Sunday, December 22, 2013

Senge's 11 Laws of Systems

The pop-culture application of systems thinking and chaos theory is described as the Butterfly Effect -- how tiny variations can affect giant and complex systems, like weather patterns. The term "Butterfly Effect" suggests that wing movements of a butterfly might have significant repercussions on wind strength and conditions throughout the weather systems of the world, and theoretically, could cause tornadoes halfway around the world. The implication? The prediction of any large system's behavior is virtually impossible without accounting for a multitude of tiny factors -- surely too many to account for -- any one of which might have a minute but significant effect on the system.

Understanding systems, their interactions and changes allows leaders to establish and maintain a focus on process and to achieve organizational strategy.

Peter Senge is an influential systems thinker. Based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Senge is the author of many books and articles that address systems thinking and organizational learning as core values of a leadership system framework for change and transformation.

In The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization, Senge suggests 11 laws of systems that support that essential understanding:

1. Today's problems come from yesterday's solutions
Leaders are happy to solve problems, but don't always think about intended and unintended consequences. Too often our solutions strike back to create new problems.
     
2. The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back
Humans have a stubborn tendency to bully our way through tough situations when things are not working out as we would hope. We charge ahead without taking time to think through solutions to find better alternatives. Sometimes we solve problems; more often, especially in the current environment, we find ourselves up to our ears in more problems.

3. Behavior grows better before it grows worse
Short-term solutions give temporary improvement at best but never eliminate fundamental issues and problems. These underlying problems will make the situation worse in the long run.

4. The easy way out leads back in
Leaders often have a few quick fixes in their "quiver" of solutions that have brought quick and easy success in the past. Too often, the easy way out is retrofitting these fixes to any situation without regard to the unique contexts, people and timing.

5. The cure can be worse than the disease
Often, the easy and familiar solution is not only ineffective but addictive and dangerous. It might even induce dependency.

6. Faster is slower
At the first taste of success, it is tempting to advance at full speed without caution. Remember that the optimal rate of growth or change is far slower than the fastest growth or change that is possible.

7. Cause and effect are not always closely related in time and space
We are good at finding causes, even if they are just symptoms unrelated to root causes.

8. Small changes can produce big results - But the areas of highest leverage are often the least obvious. 
The most grand and splashy solutions -- like changing company policy, vision, branding or tagline -- seldom work for transforming change. Small, ordinary but consistent and repetitive changes can make a huge difference.

9. You can have your cake and eat it too -- but not all at once
Rigid "either-or" choices are not uncommon. Remember that this is not a dilemma if we change our perspective or the "rules" of the system.

10. Dividing an elephant in half does not produce two small elephants
As a leader, you can fail to see the system as a whole at your peril.. This flaw in perception and vision often leads to suboptimal decisions, repeated tasks, lost time and energy, and maybe even losing followers.

11. There is no blame
People and organizations like to blame, point fingers and raise suspicions about events, situations, problems, errors and mistakes. Sometimes we even believe the blame we throw around. In reality, we and the cause of events, situations, problems, errors and mistakes are part of the system.

Understanding system thinking and principles is essential to transforming our care processes. In fact, it is the foundation of leading for change. W. Edwards Deming first pointed out the need to understand the system in post-World War II America. Deming stressed that learning must be emergent, designing out the system aspects that are wasteful, suboptimizing and unnecessarily redundant. To improve performance, the system has to change because the system drives 95 percent of any organization's performance. He also said that any improvement that does not involve human system change methods was doomed to failure in the short-, mid- and long-term; you cannot implement a new system in an old environment and anticipate success. The key to achieving the necessary human mindset change lies in curiosity: Ask questions, learn by doing, observe and think about what could be. Deming's messages fell on deaf ears in the U.S. post-war boom. Thinking did not change, and thinking must change for the system to change.

Key Systems Thinking Concepts
Explore systems thinking concepts through the mindmap of key systems thinking concepts, below.

The Inspiring Story of Honda !

Like most other countries, Japan was hit badly by the Great Depression of the 1930s. In 1938, Soichiro Honda was still in school, when he started a little workshop, developing the concept of the piston ring.

His plan was to sell the idea to Toyota. He labored night and day, even slept in the workshop. He was married by now, and pawned his wife's jewelry for working capital. Finally, came the day he completed his piston ring and he eagerly took a working sample to Toyota. But he was told that the rings did not meet their standards! Soichiro went back to school and suffered ridicule. 

Was this the end point for Honda?
No!

He refused to give up. Rather than focusing on his failure, he continued working
towards his goal. Then, after two more years of struggle and redesign, he won a
contract with Toyota. With the contract in hand, Soichiro Honda needed to build a factory to supply Toyota, but building materials were in short supply due to war. Still he would not quit! He invented a new concrete-making process that enabled him to build the factory. With the factory now built, he was ready for production, but the factory was bombed twice and steel became unavailable, too. 

Was this the end of the road for Honda?
No!

He started collecting surplus gasoline cans discarded by US fighters. He called them "Gifts from President Truman." It became the new raw material for his rebuilt manufacturing process. Finally, an earthquake destroyed the factory.

Did he felt defeated?
No!

After the war, an extreme gasoline shortage forced people to walk or use bicycles. A novel idea flashed in his mind. Honda attached a tiny lawn mower engine to his bicycle. He went on rides with his motorized bicycle. He found that other people were interested in his strange new idea. Sadly he didn't have money to produce and supply to the market need. 

Did he blame the situation?
No!

Rather than giving up, Honda dug deep and sought out a way to get the finance he needed to continue with his project. He wrote an inspiring letter to 18,000 bicycle shop owners which asked them to help him revitalize Japan through innovation. A huge number of the shop owners he wrote to responded by giving Honda what little money they could to help him.

Soichiro battled away with several redesigns before finally producing the "Super Cub‟ which became an overnight success. By 1963, Honda was the top-selling brand of motorcycles in the United States.

Honda Corporation now employs more than 100,000 people in the USA and Japan and it is now the leading brand in two wheelers and cars. Despite suffering more failures than most of us will see in a lifetime, Honda persisted and never once allowed himself to give up on his dreams.

Success is 99 percent failure” is the famous quote of Soichiro Honda. It is not 
considered as a preaching, but it is revered as the essence of his life story. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask, “How are you?”
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last..

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Saturday, November 09, 2013

The Importance of Scheduling Nothing


Do you have a schedule that's becoming so jammed with back-to-back meetings that you have little time left to process what was going on around me or just think.

If you were to see my calendar, you'd probably notice a host of time slots greyed out but with no indication of what's going on. There is no problem with my Outlook or printer. The grey sections reflect "buffers," or time periods I've purposely kept clear of meetings.
At first, these buffers felt like indulgences. I could have been using the time to catch up on meetings I had pushed out or said "no" to. But over time I realized not only were these breaks important, they were absolutely necessary in order for me to do my job.

As you and the org grows you need to evolve from problem solving to coaching and from tactical execution to thinking strategically.

There will always be a need to get things done and knock another To Do item off the list. However, as the company grows larger, as the breadth and depth of your initiatives expand -- and as the competitive and technological landscape continues to shift at an accelerating rate -- you will require more time than ever before to just think: Think about what the company will look like in three to five years; think about the best way to improve an already popular product or address an unmet customer need; think about how you can widen a competitive advantage or close a competitive gap, etc.

That thinking, if done properly, requires uninterrupted focus; thoroughly developing and questioning assumptions; synthesizing all of the data, information and knowledge that's incessantly coming your way; connecting dots, bouncing ideas off of trusted colleagues; and iterating through multiple scenarios.

In other words, it takes time. And that time will only be available if you carve it out for yourself. Conversely, if you don't take the time to think proactively you will increasingly find yourself reacting to your environment rather than influencing it.

Above all else, the most important reason to schedule buffers is to just catch your breath. There is no faster way to feel as though your day is not your own, and that you are no longer in control, than scheduling meetings back to back from the minute you arrive at the office until the moment you leave. I've felt the effects of this and seen it with colleagues. Not only is it not fun to feel this way, it's not sustainable.

The solution, as simple as it sounds, is to periodically schedule nothing. Use that buffer time to think big, catch up on the latest industry news, get out from under that pile of unread emails, or just take a walk. What ever you do, just make sure you make that time for yourself -- everyday and in a systematic way -- and don't leave unscheduled moments to chance. The buffer is the best investment you can make in yourself and the single most important productivity tool I use.

Read the rest of the article here.

Be the Change !


Yesterday I was Clever,
so I wanted to change the world..
Today I am Wise, 
so I am changing myself !

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Do You Know a Kiasu?

Kiasu is a Chinese adjective used to describe a person's fear of losing out (to someone else). Kiasu is a traditional Chinese word, but is most popular in Singapore. It translates roughly as "scared to lose"
Kiasu describes being (or a person who is) greedy, unwilling to share, or competitive in order to advance one's self. Examples of Kiasu include driving aggressively to get to the front of a traffic line or registering young children early at top schools, prior even to knowing the child's aptitude. Kiasu describes the idea that one must outdo and outshine all others, have more of any given thing, pay the least amount for items (thereby getting the best deal) and always be the first or best. 

English is a Crazy Language

English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins were not invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. 

And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Then is cheese the plural of choose?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? 
If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital? 
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? 
Have noses that run and feet that smell? 
Park on driveways and drive on parkways?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another?

When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out and an alarm clock goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That's why, When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it?

Now I know why I flunked my English. It's not my fault -- the silly language doesn't quite know whether it's coming or going.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Dare


 “It is not because 
things are difficult 
that we do not dare; 
It is because we do not dare 
that things are difficult.”   
                              Senaca 

Life is like a Camera


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Papa


Why did you bother to point out the great bear in the sky?
Why did you worry if I played in the rain too long?
Why did you love my poems, my awful poems?
Why did you take me for long walks?
Why did you tell me not to run after money?
Why did my successes make you proud?
Why did you teach me to gamble on myself, and not on cards?
When I become a father, maybe I'll know why.
And I hope I'll be a father like you.

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Five ways of investing in yourself

Managing all the aspects of your Financial Portfolio is very important. Tracking the balance of your investments, bank deposits, loans and insurance is critical to your financial future. But are you managing one of your greatest assets with as much care – yourself?

Let's delve into what it takes to invest in you and why it is important.

A Personal Investment

Your future is your best investment and if you are not taking the basic steps in managing the quality of your life, you may be missing the mark. Here are five areas where you can begin to invest in yourself:

1) Take time to rejuvenate
2) Make your family top priority 
3) Maintaining a healthy life style
4) De-clutter your life
5) Set your own Goals

to read the complete article click here

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Peethal Ri Paati (Peethal's letter to Maharana Pratap)



Maharana Pratap (May 9, 1540-January 29, 1597)  was a staunch patriot, the epitome of fiery Rajput pride and self-respect. Maharana Pratap never accepted Akbar as ruler of India, and fought Akbar all his life. He said that he would call Akbar only a 'Turk' and not an emperor. Pratap Singh's dogged resistance, even when he had to wander in the jungles of Aravallis and his persistent refusal to surrender even after being reduced to starvation while pursuing Haldighati, are indicative of an individual with a sacred mission rather than one who fought for power politics. His vow giving up all comforts of palace life till he recaptured his entire kingdom from the Mughals and his lifelong observance of that vow, speak to his steadfast patriotism and determination rather than a lust for power. Further proof of his beliefs is found in his repeated refusal to accept lucrative offers from Akbar in the shape of jagirs and subedaris.

During the period when Maharana Pratap was forced to lead his life in the hilly wilderness of the Aravallis to continue his struggle, there is a story that once while his son was eating a roti a jungle cat snatched it and ran away. Watching his son cry in this situation rather than leading the life of a Prince, Maharana Pratap was moved. He became emotional and decided to submit to Akbar and wrote a letter to Akbar. Akbar could not believe his eyes and sent for Maharana Pratap's unwavering supporter, his cousin Prithviraj Rathore to confirm if this was true. This Prithviraj Rathore was a historical personality with the poet's 'nom de plume' of "Peethal".

Prithviraj was shocked to see the seal of Maharana Pratap on that letter but he steadied himself and told Akbar that this cannot be possible and with Akbar's permission, he sent a letter to Maharana Pratap to confirm this. Prithviraj wrote a strongly worded and inspiring letter to Maharana Pratap. That gave a jolt to Maharana Pratap and restored his spirits. He sent an equally strongly worded reply to Peethal (Prithviraj) that he would never recognize Akbar as an emperor and would always call him a mere Turk.

This story is beautifully narrated in the below poem. For those who can understand this, it is a treat.


अरै घास री रोटी ही जद बन बिलावडो ले भाग्यो ।
नान्हो सो अमरयो चीख पड्यो राणा रो सोयो दुख जाग्यो ।

हूं लडयो घणो हूं सहयो घणो
मेवाडी मान बचावण नै ,
हूं पाछ नही राखी रण में
बैरया रो खून बहावण में ,

जद याद करू हळदी घाटी नैणा मे रगत उतर आवै ,
सुख दुख रो साथी चेतकडो सूती सी हूक जगा ज्यावै ,

पण आज बिलखतो देखूं हूं
जद राज कंवर नै रोटी नै ,
तो क्षात्र - धरम नै भूलूं हूं
भूलूं हिंदवाणी चोटी नै
मेहलां में छप्पन भोग जका मनवार बिना करता कोनी ,
सोनै री थाळयां नीलम रै बाजोट बिना धरता कोनी ,

अै हाय जका करता पगल्या
फ़ूला री कंवरी सेजां पर ,
बै आज रूळे भूखा तिसिया
हिंदवाणै सूरज रा टाबर ,

आ सोच हुई दो टूक तडक राणा री भीं बजर छाती ,
आंख्यां मे आंसू भर बोल्या मैं लिख स्यूं अकबर नै पाती ,
पण लिखूं किंयां जद देखै है आडावळ ऊंचो हियो लियां ,
चितौड खडयो है मगरां मे विकराळ भूत सी लियां छियां ,

मैं झुकूं कियां ? है आणा मनै
कुळ रा केसरिया बानां री ,
मैं बुझूं किंयां ? हूं सेस लपट
आजादी रै परवानां री ,

पण फ़ेर अमर री बुसक्यां राणा रो हिवडो भर आयो ,
मैं मानूं हूं दिल्लीस तनै समराट सनेसो कैवायो ।
राणा रो कागद बांच हुयो अकबर रो सपनूं सो सांचो
पण नैण करयो बिसवास नहीं जद बांच बांच नै फ़िर बांच्यो ,

कै आज हिंमाळो पिघळ बह्यो
कै आज हुयो सूरज सीटळ ,
कै आज सेस रो सिर डोल्यो
आ सोच हुयो समराट विकळ ,

बस दूत इसारो पा भाज्या पीथळ नै तुरत बुलावण नै ,
किरणां रो पीथळ आ पूग्यो ओ सांचो भरम मिटावण नै ,

बी वीर बाकुडै पीथळ नै
रजपूती गौरव भारी हो ,
बो क्षात्र धरम रो नेमी हो
राणा रो प्रेम पुजारी हो ,

बैरयां रै मन रो कांटो हो बीकाणूं पूत खरारो हो ,
राठौड रणां मे रातो हो बस सागी तेज दुधारो हो,

आ बात पातस्या जाणै हो
घावां पर लूण लगावण नै ,
पीथळ नै तुरत बुलायो हो ,
पण टूट गयो बीं राणा रो
तूं भाट बण्यो बिड्दावै हो ,

मैं आज तपस्या धरती रो मेवाडी पाग़ पग़ां मे है ,
अब बात मनै किण रजवट रै रजपूती खून रगां मे है ?

जद पीथळ कागद ले देखी
राणा री सागी सैनाणी ,
नीवै स्यूं धरती खसक गई
अंाख्यां मे आयो भर पाणी ,

पण फ़ेर कही ततकाल संभल आ बात सफ़ा ही झूठी है ,
राणा री पाग़ सदा ऊंची राणा री आण अटूटी है ।
ल्यो हुकम हुवै तो लिख पूछूं
राणा ने कागद खातर ,
लै पूछ भलांई पीथळ तूं
आ बात सही बोल्यो अकबर ,

म्हे आज सुणी है नाहरियो
स्याळां रे सागे सोवैलो ,
म्हे आज सुणी है सूरजडो
बादळ री ओटां खोवैलो ,

म्हे आज सुणी है चातकडो
धरती रो पाणी पीवैलो ,
म्हे आज सुणी है हाथीडो
कूकर री जूणां जीवैलो ,

म्हे आज सुणी है थकां खसम
अब रांड हुवेली रजपूती ,
म्हे आज सुणी है म्यानां में
तलवार रवैली अब सूती ,

तो म्हारो हिवडो कांपै है मूंछयां री मोड मरोड गई,
पीथळ नै राणा लिख भेजो आ बाट कठै तक गिणां सही ?

पीथळ रा आखर पढ़तां ही
राणा री अंाख्यां लाल हुई ,
धिक्कार मनै हूं कायर हूं
नाहर री एक दकाल हुई ,

हूं भूख मरुं हूं प्यास मरुं
मेवाड धरा आजाद रवै
हूं घोर उजाडा मे भटकूं
पण मन में मां री याद रवै ,

हूं रजपूतण रो जायो हूं रजपूती करज चुकाऊंला,
ओ सीस पडै पण पाघ़ नही दिल्ली रो मान झुकाऊंला ।
पीथळ के खिमता बादळ री
जो रोकै सूड़ ऊगाळी नै ,
सिंघा री हाथळ सह लेवै
बा कूख मिली कद स्याळी नै ?

धरती रो पाणी पिवै इसी
चातग री चूंच बणी कोनी ,
कूकर री जूणां जिवै इसी
हाथी री बात सुणी कोनी,

आं हाथां मे तलवार थकां
कुण रांड कवै है रजपूती ?
म्यानां रैै बदळै बैरयां री
छात्यां मे रेवै ली सूती ,

मेवाड धधकतो अंगारो आंध्यां मे चमचम चमकैलो,
कडखै री उठती तानां पर पग पग खांडो खडकैलो ,
राखो थे मंूछयां एठयोडी
लोही री नदी बहा दंयूला ,
हूं अथक लडूंला अकबर स्यूं
उजड्यो मेवाड बसा दयूंला ,

जद राणा रो संदेशो गयो पीथळ री छाती दूणी ही ,
हिंदवाणो सूरज चमकै हो अकबर री दुनियां सूनी ही

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Inspiration for Today


Read slowly and try to relate each point below with your life.

1) Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain. Just pray for a better umbrella. That is attitude.

2) When flood comes, fish eat ants & when flood recedes, ants eat fish.Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

3) Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship, it's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till ending.

4) Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on you what you make with them, Wall or Bridge?  Remember you are the architect of your life.

5) Every problem has (n+1) solutions, where n is the number of solutions that you have tried and 1 is that you have not tried. That’s life.

6) It is not important to hold all the good cards in life. But it’s important how well you play with the cards which you hold.

7) Often when we lose all hope & think this is the end, God smiles from above and says, `Relax dear it’s just a bend. Not the end'. Have Faith and have a successful life.

8) When you feel sad, to cheer up just go to the mirror and say, `Damn I am really so cute` and you will overcome your sadness. But don’t make this a habit coz liars go to hell.

9) One of the basic differences between God and human is, God gives, gives and forgives. But human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life!

10) Only two types of persons are happy in this world. First is Mad and second is Child. Be Mad to achieve what you desire and be a Child to enjoy what you have achieved. 

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Waqt Nahi (No Time)



A very beautiful poem on today's fast life.
" WAQT NAHI "

Har khushi Hai Logon K Daman Mein, Par Ek Hansi K Liye Waqt Nahi. 

Din Raat Daudti Duniya Mein, Zindagi K Liye Hi Waqt Nahi.

Maa Ki Loree Ka Ehsaas Toh Hai, Par Maa Ko Maa Kehne Ka Waqt Nahi. 

Saare Rishton Ko Toh Hum Maar Chuke, Ab Unhe Dafnane Ka Bhi Waqt Nahi. 

Saare Naam Mobile Mein Hain, Par Dosti K Liye Waqt Nahi. 

Gairon Ki Kya Baat Karen, Jab Apno K Liye Hi Waqt Nahi. 

Aankhon Me Hai Neend Badi, Par Sone Ka Waqt Nahi. 

Dil Hai Ghamo Se Bhara Hua, Par Rone Ka Bhi Waqt Nahi. 

Paison ki Daud Me Aise Daude, Ki Thakne ka Bhi Waqt Nahi. 

Paraye Ehsason Ki Kya Kadr Karein, Jab Apane Sapno K Liye Hi Waqt Nahi. 

Tu Hi Bata E Zindagi, Iss Zindagi Ka Kya Hoga,

Jab Har Pal Marne Walon Ko, Jeene K Liye Bhi Waqt Nahi....."

It's Too Late


Don't say

"There's still time"

or

"Maybe next time"

Because there's also
the concept of 

"It's too late"

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Practical Advise



On Earning:
 "Never depend on single income. 
Make Investment to create a second source".

On Spending:
"If you buy things you do not need, 
soon you will have to sell things you need".

On Savings:
"Do not save what is left after spending, 
but spend what is left after saving".

On Taking Risk:
"Never test the depth of river with both the feet".

On Investment:
"Do not put all eggs in one basket".

Friday, May 17, 2013

Celebrate Relationships


When I was a kid, my Mom liked to cook food & then I remember she used to cook for us. One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day's work, Mom placed a plate of bread, jam and extremely burnt toast in front of my dad.

I was waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt toast.  But Dad just ate his toast and asked me how was my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologizing to dad for the burnt  toast.

And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burnt toast."
Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his toast burnt. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your mom put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired. And besides... A burnt toast never hurts anyone but harsh words do!"

"You know son, life is full of imperfect things... and imperfect people.... I'm not the best and am hardly good at anything.  I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

What I've learnt over the years is : to accept each others faults and choose to celebrate relationships."
Life is too short to wake up with regrets...
Love the people who treat you right and have compassion for the ones who don't...
ENJOY  LIFE  NOW. It has an expiry date.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Triumph of Achievement


It is not the critic who counts;
not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles,
or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,
whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly;
who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds;
who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,
and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls
who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Past



Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on it.

Be excited by life’s possibilities.

Worry is interest paid in advance on borrowed trouble.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Take Care of Yourself



1. If it feels wrong, don't do it.

2. Say "exactly" what you mean

3. Don't be a people pleaser

4. Trust your instincts

5. Never speak bad about yourself

6. Never give up on your dreams

7. Don't be afraid to say "No"

8. Don't be afraid to say "Yes"

9. Be kind to yourself

10. Let go of what you can't control

11. Stay away from drama and negativity as much as possible

Friday, April 19, 2013

50 Life Lessons




Regina Brett (born May 31, 1956) is a columnist for The Plain Dealer, a daily newspaper serving Cleveland, Ohio. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary in 2008 and 2009. 

In 2006, Brett wrote a column for The Plain Dealer entitled "50 Life Lessons", which has since been the most distributed column she has written to date, appearing on blogs as well as social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook. In many of these instances, Brett is misidentified as a 90-year-old woman.

Here is a reproduction of her original and vastly popular article which she wrote in 2006.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift..


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