What is Happiness?

Happiness is:

·         In the present

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Dale Carnegie

·         Friendship

To be able to find joy in another’s joy: that is the secret of happiness

Geroges Bernanos 

·         Serenity

Happiness is to seek and find peace of mind.

Gillian Hughes

·         Little things

Happiness is when everyday things shine like gold.

Pam Brown

·         Within

Happiness is inward and not outward; and so it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.

Henry Van Dyke

·         A new beginning

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius

·         Giving

All of us have the power to give happiness… a listening ear, a seeing eye, an outstretched hand.

Pam Brown

·         In pain

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.

Dolly Parton

·         Kindness

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

·         In you

Learn to value yourself, which means to fight for your happiness.

Ayn Rand

·         Laughter

The most wasted day of all is that on which we have not laughed.

Sebastien R. N. Chamfort

·         Living life fully

The sense of existence is the greatest happiness

Benjamin Disraeli

What is your happiness? 

Top 3 Posts in October 2012

1. How to Live Longer Meaningfully

According to an item in the news you live longer when you work longer. Look at the chart below:

Retirement age and life span

Country           Retirement age   Average life span

 Singapore       62                       84(F) 79(M)

Hong Kong     Nil                       86(F) 80(M)

Japan              60                       87(F) 80(M)

Korea             60                       84(F) 77(M)

Malaysia         55                       77(F) 73(M)

Indonesia        55                       72(F) 68(M)

The key to longevity is meaningful activities. What can you do to extend your life span?


2. 7 Effective Ways to Cope With Unemployment

The U.S. unemployment rate is at 8.1% with no clear sign of improvement. What do you do when you are suddenly retrenched from a well-paid job? You have been working in a company for more than 20 years and you are given a house and a car plus other benefits. Here are practical ways to face such a challenging situation:


3. 10 Ways to a Healthy Brain

Here are 10 ways to look after your brain so that you stay alert, read and understand faster, remember more, think clearly and are more creative:

10 Great Ways to be Employable

Employability refers to a person's capability for gaining and maintaining employment.

Hillage and Pollard, 1998

Having a good degree does not mean that you are employable, you need a combination of qualifications, experience, personal characteristics to avoid being unemployable. The other point to note is that you may be employed, but are you really employable? Find out what you need to be truly employable:  

1.      Creative: You are hired to get things done effectively and efficiently. You need logical, analytical and problem solving skills to sustain your employability.

2.      Innovative: You cannot stay in your comfort zone. You have to innovate (Lat. innovare: "to change") and do things differently. It means taking risks and making mistakes. To change is to create new ideas and stand above the crowd.

3.      Collaborative: Be able to work hand in glove with others and achieve company goals. Know how to leverage the strengths of others to boost your own productivity.

4.      People skills: Be cheerful. Acknowledge and pay attention to others. Be interested in and look for the good in others. Know when and how to approach others to get things done. Develop the habit of seeing things from the point of view of others.

5.      Technical skills: This is your area of specialized knowledge and expertise. The most important thing is that you must be able to perform by applying what you have learnt.   

6.      Enterprising: What is your business sense? According to Wikipedia, it is the keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation. Are you able to see the big picture and make wise decisions?

7.      Communication skills: The ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing is crucial for your employability. Learn to listen attentively, study their body language and understand unspoken words.

8.      Language skills: The way to impress another person is to speak his or her language. The more languages you know, the easier it is for you to connect with others. In a cosmopolitan country like Malaysia, it is a necessity to know English, Malay and Chinese to sustain your employability.       

9.      Personal attributes: Be honest, punctual and able to meet deadlines. This is the way to gain trust and respect. Be flexible and adaptable.  Productive habits like getting up early, planning ahead and organizing from day to day are effective self-management. Adopt a can-do attitude and never whine in the face of difficulties.

10.  IT skills: To be employable long term is to learn continuously .It is essential to embrace and adopt technological advancements and be productive. Move forward with the changing environment and stay ahead.    

To be employed is not enough, be employable. 

Related post:
Are You Unemployed or Unemployable?

10 Ways to Get Rid of Negativity from Your Life

People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?
Thich Nhat Hanh

The world is filled with negativity especially newspapers and negative people. If you are not careful, your life will be affected negatively. How do you insulate yourself from negativity? Here are 10 ways to do it: 

1.      Change your thoughts: The starting point of negativity is your thoughts. Negative thinking will influence your emotions and actions adversely. The best thing is not to dwell in such thoughts but change quickly to think of your strengths and look at the bright side of things.

  

2.      Exercise: Physical activities send more blood supply and oxygen to your brain. It has a calming effect on you and you will not easily get annoyed by negative events. An effective way is to jog in the great outdoors for fresh air and sunshine.  

3.      De-clutter at home and in your office: You will be affected negatively by clutter at home and in the office. Tidy up and create more space to attract positive flow of energy.

4.      Getting organized: Avoid getting into a stressful situation. It means you are out of control and it will lead to negativity. Plan, organize in advance and live an orderly life. When you are in control, you create self-confidence. 

5.      Act: Work, get busy and get things done. Taking action is one great way to fight negative feelings. 

6.      Choose happiness: Life is about making choices. Choose happiness and you choose positivity. Be wise and find happiness in your daily life now because big celebrations are few and far in between.    

7.      Connect with positive people: Positive people confirm your positive thoughts. They offer encouragement and support wholeheartedly. 

8.      Gratitude journal: At the end of a day, it is a good way to think and record all the good things that have happened to you.  An attitude of appreciation and gratefulness generates a positive perspective in life.   

9.      Start a new day positively: Start a new day right. Read motivational quotes in the morning and get inspired and start a new day enthusiastically.

10.  Focus on your strengths: Focus on what you can do to boost your self-esteem. When you think you can, you will be hopeful and cheerful.   

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.

 Maori Proverb

Related posts:
10 Positive Attitudes at the Workplace

Positive Attitude For Success

7 Advantages of a Debit Card

According to a news item in the paper, more and more Malaysian are using debt cards and debit card spending has increased 50% year-on-year. A debt card offers many benefits:

1.      Better Control of personal finance: A debit card allows you to spend only on what you have. You can use your debit card to spend according to your budget.  However, a credit card, without using it wisely, can lead to bankruptcy.

2.      Safer: You don’t have to carry a lot of cash when you go shopping, you avoid getting robbed.

3.      Simple life: With a debt card shopping is hassle free. There is no need for a buyer and a seller to count cash and avoid errors.

4.      Shop online: When you have a debit card, you can shop online. It is just like a credit card. 

5.      Avoid running out of cash: There is no need to look for a bank or an ATM when you are short of cash, just use your debt card.

6.      Supporting documents for your spending: It is easy to monitor your spending because there is a slip for each and every transaction.

7.      Worldwide acceptance: Like a credit card, it is accepted internationally and you can withdraw local currency from ATM when you are overseas. 

You need to monitor your spending and avoid getting into an embarrassing situation when a transaction cannot go through because there is insufficient fund in your bank account.

Related Post::
    Credit Cards and Young People

7 Things to Appreciate and Celebrate

Appreciate what you have, before it turns into what you had.

You may have taken life for granted because you are going through the motions every day. The grave consequences are only felted when you have lost it. Here are 7 things you should appreciate and celebrate:  

1.      Every new day: A new day is a chance to start anew, try harder, make changes and do what you have to do. Appreciate the power of a new day and just do it because tomorrow may be too late.

  

2.      Going to work: Working is more than getting the pay and feeding the family. It is your brand, self-esteem and confidence. It will deal a blow in your life when you are out of job. Just think of many who are out of job and be happy to go to work.    

3.      A happy family: Your family is an important unit in your life. It is a big problem in the world of today because family units are breaking up more often and the divorce rates have grown very high. Appreciate harmony and peace of mind at home and you will be happy in other areas of your life.

4.      You have what you need: Do appreciate and be grateful of what you have. Thinking of getting what you want is one of the causes of unhappiness and discontentment. 

5.      Debt-free: Debt will lead to bankruptcy, agony at home and a tarnished reputation. Be grateful that you can live within your means and enjoy financial freedom.  

6.      Freedom:  You are free to do what you want in life and follow your dreams, Live in the moment, enjoy the journey and pursue your goals. There are many countries in the world where your freedom is restricted.         

7.      Health and fitness: Health is the greatest wealth. Appreciate your well-being. Celebrate life because your are living  with energy and alertness

     Be appreciative of what you have and celebrate. 

Related posts:
10 Wonderful Ways to be Appreciative
Be Thankful be Appreciative

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7 Ways to Strengthen Your Career Brand

It is not slickness, polish, uniqueness, or cleverness that makes a brand a brand. It is truth.

Harry Beckwith

When your name is mentioned what do people say about you? Their words are your brand. Positive words translate into a positive brand. Here are 7 ways to fortify your career brand:

1.      Be an expert: Work on your strengths, solve problems and show others you are an expert in your field. Create an awareness of your brand and attract others to come to you for guidance.  

2.      Achievements: It is wise to record and showcase your performance.  It is an effective way to support and substantiate your brand.

3.      Trust: A trusted brand is a promise. You are therefore able to deliver as expected. Trust consists of creditability, quality and value.

4.      Differentiation: Do not be one of them.  Be able to stand out. What distinguishes you among competition? One way to do it is to start a blog and impress others with articles with unique ideas on the subject that you are good at. Be relevant and meets the needs of others.  Conceive ideas which are valuable and useful. 

5.      Consistency: Always stand by your brand in what you do. Maintain a high standard and always perform your best.  

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6.      Getting noticed:  Promote your presence and connect with the right people online and offline. Project your brand positively and command a group of loyal followers. Communicate online with two-way dialogue. Create a web resume and manage your presence. Sign up with Google Alerts to monitor and protect your brand online.

7.      Gain more knowledge: Acquire the latest know-how and update your knowledge   according to market changes and meet changing needs. Be ahead and stay ahead. 

       Your brand is what others perceive you. Develop a positive image and build a brand that others can count on.

Related post:
Effective Ways to be a Successful Personal Brand