Wise Quotes Compilation

I just have to track-back this post from Inner Reflections Transcribed where a great combination of quotations have been compiled in one place. I usually am on the look out for such stuff to derive my Motivational Mondays posts as each quote does drive a beautiful thought from it.

Anyway, do visit the link. Here are a few I really liked,

• Be like a postage stamp; stick to one thing until you get there 


• The best way to predict your future is to create it


• What costs is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight... its the size of the fight in the dog

Any many more....ENJOY!!!

Awaken the Desire

I put on an old CD of Junoon last week while I was driving home and heard their famous "Saqi-Nama" by Iqbal. Came across this beautiful verse...

"Jigar Say Wohi Teer Phir Paar Kar... Tamanna ko Seenon mein Bedaar kar..."

Translation & My Two Cents

To make it word-to-word, this is what it means. Send that arrow through the liver and awaken the desire in your chests...

Its basically one of those powerful verses by Allama Iqbal trying to wake up the people of the subcontinent in his times before independence of India & Pakistan. He is known for such famous verses which charged up people in those times.

Bring up that desire in your hearts. Where is that will? Where is that drive? You can only reach what you want if you desire it to the highest level possible.

I think this is one of the most motivational piece of writing I have read or heard in the longest of times. Its emotionally charged up. Find that energy, that height of emotion which you can get if an arrow is passed through your body. Find that desire to reach the most highest of goals.

Its the appropriate time somehow to find something of the sort as everyone is trying to find something or the other within themselves to keep motivated. To find something to look forward to. To keep going on.

Innovative Idea to Reduce Payroll Costs

Earth Hour 2009 Pictures

Somebody forwarded me this link from The Boston globe which contained pictures of some significant & famous locations which contributed to Earth Hour 2009. Where it is deemed as one of the most amazing joint movements by people, it was still taken with the same pointless criticism about such acts don't mean anything etc.

I  still think it did hit home to a few more people this year and such acts do make a difference. A difference is all that matters no matter how significant it is and I think everybody who got involved deserves credit.

Lets continue to the good work started and save energy everyday if possible. We spend electricity in many places where we can really avoid it. The summers are coming and its a good time to make a resolution to make that difference on an individual basis and when you spread the word, it becomes a group actvity leading to more significant gains.

Confidence vs Over-Confidence

We  have heard and used this term very regularly in our conversations. "There is a fine line between..."

There is fine line between Massage & Torture... :) There is a very fine line between Being funny & Being offensive...There is a very fine line between Encouragement & False Praise... I am going to write about another one of those famous "very fine lines"...The very fine line between Confidence & Over-Confidence...

Aah... This is such a fine line that while a person driving his car of life with confidence can go towards much success on the road ahead, a person on the other side of the line with over-confidence can see his life going towards disaster. This is a fine line which could make or break a career.

There are basically 3 major differences between people with confidence & over-confidence,

1. FOCUS - Confident people will never lose focus from whatever they do. They would remain on track for the eventual goal no matter how much praise they get along the way. Over-confident people will be found basking in the spotlight and enjoying the good times for that little while longer where they should actually be concentrating on the task at hand.


2. TRYING NEW THINGS - Confident people are never afraid to try new things. They will always be looking towards newer horizons, newer challenges. Over-confident people would be comfortable in the zone that they have found their success at most times. That is also how confident people remain always in demand.


3. ALWAYS IMPROVING - Confident people love to take feedback in order to improve on their weaker points. They are always en-route to perfection. The mission is always on. Over-confident people are found to be defensive when receiving feedback and much negative about people trying to judge them which pretty much keeps them from improving and changing the way they do some things wrongly.

Added to that, the shake of the hand tells a lot. One gets a feeling of warmth when around a confident person. Its on the other side of the diameter when it comes to Over-Confident people.

I write about this after getting this feedback from someone who has guided me well. I have been found on the wrong side of the line at times when it comes to being confident or over-confident and it is a constant improvement point for me personally. I mean, we do enjoy the spotlight, don't we? Its only naturally human to do that. But the results are not favorable in that spotlight cos when it shuts down, one is in the dark.

I think writing about the topic is a good way to stay on track, right?

God on Facebook?

Have you seen this? Done by probably a facebook freak...but really creative...

Seven Ways To Stay Motivated at Work

I found a really relevant post in today's time where everybody is feeling demotivated at work. Layoffs, unpaid forced leaves, restructuring, etc. These are some tough times and pretty much the toughest most of us will ever see again, hopefully.

In these times, motivation is something that needs to be searched for. However, I got to this post which was written as professionally as possible. The seven ways to stay motivated at work.

Without taking away any credit from them, I will just list the 7 points down. Go to the above mentioned link to read in detail.

1. Clarify your Goals


2. Establish a clear Game-Plan for achieving your Goals


3. Ride the Wave of your Successes


4. Reward Yourself


5. Keep things in Perspective


6. Maintain a Healthy Work/Life Balance


7. Think Positive

I think it couldnt get more concise and precise than that. Just love the experts.

Death

I believe one of the greatest motivators we have in this life is Death. The presence of death in this life gives it much more meaning to make worthwhile. Every time one remembers that death will come upon the most strongest and the most successful, one can easily make every second count. Make every effort 100%.

The death of my grandmother this last Wednesday has left me lost for words. I feel like I cant move on. Her prayers were a very important part of my so claimed self-motivation. She was one of my most honest well-wishers. Where I feel I have lost a very important part of my motivation, I also feel this is a question asked by my fate.

The question states, "Will you be able to motivate yourself more, Umar?"

You have lost a huge part of your support system that has kept you going in the toughest of times. "Can you find it within you, Umar?"

I dont know if I can answer that question. But I know, this death is going to be more than just a soul leaving this world to rest in peace. This is going to leave a hole which is will be left till eternity. I know, I cant fill this. Nobody can. However, I know that her taught lessons and her unmatched will power will come out to get me through this.

Death being inevitable can be simple motivation. But the death of a close relative can be a challenge that sets up the stage for breaking through and find infinite motivation. I am looking out for that. Setting up goals to prove that you taught me well grandma. Your grandson will face this world alone. Sigh.

Six Truths in Your Life

SIX Truths of Life

1. You cannot touch all your top teeth with your tongue.

2. All idiots, after reading the first truth, will try it.

3. And discover that The first truth is a lie.

4. You're smiling now because you're an idiot.

5. You soon will share this with another idiot.

6. There's still a stupid smile on your face.

I apologize about this, I'm an idiot and I needed company .......!!!! I am allowed a mindless post once in a while, right?

Y or Why?

I have always been a big fan of photoblogs. Especially abstract and thought provoking ones. You may have already heard about Lisa's Chaos and if you haven't, you are missing out. I have never been disappointed in how intricate and thoughtful the picture blogging is.

Here is a recent post that left me speechless. The creativity. She has collected various versions of using the letter Y and expressed through pictures.

I am embarrassed at not writing more about this as I usually do write a bit of my own also when tracking back. But today, I just am lost for words. Keep up the good work, Lisa.

Direction & Focus

Many times in our lives, we find ourselves standing at a fork in the road of life and a decision pending. We weigh our options, the pros and cons and decide on which route to take. We would tend to spend more time on more critical decisions and sometimes even ask for suggestions.

There are other times where we are completely lost and don't know where to go at all. Its not about weighing the options there, its more about getting to a place where we get those options. We are simply way off.

These are situations where lack of focus and the objectives is disastrous. I am talking of situations such as this,

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to..."

"I don't know where. . ."

"Then it doesn't matter which way you go..."

In order to have a direction, it is essential to have some kind of focus on objectives. So before treading on the path of life dreaming of success, it pays to sit down for a while and jot down what exactly is that we want from this life. What is the goal that we plan to walk towards.

"If the vision is clear, that itself drives us to the right direction" - UTP

Have you ever sat down and asked yourself what it really is that you want from life? Think about it.

Nobel Prize in Economics

Banks, Credit Cards ~ Generous? Smart?

I read this particular article in NYTimes early March which was quite interesting to see. These are some exceptional and extreme times in the global financial system and such times ask for some similar exceptional & extreme measures.

So when I read about banks and credit card companies making deals over the amount to be paid by the consumers I was amazed. I mean shouldn't it be trying to get every penny from the people to keep things running? Are they being generous or are they being smart?

The truth is that people cant pay the money they have taken on credit and these companies and banks know that as well. Hence, they would contact people and tell them, we will let go of 50% of your credit if you pay the other 50%. Its big win situation for the consumer who can't pay the amount. The bank gains by realizing that it may be easier to get "something" out of the consumers than "nothing" when they are broke. I would say that's not a bad strategy.

I especially liked this quote from the article.

“Consumers have never been in a better position to negotiate a partial payment,” said Robert D. Manning, the author of “Credit Card Nation” and a longtime critic of the credit card industry. “It’s like that old movie ‘Rosalie Goes Shopping.’ When it’s $100,000 of debt, it’s your problem. When it’s a million dollars of debt, it’s the bank’s problem.”

With most governments coming in with bailout plans, I think this strategy will work as the governments might just indirectly be attending to the part of the debt that the consumer doesn't pay.

One thing is for sure, I want this crisis to move on quickly. Cant somebody just push the clocks a bit faster?