Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

Dear Friends,

New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. So here’s my top ten list.

1. Spend More Time with Family.
Recent polls shows that more than 50% vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Work shouldn't always come first!

2 Fit in Fitness

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better. Why not make this the time to start getting in shape for one of them.  

3. Tame the Bulge

Over 66 percent of adults are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year's resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions who made a New Year's commitment to shed the extra pounds.
4. Quit Smoking

If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you've tried to quit before and failed, so don't let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life

5. Enjoy Life More

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions, it is no wonder that "enjoying life more" has become a popular resolution in recent years. It's an important step to a happier and healthier you!

6. Quit Drinking

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop or reduce drinking, then don’t stop making it your new year’s resolution.

7. Get Out of Debt

Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It's a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead. Oh yes one more thing, reduce the number of credit cards you carry. This will help.
8. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you'll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year's resolutions to keep.

9. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year's resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child or helping your colleague, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help, or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

10. Get Organized

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life.

So here’s wishing you all a prosperous  New Year with good health and happiness.

What is Christmas Cheer?

Posted by Husein Adamally

Being so much immersed into the material world and its civilization, sometimes it is so easy to pass Christmas season without making any sense. This is a good time to begin to ask what really makes Christmas. Thoughts of Christmas, necessarily, are a reflection of an individual’s own experiences as one follows a passage through life. The thoughts of joy and giving seem especially joined at Christmastime.  

Thoughts of joy lead to thoughts of giving. Christmas, in spite of all the efforts of those who would destroy the joy, remains the season of giving.

The spirit of giving, particularly at Christmas, is one of personal fulfillment. It matters not the value of the gift; it is the thought of giving that provides the fulfillment.

Christmas is also a time to celebrate the gift of life to children everywhere.

But how many of you have the Christmas cheer? Spending time with the family, shopping with them, walking around town enjoying the beautiful lights that illuminate everything all around the town, listening to Christmas carols and going to church for midnight mass; are these included in your schedule? Or is it business as usual, late hours at work, business meetings, and deadlines, entertaining clients. Is this life or living? I seriously doubt it. I know many who cannot get away from this stronghold.

I know one family who father work till midnight, mother work late too. The only child in the family spends most of his time with grandparents. They are caught up in the world of money and career. What a pathetic life to live. Is this called family?

Get a reality check; Life is too short to just let it go by.

I know I am definitely blessed by a great wife and two wonderful kids. They make sure they take care of their parents and most of all help the needy. Did you know being generous is an attitude too, so have an attitude of giving.

Many say time is money, but I say time is life, so live it today!

Merry Chirstmas.

Does Motivation Work Miracles For You?

Posted by Hussein Adamally

Dear Friends,

To most of us, motivation means getting revved up when we're bored, bouncing back when we're rejected, or getting psyched up for an important sales call. Motivation means “life” to Morris Goodman. He mastered the art of positive thinking to become a "Top of the Table" member as an estate planner and insurance salesman. Then on March 10, 1981, his motivational goals went from sales to survival when his private plane crashed, leaving him near death. Today, Goodman is the author of The Miracle Man (Prentice-Hall, 1984) and a highly sought-after speaker who travels the world sharing his story with millions of people and teaching his philosophy on goal setting and personal growth and development. He has rebuilt his body - a fact that astounds the medical community - and wants to help others.

Whether you're dealing with a physical tragedy like his, or a sales problem, the following five motivational principles will get you over the rough spots and keep you moving toward a successful future.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. It often opens new doors and offers new opportunities.

1. POSITIVE THOUGHTS BREED POSITIVE ACTION

"Many times my doctors told me that I was being unrealistic to expect full recovery," recalls Goodman. "In fact, they said that maybe I'd eventually be able to sit in a wheelchair - unable to breathe or eat without the aid of machines." But Goodman refused to be SNIOP'd (Susceptible to the Negative Influence of Other People). Instead, he constantly visualized himself as fully recovered. He communicated to everyone that he'd soon be back to his old self again.
Goodman's positive outlook generated the energy to work on and accomplish his goals. If he'd listened to the negative expectations of others, he might still be severely disabled.

2. BE THE FIRST
"My diaphragm was crushed in the accident so everyone said I'd never breathe on my own, no one could breathe without a diaphragm," Goodman explains. "But I kept remembering how no one was supposed to be able to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Bannister did it in 1954. Since then, lots of people have done it." Goodman practiced breathing in and out with his respirator until one day he started to breathe on his own. His stomach muscles took over the job of his irreparable diaphragm.

Morris was the first, and he hopes that others will follow. Just because something has never been done doesn't mean that it can't be done.

3. PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF
"Relearning how to walk was an incredibly painful process," says Goodman, as he remembers his atrophied muscles, sense of imbalance, and feelings of defeat. "If I'd quit anywhere along the line, I'd still be in a bed, a wheelchair, or I'd need a walker or crutches. Because I promised myself I'd walk again, I kept at it and it was worth it." Surrounded by signs like "No Pain, No Gain," Goodman never lost sight of his goal to walk on his own.

Falls, pain, and frustration are now memories of the difficult path Goodman took. But his persistence paid off, today he walks around just as you and I do.

4. TAKE ONE GOAL AT A TIME
"Unless you have a plan, a goal to strive for, you end up going around in circles and you get nothing done," notes Goodman, who was deluged with major objectives like breathing, eating, speaking, and walking. "If I'd tried to accomplish everything at once, I'd still be working on most of my goals." Rather than tackle all of his problems, Goodman selected one at a time and committed himself to each one until it was achieved. As he reached each goal, his confidence soared, helping him throughout the next one. By breaking large, long term goals into smaller, short term tasks, you gain momentum and confidence, which motivates you to continue on toward your ultimate goal.

5. WHAT YOU GIVE OUT, YOU GET BACK
"The best motivation is not necessarily self directed," Goodman says. "Often, helping other people feel good or motivating them to meet their goals gives a super boost to your own morale." During his stays in hospitals and rehabilitation centres, Goodman shared his hope and his faith in people with the medical staff and fellow patients. Many of them say that he changed their outlook on life and he expanded their belief in what is "possible." Their positive feedback gives him the motivation to keep going.

                                Whether it's your life or your career that's on the line,

Motivation can work miracles.

WHY WE CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS.

Do you know why we celebrate birthdays?

This social custom is really an astrological event - one that has been with us for millennia. In fact, birthdays - and the annual observance of these times both as a society and for individuals - is the oldest of celebratory rites, and one that arose in every culture as soon as they had any sort of calendar.

Naturally, the first real calendar has to do with the sun and the moon's position - the fundamental tools of astrologers today.

The ancients celebrated not because some edict said, "celebrate," but because of practical everyday experience, like all astrological lore. The wise men (and women) noticed that when the sun hit the same spot in the heavens (against the zodiac backdrop) that it held on a person's birthday ... well, that day turned out to be extremely fortunate.

Maybe a woman found a husband, a shepherd saved his sheep, a merchant sold his goods or an illness vanished. Plus, people gave to the birthday person instinctively. So presents were bestowed - both from others and from the universe. The wise elders saw this phenomenon happening all the time. And just as most basic astrological information came about based on these days, the astrologer/priests saw that a "pattern" was occurring.

This lucky pattern brought joy, and thus the birthday person wanted to celebrate. His or her friends naturally gave to them (thus the idea of presents) and the birthday celebrant wanted to share his or her pleasure, so a big gathering was held.

That's the reason that we celebrate birthdays today - as a tradition that came about because of repeated observations of luck on this day. The same kind of luck you can have right now.

Savvy astrologer buffs know that starting to do anything of major importance on a birthday has the extra solar boost of a once-a-year infusion of universal good will and luck. So before you celebrate, use this day to your advantage, then in the evening celebrate all the good things you did or set into motion.

Here's a three-part plan for the truly ambitious to use this day:

1. Decide to ask the universe for one thing this year. Be specific.

2. Graciously accept gifts and congratulations on this day. (Why? Because you will then set into motion a karmic pattern that intensifies your wish.)     

3. Spend at least 20 minutes alone, revitalizing your body. That means taking a soothing bath, having a massage or just lying down listening to beautiful music. Remember this is a day to "tune-up" the body just as you'd do for a car after 50,000 miles. Ask your body to repair any mental, physical, emotional or spiritual damage that was done to this amazing vehicle (you!) and you'll make each year better and better.

STYLES OF COMMUNICATION OF THE 12 SIGNS

Each sign of the zodiac has its own way of communicating with the world. The sun sign is the prism through which we see things around us. Since everything in life is influenced by a person's point of view, the sun sign can show how the signs interpret events around them.

Remember there are not value judgments in astrology: Each sign has both strengths and weakness. What this list shows are the obvious choices that a person makes when talking or communicating with others.

Honest, sometimes blunt: Sagittarius, Aries, Aquarius.

Indirect, noncommittal: Taurus, Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces.

Quiet until they know you: Cancers, Scorpios, Pisces, Capricorns.

Witty jokesters: Geminis, Sagittarians, Leos, Virgos.

Shy, unless angry or happy: Taurus, Virgo, Pisces, Cancer.

Smooth-talking: Libras, Geminis, Aries.

Bold conversationalists: Leos, Aquarius, Geminis, Libras.

Great persuaders: Capricorns, Virgos, Scorpios, Geminis.

What Is Leadership?

Hi Friends,

Here’s another piece of advice on leadership.

What is leadership? That’s a question leaders get asked all the time. Often, they respond with a single comment: “Action.” Leadership is action. In its most basic form, leadership involves moving people from one place to another, either physically or figuratively. And if you’re going to get people moving, you’d better be sure you know where you’re headed. You have to make decisions about your desired destination and how you’re going to get there. You need to make the right decisions, you need to make them stick, and you need to accept the consequences.

Why? Because when you lead, you act not just for yourself, but for the benefit of everyone who calls you “leader.” And when you act, you have to communicate. You can make the best decisions in the world, but if others don’t know about them, then both your actions and the results of those actions will likely be ineffective.

Leadership, therefore, involves not only action, but also clear and concise communication.

Here are some ideas on action and communication …

Ø  Just do it! (Thanks, Nike, for giving us one of the best leadership slogans of all time.) A leader doesn’t wait to be told what to do or for others to act first. A leader does whatever it takes to ensure that good things happen for others as well as for the organization.

Ø  AVOID THE BLAME GAME! Leaders look for ways out of problems, not ways to create more. Someone who looks for solutions is a person who wants creative input; someone who looks to place blame is a person looking for a scapegoat.

Ø  Address people issues immediately. Get to the heart of the matter by asking questions. Don’t wait for people problems to fester … they can be poisonous to an organization.

When you make a mistake, admit it! Don’t try to hide it. And if you lose your cool, or snap sharply at someone, be quick to apologize. Rather than detract from your aura as a leader, your honesty will enhance it.

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT

How To Build Ethics and Integrity Skills in Your Organization

Dear Friends …

Ethics and integrity are commendable, individual and organizational aspirations…but must be followed up with actions. Ethical people are role models who walk their talk. These masters of integrity share similar characteristics.

Think of the most ethical people you know, most likely they:

• They Honor agreements.

• They Earn their good reputation daily.

• They are open in personal and business dealings.

• They are resourceful, loyal and dependable.

• Stand up for what is right and good.

• They do the right thing, even when it is difficult and no one would know otherwise.

• They Tell the truth and take action.

When it comes to individual and organizational ethics, everyone is responsible and … everything counts!

Do You Have Anxiety Issues?

Posted by Hussein Adamally

Hi friends,

I just returned from a trip to South Africa, I have not posted anything for about 5 days, so my apologies. Many are plagued by this topic that I am writing about today. Hope this will help anyone of you who have anxiety issues.

If there’s one thing in life that I’m really good at, it’s worrying. I’d get a gold star for it. Anxiety runs in my family and I often wonder whether it’s in my genes or whether it’s learned behavior. Whichever way you look at it though, I spend a lot of my time fretting about things. This is one of the reasons

Most people experience anxiety in some form or other, and in these uncertain times stress and worry are very much on the increase. But according to statistics, around one in 20 people are now thought to suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), where negative and anxious thoughts dominate daily life. Doctors dish out anti-depressants as a quick-fix for these problems but this doesn’t provide a long-term solution. Here are some techniques for tackling anxiety that I’ve found to be helpful, and I hope you find them helpful too.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

5 self-help tips to beat anxiety.

1.Breathing exercises 

If you are feeling anxious, a simple way to calm yourself down is through focusing on and regulating your breathing. When we feel nervous the in-breath becomes more dominant than the out-breath, so in order to restore a sense of calm we need to reverse this.
Focus on your breathing and try to breathe in for a count of five and breathe out for a count of five. Don’t worry about the speed at which you’re counting, just keep to a steady pace of five in and five out. Now start to extend the out-breath by holding the exhalation for an extra count of two. Don’t strain, just let the breath settle into a gentle rhythm. As your out-breath becomes longer your relaxation response will begin to take over. The only thing that will take you away from this are your thoughts and imagination. The more you practice this the more you will feel able to gain control of your anxiety.

2.Visualization
Visualization is a powerful tool for calming the mind and reducing feelings of anxiety and nerves. A simple visualization exercise involves conjuring up in your mind an image of a ‘special place’, a place where you feel safe and free from fear. (I’ve used this very exercise during a harrowing visit to the dentist and I can tell you it got me through the ordeal.). Start by closing your eyes and bring to your mind an image of a place where you feel safe and happy. It might be a tropical beach, a meadow, a forest, or even your bed. It’s entirely up to you – just use your imagination. Make the image vivid in your mind by thinking about what you can see, hear, feel and smell. Use your senses to guide you to a state of calmness. Stay in this calm place until you notice that your breathing is more regular and your mind is calmer. When you feel ready, open your eyes and breathe deeply in and out.

3.Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a technique which originates from Buddhist meditation and it’s particularly effective in calming anxiety and focusing the mind. We spend so much of our time worrying about the future or agonizing about the past that we forget to enjoy the present moment. This is where mindfulness comes in as it encourages us to focus on the present without allowing our minds to get caught up in unhelpful thought patterns. Here’s a few ideas you might want to try:
Sit or lie somewhere comfortable and begin scanning through each part of your body, paying attention to all the physical sensations you feel. Start with your toes and move up your legs to your stomach, chest, shoulders, neck and head, gently easing away any tension you notice. Finish by taking a few long, deep breaths. When you are getting ready in the morning, really pay attention to everything you are doing, instead of worrying about what’s coming ahead in the day. When you’re in the shower, focus on the sound of the water and feel the sensation of it washing over your body. Enjoy the feeling of getting clean. When you’re brushing your teeth, focus all your attention on the task. Do the same with getting dressed and making breakfast. Each morning make sure you take five to 10 minutes to be quiet and meditate. Look out of the window, listen to the sounds you can hear and be aware of everything around you. Be aware of the stillness and enjoy the quietening of your mind.

4.Dietary changes
stabilizing your blood sugar is an important factor in keeping anxiety at bay. Nervousness and a rapid heartbeat can often kick in when blood sugar levels become too low. The trick is to eat little and often, aiming for three meals and two snacks per day, and try to eat some protein with every meal. Good sources include fish, chicken, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, tofu and eggs.


5.Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
This is an interesting technique which is based on similar principles to acupuncture in that it addresses imbalances in the body’s energy flow. I must confess I felt a bit silly when I first tried it, but it did help to calm my nerves, which is why I’m sharing a shortened version of it here with you.
The belief is that disturbances to the flow of energy are removed along with the emotional response and anxiety.
If you find yourself getting really anxious about something, try tapping gently five times on each of the following points with the forefinger and middle finger of one of your hands: between your eyebrows; under one of your eyes; under your arm (about two inches lower than your armpit); on the chest (just below the collarbone in the middle, you will find a spongy indentation). Lastly, tap on the outer side of the hand five times. You should begin to feel your breathing regulating.
Good luck and I hope these techniques help you in your anxiety. I’d love to hear any feedback you might have.