Live Fully

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." ~George Bernard Shaw

Prayer

My God, Whom I worship and adore!

My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear witness unto Thy unity and Thy oneness, and acknowledge Thy gifts, both in the past and in the present. Thou art the All-Bountiful, the overflowing showers of Whose mercy have rained down upon high and low alike, and the splendors of Whose grace have been shed over both the obedient and the rebellious. Bahaullah

Cultural Competence for people who work with unfamiliar culture

Ten-point tip to smooth sailing alongside a person from a different culture
1. Show respect for what you do not understand
2. Be open to learning and asking non-judgemental questions e.g. Could you explain the reasons for slapping a baby on the back after they have finished drinking their milk?
 I’ve never seen people eating the embryo of a chicken in the egg.  Does everyone eat this; is it for special celebrations or particular time of the year?
3. Always ask open ended questions that allow people to provide you with the answer. When you ask questions that begin with Why it sounds judgemental and accusatory
4. Be willing to share something about yourself and your culture while trying to find out about the culture of the other.
5. Acknowledge to yourself your privileged position over this person as a worker and as someone who understands the dominant culture so as to be able to appreciate where your client is at in his or her adjustment.
6. Assume that your client is an intelligent independent agent whose only problem is that they are in a different environment and does not know the language. Imagine yourself in a country that does not speak your language and imagine how that feels or how you would feel if people talked down to you as if you knew nothing and you’re ignorant or stupid or treat you like a child.
7. Judge the client by their own deeds and not based on the deeds of those who come from a similar culture.  Everyone is an individual within a culture and everyone responds to situation in their own unique way. It is easier to based our decisions on stereotype that the work of getting to know the individual.
8. Show respect for people’s preferences and culture. E.g. if they do not like you to enter their homes with your outside shoes on, then take your shoes off at the door.
9. Pay attention to the interpersonal dynamics to learn about the person in front of you and what they value. If they do something that you are unsure about, ask, ask, ask. People generally love to explain and feel empowered that their worker cares enough about their feelings to want to know. You score big in this area.
10. Listen and watch and you will learn a lot about a culture and about another human being.

 

Quotable Quotes

“There's abasic philosophy here that by empowering...workers you'll make their jobs far
more interesting, and they'll be able to work at a higher level than they would
have without all that information just a few clicks away.” Bill Gates quotes

Paint your picture of a perfect day today

"Life in itself is an empty canvas; it becomes whatsoever you paint on it. You can paint
misery, you can paint bliss. This freedom is your glory." ~Osho

There are so many people who go around blaming others for their circumstances in life. As they blame they are imprinting on their lives the miseries they seek to get rid of.

If you want to have a good and happy life, they you have to paint happy picture. You have to take that step into a happy place. Sure, it is easier to stay where you are and blame the world for your troubles but that won’t get you anywhere. Your blaming others will not affect the happy lives the
others are living you are only burying yourself in your own misery. Be a friend to yourself and give it a helping hand out of the valley of despair, disappointments, heartaches, financial troubles etc., paint a brighter picture. Paint a picture of happy faces, loving your neighbours and your enemies. Do this for a week or two and watch your life transform. No one is doing anything to you; you are doing it to yourself and blaming others. The first thing you have to do is to accept responsibility for what is happening in your life. There is no other way to health and healing. Take that step, paint that picture and become what you paint.

"Once you have conquered greed nothing can limit your freedom." ~Buddha

Mind over matter

This came in my mail today - had to share it

Once upon a time there lived a king.
The king had a beautiful daughter, The PRINCESS..
But there was a problem. Everything the princess touched would melt.

No matter what;

Metal,
wood,

Stone,

Anything she touched would melt. Because of this, men were afraid of her. Nobody would dare marry her.

The king despaired. What could he do to help his daughter?

He consulted his wizards and magicians. One wizard told the kings.

'If your daughter touches one thing that does not melt in her hands,he will be cured.'The king was overjoyed and came up with a plan.

The next day, he held a competition. Any man that could bring his daughter an object that would not melt would marry her and inherit the king's wealth

THREE YOUNG PRINCES TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE.

The first brought a sword of the finest steel. But alas, when the princess touched it, it melted. The prince went away sadly .

The second prince brought diamonds. He thought diamonds are the hardest substance in the world and would not melt.But alas, once the princess touched them, they melted.He too was sent
away disappointed.

The third prince approached. He told the princess,'Put your hand in my pocket and feel what is in there.' The princess did as she was told, though she turned red.

She feltsomething hard. She held it in her hand. And it did not melt!!!

The king was overjoyed. Everybody in the kingdom was overjoyed. And the third prince married the princess and they both lived happily ever after.

Question: What was in the prince's pants? M&M's of course.They melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

I challenge you to make your life a masterpiece. I challenge you to join the ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk.
Tony Robbins

Create in me a pure heart...

Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden. Bahaullah

Great Resource

http://www.smallbusinesspr.com/pr-learning-center/tips-advice/news-release-writing-tips-for-small-business.html