Mystery and Purpose

If I had to choose any subject to freely express my views on; it would have to be the mystery and purpose of life. I feel too many people at a certain point in time feel as if life boils down to what their net worth is. Grant it, having a substantial amount of income and savings does make living this tedious life much easier, but finances could never really solve the mystery or figure out the purpose of life.

Mysteries have a way of solving themselves if you leave them alone and continue with business as usual. When it comes to the mystery of life it's a very similar process. To some people a mystery is a problem or a difficult situation; a conundrum if you will. But I view it as the complete opposite. It is merely an unknown, which doesn't make it bad or good just UNKNOWN! Unlike society these days, the least amount of time should be spent on the problem (unknown) and more on the solution. The solution in this case, would be to master the God given ability inside of you. I'm sure you've heard the expression, "experience is the best teacher". This is the perfect time for that quote. Obviously the only way to get better at anything is repetition. Doing something repeatedly gives you experience. Experience teaches you to correct and prevent mistakes and possibly innovative ways to approach your abilities and present it to others.

Let's say as a young child an adult saw that you were a natural born public speaker and wanted to help you master that God given ability. The faith behind the solution of the mystery, problem or the unknown would be putting the time into this ability not knowing the outcome but believing that this ability that was so carefully placed inside will fill a void like nothing else imaginable ever could. The mystery, it would seem, takes moments to solve. The exciting part is seeing where this newly discovered purpose takes you in this life.

It's no mystery but a fact that the world we live in is ruled by money. The 2nd best part of this article though, is to realize that all of your God given talents abilities and gifts can and should be monetized. People pay huge amounts of cash for something organic. Something directly from the heart of you! By all means, after or while you're mastering those abilities see how you can market them. I guarantee somebody needs what God has placed inside of you.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Mystery-and-Purpose&id=9661266

7 Simple Tips To Understanding Any Type of New Skill

It could be argued that life is all about discovering new abilities. If you find out the right skills, you can be wealthy, play a musical instrument, have an excellent relationship, or juggle five balls. Mastering a brand-new ability is a skill in itself. There are numerous concepts to keep in mind as you discover a brand-new skill. Setting objectives, getting expert training, and having sensible expectations are very important.

Master a brand-new ability quickly and efficiently with these strategies:

1. Choose a necessary skill. You do not have time to learn everything, so pick something significant. It can either be a skill that will significantly assist you in some method or an ability that you find fascinating. If the brand-new skill does not suit among these 2 categories, you're unlikely to remain motivated adequate to master it.

2. Set both long-lasting and short-term objectives. Your long-term objective is mastering your picked ability. Simply how great do you wish to be? The short-term goal is no more than 12 weeks in the future. At the end of this short time, you set an objective for how far you want to be after the next few months. This will keep you focused on making constant progress.

3. Have affordable expectations for your progress. Your ultimate progress is virtually unrestricted. However, there is a limit to just how much you can achieve in 12 weeks. Recognize that you're special and your rate of development could be quicker or slower than average.

4. Breakdown the ability into its components. For example, playing the piano isn't just about hitting the right type in the proper order. It has a number of skills linked into a bigger ability. To be an excellent pianist, you need to have the ability to do numerous things well:

Sight-reading

Making up for the fact that some fingers are much more powerful than others.

Understanding musical theory.

Scales

Arpeggios

Dynamics

And more.

5. If necessary, get a coach. You can learn how to play piano by yourself, however you'll have a tough time finding a high-level pianist that didn't receive specialist direction. At the minimum, find products produced by a specialist. These might be in the type of books, videos, webinars, or sites. Even routine meetings with a coach can keep you on the right track.

6. Concentrate on exactly what's crucial. The old adage that 20% of your efforts will account for 80% of your outcomes is true. Determine which activities and skills will yield the best results. Most individuals focus on the activities that are the easiest or the most fascinating. Prevent being that person. Your development will be faster if you focus on the most important tasks.

This is frequently described as intentional practice. Banging on the piano keys while you catch the end of Rocky V isn't the like focusing all of your attention on finding out the best ways to play a C with both hands.

7. Get going rapidly. Avoid falling into the trap of collecting an excessive quantity of info before you begin. The individual that masters an ability is the one that spend his time sensibly. Watching videos of somebody playing the piano isn't a replacement for doing it yourself. Dive into the useful part of proficiency rapidly.

You'll be amazed by how rapidly you learn if you choose a proper ability, focus on the most reliable jobs, and practice consistently. Finding out a new skill can change your life. Choose an ability that will include value to your life and you'll gain from it forever.

http://ezinearticles.com/?7-Simple-Tips-To-Understanding-Any-Type-of-New-Skill&id=9441084

Sharks Are Born Swimming - Story Of a Cock, a Cockerel and a Layer

A Cock, a Cockerel, and a Layer

All three are birds. Call them fowls, chickens or whatever suits you but the fact stands, all three are birds. Where I come from, the domestic birds are mostly left to fend for themselves, the owner only calls the cock to the pot during festive periods, watches the cockerel grow, and deals with the layer when it lays eggs or when it hatches the egg. 

All are birds, same responsibilities, but different expectations.

There was a day I sat outside the house, still in the compound though. The pedestrian gate was a little bit open, wide enough for a Cock, a Cockerel and a layer to come in. Immediately the birds got in, I closed the gate; I didn't want more to come in, and also I was in want of company.

I closed the gate, went back to my seat and watched all three find alternative escape routes...

The cockerel immediately went to the gate I closed, found an opening below the pedestrian gate and left the compound.

One look at the cockerel's escape route was enough for the layer to know it wouldn't quite fit into the space, not even if it tried to wriggle its way through. Forcing itself through would lead to injuries, and maybe, death! Therefore, it went about, searching frantically. After all hope seemed lost, it went to the big gate and passed the opening beneath it.

The Cock went up and about. It tried following the layer's footstep but the gate just wouldn't fit it. Therefore, it just kept strolling round the compound. After it finished its tour, it got back to the search. It stood beside the fence, confused. I don't know the thoughts running in its mind at that time but all I know is that I threw a stick at it, and immediately it jumped. It jumped so high that microseconds later, it was standing on the fence. And hence it went!

THE MESSAGE

We are bound to have neighbours, since we are not Robinson Crusoe.

"If you want to go fast, move alone, but if you want to go far, move with people."

The above quote is good, but then it does not state the rudiments of moving with people. You exert much caution, action and inaction.

Everyone with unique abilities, you should not fill in another person's shoes; you fit yours perfectly.

Like the Cock, Cockerel and Layer, ability gives us diverse escape routes.

"Sharks are born swimming."- Tower Heist.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Sharks-Are-Born-Swimming---Story-Of-a-Cock,-a-Cockerel-and-a-Layer&id=9424960

Know When to Trust Your Gut

There are times when you’ve got to stick steadfast to your own ideas and beliefs. Then there are times when that’s the worst thing you can do, when you’re being too narrow-minded and need a broader perspective to make the right call.

The problem is you never know which situation you’re in until after the fact. If you turn out to be right, you’re a visionary. If not, you’re just another guy with a crazy idea and a failed business. Nobody has a crystal ball. Not really.

Take Steve Jobs, for example. He had a unique ability to divine the next big thing. But what made that extraordinary gift so powerful was that he trusted his own focus group of one in spite of what others said. And believe me, there were plenty of pundits who thought it was a terrible idea for Apple to get into the phone business. Likewise for tablets and retail stores.  

On the other hand, applying that same sort of subjective self-belief to his own health didn’t work out so well. Delaying surgery and trying to treat his pancreatic cancer holistically was a tragic decision Jobs would come to regret, according to biographer Walter Isaacson.

That’s why strong opinions and ideals are a double-edged sword – not just for entrepreneurs but for all of us. They’re both strengths and weaknesses. Here are three stories describing how successful business leaders learn to trust their own abilities without becoming too myopic.

After legendary ad exec Lee Clow finished pitching the now famous“Think Different” campaign to Apple, Steve Jobs’ initial response was, “This is great, this is really great … but I can’t do this. People already think I’m an egotist, and putting the Apple logo up there with all these geniuses will get me skewered by the press.”

For a while, Clow and his team from Chiat/Day thought they were dead. They’d put all their wood behind that one arrow, that one campaign. Then Jobs shocked everyone by doing a complete 180, saying, “What am I doing? Screw it. It’s the right thing. It’s great. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen highly opinionated executives do exactly the same thing, that sort of in-the-moment “about face.” Just when you think they’ve made up their minds, they seem to flip, just like that. But that’s not really what’s going on. They’re just working through the decision-making process out loud.

And they have the courage to trust their own gut instinct, overrule otherwise reasonable objections, throw caution to the wind, and go for it. That said, when trusted lieutenants present a solid logical argument, those same people have to be open and flexible enough to let go of a strongly held viewpoint.

In the early days of Microsoft, Bill Gates was famous for knockdown, drag-out debates that went on for hours, sometimes days. And if you could convince him he was wrong, he would flip to your side of the argument in a heartbeat. Even though he had strong opinions, his motivation was always to do what’s right for the company.

Likewise, CEO Andy Grove fostered a culture of what he called “constructive confrontation” at Intel. His book “High Output Management” describes “the ideal decision-making process” as starting with “free discussion,” then “clear decision,” and finally “full support.” If the decision turns out to be wrong, the process repeats.

Funny, I think these three legendary entrepreneurs used more or less the same process to make good decisions on behalf of their companies. Here are my five key takeaways:

Have zero pride of ownership. Regardless of who comes up with an idea or whether you were right or wrong, always put the needs of the company and its stakeholders ahead of your own. 

Listen with an open mind. If you’re not willing to challenge the status quo – even your own – you’ll never come up with breakthroughs that disrupt competitive markets. The mechanism is the same. 

Know how much you don’t know. Besides coming across as a jerk, behaving like a know-it-all is bad for business. Have a little humility. Being aware of just how much you don’t know is a sign of wisdom and maturity.

Free debate leads to smart decisions. Constructive conflict is critical to smart decision-making. Suppression of others’ viewpoints before a decision is reached is dysfunctional; so is dissention after a decision is reached … until it’s found to be wrong.  

It takes personal strength and courage to do the right thing. Whether you’re standing tall and taking on the world or admitting you were wrong and risking appearing weak, you’re confronting fear and that takes personal strength and courage.

  

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243298