Just A Thought: March 2012

Saturday, 31 March 2012

PROCRASTINATION IS THE BAD HABIT OF PUTTING OFF UNTIL THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY.

For an achiever, perhaps the most dangerous, most destructive habit of all is procrastination, for it robs you of your initiative. When you put things off once, it’s easier to put them off again, until the habit is so firmly ingrained that it cannot be easily broken. Sadly, the effects of the habit of procrastination are also cumulative. Its cure is obviously action. You’ll be surprised how quickly you begin to feel better about yourself and your situation when you get going on something anything. As British prime minister and author Benjamin Disraeli said, "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."

Friday, 30 March 2012

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO MORE THAN YOU ARE PAID FOR, BUT YOU CAN PUSH YOURSELF AHEAD MIGHTY FAST BY DOING IT VOLUNTARILY.

Initiative is that exceedingly rare quality that prompts no, impels a person to do what ought to be done without being told. It’s also a commodity upon which the world places great value. Initiative will immediately set you apart from the competition, whether you are an entrepreneur, a professional services provider, a corporate staffer, or an hourly worker. Your boss, your clients, or your customers will notice you and come to depend upon you because you have shown yourself to be a person who can be counted upon always to do the right thing.

IF YOU START AT THE TOP, YOU CAN MOVE IN ONLY ONE DIRECTION-DOWNWARD.

Perhaps the worst thing that might have happened to you would be to have been born with the proverbial silver spoon in your mouth. For had you been born into privilege, you would have been deprived of one of the world’s greatest gifts: the opportunity to reach the highest levels of success of which you are capable, solely on the basis of your own merit. If you were born with less than most, don’t resent others who seem to have more advantages. In truth, the real advantage is yours, for you will develop the self-confidence that comes only from meeting life’s challenges on your own terms. As you progress, you gain the strength and knowledge necessary to assure your enduring success, things that cannot be given to you, but must be earned.

IF YOU BECOME DISCOURAGED, THINK OF HELEN KELLER, WHO, THOUGH SHE WAS DEAF AND BLIND INSPIRED HER MORE FORTUNATE CONTEMPORARIES THROUGH HER BOOKS.

The life of Helen Keller is an outstanding example of the triumph of the human spirit over a physical handicap. Even today, decades after her death, her life stands as a beacon of hope for those who must constantly struggle just to perform routine tasks that most of us take for granted. Whenever you feel fate has been unkind to you, all you must do is look around you and you will begin to appreciate how fortunate you are. Make sure your life’s plan includes giving something back to the community without expecting anything in return. Giving time and effort, not just money, reinforces your connections to your community, provides you with concrete proof of the effectiveness of deliberate action, and reminds you of the inspiring power of determination in human endeavor.

A BLIND BOY PAID HIS WAY TO A MASTER’S DEGREE AT NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY BY TAKING NOTES ON CLASS LECTURES IN BRAILLE, TYPING THEM, AND SELLING COPIES TO CLASSMATES WHO HAD STRONGER EYES BUT WEAK AMBITION.

One of the great mysteries of life is why some people who seem to have all the advantages the right connections, education, and experience never seem to amount to much while others who have had to struggle for everything they have reach incredible heights of success. It hinges on determination. If you have the will to succeed, you will somehow find a way, regardless of the obstacles you encounter. Do you use all of your assets to achieve your goals, or are you handicapped by your lack of ambition? No other person can create in you a desire to succeed. With enough motivation, you will see things all around you that will help you reach your objectives, things that you may have overlooked many times before.