We can take another’s life as an example, but we must think hard before we follow them. Look at the virtues of others and ask yourself: “I have something valuable and worthwhile myself? How can I bring it out?” When you notice something bad in those around you, make a firm resolve: “Let me not nurture such vices”.

There is much hidden potential in each one of us. What should we do to make this blossom? When you activate yourself, you bring out all the strengths and talents that God has given you, all that is inherent in you, that is natural in you, something genuine and original.

Create your own identity. When you do this other people gravitate towards you. Activation leads to gravitation. Then you don’t imitate others. Instead others might want to be like you. We are used to paying more attention to the external world. We try to gain social approval by dressing ourselves in a certain manner.

We stand in front of the mirror and make sure that we are presentable before we leave the house. We trust the mirror implicitly. The mirror reflects our outward appearance, not our thoughts, feelings and relationships.

Does it reflect the love in your heart? You may go to your workplace dressed in your best clothes. When somebody provokes you there, you may retort in anger or sulk in silence. Either way your peace of mind is shattered. Now your beautiful dress does nothing to help you.

Only inner strength and equipoise can continue to keep you calm, cheerful and unruffled. For this you have to activate the divine core within, from which flows a perennial stream of peace and tranquillity.

Imitation cannot give you peace. So, watch your attitude, thoughts, words and desires. Be aware of the calmness in your inner core and try to retain it.

External beauty is temporary. Inner beauty is permanent and eternal. This is the beauty we need and this is what we gain when we activate ourselves. This is the beauty God recognises. So seek love, for you seek inner beauty. Direct your mind to a higher ideal.

When you see the divine beauty concealed in your own heart, you also see it in others. “Do not see, seek”. Don’t look merely at the external form, but also at the divinity within. Today when you see a beggar, you will give him alms.

You will not pat him on the back or shake his hand. If your child comes home, dirty from the playground and calls you “Mummy, Daddy …”, you hug him with love.

If a child in rags comes to you, you drive him away because you don’t love him. For the realised soul a beggar and a king are equally divine and beautiful because he has activated his inner core.

When you imitate you only see. When you activate you seek. The difference between “see” and “seek” is the “k”. That “k” is kindness or karuna.

When there is care, compassion and kindness, nothing else matters. So let us stop imitating. Let us evaluate ourselves and nurture the divine core within. Let us seek. Let us activate.

It begins with taking a deep look into the mirror. When you do so, your awakened conscience will reveal the truth of where you are in life. Do you see the areas in your life that require improvements?….or ….. Do you see the biases, jealousies and childish pettiness?….or….. Do you see all the things that keep you entrenched in boredom and inactivity? If you see any of these things, please know that all it takes is a conscious effort to be better. That effort begins with our life gift called  initiative. Yes, we are all receptors of that universal gift called initiative. Initiative is the enabler to a lifelong journey through improvements of unimaginable proportion. It is responsible for the sweetest happiness we experience everyday and yet seem to take for granted. Today, use that initiative to be a better human being…a better husband, wife, parent, teacher, friend and most of all a better you.

You can easily research the home loans. This is the first thing that should be done as you cannot start looking for a home before determining your price range. Often you may have to lower your expectations. Size, location and price are often the barrier between you and having the perfect home. During my novitiate in cleaning Melbourne I have seen many people that are willing to give everything so that their homes are like dream-sent, which makes it even more evident how much people value their homes.

When on a limited budget it is absolutely advisable to look for a place that offer those features that are absolutely demanded. In simple words, do not go for extras, get the basics but quality ones.

However, if you can afford a bit more you can have a list of more preferences. But no matter what is the case you should certainly investigate the neighbourhood you intend to move in. You may be well aware of the area as a whole but it is worth having a closer look at the vicinities. For example, when we were in Australia several summers ago, cleaning Melbourne took me in many houses and the whole experience taught me a lot.

Finally, when you have decided on exactly what to look for, during the walk troughs use a check list on which to note the details, whether you like them or not. After visiting several properties you will have a clear base for comparison. Of course, this can only make your choice easier.

A few years ago, I joined toastmasters because I knew I wasn’t good enough as a communicator. I used to stutter in front of a crowd. After being on stage I used to feel like I should have done better, then I would feel disappointed about myself. During my first speech in the toastmasters meeting, I really couldn’t construct my thoughts on stage clear. I was almost talking nonsense.

I used to feel the literal meaning of having mental block. Maybe it should have been called mental blank because during the moment I really felt like my mind went blank. Have you experience joining a speech contest Tagalog category where you speak English almost throughout the speech. I experienced that back in college. If Jose Rizal was there at the moment, he would have told me “you stink like a fish!” It was embarrassing. I felt like I was a dumb person for what I did. I knew I was better than that. During those times, I just didn’t know how to make use of my belief that I have potential.

I told myself that I don’t want to die having such belief and not making use of it. My hidden potential (as I strongly believed I have) would only be as valuable as a waste if I wouldn’t be able to unleash it and put it into practice. It would also just die in vain. And either I don’t want to die in vain holding the faith I didn’t make use of. Everyone has potentials. We just don’t have the same means to discovering them. Anything we have that we don’t utilize is useless or (in less harsh term) not an added value to us.

One perfect avenue to discover my true potential is through toastmasters club. For more than 2 years, I feel better about myself. More than becoming better in communication and leadership, I feel like I have become a more responsible person. Part of the commitments of the club is to help each other through encouragement. The club teaches me to be tactful. As a unique practice in toastmasters clubs, we point out areas of improvements from a person’s speech by evaluation. Giving an evaluation is exactly opposite to criticizing. It is not a way of telling what you did wrong but what could be done to make things better. It is not either a practice of giving false flattering comments. As a toastmaster myself, I know doing an evaluation needs loads of sincerity.

Now that I have personally experienced the benefit of being part of the club, I will continue to be a living proof of what toastmasters is all about. More than that, as a toastmaster I will try to help those who need my little help. It’s a pact!

Image via Wikipedia

Edita Morkvėnaitė

Always keep your health in mind! 

Whenever you do anything you should automatically be thinking about your health after doing it! Now don’t see this as something that will cause you not to do things that you want to do, but see it as a helpful guide of what’s good for your body and what’s bad… While sometimes bad things can’t be refrained from your body, you can put the work into making sure that you keep yourself healthy! Remember you only have one body in life, and if you look after your body well, it’ll look after you back! 

Image by lukehsu0327 via Flickr

3 Ways to truly maximise your life! 

Before we get into the details I’d like to say that almost everything is good in it’s own balance, so too much of ANYTHING can be quite damaging for your life! I also want to share with you this awesome video which can really help you if you listen to it carefully! 

1. Get moving! – Guess what!? Movement is life! So if daily you’re not moving with an immense smile on your face you can’t be living! Well at least you cannot be living very happily… Try this right now while you have time, grab some clothes, grab some trainers and go for a 10 minute run around the block. Now come back, and see how fantastic you feel for doing it! Of course you’ll be sweating like crazy if you don’t exercise much, however after 5 minutes you might even want to go for another run! 
2. Plan out where you wan to go in life! – By setting out where you want to go in life, you’re really giving yourself meaning to live! Now if you’re one of those people who unfortunately don’t take control of where they want to go, someone else will do it for you and you might not like where you end up! So daily always make sure you know with confidence where you want to go, by writing down a list of goals wit the date of their achievement! Without the date of their achievement, goals are actually just dreams or aspirations! 
3. Change what you think of yourself! – Now this is mentioned in one of this guy’s videos, but seriously by changing how you think of yourself you can achieve so much more! You personally at the moment (if you’re not a millionaire) think that it’s impossible for you to become one. However that’s only because of your your own self image! start today by changing your self image, and making so that you believe you can become a millionaire, and I can almost guarantee once you actually start believing you will succeed!  That’s the power of the human brain! 

Well thatnk you for reading my article today guys, and I really hope it heolped you a lot since I’m trying to improve my writing quality so you get more out of my articles! Please leave some feedback so that I can improve on what isn’t so great, and be happy about what is great about this piece of work here! Thank you!  

1. Communication – Not “have you put the trash out yet?” But actual communication. Yeah, it’s frustrating and it feels as though your the only one doing anything but, you will find that after a bit of a chat that men wont see it as a chore. It will also boost their ego. Even a white lie goes a long way, for both men and women. (There is some different about you today, have you been… working out? or eating different because you have this like… glow? Or Your butt looks amazing in those pants?… For a woman) Haha… Eh?

Since we usually just hand the cigarette to our neighbor through the door, my wife answered the door ready with a cigarette in hand. I was in my office, still trying to get through all the emails from my on-line class’s discussion forum, paying little attention to the conversation at the door. That is, until I heard the words “Oh…oh my god! Hang on just one minute, I’m sorry, the house is a mess and we’re all still in our pajamas!” and quickly realized it was probably not just our neighbor asking for a cigarette. My wife came running into my office, excited and pale. At first It was the cops or something bad, but the giant smile on my wife’s face told me not to worry. She frantically explained that at our front door, was the publisher’s clearing house prize patrol, and I nearly had a heart attack. It was kind of like that feeling you get the first time on a roller coaster, or skydiving. I didn’t know what to do, say, or think. I was stunned! Totally! I quickly put on some slippers and ran out the door to greet my new best friends while my wife struggled to get herself and the kiddo dressed and ready to be on camera. The Camera was the first thing I saw when I ran outside my house, and I soon realized I should have changed as well; or at the very least, a quick shave would have been helpful. However, the second thing I noticed was the big, giant check for ten million dollars, and I thought to myself, “I just won ten million dollars – who cares what I look like!”. Oh, the way it felt to have something like this fall into my lap was more than I can describe in a single article! 

My hands were trembling throughout the entire video interview and photo shoot with the big giant check. I wondered if my bank teller had ever had to cash a check this large. I assumed they hadn’t yet, and began to wonder where they would put such a big check; and also, should I endorse it with my normal signature, or should I make my endorsement proportionate to the size of the check? They informed me that the giant check was just for show, and that I would recieve the real payment in 7-10 days, via direct deposit, minus taxes. After completing all of the ‘winner forms’, the whole prize patrol crew shook all of our hands, and gave my daughter a cherry sucker – her favorite. And then they were gone – in a matter of minutes. Just ilke that, my dream came knocking on my door, then its messengers left us all in shock and awe. I had so much going through my mind at that moment, I almost needed a nap – just to help it all soak in! I know at one point I pinched myself just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. 

It didn’t take long for it to hit me, that this was not just luck, and was not just a coincidence. This was the works of the law of attraction. I had been trying to manifest becoming a millionaire since I realized it was even a remote possibility. After many successful attempts with ’smaller’ or ‘easier’ goals, and not so much with the big ones, I decided to step back for a minute and re-align my goals, and decide what else could be holding me back. After doing so, I had determined what I thought was a reasonable goal. I was going to set the intention in motion, that I was going to attract ten million dollars into my life! Here’s where it gets weird; it had only been a couple days since I had come to this conclusive intention, before I got an unusual pop-up on my computer for this very sweep-stake advertisement. The pop up was actually for two sweepstakes: one for five thousand dollars a week for life, and another for ten million dollars. I clicked on it, and was immediately sickened to see the same old magazine advertisements my grandma used to get for the same publisher’s clearing house. I thought to myself “There is no way in hell I’m getting sucked into buying a bunch of magazines just to try and win…”. I clicked the exit button without hesitation, and went about my merry way not thinking twice about it until the very next day, when I got the same pop up – out of nowhere. I don’t even know why I looked at it again, this second time, but I did. After a little closer examination of the page, I discovered a disclaimer at the bottom stating that no purchase was necessary, and that a purchase does not increase your chances of winning. After seeing this, I figured “what the hell, why not?”, and started signing up for just about every entry that came my way, even if it was ’spam’, and even if it was for the same exact giveaway (I also figured if they let me, then it could only help, after all). I did this, repeatedly, for about a month. All while telling myself that it was for me; it was mine, Indefinitely. I was almost so pushy about it, I felt like I was my own coach, pushing myself through the game – head on, like there was no way I could loose.  

All of this and more swam in my head for the next ten days. Then the most shocking part of it all, was seeing it physically in my account! I really had a hard time believing my eyes the first few times I looked at it. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for this golden egg of opportunity falling into my lap. As soon as I got home, I dug out my checkbook, dusted it off, and started writing checks; first to those I owed(credit debt, etc), then to my closest loved ones, then to those I knew that could use a break, and then to some charities that meant a lot to me. When I looked at what I still had left on my ledger, I wrote checks to my enemies – not to make up, but just because I had seen that they were in need and I was able to, through gratitude, look past our transgressions and not play favorites. I then looked at the amount I had left for myself, which was still more than enough to get the rest of my aspirations in motion, and every powerful intention to do so, because I had now just seen the power of the law of attraction, and knew that no matter what, I can and will accomplish everything I intend to.

TAKE UP A SPORT

Taking up a sport will not only give you a sense of accomplishment, it will also keep you fit and active. Team sports are even better still as they’ll make you feel like your a part of something. If you really need to spice up your life why not take up an extreme sport. Sky diving, Mountain biking, Rock climbing, Parkour it does’nt really matter which you take up, as all will give you a great adrenaline rush.

LEARN A LANGUAGE

Why not do something productive with your time. Learning a language can be a lot of fun and very useful when abroad. And even if you don’t go abroad that much, showing of to your friends will still feel great. Now if your put off by the thoughts of scarring memories you may have of learning a language in school, don’t be. Learning a language in a language class is a million miles a way from the poetry and verbs nightmare of instituitionalised learning. Even if you can’t afford language classes there are some brilliant learn at home audiobooks you could pick up very cheaply.

LEARN TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT

As far as learning new skills go learning and instrument has to be one of the coolest. There’s nothing like whipping out an electric guitar in front of some guests and pumping out and awesome solo. Now no one is saying that learning a new instrument is easy, you need a lot of time and a lot of will power, but the sense of achievement you get when learn to play your first full piece is unparalleled. If electric guitar isn’t your thing then they’re are plenty of other instruments out there, piano, drums, violin, saxophone, keyboard, just pick one that feels right for you.

QUIT YOUR JOB

Probably one of the biggest culprits for people getting stuck in a rut is the monotony of the 9-5 job. Ask yourself are you really happy doing what your doing. If the answer to this is “no” then perhaps you should think about quitting.Ice cream truck driver, lion tamer, zoo keeper, cook? There’s something out there that you’ve always wanted to do, well now is the time to do it. Not right away of course really think about your next step, have something lined up before you quit.

TAKE DRUGS

WAIT. DON’T PANIC. Hear me out first. I’m not talking about going to the nearest street corner and scoring some heroin or meth of your nearest dealer. I don’t reccommend, in fact I’m vehemently against taking illegal drugs of any kind. But there are plenty of perfectly legal and safe drugs out there, which when taken RESPONSIBLY and in MODERATION can give you a whole new outlook on life. A nice example of this would be a herb called Kratom.

GET A PET

A pet will give you a sense of responsibility and they have the added bonus of being a hell of a lot of fun. Doesn’t really matter which pet you get could be a dog, a cat, a fish, a bird, a pig, the list is endless, but looking after a pet is a lot of work so make sure your up to it before you get one.

RETAIL THERAPY

Got some extra cash lying around for a rainy day? Why not use it. Live life in the here and now, go out and treat yourself. New clothes, a new laptop, maybe even a new car?

LEARN TO FIGHT

Take up boxing, karate, jiu jitsu or any of the other of the thousands of fighting variations out there. This will not only keep you fit and give you goals (such as the various different belts in karate) but it will also give you the confidence to defend yourself should the situation ever arise. You will also get an amazing sense of empowerment from it.

GO TRAVELING

Easily one of the best ways to get out of a rut if you can afford it. Get out and see some of the world. And I don’t mean spain of france or italy or wherever else you’ve been on holidays before. Go somewhere new. Why not try China, Russia, Thailand, Austria. Just go of the beaten track really. This can open your eyes in a way that nothing else on this list can.

This is only a tiny tiny tiny example of the many thousands of things you can do to get out of your current situation. Whatever you do decide to do just remember that life is finite and that your very lucky to be here on this planet, don’t waste that by doing something that your not happy doing. Good Luck!

Here are some suggestions, which will help you study with interest and concentration. Practicing new words by using exercises will build your vocabulary and definitely help you improve your English. And since all learners have different strategies for learning new words, these suggestions will also make you learn the way you prefer to learn.

Knowing a word is a complicated business. You should be aware of the following things about a word before you are able to use it:

-Its spelling

-Its pronunciation

-What it means

-Its comprehension in context

-Which words it is frequently used with

-Its grammatical usage

These various approaches of knowing words are noteworthy when you write down and make a record of any new words. When you encounter a new word, you should find out and write down the meaning, the translation, the word used in context in a model sentence, and the pronunciation of the word.

Think about your previous language learning experiences. Has learning or understanding different words helped you? Do you enjoy learning new words or do you find it very boring? Is it important to you to be perfectly accurate in all the words you use, or are you happy if you are able to communicate with a bare minimum of words? All language learners have their own different views as to how important it is for them to learn new words. This is because we all have different interests, needs, etc. in life, which we find significant. Try to learn new words in areas that interest you. Different words are important for different people. What sort of vocabulary is important to you? Keep this in mind when you are learning new words – do the words largely concern you?

Sources to learn new words

* Gatherings/classrooms

When in gatherings or your classroom, if your friends or teachers use a word that puzzles you, ask what it means. You’ll find that most people, specially instructors are not in the least bothered by such questions. In fact, they’re probably pleased that you’re paying such close attention! But if they do seem bothered, write down the word and look it up in the dictionary later, before the context of the word evaporates.

* A good dictionary

The dictionary should be one of the most frequently used books for you. Acquire and make use of a good English dictionary. Make an effort not to translate all the time, but utilize your dictionary to locate new words and their meanings. The dictionary should be large enough to contain much more than just spellings. It should contain extensive definitions, word origins, and notes on usage. Make sure you correctly understand the definition of a word before using it while speaking or writing. Get into the habit of turning to a dictionary often. A well-worn dictionary is a beautiful thing.

You can also make use of the Internet to acquire new words. You can develop your vocabulary by exploring the abundant reading material available on the Internet. For example you can use the web to:

– Learn new English words. Click on all the ways that will help you learn new words.

– Look for websites about your hobbies. Print them out and write down new words and definitions also if you think they are useful. You can even carry your notes around with you as your personal vocabulary builder.

– Watch video clips of the latest world news. Read some stories and write down new words. Download the lyrics of your favourite English songs from the Internet. Are there any new words in them?

Suggestions

* The notepad

Obtain a notepad to write down all the new words, which are important to you. You could write down the meanings, a translation if you need, a sentence using the word for clarity or even draw a picture.

* Revision

Always go back and review the words in your notebook! Keep a regular time in your study week to revise new words and to practice them again. Get a friend to test you on your new words.

Learn to relate among different words

Different subject matter, books, stories or novels introduce new words that can be related in context or meaning. You can enrich your vocabulary by grouping related words. You can group words according to topic, pronunciation (e.g. same prefixes, same suffixes), meanings, word group (e.g. verbs, nouns, syllables) or context. Use drawings, pictures and translations when you write down new words.

Read as well as listen

Numerous learners seem to be able to pick up new words in English without any formal study. However, they cannot do this without listening to and reading a lot of English. Please take every opportunity to read, listen to, speak and write in English.