships – people you love, and people who love you? Or is it success in your chosen career and the recognition that comes with it? Or optimum health, fitness and energy to enjoy life to the fullest? Or a religion that connects you to a higher being and guides you to do right? Or does it come from contribution to community or society or mankind or other life or our planet earth?

What makes you happy? Please take this poll and tell us. Please limit to three of the six choices. Get your friends to take this poll too. The more participants, the clearer the answer.

Leo Buscaglia’s quotes

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Early in my sales career, I had watched an inspiring video by Leo Buscaglia called The Politics of Love. His powerful presentation had a lasting impression on my heart and mind. Later, I read one of his books – Living, Learning and Loving – which was also one of the best books I’ve ever read. Today, I was searching for more of Leo’s work on the Internet and found lots of really inspiring stuff – books, quotes, audios, videos, sites! Some quotes:

  • Don’t hold to anger, hurt or pain. They steal your energy and keep you from love.
  • Don’t spend your precious time asking “Why isn’t the world a better place?” It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is “How can I make it better?” To that there is an answer.
  • Our talents are the gift that God gives to us… What we make of our talents is our gift back to God.
  • Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Watch one of his popular Born for Love lectures here.

Coffee with David

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I shared a table with an old wise man while having coffee today. After telling me a lot about himself, he asked me the two questions that I think every Chinese asks every non-Chinese in Hong Kong: How long have you lived in Hong Kong? And do you speak Cantonese? My answers are: More than 10 years, and no. David went on to ask the dreaded question: Why not? I explained why it’s never been my priority. He then offered the most profound advise: Just learn two new words every day!

Achieving big goals through small steps has long been established as a success principle. Imagine what could happen if every day we

  • exercised for just half an hour
  • replaced just one unhealthy snack with a healthy one
  • walked down the stairs instead of taking the elevators just once
  • spent just 15 minutes to breathe, or think, or unplug, or pray
  • noticed just five good things in our day/life
  • complimented just one person, or said one thank-you, or one I-love-you
  • saved just x$ for that special something or that special someone
  • read one useful piece of information or inspiration
  • took one small step towards one of our goals

It all starts with one small step! What will be yours?

The Weekly Round-Up: An Introduction

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First post by our new contributor, Hamza:

How’s it going readers? Starting from today, I’ll be putting up a couple of links from around the blogosphere of articles that are either a must-read, extremely useful, or just plain interesting. These will of course be sticking to the themes of healthy living, productivity, business, personal finance, inspiration and life in general.

Without further ado, here are 8 interesting articles for the week ending Sunday, 12/04.

Stay tuned for the next weekly round-up!

The Dash by Linda Ellis

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This poem continues to be one of the most inspiring pieces for over ten years. It’s been published in many forms. Here’s part of it:

I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth…
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars….the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

Read the full poem here. And watch a short movie here.

Randy Pausch’s last lecture

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I am sure most of you have heard or read about Professor Randy Pausch by now. But just in case you haven’t… his work is not to be missed!

Randy Pausch (Oct. 23, 1960 – July 25, 2008) gave his last lecture at the Carnegie Mellon University on Sept. 18, 2007. In his moving presentation, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” Pausch talked about his lessons learned and gave advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals. His book, “The Last Lecture” which was based on this presentation was also a bestseller. You can watch that lecture here. It’s about an hour, but very inspiring from beginning to end: