Enthusiasm & Persistence, Keep them UP

Up (From: imdb.com)

“Knowledge is power and enthusiasm pulls the switch.”

-Steve Droke

Carl & Ellie... Enthusiasm & Persistence... Dreams & True Love...

A young Carl Fredrickson meets a young adventure spirited girl named Ellie. They both dream of going to a Lost Land in South America. And for that they set their own adventure book in order to fill it with their adventure when they achieve their dream together. Days pass and they have never lost their persistence to achieve their dream. 70 years later, Ellie has died. Carl remembers the promise he made to her. By tying thousands of balloons to his home, Carl sets out to fulfill his (and Ellie’s) lifelong dream.

I really love this film as it is not just a film it is a life lesson in perseverance & enthusiasm even if after 70 years.

Feeling unenthusiastic, bored and apathetic isn’t pleasurable or fun. It makes life dreary, slow and painful. Enthusiasm on the other hand is like an inner sun that makes life easier, shinier and more enjoyable. Enthusiasm is probably one of the most attractive qualities a person can have. With enthusiasm things get done and they often get done better and more easily than if you were to muster up the will to do them in an unenthusiastic way.

“Every Unstoppable personality you’ve read about offers an important key to success. But the ultimate key—the one that most dramatically separates the achiever from the nonachiever—is perseverance.”

-Cynthia Kersey

I think that, among the stories of success in the world, the story of Tom Monaghan is the ideal model in perseverance.

Tom Monaghan, Domino's Pizza Founder (By: Joe Raedle)

He has had at least a hundred “excuses” for failing in business—from growing up in orphanages and detention homes, to starting a business with no business sense, expanding too soon, going broke, losing everything, building it back up, and almost losing it again.

But what’s incredible about Tom Monaghan is that he’s never used any excuse. The way he sees it is that you haven’t failed until you’ve flat out given up.

Without the perseverance of Tom Monaghan, Domino’s Pizza wouldn’t grow.

And without the enthusiasm of Carl, Ellie's dream wouldn't achieved.

Keep your Enthusiasm & Persistence up...
Achieve your Dreams... Live Better Life...

Beyond EXAMS, Knowing How to Learn

Childhood Learning (By: Andrew Bret Wallis)

“No matter how one may think himself accomplished, when he sets out to learn a new language, science, or the bicycle, he has entered a new realm as truly as if he were a child newly born into the world.” 

-Frances Willard

Exams period, it can be a hard time for some students or it can be a time of entertainment for others.

Do you want to know how to keep yourself on track in this period? How to keep your enthusiasm up? How to study hard?

In a nutshell you want to know how to learn with the spirit of a kid full of joy & excitement? The answer is simple, use the Metacognition.

According to Julie Halter Metacognition is:

“Knowing how to learn, and knowing which strategies work best, are valuable skills that differentiate expert learners from novice learners. Metacognition, or awareness of the process of learning, is a critical ingredient to successful learning.”

I know this feeling when you have an exam, worrying with some fear of failure. Even the word can put you in unpleasant mode.

But it is time to change all that.

It does not matter how many days remain for the exam. We can use a genius plan & schedule for every state even if one day remains.

And the condition is: do not be afraid just trust Allah then believe that you will save the day with a reconcile from Allah.

Let us take an example: you have an exam so your way of thinking must be as follows:

Using metacognitive strategies to study for an essay exam.

  Here are metacognitive strategies for successful learning:

• Awareness:

-          Consciously identify what you already know

-          Define the learning goal

-          Consider your personal resources (e.g. textbooks, access to the library, access to a computer work station or a quiet study area)

-          Consider the task requirements (essay test, multiple choice, etc.)

-          Determine how your performance will be evaluated

-          Consider your motivation level

-          Determine your level of anxiety

• Planning:

-           Estimate the time required to complete the task (5,3,2 or even 1 day)

-           Plan study time into your schedule and set priorities

-           Make a checklist of what needs to happen & when (including seeing previous final exams, revisions)

-           Organize materials

-           Take the necessary steps to learn by using strategies like outlining, mnemonics, diagramming, etc.

•  Monitoring and Reflection:

-           Reflect on the learning process, keeping track of what works and what doesn't work for you

-           Monitor your own learning by questioning and self-testing

-           Provide your own feedback

-           Keep concentration and motivation high 

 Trust me your worrying and anxiety won’t let you make benefit of what you learn. Don’t be afraid as time pass; if you don’t have time, make time.

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.”

-Charles Buxton

It is time to enjoy while learning. It is time to learn the true science. If you know the concept of what you are learning you will never forget in the exam & you will pass with excellent. In addition you will increase your knowledge. Finally do your best and let the leaves fall where they may.

Taste the joy of learning…

Enjoy your EXAMS period… Live Better Life…

Ready For The Sunrise

Farmhouse and vineyards in misty landscape(By:Gary Yeowell)

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

-Albert Einstein

New Year equals new journey in our life. Journey means adventure and adventure means dreams, joy, happiness, excitement, enthusiasm, ambition, and passion…Endless experience with the acceptable range of fear and worry about the future.

For me, the New Year is a sunrise on new goals and a hope to achieve the best ever. Today’s article will be a journey to see how we could touch success in this New Year.

All of us yearn to success and for that we set resolutions and decisions. And every New Year we make the same mistake put purposes, promise ourselves with new resolutions and the result is that the year ends and nothing accomplished. Now it is time to change all that but not a change like every year, instead it will be a lasting change.

If you don’t set any goals yet so the first step is to set a goal which ignite your soul because if you don’t set any goals you are not going to achieve a meaningful thing during the year.

Remember that:

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

- Harriet Tubman

So begin to write down your goals, purposes or even dreams on a piece of paper. Don’t forget to use either SMART or SAFE criteria while setting your goals. Then make a vision board about them; see them, feel them & touch them.

Don’t be afraid to put a difficult goal trust Allah; He will give you the power to achieve the impossible as long as you are mindful of Him, then trust yourself you can if you want; use your unstoppable power of success.

Let us make a small scenario. 

Ask yourself: what do you want to be in the future? What is your ultimate goal?

Then to begin achieving this dream, take a step every year towards your dream.

So the next question is: what do you want to achieve this year?

Doing better in my career, be a good programmer or a good communication engineer, be highly educated, if you still a student: earn high grades, improve your conversation & communication skills, learn a second language and be fluent at it, join an international university for post graduates studies…etc.

Write all the possibilities, all what you want even if it is small.

The next step is how could you achieve these goals?

Take courses in the programming language that you want to be proficient at, train at a successful company to improve your career, read books and come up with the news to be highly educated, join a conversation group like toastmaster, enroll yourself in a foreign language class, contact the university, know the requirements and begin to fulfill them… For every goal write down how to achieve it.

Then, ACHIEVE nothing remains. Put a schedule and achieve all your resolutions. No need for procrastination: ready steady go.

But wait; don’t let your contagious enthusiasm be a chance for splitting your focus. Organize your goals and your way of achievement them and make a time span for every goal and a progress sheet to observe your progress.

Don’t forget the 8 keys of success. Finally connect your goal setting with your goal getting by using the Elusive Connection:

You are a challenger don’t let this chance. You can get the maximum of this year. 

Begin an unstoppable year full of success…

It is time to unleash your goals…Release your ultimate power… 
Live Better Life…

What Leads To Success?

Man leaps in air above stone steps, above village (By: Philip and Karen Smith)

“It is astonishing what an effort it seems to be for many people to put their brains definitely and systematically to work.”

-Thomas Edison

Kicked out from school for being easily distracted, lost nearly all of his hearing at a young age, sold candy and newspapers aboard trains as a youth and then won a position as telegraph operator when he saved a station agent’s son from being run over by a train.

Guess who?
 

Thomas Alva Edison, 1847-1931 (By:SuperStock)

THOMAS EDISON:

The American inventor, scientist, and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb.

Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors in history, holding 1,093 US patents in his name, as well as many patents in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

After reading this inspirational story, there is a question that I would like to ask: What leads to success? What are the keys for success?

If you don’t have the answers Richard St. John has it in one of the most powerful talks in TED. 

If you are in a room of successful people, don’t be afraid. Trust Allah then use the keys of success to keep yourself on track.

Use the Eight Keys of Success… 
Persist through CRAP…Live Better Life…

SMART Vs. SAFE, Who is the Winner?

Young kids in a relay race in the park. (By: Bipolar)

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes"

-Andrew Carnegie

Having a goal is usual, but having a powerful process for goal setting is unusual.

Today’s battle is not between Pittsburgh and Arizona to win the super bowl instead the battle is between SMART and SAFE goal setting criteria.

SMART set successful goals with objective and resolutions while SAFE use the power of law of attraction to achieve goals.

SMART is not the only way and may not even be the best way to set your goals, but SMART goal setting has some definite benefits. The SMART acronym stands for: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time.

SAFE combines the best aspects of SMART with the power of the Law of Attraction. SAFE stands for: See your goal, Accept it, Feel it with emotion, and Express it.
 

If you choose SMART, so you will dive through those items:

Specific: The goal should be described as specifically as possible. A goal of studying software is not specific. A goal of studing a second language is not specific,studing english or french,... is specific just choose the language type and go on.

Measurable: the effective goal must be measurable. working harder at your job are not measurable as stated so you must identify some aspects of working hard like spending more time to study new thing in your work.

Achievable: There's an art to goal setting that revolves around the goal's difficulty. A goal too easy is not energizing. A goal too difficult seems hopeless. Both too easy and too difficult are goal setting no-no's. Set the level of challenge somewhere in between. A good way to decide that a goal is achievable but challenging is to make a vision board.
Realistic: Do you have the knowledge and skills to reach your goal? If yes, go on. If not, so begin your way by gathering this information to make your goal be within the availability of resources, knowledge and time.

Time: Setting a deadline provides necessary positive tension to give you the energy to get on with it. The time frame you select should be realistic also.

On the other hand If you will follow the SAFE criteria you will have those items: 

See it: Picture the future as it will be when your goal is achieved. See it in great detail and full color.
Accept it: Accept means that you open yourself to attaining the goal AND you are 100% certain that it will occur.
Feel it: Goal attainment is more about attracting what we want than chasing what we want. Attraction is strengthened by combining the mental power of thinking about the goal (seeing and accepting) with the emotional power of the feelings you'll have when the goal is achieved.
Express it: Draw it, paint it, write it . Place your writing and pictures where you'll see them every day.

Choose between SMART or SAFE...

Set your powerful goal... Live Better Life...

Purpose, Even With No Limbs

Adirondack chair (By: Thomas Jackson)

“Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”

- Hannah More

A lot of people think that they have no purpose in life, and a lot of people let themselves as a prey to despair and frustration because they don’t know their actual mission in life.

Every person in the globe has a mission in life and he will reach it sooner or later but it is a must to have patience and determination.

Challenges and obstacles are found everywhere but the issue is how to overcome them.

And let me prove to you how you are very precious to Allah through the story of a real challenger in life; he is Nicholas Vujicic (pronounced Voy-a-chich).

Born in 1982 in Melbourne, Australia, without any medical explanation or warning, Nick came into the world with neither arms nor legs but his mission is to inspire and motivate people and touching lives all over the world. He said:

“…Faced with countless challenges and obstacles, God has given me the strength to surmount what others might call impossible. Along with that, the Lord has placed within me an unquenchable passion to share this same hope and genuine love that I've personally experienced with more than two million people all over the globe.”

You also have a purpose in life. You are very precious.

Find Your Way… Live Better Life…

Challenger; Are you?

Male climbing mountain face (By: Mike Harrington)

"Champions are made, NOT born."

-Scotty Kessler

Today I have got a message from one of my friends; she was remembering me that it is the first day in the last month in the year.

I thought for a while, yes it is the last month in 2010. A year in my journey in life is about to pass. For that, I want to ask you; were you a challenger in this year?

 Challenger?!

According to the Enneagram of Personality, a challenger is a personality type which describes the traits and character of such person.

This person has a great self-confident. And he understands that nothing will come easy to him, instead he has to make great effort to succeed and never gave up on his dreams.

The best thing in challengers is that they are self- mastering, they use their strength to improve others' lives, becoming heroic, magnanimous, and inspiring.

If you want to be a challenger you must be a self-reliant and have the ability to prove your strength and resist weakness.

Let’s see some sort of challengers throughout the world.
 

Be a Challenger…

Don’t give up on your Dream… Live Better Life…