Recipe for success - Eat the frog

If you are wondering that a person who eats frog must be insane, then the answer is big NO. The long term benefits of eating frogs are substantial – glowing cheeks, shining hairs, muscular body, and a healthy heart. Even now if you are resisting eating frogs then let me tell you how to do it. Let’s start – hold the frog tight and put it in your mouth. Don’t think; just put it in your mouth. Ummm. How does it taste? Yummy, Yummy! What!! You don’t like eating it? Stop lying! Oh okay okay, it stinks, it got stuck in your throat. No, No please don’t vomit, hold your nerves. Yes, that’s it! See it’s over! It is not as hard as you thought. You have swallowed the frog and you are still alive (though the poor frog is not). Now you have gained all vitamins and proteins necessary for a healthy body in short time which pizzas, chips and drinks would have not provided during lifetime.

Daily, we come across activities which we don’t really enjoy. Jumping out of bed at the first alarm bell, making the first sales call, learning from criticism, following up with prospective clients, regular gym routine, planning the day in advance – all these are examples of eating the frog. One doesn’t really enjoy the process but once performed, the results are extra-ordinary. Eating the frog refers to performing the task which is crucial for our growth but performing the task might not be fun. We tend to procrastinate, avoid such task and then later regret our decisions.

The irony is the more displeasing the task appears, the higher is the rate of return attached to it. 80/20 rule applies here also. Generally 20% of your action will result into 80% of achievement. Prepare a to-do list for your day. Now observe and you will find that if you roughly complete 2 tasks out of 10, you will have a successful day. Yes! You have guessed correctly, those 2 tasks are the frogs, the ones which you want to postpone. But the case with the frog is that it is easier to eat it fresh, than to swallow it rotten. The more you procrastinate, the harder it becomes. If you give yourself time to think, the mind will come up with thousands of reasons why it is okay not to eat the frog and avoid brief pain. Do you recollect, last time you decided to sleep just for 5 more minutes and got up an hour later, last time you said to self that you will start exercising from tomorrow and you are still waiting for that tomorrow, last time you delayed reading that business book and now it has become a part of dusty shelf. The formula is simple – stop thinking and just do it!

The difference between highly productive people and others is that the former are good at eating frogs. Entrepreneurs take risk, athletes undergo rigorous practice, leaders take tough decisions – these are activities which ordinary people avoid. You know what is important, don’t procrastinate, just do it. The more frogs you eat the healthier you will be, the more difficult tasks you perform the wealthier you will be.

A quote from Michael Dell : “There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities.”

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SECRETS To A Great Life !!

A great life doesn’t happen by accident. A great life is the result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be. A great life is the result of using the 24/7 you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what comes next. Customize these “secrets” to fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today!

1. S – Simplify.

A great life is the result of simplifying your life. People often misinterpret what simplify means. It’s not a way to remove work from your life. When you focus on simplifying your life, you free up energy and time for the work that you enjoy and the purpose for which you are here. In order to create a great life, you will have to make room for it in yours first.

2. E – Effort.

A great life is the result of your best effort. Creating a great life requires that you make some adjustments. It may mean re-evaluating how you spend your time, or choosing to spend your money in a different way. It may mean looking for new ways to spend your energy that coincide with your particular definition of a great life. Life will reward your best effort.

3. C – Create Priorities.

A great life is the result of creating priorities. It’s easy to spend your days just responding to the next thing that gets your attention, instead of intentionally using the time, energy and money you have in a way that’s important to you. Focus on removing the obstacles that get in the way of you making sure you are honoring your priorities.

4. R – Reserves.

A great life is the result of having reserves – reserves of things, time, space, energy, money, love. Simplify first in order to find a reserve, then build on that. For example, in order to find a reserve of time, first simplify by delegating a task to someone else, or simply dumping the task if it’s no longer important. With reserves, you are able to live your life looking forward instead of always digging yourself out of a hole.

5. E – Eliminate distractions.

A great life is the result of eliminating distractions. Up to 75% of your mental energy can be tied up in things that are draining and distracting you. Eliminating distractions can be a difficult concept to many people, since they haven’t really considered that there is another way to live. Look around at someone’s life that you admire. What do they do that you would like to incorporate into your own life? Ask them how they did it. Find ways to free up your mental energy for things that are more important to you.

6. T – Thoughts.

A great life is the result of controlling your thoughts so that you accept and allow for the possibility that it actually can happen to you! Your belief in the outcome will directly dictate how successful you are. Motivated people have specific goals and look for ways to achieve them. Believing there is a solution to the same old problems you encounter year after year is vitally important to creating a life that you love. Whatever you think and believe, you create. Listen to what you’re telling yourself, and adjust that voice if you need to.

7. S – Start!

A great life is the result of starting. There’s the old saying everyone’s familiar with “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In order to even move from the couch to the refrigerator, you have to start. There’s no better time to start than today. Don’t wait for a raise, or until the kids get older, or the weather is better. Today, right now, is the right day to start to take a step in the direction of your heart’s desires. It’s what you do TODAY that will make a difference in your life tomorrow.

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HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER

Along with a good resume, a good cover letter is equally important in getting a job.

Cover Letter Guidelines

Here is a standard approach to cover letters that can be adapted as needed for each of the situations listed. Virtually every good cover letter follows these guidelines.

I. Present A Good Appearance

Your contacts with prospective employer should always be professional. Buy good quality stationary and matching envelopes. The standard 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper size is usually used. The preferred colors are white, ivory or light beige paper.

The cover letter should always be typed, on a very fine quality office typewriter or on a letter quality or laser-based computer printer.

It would be foolish to prepare a first quality resume and then to include with a cover letter typed on an old home portable typewriter or on a dot-matrix computer printer. Try to use a word processor with letter quality output.

Do it right! Doing it right also means that you never mass produce a cover letter. Cover letters are individually prepared, individually written, individually typed or printed, and the material in it should be aimed direct ly at the target, the market, the recipient.

II. Use An Appropriate Format

Any standard business correspondence format is acceptable. Look at the examples for ideas.

Impersonal letters are not given a warm reception by employers. They may indeed, be treated the same way as you treat mass-produced advertising materials you receive in the mail. They go into the wastebasket!

Because the cover letter is a personal form of correspondence, you should use the name of the person who will receive the letter. Learn it, and then spell it correctly.

If you are using the cover letter to send a resume as a follow-up on a phone conversation or after a face-to face meeting, you will ruin a wonderful opportunity if you misspell the name, title, the name of the organization, or even a word within the letter.

III. Provide a Friendly Review

Begin the letter with a reminder of any prior contacts and the reason for your correspondence now.

Explain how you learned of the employer, why you are interested in the organization and state the type of position you are seeking.

IV. Target Your Skills and Experiences

To do this well, you must know something about the organization or person with whom you are dealing. Present any relevant background that may be of particular interest to the person you are writing.

Highlight your qualifications for the position. Use one or two power-packed sentences describing how your capabilities can benefit the employer and how you can handle the job.

State your resume, which further details your qualifications, is enclosed.

V. Define The Next Step

Don't close your letter without clearly identifying wha t you will do next. Most writers of cover letters make one major mistake above all others. It comes in the closing paragraph. It is so common that some books written by well-known resume authorities show it as "the correct way." It is not correct. The mistake is this: In the closing paragraph, the writer mistakenly says:

"My home telephone number is 000-0000, and I may be reached there between the hours of 4 and 6 PM daily. Please call me to arrange an interview."

In the minds of knowledgeable people, this is a signal that the letter writer is lazy. Why? Because it says:

"I'm at home, and I want you to call me if you are interested."Instead, it is recommended that you say you'll call, that you do call, and that you continue to call, until you get through. If they are truly eager to call you, they have your number on a resume, or can find it easily enough at the bottom of your letter. But by your willingness to call, you show a sense of interest, enthusiasm and willingness to work that the "you call me" letter writer will never be able to imply.

---

Here is a guideline of a cover letter:

Full Address With Zip Code

Date

Name

Title

Company or Agency Name

Full Address - Zip Code

Dear ________________,

Tell where you heard of the opening or why you have selected this employer for an inquiry.

Describe your interest in the position, in the field of work, or in the organization. Mention your related education. If you have work experience, be sure to mention pertinent data or accomplishments to show that you have specific qualifications in this field or for what particular type of work.

Refer the employer to your resume. Enlarge upon anything in it which relates to the job of employer. Indicate that you are willing to provide additional data.

The closing paragraph should suggest your eagerness in arranging an interview. Include your telephone number and the times when you are most likely to be there or indicate a date and time when you will call the employer. End your letter with a note of thanks.

(Sincerely yours, yours truly),

(Signature)

Full name typed

Enclosure (your resume)

-------------------------------------------------------

Source:Internet

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Rules to improve efficiency at work

BE SYSTEMATIC:
Always to systematic in your work and keep every document and file at a place they are supposed to be. The work, hence, will be smooth, without any delays and quick. It will also help you to form a good impression about yourself among your colleagues.
DELEGATE WORK:
Delegating work is the best policy to improve efficiency at work. Always believe in your team and delegate the work between them eqaully or according to their responsibilities. This will infuse confidence in your team and will lead to improved efficiency.
TIME IS MONEY:
Never delay your work and always try to finish it on time or before time. By doing this, you will get more time to cross-check what you have done and can eliminate the errrors better. Hence, saving a lot of time and money!

Source: Internet

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THE 10 THINGS IN LIFE THAT YOU CONTROL

Are you controlling them or vice-versa?

We humans spend much of our time trying to control every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, too often we try and control things that are simply beyond our control. The list of what we can control is quite short, but once you know these 10 things you will be able to take control of your own life.

1.
What you do: Your actions are yours alone.
You choose to make them or not make them and you are responsible for the effects of those actions.

2.
What you say: Likewise, the words you speak (or write) are also consciously chosen.
Like actions, they have an impact on your life and the lives of those you contact.

3.
What you think:
Yes, there are some subconscious thoughts that you can't control.
But the things that you really think about, your beliefs, your ideals, etc. are concepts you have chosen to accept and believe in.

4.
Your work:
Many people like to overlook this one, it being much easier to say, "Oh, I'm! trapped in my job because I don't have a degree, experience, etc."
That's simple a way of denying one's responsibility in having chosen the job in the first place.
It's your job and you chose it.
If you stay (or go), that's a choice as well.

5.
The people you associate with:
There's a famous T-shirt that states: "It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys."
Colloquial is very often correct!
Your friends can either lift you up or bring you down.
You make the decision which type of friends you wish to have.

6.
Your basic physical health.
Much about our health is a factor of genetics, environment, and exposure.
Much more of our health is simply a matter of the decisions we make about our health, such as: diet, exercise, drugs, sleep, routine physicals, check-ups, etc.

7.
The environment you live in:
Your house, the condition of your home, the town you live in, the amenities available to you are all things you can control, although some to a lesser degree (i.e., you decide to tolerate them or move someplace else).

8.
Your fiscal situation:
Having or not having enough money is a factor of what you make versus what you spend.

9.
Your time: You choose how to "spend" your time and how much of your time to give to various activities.
You'll never get more time than the 24 hours your given each day.

10.
Your legacy: All your actions, words, and knowledge that you share while you are living become the gift that you leave when you are gone.

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A small touching story

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 year old son picked a stone and scratched lines on the side of car. In anger the man took the child's hand and hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child his saw his father..... With painful eyes he asked ' dad when will my fingers grow back?' man was so hurt and speechless . He went back to car and kicked it many times. Devastated by his own actions... Sitting in front the car he looked at the scratches, child had written " LOVE YOU DAD" next day that father committed suicide......

Anger and love have no limits...... Always remember that- things are to be used and people are to be loved , but the problem in today's world is that, people are used things are loved.

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An interesting short story

"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

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Anything is possible

It's difficult to even know what many of your limiting beliefs are because they are so well entrenched. Yet day after day, they hold you back and obscure your view of life's best possibilities.

To set yourself free of those limiting beliefs, crowd them out with inspiration. The more inspired you are, the more easily you'll dissolve the beliefs that hold you back.

Focus on a beautiful, wonderful, meaningful possibility. Feel how you must let go of your limiting beliefs in order to fully imagine and comprehend that possibility.

See that ultimately, the only thing that really holds you back is your belief that you cannot move forward. Once you've let that go, you free yourself to soar.

Anything is possible. And underneath all those illusions of limitation, you know it without a doubt.

Trade your limitations for inspirations. And fulfill the best that is within you.

-- Ralph Marston

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Lessons of the Square Watermelon

Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than shops in the USA and therefore don't have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it.

That is how majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, "How can we provide one?" It wasn't long before they invented the square watermelon.




The solution to the problem of round watermelons was not to solve as the farmers did not assume it was impossible - and simply asked how it could be done.

They found out that if you put the watermelon in a square box when they are growing, the watermelon will take on the shape of the box - and grow into a square fruit.




This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators which are much smaller than those in the US meaning that the growers could charge a premium price for them.

What does this have do with anything in life or at your job? There are a few lessons that can you can take away from this story which help you :

Don't Assume: The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible before even thinking about the question. Things that you have been doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of the round watermelon and you likely don't even take the time to consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things. This was one of the most difficult things for me to do because most of the assumptions I make, I don't even realize that I'm making them. They seem perfectly logical on the surface, so I have to constantly make an effort to question them.

Question habits: The best way to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that you work. Forming habits when they have been well thought out is usually a positive thing, but most of us have adopted our habits from various people and places without even thinking about them. I have changed a large number of habits that I have had after taking the time to question them and continue to do so. Some of them I have know idea where they came from while others I can trace to certain people or instances in my life. It's a never ending process, but by doing this, you can consistently strive toward making all aspects of your life more enjoyable instead of defaulting to what you have now.

Be Creative: When faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution. This often requires thinking outside the box. Most people who viewed this question likely thought they were being asked how they could genetically alter water melons to grow square which would be a much more difficult process to accomplish. By looking at the question from an alternative perspective, however, the solution was quite simple. Being creative and looking at things in different ways in all portions of your live will help you find solutions to many problems where others can't see them. I am not a creative person, but I've found that the more that you look at things from different perspectives, the more creative I have become. It's a learned art and builds upon itself.

Look for a better way: The square watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient way to do something. The stores had flagged a problem they were having and asked if a solution was possible. It's impossible to find a better way if you are never asking the question in the first place. I try to ask if there is a better way of doing the things that I do and I constantly write down the things I wish I could do (but currently can't) since these are usually hints about steps I need to change. Get into the habit of asking yourself, "Is there a better way I could be doing this?" and you will find there often is.

Impossibilities often aren't: If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through trial and error. Take away the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships, etc) and you will find that by consistently applying them, you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.

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10 Health-Enhancing Herbs for Christmas

Many common herbs and plants have medicinal properties. Here are a few that may come in handy over the festive period.

You don’t have to be in Harry Potter’s Herbology class to learn about the healing powers of plants and herbs.  These may be useful over the forthcoming festive period.

Sandalwood – will cure pimples, soften skin and iron out wrinkles.  You'll be ready to party.

Thyme – if you’re feeling stressed with all the hype make yourself a mini bonfire of thyme leaves on Christmas morning.  The smoke is said to lift depression and anxiety.

Ginger – if you’re on the move over the festive period, stem ginger not only tastes good but combats travel sickness too.

Sage – is not just for stuffing the turkey.  Mix the leaves with honey to make an energy-giving infusion.

Lemon balm – if all the excitement gets a bit much try a mug of lemon balm tea to banish a tension headache.

Liquorice – now you’re shot of your headache, liquorice reputedly has aphrodisiac properties.  It even gets a mention in the Kama Sutra – be careful with the liquorice allsorts!

Peppermint oil – if you’ve over-indulged on the mince pies a few drops will help combat upset stomachs and flatulence.

Lavender – a few drops on your pillow will help you to sleep.  Or it will make lying awake more pleasant.

Fennel – a few seeds dropped into hot water will help if you wake up next day with a hangover.

Chamomile tea – is good for the shock when you get your credit card bill in January.

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Top Ten Study Tips

There are as many different ways to study as there are different people. The following is a list of tips that have worked best for the greatest number of people. Some of them may work for you, some of them won't, but try them all and work out your own study plan. You cannot change the number of hours, but you can decide how to best use them.

1) Study in the Same Place
Find a secluded place, away from distractions, with plenty of space to work. Once you've found it, study at the same place every time. It could be a desk in your bedroom, the kitchen table, or the local library. Laying down on your bed or sprawled across the living room rug are generally not good study places. Also make sure that you keep your spine erect for better level of concentration.

2) Study at the Same Time
Figure out a suitable time of day you can concentrate best, and what works into your schedule. Use that time every day to study. Try to make sure it is not too late in the evening. It is important to have uninterrupted study time.

3) Use a Homework Box
Keep all your homework supplies in one place, ready to be used. Keep them organized, and you won't need to waste your time searching for resources.

4) Cut out All Distractions
If your Study Place is too warm, you might become sleepy. If it is too cold, your thinking may slow down and become unclear. The TV should be switched off, other people's conversations should be in another room, music should be turned down, and phone calls should be taken after you've finished studying. Any other thoughts in your mind should also be set aside for a later time.

5) Do the Hard Things First
If you are dreading a particular assignment, or you are aware that it requires a lot of extra effort, do it first. Your brain will be fresh. Besides, you won't have to dwell on it while you are working on other homework.

6) Schedule Long Term Projects
Larger projects need to be broken into smaller components to make them convenient. For example, these components could be such things as gathering notes, writing a rough draft, making corrections or additions, writing a bibliography, and completing the final copy. Set yourself a deadline for completing each component and make sure you stick to it.

7) Review Regularly
Homework is not just that which is assigned every night. A regular review of your notes should be a part of your homework plan. This takes just a few minutes each day, but will pay off considerably when it comes to test time.

Write up a Contract
Each Sunday before a school week, prepare a Weekly Schedule. Update it as the week goes on. Be sure to include times for completing assignments, working on projects and studying for tests.

9) Schedule Each Homework Session
When you sit down to do your homework, make up a quick schedule as to how you are going to use your time. Break it up into blocks of time that you will spend on each task.

10) Avoid Doing a Marathon
If you've followed the previous tips, this last one should never happen. However, you need to know that marathon study sessions are the least productive way to study. So don't keep your things pending till the last moment to avoid unnecessary hiccups.

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