Positive Minutes - "Tonic for Your Mind and Soul"

Energy is the essence of life..

2009-04-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day
you decide how you're going to use it by
knowing what you want and what it
takes to reach that goal, and by
maintaining focus." - Oprah

"Turbocharge" Your Productivity by Going Paperless

2008-10-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

By: Bean Jones

I recently cleaned up my apartment (for real) and I was amazed at the amount of paper I had accumulated in a little over a year. Though I'm a big fan of paper products, the frightening sight of three garbage bags loaded with paper got me thinking about going paperless.

Sometime ago, Microsoft bigwig Bill Gates caused a fuss when he declared that his office was 90 percent paperless. In the same Fortune magazine interview, he emphasized that losing the paper trail had a "great impact on productivity."

I may have dismissed his anti-paper drive when he first came out with it, but I'm checking out his tips now:

1. Make room for your desktop. Gates claims that his actual desktop is free of clutter. How does he do this? Well, he's got his workload segregated on three computer screens. According to John Peddie Research, Gates' multi-screen technique increases productivity by 20 to 30 percent--as having multiple screens saves you from window switching and resizing.
Then again, not everyone can afford having multiple screens on their desk. In lieu of actual computer screens, you can do it better than Gates by using virtual desktops that segregate work into different workspaces. Sounds complex? Not at all. Just download Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop Manager (Windows XP) or VirtueDesktops (Mac OS X).

2. Use email to get things done. Utilize the free online storage space that comes with your email to keep important documents handy wherever you go. Likewise, you could get rid of the avalanche of Post-Its by using your email as a virtual calendar or planner through free web-based services like Yahoo! Calendar and Windows Live Calendar.

3. Make your email sift itself. Gates is all for filtering emails. We oftentimes receive emails less important than others. These less priority mails steal our attention from the task at hand. They can be filtered to be read at a later time so that our focus remains on the task we have at the moment. For Yahoo! Mail, for instance, there is the filter management page.

Failures and Mistakes

2008-08-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

"When I was young, I observed that nine out of ten things I
did were failures. So I did ten times more work.

A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but
more useful than a life spent doing nothing. "

- George Bernard Shaw, an Irish
playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.

We all have the Power..

2008-08-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

"We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream
to be weaving, and we all have the power to make wishes
come true, as long as we keep believing."

How to understand the worth of time

2008-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

"Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both
useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the
worth of time by employing it well."

Strong Convictions Precede...

2008-08-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

"He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong
convictions precede great actions."

Within You

2008-08-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

"Deep within man dwell those slumbering powers; powers that would astonish him, that he never dreamed of possessing; forces that would revolutionize his life if aroused and put into action." - Orison Swett Marden, an American writer associated with the New Thought Movement and a successful hotel owner.

Obstacles, What can you do?

2008-08-02T23:47:00.000-07:00

"Most of our obstacles would melt away if, instead of cowering before them, we should make up our minds to walk boldly through them."

Action- What's it worth?

2008-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American poet, essayist and leader of the Transcendentalistmovement in the early 19th century.

Nothing can stop you

2008-07-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning

2008-07-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself."

Olga Korbut
Gymnast - Four Time Olympic Gold Medallist

Get Started

2008-07-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

"So what do we do? Anything - something. So long as we don't just sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late."

Lee Iacocca
Former Chairman of Chrysler Corporation

Reaching Your Goals

2008-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

"If you know what to do to reach your goal, it's not a big enough goal."

Bob Proctor

Motivation and Habits

2008-07-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Motivation gets you going and habit gets you there. Make motivation a habit and you will get there more quickly and have more fun on the trip.

Zig Ziglar

Law of Compensation

2008-06-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

Crowd out all inferior thoughts by superior thoughts, evil thoughts by good thoughts, ugly thoughts by beautiful thoughts, distressing thoughts by pleasant thoughts, and you will begin to overcome the growth of all negative and confused states of wrong and discord. In other words, learn to think constructively of all persons, all things, all events, and all circumstances. Appraise them from the ideal point of view. As you do this you will gradually transform your whole existence for the better. These are the means whereby you may steadily promote your welfare and advancement.

As you train yourself to mentally look for the good, you will move towards the good; and, as you form higher and larger conceptions of the good, these elements will begin to find expression in your words, acts, character, person, talents, powers, attainments, and achievements; that is, all things in your life will commence to improve as the direct result of your improved thinking.

This process does not imply, however, that you are to ignore the wrongs of life, the empty places, and the undeveloped states of being; but that you are to think right through and beyond them towards the hidden good or the principle within that is ever seeking a higher and fuller expression. You will, therefore, cease to condemn and to criticize in a destructive manner; instead you will seek to bring out the good in yourself and in others, and to discover and develop the greater possibilities everywhere.

Raymond Holliwell

Mistakes..

2008-06-22T01:19:00.000-07:00

By Zig Ziglar

Mistakes are the springboards of accomplishment. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had as much foresight as hindsight and were able to avoid ever making a mistake? Not only is that unrealistic, it's unwise. Out of mistakes come major accomplishments because mistakes are often the springboard for accomplishment.Once Thomas Edison was working with a lab assistant who was coming up dry after over 700 experiments. In discouragement he told Mr. Edison that after all these mistakes, errors and false starts, he simply did not believe the project was valid. Mr. Edison quickly told him that he was not wasting his time and that he now knew more about the project than anybody alive. Edison wisely observed that he had not made "mistakes" but had acquired an "education" as to what would not work. Needless to say, the assistant went back to his project with renewed vigor.It's safe to say that if each of us took that approach to life we would end up accomplishing much, much more. After every mistake we need to understand that we can look back and learn so that we can move forward with confidence and avoid making the same mistake again.

Let's look at three tips on how to handle a mistake - either at home or at the office.

First, don't let it depress or discourage you. See a mistake as a step on the road to a solution. We must realize that depression and discouragement are negatives that limit the future.

Second, admit the mistake - I'll admit that takes courage, but recognition of errors is a sign of maturity. Not to recognize them is to deny them. The reality is that "denial" is more than just a river in Egypt - it's something that will limit your future.

Third, understand that when we confront our mistakes we are taking full advantage of them as the "positives" they are. Only when you ignore mistakes are they negative. Buy that idea and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 26 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

Energy is the essence of life.

2008-06-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

"Energy is the essence of life. Every day you
decide how you're going to use it by knowing
what you want and what it takes to reach
that goal, and by maintaining focus."
- Oprah Winfrey

The blame game

2008-05-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how
much fault you find with another, and
regardless of how much you blame
him, it will not change you"
- Wayne Dyer

If You Want to be Happy

2008-05-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that
commands your thoughts, liberates your
energy, and inspires your hopes."
- Andrew Carnegie

What's Your Past? What is Your Future?

2007-05-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

"If you want to know your past - look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future - look into your present actions."
Chinese Proverb

Positive Minutes Today - Change

2007-05-24T05:42:00.000-07:00

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."
Maya Angelou
Author and Poet

How Do You View Failure?

2007-05-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

"The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top."

Dr. Joyce Brothers
Psychologist and Television Personality

Do Common Things In Life In an Uncommon Way

2007-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

"When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world."

George Washington Carver
1864-1943, Scientist and Educator

Each indecision brings its own delays..

2007-04-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

"Each indecision brings its own delays and days are lost lamenting over lost days... What you can do or think you can do, begin it. For boldness has magic, power, and genius in it."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
1749-1832, Poet, Novelist and Scientist

Power of Focus and Team Work

2007-04-23T01:40:00.000-07:00

Put practice, focus, and trust together, what do you get? Team Work Precision. Check out this amazing performance.