Dream Big

Self concept and success

2010-10-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

We are always responsible for everything we think, say do, or feel. We alone have the power to choose what happens to us. Often, we shortchange ourselves because we believe we are less than we actually are. We are the enemy.

It is important to have faith in our abilities, to believe in ourselves. Now, I am not suggesting conceit – that rare disease affecting everyone but the person who has it. Rather, I want to build a reasonable confidence in your own power to reach your goals. How can you do this? Success begins when we learn what it takes to build a stronger self-concept.

We don’t perform according to our actual abilities. We perform according to our perception of our abilities. Dr. Joyce Brothers, a noted psychologist, in a Parade magazine article says, “An individual’s self- concept is the core of their personality. It affects every aspect of human behavior – the ability to learn, the capacity to grow and change, the choice of mates, friends, and career. It’s no exaggeration to say that a strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success in life”.

We have a blueprint of our abilities. We have our own perceived set of plans, our own life-building code. Rarely do we question its validity. We follow the plan and allow that blueprint to control every talent we have.

We must learn to control the way we think.

Our thoughts program our subconscious mind, the storehouse of all impressions. The subconscious concept without question, all thoughts received and stores them for future use. By repeating thoughts often enough, we assemble the blueprint of our belief system. Soon, right or wrong, our thoughts build our reality and become a major influence on the construction of our self-concept.

By properly controlling our thinking, we can eventually correct falsely developed deficiencies and turn our thinking around. By mastering our thoughts, we begin to master our life. The end result of this process is a blueprint that we can use to build a strong house. All the huffing and puffing by the big bad wolf – your wrong beliefs – will never blow your house down.

Don’t add difficulties to your life by fabricating a poor self-concept of your abilities. Be a master architect working from correctly drawn plans. That is the only way to complete your house of success.

Self competition

2010-10-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

To live a worthy life, one must be willing to labour and work through pain. Mixing these with persistence and courage will ultimately lead to better things.

We live in a competitive society. Every facet of our life is, in some way, tied to competition. The moment of conception is the result of a fierce struggle between sperm cells. Competition begins early.

After birth, competition can take the form of sibling rivalries, academic achievements, sporting activities, boy-girl relationships and job seeking opportunities. We even carry our obsession to a spectator role. We watch people in competition. It's probably safe to say that our entire life is spent in the presence of some form of competition.

There is another form of competition which most people have difficulty in recognising. We belive competition means going through life competiting against the other fellow. But in reality, the only competition we should practice is against ourself. i.e., Self competition.

Self-competition is an activity that produces true improvement. Beating the competition is not as important as beating your own previous personal best at doing an activity. By continually striving to improve the task, we will automatically get better. This is competition at its best. Take a few minutes to reflect on that thought. Think about a situation when you did your best. Wasn't the driving force wanting to improve on your last performance?

So compete with yourself, your abilities, your performance and become successful

Habit of Reading

2010-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Friends, there is a popular saying, “A person who does not read is no better off than one who cannot read”. What do you do when you get hungry? Simple you seek food, right. We are so faithful to that habit that we go through the process over a thousand times each year of our life. When the body is in need of food, it’s important to eat.

The process is essential for continued growth of body cells. If you feed your body over a thousand times each year, how many times per year do you feed your mind? We often forget that our mind also needs its own kind of nourishment. Providing nourishment for our brain helps make the acquisition of food easier. In other words, properly feeding the brain better enables us to earn money to pay for food. One of the best sources of food for the brain can be found in books. How many books have you read in the past year? Some people never read the then wonder why their position in life is static. Others read a book every few days and excel in life. What specifically should we read?

I suggest books that provide life-changing information. You may call them self-help or inspiration books. Some of the inspirational or self-help books I suggest to read are The Magic of Thinking Big - by David Schwartz. Maximum Achievement – by Briay Tracy. Searching for Success - by Billy Arcement. Think and Grow Rich - by Napoleon Hill. Read a lot of books and succeed in life.

Happy reading.

College life - transition from high school to college.

2010-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

Deciding to go to college is an important decision in your life. Getting admitted to college is a significant accomplishment. Succeeding in college is an even more significant accomplishment.

There are many differences between high school and college. Because of the differences, students often find the transition from high school to college to be very challenging. In fact, one out of every three students who enter college does not complete his or her freshman year.

Here are some of the important differences between high school and college that can make a successful transition difficult. For each, you will find suggestions to help you successfully handle the difference.

The academic work in college is more difficult than it is in high school. This means that you will have to work both harder and longer. High school students typically study 2 to 3 hours a week for each class. For each college class, you will probably need to study 2 to 3 hours for each class hour. Since most college classes meet for 3 hours a week, you will have to study 3 times as much in college than you did in high school. Be prepared to take on this commitment.
In high school you are required to attend every class session. This is often not the case in college classes. Many college teachers don't take attendance. It will be easy for you to find things you would rather do than go to class. Don't give in to temptation. Students who attend and participate in classes on a regular basis get higher grades than students who don't. Make every effort to attend every class session.
You are going to have to be an independent learner in college. High school teachers often check to see that you are doing your assignments and readings. College teachers simply expect you to do these things. It is up to you to make sure that you do.
Your schedule of classes in college will be more spread out than your classes in high school. High school classes typically meet daily. College classes meet 2 to 3 times a week, and some even meet just once a week. It is very important for you to carefully manage the time in between classes. Creating and sticking to a study schedule is crucial.
Tests in high school classes are often given frequently and cover a small amount of information. Tests in college classes are given less frequently and cover a great deal of information. Sometimes the only test is the final exam. Make-up tests are rarely given in college, and you usually cannot raise a low score by doing extra credit work. To do well on tests in college, you must take good notes in class and from your textbooks. You should also have a good strategy for taking tests.

College is not simply a continuation of high school. It is a new experience that requires you to approach success in new ways right from day one

College life - how to succeed.

2010-10-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

As in elementary school through high school, your success in college requires high motivation and effort, strong study skills, effective time management, and good test-taking strategies. But college success requires much more. Once you move from high school to college, you will generally find that students are more motivated and competent than in high school; teachers are more demanding; the work is more difficult; and students are expected to be independent. Further, if you are living away from home for the first time, you will have many new experiences.

Here are some ideas that will help you succeed in college:

Have Clear Goals

College success requires commitment and a lot of hard work. You must be very certain about the importance of a college education.

Be clear about why you are going to college.
Establish specific goals you wish to accomplish.
Know what it will take to reach these goals.
Be certain your goals are consistent with your interests and abilities.
Be flexible - change your goals if needed based on your experience as you progress through college.

Get Financial Aid if Needed

College is expensive. Even if you attend a public college or university and live at home, you still must pay for tuition, fees, and books. There are many sources of financial aid that can help you meet the high costs of college. Become aware of and pursue these sources.

Consider all possible sources of financial aid in addition to your college's financial aid office.
Meet all deadlines for submitting applications and documentation.
Respond quickly and completely to all requests for additional information.
Be persistent in following up your application.
If you do receive financial aid, meet all requirements to keep and continue your aid.

Manage Your Money

There are many ways to spend money in the college setting for other than education purposes. Take steps to ensure that you do not waste the money set aside for your college education.
Set a budget and keep to it.
Be careful about your use of credit cards. Don't overspend. Pay balances promptly to avoid high interest costs.
Open a checking account and carefully monitor your balance.
Keep your cell phone under control. Those minutes and fees can really add up.

Stay Physically and Emotionally Healthy

You will need to be at your best to succeed in college. This means taking care of your body and maintaining a good frame of mind.

Get enough sleep.
Don't rely on coffee and drinks that contain high doses of caffeine to provide you with energy. Foods such as pasta, peanut butter, non-sugar cereals, and fresh fruit are healthy alternatives to provide the energy you need.
Avoid junk foods. Fast food is convenient but usually not good for you.
Use the services of the student health office. These services typically include emergency treatment, low cost examinations, and low cost or free medication.
Use the services of the counseling office. The professionals there can help you overcome feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Choose a Professor Carefully

In college you get to select your schedule of classes. Most classes offer more than one section so that you can choose not just the day and time, but the professor who is teaching that section. Often you will find student ratings of professors on the Internet. You can get even more feedback by talking to other students. Try to choose a professor who demonstrates the following characteristics.

Maintains adequate office hours.
Provides constructive feedback.
Adapts to different styles of learning.
Grades fairly.
Is highly competent in the subject being taught.
Establishes clear and reasonable requirements.
Provides a positive learning environment.

Work With Your Adviser

As a student you will be assigned a faculty adviser to help you with both academic and career issues. It is up to you to get the most out of this guidance.

Know your adviser's office location, schedule of office hours, and contact information.
Schedule an appointment with your adviser at any time you have problems that affect your academic performance.
Consider your adviser's ideas when selecting your major or at any time you are considering changing your major or career goals.
Have specific questions in mind whenever meeting with your adviser.

Make Good Use of the Library

You are going to spend a lot of your time in college at the library. Take full advantage of this major resource.

Get to know the resources of the library as soon as you get to college.
Learn to use its computer resources and card catalogs.
Make good use of its equipment such as copy machines, microfiche readers, production facilities, etc.
Check out its quiet study areas. Sign up for their use if required.

Get Involved in Campus Life

There is a lot more to college than just classes. A college campus is an exciting, dynamic environment that can provide you with many opportunities for enhancing your college experience.

Join a student organization that is consistent with your interests. You will find many organizations from which to choose.
Join a club in your major. This can not only help you in your studies but can provide contacts that may be very useful in your future career.
Join an intramural team. This is a great way to keep yourself in good physical shape and make new friends.
Attend social events. Your college experience should not be all work and no play.

Success in college takes effort. But this effort will provide benefits to you throughout your life. The ideas presented above can help you to make your college experience a successful one

Making your life - A Success .....

2010-07-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

YOUR PROFESSION AND YOU:

Professionals, regardless of their fields, be it medicine, law or accountancy, face a “no-win” situation today. They are either making a lot of money because of their talent and experience in that field but have no time to enjoy the same with their family, or they end up having neither money nor time at the end of the day.

You as a professional may be having an income that is much higher than those doing a job, but, you have to constantly update your knowledge to maintain that income and work long hours.

Usually, the more money you make, the lesser time you have to enjoy that money. Long vacations become a dream and even when you manage to go away for a week or two, the constant fear of losing clients, does not allow you to enjoy even that short holiday.

You are earning solely on basis of your ability to work/perform. Consequently, you cannot be replaced or substituted by your spouse in your absence so you cannot even afford to be sick for a long time. This leads to insecurity about your income source which is a very risky one, since it is entirely dependent on one person – YOU.

YOUR BUSINESS AND YOU:

No matter how much you would like to believe you are the owner of your business, it is not true, because you don't control your business, your business controls you.

You face day to day hassles with regard to increasing competition, constant expense of updating know-how and technology, your stock, debtors, creditors and thinning margins of profits etc.

If you desire to free yourself from these mounting pressures, you seriously need to take a look at this unique business so that you can appreciate everything it can give you, which you would never otherwise get by continuing your present business, within the next 2-5 years.

YOUR INDUSTRY AND YOU:

Running an industry means constant stress due to workers unions, fierce competition, rapidly changing customer preferences etc., and stress can lead only to ill health.

Apart from everything else you may gain by running an industry, after years of hard work, one thing is assured – it definitely gives you stress-related health problems.

Investments in shares and other related securities go bad overnight, adding further tensions. Insufficient, unreliable and sometimes even corrupt employees are another major part of this deal.

Family life, of course, is almost non existent and consequently the fun of making a lot of money and being famous in totally lost...

You certainly did not study and work so hard for this day to day endless drudgery, did you?

Inspite of the above mentioned drawbacks, why do you work so hard in your job/business or profession?

You do it to fulfill the dreams of -

a) Securing your family while you are fit and fine.

b) Material luxuries – a better home, car, personal possessions – Home Theater/DVD players.

c) Higher education for your children in India or abroad.

d) Discharge of debts – personal or business.

e) Vacation abroad.

f) Charity

g) Peaceful financial retirement before 60 years of age.

h) Pursuing hobbies, sports or other personal or spiritual goals etc.

How many above mentioned dreams do you actually, successfully realize after putting in 35-40 years of your life's prime time in hard work? Not too many right.

But THERE IS A WAY TO MAKE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE AND THAT IS; BUILDING A HUGE, SUCCESSFUL ________ BUSINESS.

Making your life - A Success

2010-07-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

TIME AND YOU:

In today's busy and hectic life the single most important demand that all of us struggle to meet up with, is that of TIME! Why is it that Time along with money, never seems enough? That's because of the manner in which each one is busy creating income either through a job, profession, business or industry. Let us consider each one and see where you stand in life today and whether that is truly what you want to be a part of, for the rest of your life.

YOUR JOB AND YOU:

Jobs are not only hard to get, but harder to retain. Long years of education, sacrifice and effort mean nothing when all they fetch you is a salary that rarely matches your worth!

Whether you accept it or not, your employer definitely controls your destiny! He decides how much you deserve to earn, which in turn decides each of the following.

a) Where you should live?

b) Where your children can study?

c) Where and when you can take a vacation?

d) What vehicle you can use? Etc..

After years of efforts all you get is 10% to 15% increment while your long hours of work have helped your employer realize his big dreams so that he lives in a bigger home, drives a better car and takes vacation abroad.

You are thus a victim of 50-40-30 plan, which means you work at least 50 hours a week, for at least of 40 years and retire on 30% pension.

There is never enough savings to fulfill your dreams and desires even after retirement. Of course, it is impossible to save enough to start your own business, thus leaving you and your family's survival at the mercy of your job owner.

Why not find out exactly how much you are worth and do what it takes to enjoy the benefits of financial and personal freedom, rather than remain in debt and keep living in the same house, through the same job, for the rest of your life?

Why not work hard for your own dreams and retire financially free in the next 5-7 years?

Part Time work

2010-06-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

Believe you can succeed and YOU WILL

Success means many wonderful positive things. Success means personality development, a fine home, vacations, travel, financial security. Success means freedom, freedom from worries, fears, frustrations and failure.

Success means winning.

If you want to be prosperous for a year – Grow Grain

If you want to be prosperous for ten years – Grow Trees.

If you want to be prosperous for a Life Time – Grow People.

To have the things you don't have you will have to do things you haven't done!

Success is doing something good when you can, where you can and while you can!

The size of you success is determined by the size of your belief!

Success = Change...

Think about this:

Are you truly successful in what you are doing today?

Would you continue doing it even if you did not receive a single rupee for the same?

Does your current job/business/profession, assure you security for your family even after you discontinue doing it?

If the answer to even one of the above mentioned questions is “NO”, you need to continue reading...