All About Living With Life

Are You Ready For a Tax Audit?

2012-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

The tax department may call you and send you a letter telling you that they are coming to do a tax audit. It is an examination of your tax returns, especially for those who are in business, to make sure that you have reported correctly your income and expenses and paid the correct amount of tax. Like fighting a legal case, whatever you have reported, it must be properly supported by documents. Here are a few things you must observe and watch out for:

Income:

· Proper numbered bills in running sequence: Any cancelled bills are intact and not to be destroyed. If your bills are without numbers it can be an indication that you are trying to hide some of your business income and report an amount lower than what you have actually collected. Throwing away cancelled bills is a no-no because it is subject to the same suspicion.

Expenses:

· Documentary evidence: Like in a court of law, your reported expenses must be supported by invoices or bills. As an example you advertise for your business and you support your payment with a bill. It would be even better if you could attach a copy of the advertisement.

· Vouchers: Your must clearly state the full details of each and everyone when you make payments to individuals.

Why the tax department call on you? These are few of the valid reasons:

Errors: One of the reasons cited by IRS is that some people are poor in mathematics and the figures do not add up. So, they are subject to investigation.

[On filing for tax returns] This is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher. ~ Albert Einstein

Red flag: Earning a monthly income of $2000 but paying a mortgage of $1800. Do you mean you don’t have to eat and live?

Income: Having income not reported or income under-declared is asking for trouble. Living a lifestyle beyond your reported income is a sure way to catch the attention of IRS.

So, are you read y for a tax audit?

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Charles Chua C K

5 Ways to be Linspired by Linsanity

2012-02-22T00:00:00.001-08:00

Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.

Jeremy Lin is the most popular person on earth right now. I have watched a few of his games and I am truly amazed, inspired and motivated. There are a few important lessons to learn from this hottest personality:

1. Courage: According to David Brooks of The New York Times, his primary virtue is courage - the ability to withstand pain, remain calm under pressure and rise from nowhere to topple the greats. He was undrafted, a D-Leaguer, a bench warmer and a couch crasher. In life when you believe in yourself for what you can do, you will be successful eventually. The key is perseverance.

2. Be prepared and be patient: The first thing you can learn from him is to be patient, says Kelly Scaletta, one thing that people are forgetting throughout this Lin situation is that he didn't suddenly burst onto the scene. Lin is in his second season. He has prepared and worked for years perfecting his skills and waiting patiently for his chance to come. In life you have to be prepared and be ready for your lucky break.

3. Seize the opportunity and show the world your best: Jeremy Lin got hold of the chance and captured the attention of the world by delivering 7 straights wins for Knicks. When you are given the opportunity, grab it and do your best like Jeremy Lin.

4. Be humble: As a Christian, Lin is a humble person. He does not let success get over his head. He credits his teammates for his success. People love you more when you care more about them.

5. Do things with your heart and soul: When he is playing, he is in the game with his heart and soul to win. In life you work with your heart to get things done. When you feel good about yourself in what you do, you do it wholeheartedly.

What have you learnt from Jeremy Lin?

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5 Benefits of Gratitude

2012-02-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~ Marcel Proust

Appreciation and thankfulness are the ways to live with life. Because gratitude is the right way to live, it has many benefits:

1. Health: Grateful people boost their immune system, promote their brain function, alertness, energy, and manage their stress better.

Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations. ~ Robert Emmons, University of California Davis psychologist,

2. Happiness: Doing the right things makes you feel good. According to this article , as an example, writing letters of gratitude improves well-being and happiness

Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude. ~ Joseph Wood Krutch

3. An effective way to cope with life: Gratitude is the way to get peace of mind. Don’t be angry or jealous. More than just calmness, thankfulness reduces aggression. In the face of difficulties think of your strengths and you will be able to overcome them with resolve and determination.

Real life isn’t always going to be perfect or go our way, but the recurring acknowledgement of what is working in our lives can help us not only to survive but surmount our difficulties. ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

4. Better relationships: Thankfulness is the right way to treat people. People like to be acknowledged and appreciated. Express gratefulness to those who have helped you in one way or another. Say thank you to the counter staff who have served you. Simple gesture of smiling to people you meet is a wonderful way to lift the mood of another person.

The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated. ~ William James

5. Contentment: Focus on what you have and you will be satisfied and contented. When you pay more attention on what you don’t have, you will never be happy.

Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy — because we will always want to have something else or something more. ~Brother David Steindl-Rast

Gratitude is the source of our strength to live a life of abundance.

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More Ways to be Happy at Work

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
-- Henry Ford

You are employed because of what you can do for the company. So, work is about contributing and providing value. Happiness is what you get when you can give at work. The more you can give, the more valuable and happier you will be. Here are the things that you can do at work to boost your happiness:

1. Positive attitude: Happiness is from inside out. If you don’t go to work happily, will you be able to work happily? Start a new day and every day with a cheerful frame of mind. Go to work with excitement and enthusiasm in the morning. Your positive thoughts will energize and kick start every new day at work.

2. Enthusiastic about your work: Do you like your work? Do you enjoy what you do at work? Happiness is to like what you do and enjoying it. Be passionate about your work and get into the flow of work. Make your life at work a pleasant one so that you can stay happy.

3. Take responsibility: You are happy when you are proud of your work. You work with care and aim for excellence. Your work represents you. People respect you when they respect your work. Looking after your reputation is an effective way to be happy at work.

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
-- Pearl S. Buck

4. Sharpen your skills: Happy people are open-minded. They don’t rest on their laurels. They continue to learn and get to know more. They know that better skills produce better work. A valued and appreciated employee is a happy employee.

5. Getting organized: Happiness is planning your work and working your plan. It is a productive and less stressful way to get thing done in an orderly manner. When you are on top of things, you work confidently and happily.

6. Building relationships: Knowing what to expect from your boss and working accordingly to look after his or her interests is the best policy to build a lasting working relationship. Keeping your boss posted at each stage of your progress is the way to get noticed. Building relationships is also building the trust of the boss in you. You can work happily knowing that your boss can count on you and without having to spy on you every now and then.

Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.
-- Johnny Carson

How to Be Happy at Work

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How I Get Ideas to Write an Article Every Day

2012-02-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer. ~Gerald Brenan

Yes, I have the habit of writing every morning, but reading and writing go hand in hand. To improve writing is to read widely and write every day. Here are the main sources of my writing ideas:

1. Reader’s Digest: It offers a wide ranch of articles from health, motivation, money to stories about random acts of kindness. The articles are amusing, inspiring and captivating. I get a lot of ideas from its article headlines. I am a loyal subscriber.

2. Productive! Magazine: It is free and you can download online. As the name implies, it is about work and productivity. Leo Babauta is a regular contributor of this magazine. The latest issue (December 2011/January 2012) is about Gretchen Rubin and her Happiness Project. It is useful and informative. Articles are relating to my niche.

3. China Press: It is a local Chinese newspaper in Malaysia. The trick is to spot news items and develop into thought- provoking articles.

4. New Straits Times: It is another local English newspaper. The best part is that it features regularly articles similar to what I normally write about. Of course, news headlines are wonderful sources of article ideas.

5. Email subscription to similar niche blogs and writing blogs: I subscribe to Copyblogger, Problogger, DailyWritingTips and other self-improvement blogs like Steve Pavilina. Zen habits. Pick the Brain, The Positivity Blog. These bloggers offer excellent sources of writing ideas.

6. While doing something else: Ideas do occur while I am walking or driving. The most import thing is to capture the ideas and put them into writing. I am an early riser. The first thing I do is to perform Tai Chi. The slow- motion exercise flashes out ideas too.

7. Expand my old posts: Another effective way is to go back to my old popular posts and pick one and create a new post with new ideas and linking it to the old post.

If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot...reading is the creative center of a writer's life...you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you. ~Stephen King

How do you get your writing ideas? Share with us.

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Healthy Living Secrets of Briget Menezes Revealed

2012-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. ~World Health Organization, 1948

Briget Menezes, who is 75, running two weekly newspaper columns, becoming an author and motivator, discloses her inner secrets of staying young while growing old in a recent New Straits Times interview on January 28, 2012. Here is an extract of what she has said about living a healthy life:

On staying physically active

· Healthy aging is a goal, not anti-aging

· Growing old is in inevitable, occasionally there may be forgetfulness or some aches and pains, but she laughs it off with good humor.

· Menezes believes in the importance of exercise and has maintained an active lifestyle since her 20s, but emphasized that efforts is required for both mental and physical fitness. She said with regular exercise and a positive outlook, an inner greatness is built which protects oneself from illness.

· She is a vegetarian, and I eat vegetables with the colors of the rainbow.

· She goes for a brisk walk three times a week, covering about five kilometers in one hour. She exercises basically to be mobile so that when she is required to run, she can run.

· Her motto is to live a healthy life – rise with the sun and if possible exercise in the morning because our body clock takes its cue from the sunlight to release hormones to function well.

On strong and healthy mind

· Menezes said she practices Raja Yoga Meditation to maintain a state of calm that refreshes the mind and relaxes the body. She said meditation gently and naturally opens to our perception, producing insights and experiences that bring lasting changes to our lives. Meditation heals old wounds and restores our capacity to love, to learn and adapt, to envision, and to build a better future. In short, it awakens us and our interaction with other, based on respect and love, instead of selfishness and dependence.

· About 70% of her physical fitness level is due to the positive state of mind. She always tries to keep her mind cool without much fluctuation, accepting people and situations as they are. Change the inner attitude and you can change the outer aspects. It’s about inside out. When our thoughts are stable and steadfast, the breath level is found to be rhythmic in the vicinity of 14 to 16 times per minutes, which is a sign of a healthy life. To her, everything starts with the mind, as a healthy mind creates a healthy body. Though silence, our mind becomes strong and stable, and we are able to manage our thoughts better and take charge of our lives.

· She handles stress by learning to respond in an appropriate way. Stress is not caused by people, events pressures, or environment. It is created by how we respond to all these. As long as you feel others should change for us to become tension free, we will always remain in dependency and fear.

On the ways to live a healthy life

· Most importantly, think positive and be happy because the magic elixir of positivity can work miracles, transforming and healing illnesses. Remember, where there is happiness, there is also health and wealth. A happy disposition increases the level of endorphins and lowers the production of stress hormones.

· In a nutshell, a healthy lifestyle is not a difficult goal to achieve. The basis factors are a positive frame of mind, good rest, positive interaction, emotional stability, invigorating exercise, proper diet and a fulfilling job.

· You must remove fear. Fear is stress, fear is pain, fear attracts fear. As for death, she welcomes it, because she knows that only the body dies but the souls is eternal

The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order. ~ Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887)

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7 Ways to Obtain True Wealth

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you don't think you're rich, try counting all the things you have that money can't buy... ~Rob Hawkins

Yes, money is a measurement of your material wealth, but money is not everything in your life. Your true wealth is more than your fortune. You can be truly wealthy in seven great ways:

1. Education and Learning: Education is the foundation to build wealth. A country pays attention to education, especially higher learning, because it is the resources of building national wealth. However, learning is to be continued when you have completed formal education. Lifelong learning is the way to fortify what you know and keep it up-to-date.

The greatest wealth in life is the ability to learn. -Bryan

2. Application of your knowledge: What you know is useless if you do not put it into good use. Wealth is created when you creatively apply what you know into what you do.

Knowledge become power only when we put it into use.
Anonymous

3. Beneficial to mankind: True wealth is the creation of something valuable to others. It is definitely the outcome of the application of your knowledge. In this way you build riches by what you can give to others.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~Winston Churchill

4. Enjoy happiness: What is wealth without happiness? Happiness is the essence of life.

Happiness is feeling good in doing the right things. It is also paying attention to what you do in the present and enjoy it.

Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. Franklin D. Roosevelt

5. Passionate about what you do: You live a life of richness when you are passionate about what you do from day to day. You are inspired by your dreams and life is fulfilling.

Without passion you don't have energy, without energy you have nothing. ~ Donald Trump

6. Health and fitness: You can buy the best medicine in the world, but money cannot buy you health and fitness. Without health you cannot even enjoy your wealth.

The first wealth is health. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

7. Gratitude: The greatest wealth is an attitude of gratitude. The appreciation of what you are and what you have will truly make you the richest person in the world.

Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough. ~ Oprah Winfrey

Are you truly rich and wealthy?

5 Positive Ways to Learn From Adversity

2012-02-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

There is no education like adversity. ~Benjamin Disraeli

It is not a bad thing to fail and get defeated. After all our life is not smooth sailing all the way. We have our ups and downs. We should take advantage of adversity and learn from it.

1. Learn what goes wrong: When you do not meet with success, don’t blame others or tell yourself that you don’t have the luck. It is an opportunity to look critically at yourself and analyze the situation. Find out the real reasons of your shortcomings and avoid repeating the same mistakes. You are much wiser when you learn from your failures and how you overcome difficulties.

2. Need to try harder: You may have started successfully but you are not making progress. It is possible that you are complacent and not trying hard enough. You need to work hard not just once in a while, it is your daily habit of doing what you need to do persistently that counts.

3. More determined to succeed: Instead of getting dejected, you promise yourself not to give up. You get up and continue to do what is right. Failure is not an option for you. Adversity strengthens your resolve to succeed.

4. More creative: Defeats make us think more creatively. You want to succeed but you have to be better than the competition. It is a necessary step or else you will be doomed to failure.

5. Need to change: Failure is also a way to tell you that your approach is not workable and you have to try another way. Keep changing until you have fine tuned your strategy.

Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or greater benefit. ~Napoleon Hill

What have you gained from adversity in life?

Is It Wise and Effective to Get a Student Loan?

2012-02-13T00:00:00.001-08:00

“The borrower is servant to the lender.”
-The Bible

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the amount of student loans taken out last year crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time and total loans outstanding will exceed $1 trillion for the first time this year. Americans now owe more on student loans than on credit cards.

It is a wise move to obtain further education and get better qualifications to go into the competitive job market. However, is it prudent to obtain a loan to pursue your further education? I sincerely do not think so:

· Study at a disadvantage: While other bright students obtain sponsorship and get admitted to prestigious institutes of higher learning, you have to find your own way financially to study at other Universities and colleges. Because you are not as good as other academically excellent students, you are unable to obtain scholarship. You can only settle for second best in education.

· Getting a job: More likely than not, for a student who has secured a scholarship, he or she is under bond to work for the company which provides the financial assistance for a number of years. Their future is secured. For those who are studying on their own, they are not so sure of getting a job upon graduation. They are lucky if they can get a job within a few months.

· Saddle with debt to start your life: While others can look forward to start their career with a clean financial record, you have to be burdened by a student loan that you cannot escape. Just think there will be at least two more loans to finance your car and your dream home in the course of your working life and not to mention marriage and starting a family. Life is indeed unfair.

Solution:

Work very hard to excel academically and look for a sponsor to finance your education. You will build your career without financial commitment.

Quote

2012-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympic track and field champion

7 Delightful Benefits of Getting Organized

2012-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it's not all mixed up. ~A.A. Milne

It is a productive habit to get organized. It means you plan ahead for everything you do such as your daily life, making a trip or getting ready for a presentation. Spending a little time to get organized reaps many wonderful benefits:

1. Save time: Getting things done at the same time on the same spot is more efficient than moving about to get a job done. Being organized means spending less time in doing actual work and gaining more free time to do what you like and get better quality of life. Always plan ahead to achieve the expected results.

Failing to plan is planning to fail. ~Alan lakein

2. Save money: Organize your documents such as your credit card statements so that you pay on time to avoid late payment charges and also avoid negative impact of your credit worthiness. Do you waste money to replace items you can’t find at home? Getting organized and avoiding clutter at home are effective ways to reduce expenses.

3. Reduce stress: When you are organized at work. You meet deadlines without feeling overwhelmed or the need to rush about. It is simply planning your work and working your plan. You are also able to accommodate unavoidable interruptions if you have given allowance to meet delay or unexpected emergencies.

It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy. ~Hesiod

4. Achieve more: Getting organized is getting more important things done in less time. You are not trying to do more by squeezing more work into the available time, but to use the free time for creative uses.

Have a time and place for everything, and do everything in its time and place, and you will not only accomplish more, but have far more leisure than those who are always hurrying. ~Tryon Edwards

5. In control: An organized person is a confident person. He or she is in control of their activities. To get organized is to be free, avoiding confusion and getting clearer thoughts for better decisions.

Good order is the foundation of all things. ~Edmund Burke

6. Less clutter at home and at work: You will be able to locate things easily and quickly when you are organized at home and at work. Each item has its place in the house and at the workplace. You are more effective.

7. More productive: When you are organized, you are able to focus on the task at hand , work with peace of mind and nothing else to worry about.

Organization is not an option, it is a fundamental survival skill and distinct competitive advantage. ~ Pam N. Woods

Start now and take small steps to organize your life and time.

7 Powerful Reasons to Communicate at Work

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. ~ Anthony Robbins

Effective communication is essential to get things done at the workplace smoothly as planned with expected outcome. The following reasons support the importance of communication at work:

1. To inform: This is the way to update the staff and keep them well-informed of the happenings in and around the company. With proper information workers can improve customer services with reliable facts and figures. Staff will get to understand the company better and be engaged. It is an effective way to build bond and trust. To inform is to treat the workers as part of a family.

2. To clarify: Proper communication at the right time is crucial to avoid confusion and misunderstanding. When changes are taking place in a company, communicate to reduce fear and conflict. It is a good way to control the situation.

3. To motivate: The most effective way to get commitment from the staff is to motivate them. Appreciate and value their contribution by expressing praise and compliment. Getting noticed for doing a good job is important to boost their enthusiasm and confidence at work.

4. To teach: If you want others to get things done as envisaged, you have got to teach and educate them. Let people know what is expected. Share stories of success to inspire the workers.

5. To understand: To socialize with your staff better is to get to know them better. Talk to them and listen. It is a fruitful way to connect and improve relationships with fellow workers. It also demonstrates the importance of those people that you engage with.

6. To ask: To communicate is also to obtain feedback and find out what the staff want and do the right things in the best interest of the staff and the company.

7. To work as a team: When communication is aligned with actions, it is a powerful way to influence others to achieve goals collectively. When an austerity drive is initiated, senior staff responded with pay cut, their action will encourage others to watch and trim expenses.

Communication works for those who work at it. ~John Powell

5 Successful Ways for Newly Employed

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

If you put all your strength and faith and vigor into a job and try to do the best you can, the money will come. ~Lawrence Welk

Congratulations! You have successfully secured your first job. Take the opportunity to do the right things from the beginning. Developing good habits and building a long-term career for advancement are the steps to take. Here are five things that matter the most when you have just started out:

1. Build trust: You were employed because of your technical capabilities. The employer is not so sure how much you can be trusted in how you do the job. It is important to build the trust of others in you right from the beginning. Go to work early. Get the job done fully as required and promise only when you can deliver. It takes a long time to build trust. Work diligently to build your reputation.

2. Reaching out: The first important thing is to get to know your job. Be observant, listen and learn from others. As you learn write it down because you cannot remember everything. Get to know the nitty gritty of your job by asking questions. Be humble so that others will tech you willingly. Find out the structure and culture of the establishment. Be willing to accept criticism with an open mind.

3. Build relationships: Building rapport with fellow colleagues by remembering people’s names. Acknowledge others with a smile. Cooperate with other and get things done as instructed so that you will be likable.

4. Work hard: There is no substitute for hard work. You can work smart but you still have to put in effort and be ready to do more to show your interest in your new job. Working more and talking less is the way to go.

The only thing that overcomes hard luck is hard work. ~Harry Golden

5. Be responsible: Show excitement and enthusiasm in your new job. Whatever you do your work comes first. This is to establish commitment. Do what you have to do, big or small, meticulously and aim for excellence.

There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something. ~Henry Ford

To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness. ~John Dewey

Top 5 Things to Do In Life

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven't done.
~ Chad Michael Murray

Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed is a touching account of those who are about to die and confess their regret for what they did not do in their life. It is never too late to learn from their mistakes and do the right things in life:

1. Do what you want to do: Avoid people who give you negative feedbacks to discourage you from going after your dreams. Accepting challenges is an effective way to grow in life. Live your dreams and live your life. You will regret later because you fail to achieve what you want dearly in life.

The great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. ~ Walter Bagehot

2. Do not neglect your family: The key is a balanced life. You can work hard and smart but at the end of a day your family still comes first. Spend quality time with spouse and children. Money will not buy you the harmony of a family life because your presence is more important than anything else.

A man should never neglect his family for business. ~Walt Disney

3. Express your feelings: You never know how soon is too late. Express your love to your loved ones. Say thank you to people who serves you. Write an appreciation letter to someone who has support you. Be grateful to your employer for giving you a job you like and enjoy. Count your blessings and express your kind thoughts.

Life is very short and what we have to do must be done in the now. ~ Audre Lorde

4. Be happy: Do remember that happiness is a choice. You will regret in life when you keep postponing your happiness to a future date which never arrives. Live in the moment, enjoy what you do every day and fill your life with happiness.

The purpose of our lives is to be happy. ~Dalai Lama

5. Be connected: The most important thing is to pay attention. Find out what is happening in other people’s life and express your concern. Always call and stay in touch. Meet from time to time to catch up with each other and celebrate the success and mourn their losses of those in your circle.

I do believe we're all connected. I do believe in positive energy. I do believe in the power of prayer. I do believe in putting good out into the world. And I believe in taking care of each other. ~Harvey Fierstein

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. ~Mark Twain

5 Free and Easy Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts

2012-02-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

When you have posted a new article, it is just the beginning of your daily work. The next 5 steps are important to broadcast to the world of your new post or else nobody will know it because there are close to 182 million blogs in the blogosphere, according to Blogpulse. These 5 free and easy steps will be effective to send traffic to your site. It will only take you 10 to 15 minute to do No. 1 to No. 3.

1. Pingfm: I go to Pingfm to notify all social networking sites at once when I have posted a new post on my blog. Among the sites are Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, FriendFeed and Delicious. All those who are connected with me will get to know my new post. They can click the link and be directed to my site to read my post.

2. Blog carnival: Next, I join relevant blog carnivals with the new article. When your article is accepted by the host of the carnival, your article link is listed together with others in a carnival post. The regular readers of the host’s blog will follow the link and go to your site.

3. Google+: At the moment, Google + is not listed in Pingfm, so I do it manually and ping my new post at Google+. Those who have added me in their circles will be notified of my new post.

4. RSS: It is done automatically by FeedBurner when you have set up the feed at your site. Your RSS readers will be able to read the full feed when your post is live. They are able to read your post without going to your site, but they are your loyal followers. They may recommend their friends to visit your site.

5. Email: It is also handled automatically by FeedBurner when there is a form at your site to subscribe to your blog posts. Email Subscribers will just open their mail to read your new post. They may not go to your site, but your post can go viral when they like it and redirect to their friends. It will prompt their friends to visit your site.

When you promote your blog posts, you are also promoting your website to be more authoritative, influential and popular.

· Technorati: Current links that you have created when your posts are accepted in blog carnivals are valuable for your Technorati Authority and its ranking. The more links mean higher ranking for your blog.

· PageRank: When your posts are popular and other authoritative sites are linking to you, it will be a boost to your PageRank.

· Traffic Rank: More people reading your posts mean more traffic to your site. When your site is active you will achieve better Alexa ranking.

· Klout: When more people respond, share and act upon your content, you will be getting more influential as indicated by your Klout score.

· Social outlets: Are you getting more followers? Do they “like” your posts? You will attract more people to connect with you when what you have written are what they are looking for.

You don’t have to pay a single cent to promote your blog posts. Are you doing it?

Quote

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

Life is a grindstone.Whether it grinds us down or polish us up depends on us.

L. Thomas Holdcroft

5 Credit Card Travel Benefits You Get For Free

2012-02-03T00:00:00.001-08:00

This is a guest post by Mike. He ranks and reviews travel credit cards on CreditCardForum, which is a site he started 4 years ago.

Rewards are not the only benefits you get with credit cards. Many of them include free travel perks, too. What follows are 5 of my favorite – and no matter where you live in the world – there is a good chance you will find cards in your country which offer these benefits.

1. Flight Delay Insurance

There’s nothing worse than being stuck in an airport, right? Well, if you paid for your flight using a credit card with flight delay insurance, then the experience might not be so bad. Why? Because the card issuer will pay for dining, refreshments, and even hotel accommodations if your flight is delayed long enough.

For example, on the no annual fee Maybankard 2 Platinum card, here’s how it works:

As you see, the benefits can start after your flight as been delayed by at least 4 hours. In the United States (where I live) this benefit is not as generous – usually the minimum delay must be 6 or 12 hours.

2. Lost Luggage

If you paid for the flight using your credit card and your checked luggage is lost, then you might be able to get reimbursed for it. However the way this policy works can vary greatly. Some (like the card mentioned above) will only pay for “emergency purchases of clothing and requisites” which are made within 4 days of the incident.

In the U.S. it’s usually structured a bit differently. For example, the benefit on the ThankYou Premier card from Citi will reimburse you for the lost items. When and how you spend that money is totally at your discretion.

3. Travel Accident Insurance

This benefit sounds generous when you first read about it, because it typically offers up to $1,000,000 (or RM) in coverage. However there are a lot of rules and exclusions with it.

First of all, it only covers you during eligible Common Carrier travel. If you’re not familiar with that term, you can read about it here.

So if your plane crashes and you die or lose an arm, leg, etc. then they might pay out the money (either to you or your beneficiary). But any travel accidents that are not related to your Common Carrier travel will not be covered. For example, if during the trip you fall down a flight of stairs at your hotel, that is not eligible.

Many regular and travel credit cards include this benefit. The chances that you will ever use it are quite slim, but in the event of a plane or train crash, it is assuring to know that you (or your family) may be compensated.

4. Airport Lounge Access

The private VIP airport lounges are a great place to relax while you are waiting for your flight. They offer comfortable seating, TV, internet, food, and even drinks.

Normally to get access to these airport lounges, you have to be flying first-class with an affiliated airline or be willing to pay for admission. However some of the premium credit cards on the market provide access for free.

The most well-known cards that include this benefit are the American Express Platinum. I wrote a review here for the U.S. version and the Malaysian version operates in a very similar manner; free access to the Plaza Premium Lounge at LCCT, KLIA, and Senai Johor Airport. You can read about this benefit on the American Express Platinum website.

5. Travel Discount Programs

Many travel rewards credit cards will give you discounts at affiliated airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies.

For example, the Citibank Premier Miles Card (MY) will give you a 10% discount off the best available rate at any Fairmont Hotel/Resort in the world. If you are a golfer, you can get a discount on green fees; 50% off at 3 golf clubs in Malaysia, 30% offer at over 300 clubs worldwide. You can read more about these privileges here.

Meanwhile over in the US, the Citi ThankYou Premier card (which I mentioned in benefit #2) will give you free companion airfare once per year and a 15% discount on all other airfare.

Conclusion?

Next time you are planning a vacation, check with your credit card company to see what kinds of benefits they provide. Since the above perks (and others) do not cost you anything extra, you might as well take advantage of them if you already have their card.

7 Effective Ways to Increase Your Earning Power

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

The debt crisis in Europe is looming large. It impacts negatively all nations around the world. When a nation is affected, individuals are also worrying about their job. Instead of dwelling and magnifying the problem which may not happen, you might as well focus your energy on increasing your earning potential. Here are some productive ways to enhance your earning power:

1. Marketable Skills: The most important thing is your skills. Do you possess skills which are in demand right now? Be an expert in a relevant field to differential yourself from others. I am 63 yet I am employed full-time doing finance and accounting work. Besides that I speak three languages. My financial skills are essential in any businesses and knowing a few languages is an advantage in a multi-racial society. More importantly, your skills must be able to translate into more revenue for the company or getting higher profit. It is the performance that counts.

2. Social skills: It is about networking and getting to know more people. The only way is to reach out. You may have the skills, but getting to know the right person may land you in another higher paying job.

3. Soft skills: Your may possess the right skills, but if you do not work with the right soft skills, your earning power may be curtailed. Soft skills are your attitude at work. Do you love your work? Are you enthusiastic at work? Do you work with confidence? Are you organized? Do you get things done and meet deadlines? Are you likable? Can you easily get what you want like a pay raise when you ask for it?

4. People skills: Another important skill is getting work done thorough others. You can’t do every thing by yourself. You have to delegate in order to be productive. Pay attention to other people so that others will do work willingly and wholeheartedly for you.

5. A part-time job: A part-time job is not just working part-time. It is a springboard leading to a business of your own to increase your earning tremendously. Identify the marketable skills in your hobbies and develop slowly into a full-time income. Writing is another skill of mine. I am writing articles part-time on my blog. My aim is to earn a full-time income by blogging.

6. Continue to educate yourself: Another vital skill is learning to learn. There is a deluge of information and we have to select what is relevant because we want to apply what we have learnt and be more productive. So, update your skills and learn other suitable skills too. Never stop reading .If you can get an online degree to get a better position with better pay, do it.

7. Change: Be ready for the next move, be prepared to change job. It is another way to gain more experience and better pay. Stepping out of your comfort zone is risky. But if you don’t make a move, there will be no progress.

What else can you do to increase your earning power?

5 Effective Ways to Face the Challenges of 2012

2012-02-01T00:00:00.001-08:00

According to a report by World Bank, the world economy has entered a dangerous period. Some of the financial turmoil in Europe has spread to developing and other high-income countries, which until earlier had been unaffected. This contagion has pushed up borrowing costs in many parts of the world, and pushed down stock markets, while capital flows to developing countries have fallen sharply. Europe appears to have entered recession. At the same time, growth in several major developing countries (Brazil, India and, to a lesser extent, Russia, South Africa and Turkey) is significantly slower than it was earlier in the recovery, mainly reflecting policy tightening initiated in late 2010 and early 2011 in order to combat rising inflationary pressures. As a result, and despite a strengthening of activity in the United States and Japan, global growth and world trade have slowed sharply.

The economic outlook in 2012 is gloom and doom and to make matter worse it is predicted that the world will end on December 21, 2012.

How do you cope with such a depressing and volatile situation which is looming large? There are 5 effective ways to deal with it:

1. Stay positive: It means you will deal with such harsh situation confidently. You will resolve and determine to overcome the difficulties that lie ahead of you no matter what. It is wise not to worry too much of the future but to focus on what you can do now to soften the blow of the bleak economic outlook. Be courageous to persevere and continue to do the right things.

2. Harness your strengths: Pay attention to your strengths and sharpen your skills. Continue to develop and excel in what you do best. This is one effective way to be outstanding and ahead of others.

Our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general. ~Tom Rath and Markus Buckingham

3. Meeting challenges: Be prepared to accept and overcome tough time in advance. Be resourceful and creative and be ready to turn the situation to your advantage.

Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do. ~ Dr. Robert Schuller

4. Plan ahead and get organized: In turbulent time, it is wise to stay cool, calm and collected. To do that you need to plan head and be organized. Know what to do on a daily basis and stay focused to do the tasks at hand.

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now. ~Alan Lakein

5. Stay sharp, alert and energetic: To be on top of thing is to stay physically and mentally fit. Exercise daily, eat nutritiously, sleep sufficiently and drink water through the day. This is the way to stay fresh, alert and full of energy to face problems in life.

What else can you do to meet the challenging time ahead of us?

20 Warning Signs that You May Have Serious Health Problems

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

When you are fit and healthy you are alert and energetic. You sleep well at night and your appetite is good. There are no aches and pains. However, it is wise to seek consultation if you have the following warning signs. According to medical experts, it could be one of the critical illnesses.

1. Getting tired easily

2. Out of breath easily when climbing stairs

3. Obese with protruding stomach

4. Lethargic and move around slowly

5. Always thirsty

6. Headaches

7. Sudden chest pain

8. Dizziness

9. Unusual bleeding

10. A sore that does not heal

11. Persistent cough

12. Lump in breast

13. Blurred vision

14. Difficulty in swallowing

15. Vomiting

16. Losing weight when you are not trying to

17. Memory loss

18. Excessive urination

19. Decreased appetite

20. Sudden body numbness

The 4 causes of illness, according to Kevin Trudeau (Known as the Ralph Nader of the natural health arena) are:

· Nutritional deficiencies

· Toxins and poisons that are in your system

· Exposure to electromagnetic chaos

· Mental and emotional stress, negative thinking

Are you having such warning signs?

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2. Enthusiastic about your work: Do you like your work? Do you enjoy what you do at work? Happiness is to like what you do and enjoying it. Be passionate about your work and get into the flow of work. Make your life at work a pleasant one so that you can stay happy.

3. Take responsibility: You are happy when you are proud of your work. You work with care and aim for excellence. Your work represents you. People respect you when they respect your work. Looking after your reputation is an effective way to be happy at work.

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
-- Pearl S. Buck

4. Sharpen your skills: Happy people are open-minded. They don’t rest on their laurels. They continue to learn and get to know more. They know that better skills produce better work. A valued and appreciated employee is a happy employee.

5. Getting organized: Happiness is planning your work and working your plan. It is a productive and less stressful way to get thing done in an orderly manner. When you are on top of things, you work confidently and happily.

Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.
-- Johnny Carson

Related article:

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Top 30 All-Time Happiness Posts (Part 1)

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7 Ways to Obtain True Wealth

If you don't think you're rich, try counting all the things you have that money can't buy... ~Rob Hawkins

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Top 30 All-Time Personal Finance Posts (Part 1)

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Are You Ready For a Tax Audit?

5 Ways to be Linspired by Linsanity

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More Ways to be Happy at Work

2. Enthusiastic about your work: Do you like your work? Do you enjoy what you do at work? Happiness is to like what you do and enjoying it. Be passionate about your work and get into the flow of work. Make your life at work a pleasant one so that you can stay happy.

3. Take responsibility: You are happy when you are proud of your work. You work with care and aim for excellence. Your work represents you. People respect you when they respect your work. Looking after your reputation is an effective way to be happy at work.

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.-- Pearl S. Buck

4. Sharpen your skills: Happy people are open-minded. They don’t rest on their laurels. They continue to learn and get to know more. They know that better skills produce better work. A valued and appreciated employee is a happy employee.

5. Getting organized: Happiness is planning your work and working your plan. It is a productive and less stressful way to get thing done in an orderly manner. When you are on top of things, you work confidently and happily.

Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.-- Johnny Carson

Related article:

How to Be Happy at Work

Top 3 Posts in Janaury 2012

How I Get Ideas to Write an Article Every Day

Top 30 All-Time Happiness Posts (Part 1)

Healthy Living Secrets of Briget Menezes Revealed

7 Ways to Obtain True Wealth

If you don't think you're rich, try counting all the things you have that money can't buy... ~Rob Hawkins

The greatest wealth in life is the ability to learn. -Bryan

5 Positive Ways to Learn From Adversity

Is It Wise and Effective to Get a Student Loan?

Quote

7 Delightful Benefits of Getting Organized

7 Powerful Reasons to Communicate at Work

5 Successful Ways for Newly Employed

Top 30 All-Time Personal Finance Posts (Part 3)

Top 5 Things to Do In Life

5 Free and Easy Ways to Promote Your Blog Posts

Quote

Top 30 All-Time Personal Finance Posts (Part 2)

5 Credit Card Travel Benefits You Get For Free

7 Effective Ways to Increase Your Earning Power

5 Effective Ways to Face the Challenges of 2012

20 Warning Signs that You May Have Serious Health Problems

Top 30 All-Time Personal Finance Posts (Part 1)

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.
-- Pearl S. Buck

Never continue in a job you don't enjoy. If you're happy in what you're doing, you'll like yourself, you'll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined.
-- Johnny Carson