Motivational - The Greatest Life Secrets

My grandfather was a village idol. People from all walks of life visited his homestead with only one mission; to seek for his wisdom and thoughts on matters related to life. Honestly, he was a very wise man. His wisdom out did the combined wisdom of the famous six blind men from India. 

It bothered me so much, that even after I had acquired my degree certificate, I still could not muscle him when it came to real life issues. Indeed, he was my encyclopedia, when it came to issues dealing with life. Being the only son in the homestead, I did spend most of my free time with the old man. 

One Saturday evening, my curiosity and inquisitiveness paid off. After serving him porridge; deliciously prepared with milk as part of the ingredients, my old man opened his mouth and in a blurry voice, he echoed out what turned out to be the greatest of all secrets in life. 

He ordered me to get a pen and a paper and to note down what he had to say. Hesitantly and with lots of curiosity, I brought in my diary and a pen. Then he said to me that, ‘I have always kept these gifts away from you until you are mature enough to understand their real meanings. I may not have gone further with my basic education, but these simple facts will serve you more than what you have learnt in school.’ 

• Always think outside the box. If you don’t, someone will and you will end up working for their thinking (idea).
• Don’t ever forget where you come from.
• Failure is not final. Learn from your failure and help others to avoid what made you fail.
•  Know why you still have life within you. Define your ‘why’ of living and your ‘how’ will follow sui
• There is no future in your past. Your future lies in what you do today. Don’t waste today.
•  Have a close confidant, someone you can trust and confine your issues to.
•  Ensure you join a support group. The greatest strength lies in the unity of diversity.
• Open your world and the world would open itself to you. Know what goes on around you, each and every time.
• Stay away from people who drink too much and are immoral. The LORD hates such people.
•  Be the best that you can be; to yourself and to the society.
• Always be grateful for everything in your life, good or bad. There is a reason God allowed such things in your life.
•  Don’t ever praise yourself. Let people do it if your actions are worthy.
•  Be of courage and defend what you believe in. Fear brings down great nations. 
•  Live your life. You might not live forever. Don’t worry, be happy.

I sat there still waiting for more words, but sadly the old man had lost his voice and collapsed dead on the ground. I was the last person the old man had talked to, and these words were a recording of his advice to me and to my generation. I felt I should have shared this long ago, but better late than never.

7 Little But Effective Things In Business Life

1.  Be the first person to say Hallo. Life is a precious gift from God while death is a must and awaiting each and every one of us. Be the first to greet people, because by doing this, you learn to appreciate the gift of life. Being the first to greet people has been revealed by research to be a confidence booster. You end up growing filled with unmatched enthusiasm. Learn to do this often even unto strangers and you will be amazed at the results in your life.

2.    Learn that life has no limits. Did you know that the limits which exist in this world are those imposed by individuals in their own minds? We can all be whatever we choose to believe that we can be. If you set any limit in your mind, then you will always meet those limitations, and never be able to overcome them. Learn to constantly believe in yourself in order to achieve your dreams and aspirations. Do everything you can to boost your confidence level whenever necessary. When you believe in yourself then your mindset will be changed and you will be able to start seeing things differently. You will see obstacles as opportunities while serious challenges will turn into wonderful blessings. Whenever you meet failure you must remind yourself that the way to do it right is to first do it wrong. Be open and learn from varied peoples experience in this life. Yearn to ‘See beyond your vision.’ and listen even to the unmade sounds, though selective sounds (positive sounds). Enlarge your knowledge territory by constantly learning new things. If you religious commit to seeing changes in your life then unbelievable rewards will always accompany your efforts. Be creative by having faith and imagination.

3.  Embrace life with a positive attitude. Focus your mind on the positive aspects of life. You will never be worn out if you constantly tune your mind to stay positive. Sometimes people tend to be negative out of bad or sad experience in the past. Don’t live in the past. Use such past as a moment of reflection; to review and refine the mistakes made if any, then use the lessons learnt to shape the desired future.

4.  Take time to recognize and appreciate other people. Try to give other people recognition and appreciation whenever necessary. Do not demand or expect same recognition and appreciation from the same people, or even from yourself. Trust in an ancient saying, ‘What goes around comes around.’ Extend a hand of friendship to all and be approachable and friendly.

5. Change your ‘life’s wardrobe.’ Commit yourself to continued improvement. It is always relevant, to sometimes learn how to learn. Have a mentor if necessary and endeavor to improve on your knowledge and skills. Learn other skills and interests like art, music and physical exercises. They will build your social life. Learn other languages also; this will enable you appreciate other peoples culture and heritage. Provoke the desire within you for more output. Establish other sources of information to verify or challenge whatever you are teaching. This will adequately add you more knowledge on your subjects.

6.  Always practise the mirror rule. Before a mirror you always see your image and nothing else. Treat everyone the way you would feel to be treated. Cultivate positive value like honesty and resist the temptation to cheat—you only hurt yourself in the long run. Be alert always informed on the current affairs. This will make you comfortable in varied environments.

7.  Have a role model and be a role model. In life people always have someone whom they are looking forward to; for ‘imitation’.  Having a role model will help in giving you a desire and drive to shape your life to a desired destiny, correlating to that of your mentor. Being a great role model requires discipline and sacrifice in certain aspects of life.  Avoid the temptations of drugs and irresponsible personal behavior. Aim to be an excellent role model.

Business Leadership - Principles Of An Effective Leader

The world is in constant pursuit of excellence. Everyone wants the best for themselves and for the society. This therefore demands from any one in position of responsibility to be armed with certain guiding rules; principles,in order to be relevant to the roles. There are leaders everywhere, but only a few are effective. Below are the 7 principles of an effective leader.

First Principle - Know Yourself
‘It is the little things we ignore that matters most in life.’ … anonymous.
Have you ever asked yourself a question like ‘Who am I’.  Leadership involves dealing with people; and people have feelings and emotions which must be respected and safeguarded for positive mutual relationships to be achieved. Before you go out there to start organizing people, it is important to understand yourself first.

Second Principle - Know Your Stuff
Try not to become a man of success but a man of value ….Albert Einstein.
It is important that as a leader you get to understand what is expected of you. Carefully study and understand your role profile. Also get a solid understanding on what is expected of the group you are dealing with.

Third Principle- Practice Effective Communication
Seek to understand then be understood….Stephen R Covey.
Be a great communicator. Know how to communicate with people within and around the Institution. Be approachable, accountable and ready to take responsibility should circumstances demand. Communicate your ideas and tasks and ensure that they are carried out. Establish clear and effective communication channels.

Fourth Principle – Be Decisive.
He who hesitates is lost …Ancient Proverb
This is what separates an effective leader from other crop of leaders. Practice excellent problem solving, planning and decision making skills. Reflect your ideals and challenge the process. Look for avenues to improve the standards of your institution and always be ready to take responsibility.

Fifth Principle – Involve
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.  ~ Margaret Fuller
Delete the words I, Me and Myself from your dictionary and replace them with We, Ours and The team. Develop an enviable team spirit that allows all persons to put in their best. When you encourage everyone to work as a team then all of them will learn to take ownership and accountability in their areas of work. As a leader, try to fit in the system. Be part and parcel of the system.

Sixth Principle – Be Prepared to Stand Alone.
‘Sometimes one man with courage is a majority.'  ~ Andrew Jackson
There comes a time when you must stand alone. Be strong, confident and do not settle for

a compromise just to get by. You must be persistent ready to protect the dreams and values that you believe in at all cost.  Take some few extra chances to practice what you believe in and be ready to admit if you make any mistake. Try new things persistently until you notice improvement(s). Have a mindset that focuses on success and be willing to defend your actions.

Seventh Principle – Prayer and Gratitude
‘What if you gave someone a gift and they neglected to thank you for it – would you likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have.’ … Ralph Martson.
There are those moments in life when you will need a source of strength and inspiration bigger than yourself. You will need to draw this strength elsewhere, from a source whose strength is bigger than yours. Learn to be grateful. Be thankful in all circumstances. In your failures you will learn to succeed and in your success you will learn to appreciate the value of such success. Leadership role may make you weary and worn out, but be thankful and smile because out there in the world, you are making a difference.

The Act Of Goal Setting

Goal setting is the benchmark for appraising ones progress towards an attainment of desired objective. In a nut shell, it is like a checklist in realization of one’s dream. To effectively set goals and achieve the desired objectives, one has to exercise the below essentials:

1. Use the famous SMART principle. Your goals should be Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time based. This principle is famous and practiced world wide. 
2. Network often in order to familiarize yourself with new business opportunities existing in the old and new markets. This will propel/push you ahead of your peers.
3.  Learn other new skills often to package yourself. Times change and so do the way of doing business.  Be in tandem with the economic trend.
   
4. Learn at least one new thing every day. And get out of your system things and habits that do not work for you. 
5.  Have a very clear plan on how you intend to achieve your goals. You achieve nothing by not having clear plan(s).
6.  Use your subconscious mind. It can not tell the difference between truth and lies. If you repeat something over and over, then your subconscious mind will believe it to be true. Do this often in order to attain your life’s dreams. 
7. Make your goals basic needs. In fact your goals should be 'a must' need and not just mere wants. This is the only direct and safe way to plan on achieving your goals. 
8.  Re-arrange your priorities in life. Decide which ones are the most important thing in your life. This will help you focus and set clear goals. 
9.  No pain no gain. Achieving any desired goal or objective in life has an accompaniment of some ‘pain’. Embrace the pain and later on celebrate the achievement.

The Best Business Poem - Be A shining Star

Be a shining star, Just like the famous biblical star.

It led the old Shepherds to where Messiah was born.

It wasn’t an ordinary star, It was a shining star.

Dream dreams. Think big.

Then work hard, with dedication and commitment.

To turn your dreams into reality. Hard work and effort will only be for a little time.

Yes you can do anything in this life.

Once you learn to tap the potential within you.

The world is full of everyone, but only a few are special.

Just like the sky at night, It is packed with many stars, but just a few shine brightly.

You only have two options in life;

To write a history or to be a history that was never written.

Resuscitate your dreams and find or invent formula(s) to bring your dream(s) to life.

Avoid the path of mediocrity and laziness.

They only breed poverty and lead to the land that ‘never existed.’

Mediocrity and laziness are the direct paths to the land of the dead.

Be brave. Put on your confidence. Then face life head on.

You will not live in this world forever. Be the best that you can; each and every moment.

Live this life with focus and purpose. Sacrifice all that you can. Be a shining star.

Stick To Your Dream - No Matter What

If you ever dream of being happy and live your purpose in this world, then below are the simple, yet effective life principles that you should adopt and use in your lifestyle.

• Don’t let people control you. Let them advise you, but make your own decisions. Everyone has a right to their opinion and you have a right not to listen to it. You don’t need anybody to tell you what to do or not what to do.

• Live your life with purpose. Be focused and commit to achieving certain specific goals over specific times. Go out and be your best. You have an assignment, purpose and direction. Be the best that you can be to yourself.

•  In order to please God, you must be ready to disappoint some few people. Look out for the praise of God and not people. When God calls u, he will take care of you.

• Don’t let people talk you out of what you feel is inside you. Be strong to run your race. No matter what you do, you will always meet criticism. Don’t let people who cannot run their lives run yours. Have boldness to be yourself.

• People should no squeeze you into their mold. Be yourself and champion your course.

To run your race, do not share your dreams with everyone. You may be excited but others would not. Some people would want to talk you out of your dream. It is only God who can help you give birth to your dreams. Quit worrying on what people want you to

Business Motivation - Your Success Is Your Responsibility

No matter what you do, there are people who will never stomach seeing you succeed. In life, if you are doing nothing, nobody will ever be bothered about you. But once you start doing something, then you will immediately start to arouse peoples interest. They will immediately respond by paying close attention to you. And more often, they will tend to blur your vision by constantly criticizing your actions. To succeed, adapt the hawk’s principle; ‘flying above the clouds when it is raining.’ Learn how to live above petty and unsolicited criticism.

Your life is your responsibility. You have all the power to influence all that which revolves you. Everyone has a right to an opinion. And so do you. As you share your dreams and visions with people, others will offer you enough and relevant reasons as to why you may be doomed to fail. Safeguard your dreams and share only if you must!

Be brave and courageous. Do not be afraid. Fear is the worst enemy of mankind. Fear is the cause of many unfulfilled dream in the world today. So many people are not courageous enough to take a leap of faith and try their ideas or dreams; due to fear of failure. Until you try out, you will never know what you can achieve or become. Fear is simply an a false or non-existent image  of ‘a giant ‘ appearing real. If you entertain fear, then prepare to live below your true worth. Fear leads to mediocrity, avoid it like a plaque.

The journey towards success is one that only the brave dare to take. There are un-ending roadblocks along that path. The most successful people all over the world have encountered such roadblocks in the name of mistakes. However, they were more willing to learn from their mistakes and have lived to see the fruits of their persistence. You are responsible for your success. The choice to succeed or to fail is squarely yours to make.

Two Ways To Start Your Business

Many failed businesses are those whose formation(s) or rather Initial start ups were rushed. Perhaps due to availability of sudden and unplanned funding. Others fail because the original dream and idea was copied elsewhere; and the 'photocopier' never went the extra mile to put in place all the relevant requisites.

• Starting and running a successful enterprise is not easy. It involves so many things; but of importance;Is the entrepreneur(s) believing in their original dreams and doing everything possible to ensure that the dream sees daylight. Anyone can start a business, but it takes only a special person to turn the business into a success story. This is simply hard work and commitment on the part of the entrepreneur.

• Next, is to work on the business plan. Transform the dream from a mere vision to a tangible material. Test all the logistical aspects involved. Then bring on board the right personnel to help you pursue the dream. Be creative, original and a go-getter.

The world is in constant competition.We are all in pursuit of excellence. I believe that we all have the potential, but only a few commit to achieving the potential.

Best Available Savings Options

The only tested path towards financial freedom in the future is having an excellent savings plan. This is the best way to achieve and realize your dreams in a more comfortable way. Upon retirement or when forced to meet sudden financial needs, you will always have that peace of mind since you had made previous preparations. It is recommended for one to save now, and spend later.

It is never too early or too late to start saving. Be it for retirement, short term purchases definite project or as an emergency reserve. However, the early one starts the better.  To be wealthy, you must learn how to save. Save first before starting to spend money.

THE STOCK MARKET OPTION

This option is best suitable for economic savvy individuals. People who are equally risk takers and capable of forecasting the future performance of certain companies in the stock market. However, with proper advice from stock brokers or investment advisers, an individual may decide to take a stab at this option. There is an old age aphorism that it is better to try and loose than to loose without any trial. And no forgetting the famous anonymous quote that, ‘we loose 100% of chances we do not take.’ Most people are skeptical in deciding to invest in the stock market. However, for better results it requires one to exercise patience.

INVESTING IN START-UP BUSINESS

This method is best practiced in developed countries. Once an individual identifies a new business enterprise with expected good returns. They may opt to invest in such businesses as angel investors. Once the business breaks even, then they either demand their investments back or rather decide to increase their shares or investments in such business; but all these depends on the profit margins of such business.

'SHY LOCKING' ..... Cash Lending by and Individual

Though regarded as a form of money laundering, shy locking is an old age savings plan most people have adopted over the years. This is a short term back door way of lending, based on mutual agreement between the lender and the borrower. The lender can decide either to charge or not to charge interest on the amount given out. This approach poses a legal challenge to the lender should the borrower fail to pay back. It is therefore a risky way of savings. However, it works best if there is mutual trust between the borrower and the lender. To some extent, lenders may opt to seek collateral over the money lent.

SAVING IN HOUSE SAFES/ IN MONEY BOXES/CONTAINERS.

We all most all start from here. I remember our eldest brother made some holes in sofa set to hide some coins away from us during our childhood. However, this is a very high-risky way to save money. It can be stolen or destroyed by fire at any given time. Since you have direct access to the money on a daily basis, you will be tempted to either use the whole amount or part of it. Yes, this is one of the easily and quickest available saving plans, but it is not the best option.

OPENING A SAVINGS ACCOUNT WITH A BANK OR SACCO

This is one of the best options for savings. It is recommended for savings towards a specific desired lump sum or for security purposes. However, most banks and Saccos do levy certain amounts in case of withdrawals. Other banks or Saccos have certain specific durations over the years for withdrawal purposes. It is therefore recommended that you understand the type of savings account you intend to operate before you commit to opening it.

OPENING A FIXED DEPOSIT ACCOUNT

This is another exciting option available from all most all banks and certain Saccos. They allow you to deposit or invest a large chunk of money at an agreeable lucrative interest rate. This option is better than opening a savings account; since it has high returns for savings. However, you will be required to deposit your money for a specific period of time without withdrawing any portion. In return, your money will yield some interest, payable at the end of the agreed period.

INVESTING IN UNIT TRUSTS

This is another favorable option provided by several investment banks and insurance companies. Your money is pulled together with other money and is used towards purchase of well calculated and high performing shares and bonds (in the stock market(s). The best part in unit trusts is that, your money is guaranteed. It is the investment banks and insurance companies who take the risk for future unfavorable economic environment. If you love to own shares in the stock market, but lack the necessary know how, then this is the best start-up option for you.

INVESTING IN GOVERNMENT BONDS

This is another risk-free way to save. Most bonds offered by varied governments to investors operate in a similar way as the fixed deposit account from banks. They have fixed interest rate which you are made aware of before investing your money. You therefore have an opportunity to calculate the expected returns.

JOINING A SAVINGS CLUB

With clear focus, dedication and commitment, savings clubs may be another good savings option available. Most respectable investment groups all over the world started off as a savings club. Members involved usually know each other very well and usually contribute specific and agreeable amounts of money at designated time. Upon meeting specific goals, members decide whether to invest or divide the accumulated money.

Decide to start saving today for a better future.