47 Year old Susan Boyle wows the judges with her performance in the auditions for Britains Got Talent, singing I dreamed a dream from Les Miserables. Watch the expressions of the judges before, during and after. Can’t embed it but you must watch it here.
Motivation
Leadership lessons from Cricket Captains, by Kazim Abidi
Kazim Abidi is an entrepreneur, sportsman and a good friend who has just started contributing to this blog.
When we talk of cricket we talk of those big strides a fast bowler takes, the graceful stroke play of a batsman, the horizontal dive of a fielder, wizardry of a spinner and numerous other things that take place on the field. To a cricket lover it is poetry-in-motion. Close matches bring about the excitement, which is so unique because it’s a game with lots of gaps that allows you to think, ponder, discuss strategies, make changes etc. In this excitement we often forget the role a captain plays.
I think about my team HKU where I play my Saturday league cricket. It’s quite a mixture of English, Australian, Pakistani and Indian players. We didn’t do well for two seasons until we got Phil Glenwright, a player who has passed his prime, as our captain. The internal politics disappeared, the level of commitment from each individual soared. The team became a cohesive unit where an average player performed at parity with the stars. The captain’s confidence in each one of us and his appreciation for trivial things meant the world to us. We finished second in the league last year and are playing in the finals for the title this year. Continue reading
The Power of a Dream – true story of faith and courage!
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
Health, Simplicity, Procrastination and Goals
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:
- 25 Weird (But True) Health & Body Facts – MSN Health & Fitness
- The Simplest Way to Clear Out Your Email Inbox – Zen Habits
- Defining simplicity – Unclutterer
- I need more time – Seth’s Blog
- How to Stop Procrastinating: 7 Timeless Tips – The Positivity Blog
- Ready, aim…fail: Why setting goals can backfire: – Signal Vs. Noise
Jill Bolte Taylor studied her own stroke!
Learn about the human brain, the miracle of life and how we are all connected to each other and the universe. Watch this presentation by brain researcher Jill Bolte Taylor who studied her own stroke as it happened!
It was one of the ten most popular presentations since TED opened the talks to public two years ago. Watch it here.
Leadership, Uncluttering, and Your Worst Enemy…
Another week has gone by, and with another week comes another interesting list of posts that you should check out in your spare time.
Here are 5 articles worth reading for the week ending Sunday, 19/04.
- Ten Top Tips for the Innovative Leader – Stepcase Lifehack
- 5 Tiny Steps to Quit Being Such a Jerk – Zen Habits
- Seven benefits of uncluttering – Unclutterer
- 7 Timeless Thoughts on Taking Responsibility for Your Life – The Positivity Blog
- Social Proof: The Worst Enemy That Lives in Your Head – Stepcase Lifehack
Enjoy.
Leo Buscaglia’s quotes
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.
Coffee with David
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
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.
- Finding Balance Between Time and Money – Get Rich Slowly
- How to Create Self Help Momentum – Stepcase Lifehack
- Why You Need To Fail To Succeed – Productivity 501
- Seven Dieting Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making – Dumb Little Man
- How To Find Your Amazing Work – Zen Habits
- 3 Scary Misconceptions About Money – Stepcase Lifehack
- Why TV Is Your Worst Habit – The Daily Mind
- Seven Productivity Tips – Zen Habits
Stay tuned for the next weekly round-up!
The Dash by Linda Ellis
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
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:
Great day or lousy day?
It was one of those days when I was able to notice most of the good things in life – big and small.
Waking up to a new day – alive and healthy! Running water, hot and cold! Nice clothes to wear! Fresh juice to drink! A job to go to! Beautiful weather – neither hot nor cold! Train station close to home! Train that’s always on time! My favorite corner seat! An hour of thinking and reading time! Nice office – with a sea view! The old cleaning lady who cleans with a passion and greets with enthusiasm! Clean pantry with filtered drinking water! Lots of work to do – mostly enjoyable! A Mac that’s always reliable – no virus, no spam, no hanging up! High-speed Internet access! An email from Hamza recommending another productivity software! Lots of people who trust me with their problems and impossible deadlines! An unexpected lunch meeting in a nice and quiet restaurant with the most divine tempura! New things to learn! Central air-conditioning to keep us cold, and a portable heater under the desks when it gets too cold! Lots of things to laugh about! Coming home to a loving family! Still being in love with the same person after almost 30 years! Kids (many) that we are proud of! Amazing home-cooked food for dinner…WOW!
What kind of a day do you think I had? Amazing, exciting, wonderful, of course! There were some problems for sure and a few challenging situations, but somehow they all looked small and insignificant! On any given day we all have more good things than bad things. But when we fail to notice and acknowledge them, even small problems and challenges look big and we end up having a lousy day! If our days make up our life, we can pretty much control the quality of our lives, can’t we?
Make Today Count by John Maxwell
I was just looking; I wasn’t going to buy anything. Until I saw this little book with a bold red and white cover and an interesting title. In fact, I liked the subtitle even better. I read it on the flight back from Singapore last month, and started re-reading it this week. Here’s a piece from the Introduction:
You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. You see, success doesn’t just suddenly occur one day in someone’s life. For that matter, neither does failure. Each is a process. Every day of your life is merely a preparation for the next. What you become is the result of what you do today. In other words… you are preparing for something. The way you live your life today is preparing you for tomorrow. The questions is, What are you preparing for? As my father used to tell me when I was growing up, “You can pay now and play later, or you can play now and pay later. But either way, you are going to pay.”
The book has twelve chapters – a dozen to focus on daily: Attitude, Priorities, Health, Family, Thinking, Commitment, Finances, Faith, Relationships, Generosity, Values and Growth. I’ll be happy to give my copy to the first person who asks.
Favorite Quotes – Dreams
It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream that makes life interesting. (Paulo Coelho)
When you really want something, the whole universe conspires to help you realize your dream. (Paulo Coelho)
Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream of things that never were and say, “Why not?” (George Bernard Shaw)
Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men. (Goethe)
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)
The most pitiful among men is he who turns his dreams into silver and gold. (Khalil Gibran)
Favorite Quotes – Attitude
“I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” Martha Washington
“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” Muhammad Ali
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Please share your favorites through comments.
Surviving the Recession…
A very comprehensive action plan to survive recession – adapted from Tom Peters’ blog:
I am constantly asked for “strategies/secrets for surviving the recession.” I try to appear wise and informed—and parade original, sophisticated thoughts. But if you want to know what’s going through my head, read the list below:
You work longer. You work harder. You may well work for less…
You volunteer to do more.
You always bring a good attitude to work. You fake it if your good attitude flags.
You literally practice your “game face” in the mirror in the morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
You shrug off shit that flows downhill in your direction…
You get there earlier. You leave later.
You forget about “the good old days”—nostalgia is for wimps.
You buck yourself up with the thought that “this too shall pass”—but then remind yourself that it might not pass anytime soon, so you re-dedicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now.
You eschew all forms of personal excess. You simplify.
You sweat the details as you never have before.
You raise to the sky the standards of excellence by which you evaluate your own performance.
You thank others by the truckload if good things happen—and take the heat yourself if bad things happen.
You behave kindly, but you don’t sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient.
You treat small successes as if they were Superbowl victories—and celebrate and commend accordingly.
You shrug off the losses, and get back on the horse and try again.
You avoid negative people to the extent you can—pollution kills.
You eventually read the gloom-sprayers the riot act.
You learn new tricks of your trade. You network like a demon.
You help others with their issues. You give new meaning to the word “thoughtful.”
You redouble, re-triple your efforts to “walk in your customer’s shoes.”
You mind your manners—and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their strains.
You are kind to all mankind. You leave the blame game at the office door.
You become a paragon of accountability.
And then you pray.
Patience, Persistence and Positive Attitude!
One of Sara’s odd jobs is to sell FM radios at Rugby matches around London. The company pays a fixed allowance of GBP40 for selling a minimum of 100 and additional commission for everything over. Last weekend Sara had a good earning of 50 pounds, but then she lost her bag at a shopping mall with all the earning and other valuables. That’s like losing a quarter of your monthly paycheck! She was obviously quite depressed, but only for a little while, until somebody reminded here that there was nothing in that bag that couldn’t be replaced. She hoped for another Rugby match to make up for the loss.
This weekend, the group was taken to a small Rugby match in Coventry. The company didn’t expect to sell many, so they offered a commission of 1 pound per radio – no fixed allowance, no minimum target. There were about 15 students in the group and everyone thought they’d be lucky if they sold 20. That’s what the company expected too. But Sara saw a real opportunity and aimed to sell 50. Just before they arrived at the venue, the weather turned nasty – rain, hail, snow and all! The turnout of the spectators was very low; nobody wanted to listen to a student trying to sell a 5-pound radio; the sellers were freezing with cold! The group ended up selling about 300 pieces, as opposed to a 1000 at regular matches. But Sara had sold 67 of these! That means the rest of the group had averaged 15 pieces each. This was perhaps the first time the company had paid a commission of 67 pounds to an individual at a match in Coventry! We can learn quite a bit from this 22-year old student.
Please feel free to leave your comments for Sara right here.
Problems vs. Situations
The idea that I am about to share seems too simple, but it has changed hundreds of lives, including mine: There are things you can change (problems) and there are things you can’t change (situations).
Most people seem to go through life fighting with, and agonizing over, things they can’t change e.g. weather, traffic, economy, their appearance, sickness, death, accidents. The result is frustration, depression, anger, anxiety, lot of stress and general unhappiness in life!
On the other hand, focusing on things we can change, improves the quality of our lives. We can change our attitudes, health, fitness, quality of our relationships, spending habits, level of our knowledge and skills, and many other things in life. Life is too short to try and change others.
A favorite prayer of mine: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference!
Oscar Pistorius – fastest man with no legs!
When Oscar Pistorius‘ lower legs were amputated at age 1, few would have banked on this South African challenging world-class sprinters. At 20, when he began to close in on Olympic-qualifying time for 400m, experts posited that his times were so good, he must have been getting an unfair advantage from his bladelike prosthetics. When he set his sights on the Olympic Games in Beijing, the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) ruled he couldn’t compete against able-bodied athletes.
Living with prosthetic legs was seen as a huge impediment, but he has turned this prescription upside down. His disadvantage has become the advantage. It’s too easy to credit Pistrius’ success to technology. Through birth or circumstances, some are given certain gifts, but it’s what one does with those gifts, the hours devoted to training, the desire to be the best, that is at the true heart of a champion.
(Adapted from TIME magazine, written by Erik Weihenmayer – the only blind person to conquer Mount Everest)
Lance Armstrong – an inspiration for all
There’s no one else quite like him. And there probably never will be. The best cyclist ever, Lance won the Tour de France, an almost incomprehensible seven times from 1999 to 2005. But before he could do that, in 1996 he had to beat back a cancer that was supposed to take his life. Testicular cancer had spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain. Doctors told him he had no chance. But no chance were not words that had meaning for Lance.
He spearheaded the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which made a yellow plastic loop a statement of resistance and strength across the entire planet. It advocates for those living with cancer, funds research, inspires the cancer community to support each other.
Lance took a minor sports in America and turned it into a great national passion and pride. And he did it by struggling for years, alone on his bike, often in unforgiving weather, over terrain that most of us would view as hostile, when no one was watching, no one was cheering.
He inspired all of us who face a cancer diagnosis to search out the doctors who believe that we can live, to hold on to friends and family that stand beside us – and then to fight to prove the faith of those. After Lance, no one could ever again say it was too hard, the odds were too high, the fight already lost. Watch one of his recent interviews here.
Mush Panjwani 