Wisdom

Wisdom from India in the form of proverbs and quotes

06/16/2021 by Roy Sutton

India is a vast country with an enormous population and it’s a source of great wisdom too. Many great thinkers have been influenced by wisdom from India.

So today let’s explore some wisdom from India in the form of proverbs, sayings and quotes.

I have the greatest respect for India, its traditions and culture and I’ve learned much from Indian philosophy and thinking.

So take a few moments and reflect on some of the wisdom from one of the greatest civilisations on this planet we call Earth.

Wisdom from India (1-20):

If you can, you must. ~Bikram Choudhury
There is no hand to catch time. ~Indian Proverb
Alertness and courage are life’s shields. ~Indian Wisdom
When the flower blooms, the bees come uninvited. ~Ramakrishna
Where the needle goes, the thread follows. ~Indian Proverb
You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. ~Indira Gandhi
What was hard to bear is sweet to remember. ~Indian Wisdom
Great anger is more destructive than the sword. ~Indian Wisdom
Yesterday is but a dream, tomorrow but a vision. ~Indian Wisdom
Don’t bargain for fish that are still in the water. ~Indian Wisdom
Pull someone by the ears and his head will follow. ~Indian Proverb
Walking slowly, even the donkey will reach Lhasa. ~Indian Proverb
Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success. ~Virat Kohli
The eyes do not see what the mind does not want. ~Indian Wisdom
The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest. ~Deepika Padukone
I have lanced many boils, but none pained like my own. ~Indian Proverb
You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Mahatma Gandhi
Success is not a good teacher, failure makes you humble. ~Shah Rukh Khan
Let come what comes, let go what goes. See what remains. ~Ramana Maharshi
Cultivation of the mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence. ~BR Ambedkar

Wisdom from India (21-33):

They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing. ~Indian Proverb
I had no shoes and complained until I saw a man who had no feet. ~Indian Wisdom
Certain things capture the eye but pursue only those that capture the heart. ~Indian Wisdom
What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. ~Salman Rushdie
Excellence endures and sustains. It goes beyond motivation into the realms of inspiration. ~Azim Premji
You can take the Indian out of the family, but you cannot take the family out of the Indian. ~Amit Kalantri
Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success. ~Swami Sivananda
You sometimes forget the harm that was done to you, but never the harm you have done to others. ~Indian Wisdom
There’s nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your former self. ~Indian Wisdom
Happiness radiates like the fragrance from a flower and draws all good things towards you. ~Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far. ~Swami Vivekananda
A man is born alone and dies alone, and he experiences the good and bad consequences of his karma alone, and he goes alone to hell or the Supreme abode. ~Chanakya
We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. ~Albert Einstein

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How to build character: 11 steps to success

05/30/2021 by Roy Sutton

How to build character? Now that’s a question I get asked frequently.

Whether it’s someone seeking to build their own character or wanting to help improve character in someone else, I hear it often.

However, the obvious, supplementary question is, what is meant by character?

There’s a difference between being a character and being of character.

The former expression just refers to someone being a little bit eccentric, a wit perhaps, or even a raconteur. However, that’s not the subject of this post, despite these being admirable qualities, of course.

The point being considered here is how to become a person of character.

So what does it mean to be a person of character?

First of all, people of character usually do what is right regardless of whether they’re being watched or not.

They also display traits such as honesty, integrity, courage, manners, self-reliance, commitment, and determination.

The comedian Will Rogers once jokingly observed that to be of character people should “live in such a way that they wouldn’t be ashamed to sell their parrot to the town gossip.”

So being of good character is an important thing to be, I think.

Developing good character:

If achieving sustained success is your aim then talent alone isn’t enough. Talent might get you into the limelight briefly but without strong character, you’re unlikely to remain there for too long.

The process of developing good character is one that is ongoing too. So you have to keep working on it.

Essentially character is composed of 3 things:-

Values: Having the right values and knowing what matters most.
Doing what is right: Even when no one is watching.
Being a decent person: Showing wisdom, honesty, integrity, love, humility, loyalty, courage, compassion, empathy, self-awareness, and a willingness to recognize fair criticism.

We all have at least some work to do if we are to become and remain people of good character.

This is an area where constant improvement is necessary, however good you may be right now.

Some people may be well on the way to being of good character, whilst others may have a lot of work to do yet.

However, those that are still some way off can change and they can grow in character. You can be better if you want to be better and you can practice the behaviours necessary. These include:-

Decide you will be better:

As mature adults, our first duty is to take care of ourselves and to be the best people we can be. To live lives worthy of respect. So decide to be the person you really could be.

Life-long learning:

It doesn’t matter how good you are, there’s always room for improvement.

Improvement comes through education and learning, whether formal or informal, and experience is gained by doing, making mistakes and learning the lessons from those mistakes made.

Work on yourself:

To quote the late, great Jim Rohn, “Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” We’re all works in progress. Make sure you keep getting better.

Don’t leave them saying, “She used to be really good.” When they speak of you, make sure they say, “She just keeps getting better. She’s an example to us all.” That applies equally to ‘He’ too, of course.

Pursue excellence:

If anything is worth doing then it’s worth doing properly. The way you live your life is no exception.

Add value:

Our contribution to society is in the value we add.

That might be in the example we set or the work that we produce.

We don’t get paid for the hour. What we actually get paid for is the value that we put into the hour. So make sure you leave every situation better than you found it.

Be determined:

If success is your aim, it won’t happen without hard work and determination.

Being good is not enough. You must be determined to get to where you really, really want to go. That’s everything if success is your aim.

Be persistent:

Never accept an answer unless it’s the want you want.

And never accept any outcome as the final outcome unless it’s the one that you want.

Most importantly, never quit until you get to where you really want to be or you’ve achieved the goal that you set for yourself.

Remember; winners never quit and quitters never win. Be the winner you can be, with determination and hard work.

Accept every challenge:

Never underestimate the importance of taking on a challenge.

A challenge provides us with experience through which we’ll learn powerful lessons.

It’s also the means through which character is developed in the process.

Not only will you learn more about your own character, but you’ll learn about your capacity to achieve.

Ask yourself some searching questions:

It is a fact that too many people go to their graves with their full potential unrealized.

They never quite develop their characters to the point where they leave a genuine legacy and an example for others to follow.

Ask yourself this question, “If I were to die tomorrow, how will I be remembered at my funeral?”

What would people say about you? What qualities would they use to describe you?

How would you prefer to be remembered?

What would you like people to say about you? And how can you change now to ensure they do?

Depending on the answers to those questions, you may well decide to make a few changes in your life.

Where to go from here:

If you recognize the need to change, start with your values.

What values will you live by, from now until dead?

Now, of course, it’s not just about values but value too. Be a person with values and of value.

So, what value will you add to the lives of others from now on?

Then think about challenges you could take on to build your character.

In taking on a challenge we can often surprise ourselves in terms of just how far we can go.

Through a challenge, you can learn new skills, sharpen existing skills, and improve your self-confidence.

Move out of your comfort zone:

A challenge is an opportunity to grow, it’s an opportunity to learn, and it’s an opportunity to make progress towards becoming the person you really could be.

It’s true that challenges are hard and, of course, they’re meant to be.

Challenges push us out of our comfort zone and that’s the whole point. Unless we move out of our comfort zone, how can we possibly grow as people?

Never fear failure:

So embrace challenges but never fear failing at a challenge; your only fear should be never realizing your full potential because you failed to move out of your comfort zone.

Do well in a challenge and it can provide you with benefits you couldn’t have imagined before you started.

At the very least every challenge makes you that little bit stronger and builds your character, so you really can’t lose.

So do you have some changes to make?

If so, what and by when?

Write them all down and make a plan. Now! It’s never too late to be the person you really could be.

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Building personal branding for success

05/29/2021 by Roy Sutton

Personal branding says something about you. And personal branding for success is something which you should take seriously if your aim is to be successful.

How you present yourself to the world is being judged all the time and people will draw conclusions about you based simply on their perception of you and how you look.

That may not seem fair but in my experience, it’s almost always true. And reputations can often be built largely based on other peoples’ perception of you.

So, is personal branding something that matters to you dear reader?

In your opinion, does it matter what you look like; how you dress; how you speak; or what people see in your digital footprint on social media and elsewhere? Certainly, it should do.

What do you think? Does your reputation matter to you?

Perhaps you believe that the only thing that really matters is the quality of the work that you do?

If that’s true then you may not see the need to worry about your personal branding.

However, I can assure you, you really are being judged all of the time, whether you like it or not.

The importance of personal branding:

Think about it for one moment. Now, how often have you walked into an open plan office area looking for a manager you’ve not met and yet you have no trouble spotting who he or she is, immediately?

You just can’t miss them, can you? There’s just something about them that says, ‘I am the manager!‘ Well, that’s personal branding.

It’s the same thing with social media.

How you conduct yourself within your digital footprint will speak volumes about you and it will have an impact on how you’re perceived by others.

A silly remark on social media about other people or the latest news can prove very costly and may have implications in future years because it could suggest something about your judgement, or lack of it.

Jobs have been lost and people have been forced to resign over ill-judged comments made on social media, often many years before.

So you have to ask yourself, do I really want to be successful in my chosen field?

If you do then you must ensure that your personal branding is consistent with your ambition. To be the one, you must look like the one, in every respect.

You must also promote yourself in the right way, at every opportunity.

Self-promotion is important because it’s all about selling yourself and making sure you’re perceived by the world in the way you’d prefer to be perceived.

If you don’t sell yourself and create the right image for yourself then no one else is going to do it for you, that’s for sure. Constantly working on your personal branding must be part of your strategy for achieving success.

The good news is that with WordPress, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Linked In and other social media channels, it’s never been easier to promote yourself, create the right image, build relationships and tell the world what it is you have to offer.

So the obvious question now is, where do you start on building a personal brand?

Building a personal brand:

In the video below, recorded at TEDxCMU 2011, Jacob Cass presents some interesting and useful ideas as to how you can go about building your personal brand.

This video will provide you with some useful tips and it’s well worth watching.

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Why you should teach your children that failure doesn’t matter

05/28/2021 by Roy Sutton

1. What is success?

We all want our children to reach their full potential, don’t we?

We want our children to lead lives in which they’re happy and fulfilled, I’m sure you’ll agree dear reader.

My definition of success is, ‘continually doing the best I can to exploit my full potential whilst making sure that I enjoy each and every day as it comes along‘.

I don’t want to live forever but I do want to live right now.

There are many things I want. Firstly, I want to enjoy the work I do. I want to be stretched, growing in character and strength all the time. And even as an increasingly mature adult, I remain keen to learn something new every day. If I keep learning, I won’t become old before my time.

My philosophy about life and success I gained from my parents and it’s something I try to pass on to the next generation.

Essentially my philosophy is that it’s better to try and fail than it is to spend the rest of my life wondering what might have been.

If I have a go, either I’ll succeed or I’ll learn a valuable lesson. And if it proves to be a lesson then it will be one I won’t forget. In other words, I can’t lose.

2. There’s no such thing as a failure:

There are two things you should always remember about what we refer to as failure:-

There’s no such thing as failure. Just outcomes you didn’t want and opportunities to learn and try again.
Failure is an outcome; it’s never a person. A person cannot be a failure, ever!

Unfortunately, we often label people as failures, and that label’s burden can become something difficult to bear and even harder to shake off. Parents and teachers can often be guilty of this, however unintentionally.

Teach children that it’s much more important to try and they should never, ever worry about failure.

If children can appreciate that failure is just an outcome other than what they wanted, they’ll be better placed to learn the lessons and do better next time.

And those lessons learned will be more valuable to children than anything an adult can tell them.

If you tell me the stove is hot I may not remember. If I burn my hand on a hot stove, I’ll only do it once and I’ll never forget. That’s a valuable commodity known as experience.

If we keep trying we’ll learn and if we keep learning eventually we can all be successful.

3. Teach your children well:

The best way to teach children about success is to teach them that failure is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s an essential ingredient for achieving success.

Teach children never to fear failure. As long as they learn the lessons then failure doesn’t matter at all.

So teach your children to have a go and to make sure they enjoy the experience along the way too.

Let them know that either they’ll succeed or they’ll learn a lesson. Either way, they’ll gain and of course, they’ll grow in character as well.

And remember also; we can only truly appreciate success if we’ve experienced a few failures along the road. And to fail occasionally helps to keep us humble too and that’s no bad thing, is it?

4. Force for good

If you think about it, failure is in fact a force for good.

Failure is simply a natural part of life and learning. No one starts out as a master of their craft. Every successful person started out as a complete beginner.

Everyone fails occasionally and at any given time we’re more likely to fail than we are to succeed.

Learning from failure makes us wiser of course and it makes us tougher too. It builds character.

Failure is never desirable as such but it’s very useful. It’s also inevitable, at least sometimes.

The only way to avoid failure is to avoid risks and challenges and then you cannot learn and you cannot grow as a person. If you never try anything you can never be anything. And what would be the point of that?

5. Secret to success

The secret to success is to use all your unsuccessful experiences as stepping stones to achieving your aims.

Failure is never final and we should not allow an unsuccessful experience to discourage us or cause us to give up. All too often people give up just as they’re on the verge of success.

REMEMBER: Failure is not, nor will it ever be, a person.

Next time your child gets an outcome he or she didn’t want, reassure him or her that though it might be disappointing, it’s not a problem and nor should they think otherwise.

Always reassure them that a failure is simply an opportunity to learn a lesson and try again. However make sure they recognize the lesson to be learned.

Anyone experiencing failure should simply reflect on their actions and the outcome to discover the underlying lesson within.

Then we simply use the knowledge gained to guide future efforts.

Perseverance and persistence will get us there in the end.

Teach your children well but never, ever allow them to believe they’re in any way a failure. Just encourage them to use the experience of undesirable outcomes to be a bit smarter next time.

Do that and you’ll prepare them well for their life ahead.

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How to find and do work you love, now and forever

05/27/2021 by Roy Sutton

How to find and do work you love? A great question for all you very intelligent readers to contemplate today.

Now not everyone will find the answer of course but most people frequently ask this question in my experience.

Job satisfaction:

How many people would say they get job satisfaction from their work, in percentage terms?

Apparently it’s only around 20%.

That would suggest that 80% of all people hate their jobs.

If true, I think that matters and it’s especially relevant to society if you think about it. Why?

Quite simply because it suggests that most people will not be quite as productive as they might otherwise be. Let’s face it, you can’t really be at your most productive if you’re not happy in your job.

A sense of purpose:

So dear reader, which side are you on?

Does your workplace you in the 20% who enjoy job satisfaction or are you one of the 80%?

Essentially job satisfaction comes as a result of doing work that gives us a sense of purpose.

If we have a genuine sense of purpose, we’ll have a strong desire to do our work well. And we can only do it to the best of our ability if it really matters to us.

Doing our work well matters because that’s how we make a difference.

Hence that’s how we make a contribution and leave a legacy behind us.

So in that sense job satisfaction certainly matters.

Consider your work:

Does your work really matter to you?

And does it give you a sense of purpose? Perhaps it’s simply the means for paying your bills?

Do you get out of bed each morning looking forward to the day ahead?

No job is ever perfect but, given work takes up a third of our lives, it’s essential that we enjoy what we do and derive at least some job satisfaction from it.

Maybe there’ll be some elements of a given job we dislike but mostly we should enjoy our work because that way we’re better placed to do it well.

In the inspirational TEDx Talk video embedded below, Scott Dinsmore explains how in the early part of his career he was encouraged to do any job just to build up his resumé.

However, he very quickly realized that this approach was unwise and resulted in no job satisfaction.

He makes his point with an excellent quote from Warren Buffett who said, “Taking any job just to build your resumé is like putting off sex until your old age.”

Now, why would that make sense?

Experience is important of course but work should not just be about building your resumé.

Work should be about adding value and making a meaningful contribution to society.

It should be about using your skills and natural talent to make a difference to the lives of others.

So, if success is your aim then the work you do must matter to you.

If you find work you enjoy then job satisfaction will follow.

Put simply, if you like the work you do you’ll do it well. And if you do it well people will notice. And once people begin to notice you then you’re on your way to achieving real success.

Knowledge required:

The trick is to find work that you can’t not do.

Something you’d happily do for nothing if you couldn’t find someone to pay you to do it.

That’s the basis for real job satisfaction.

All of this is more easily said than done of course.

Perhaps you’ve no idea about what matters to you in terms of work?

If you’re relatively young and new to the world of work how could you possibly know? In that case you need to start improving your basic knowledge and awareness.

1. Know yourself:

A good starting point for improving your knowledge is becoming a self-expert. Knowing just what you have in your arsenal.

What are your unique strengths?
What are your weaknesses?
What fills you with enthusiasm?
What fills you with dread?
What do you love to do?
What do you hate doing?

If I asked someone you knew well to tell me what you’re good at what would they say?

For what activity do they regard you as the ‘go to’ person?
What do they regularly thank you for?
What would you do for fun if you couldn’t do it for a living?
On what activity can you lose yourself for hours at a time?

By answering these questions and others like them you’ll get a better idea of what you’re looking for. And let’s face it, if you don’t know what you’re looking for you’ll never find it.

2. Know your values:

What do you regard as your set of values? What moral framework matters to you when you’re making decisions?

What would you not do simply because you wouldn’t want to disappoint your family? What would make you feel proud if you were to tell your family that’s what you’re doing?

Anything you choose to do should be congruent with your own set of values.

3. Know your experiences:

The most powerful lessons in life come from the mistakes we make. The lessons we learn from our own mistakes and the things we’ve done are collectively known as experience. And experience is a valuable commodity.

Pay attention to your experience. Think about the things you’ve done right. Think about the things you’ve done wrong.

When have you felt completely in control of a situation regardless of the challenges you face?

When have you felt completely out of your depth?

Think about the things you’ve enjoyed doing. Think about those activities you really hated.

4. Know what matters to you:

In crude but simple language the underlying question here is, “What is it that you actually DO ‘give a shit’ about?”

We tend to do stuff because other people suggest it’s what we should be doing. However, it really should be about what actually matters to us.

Identify what it is that makes you come alive and makes you feel energized.

John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi famously said, “Playing the guitar is all very well John but you’ll never make a living at it.”

Fortunately, John didn’t listen to her and his guitar helped him to make a very lucrative living because he really enjoyed writing songs and playing music.

In fact, his creative output continues to generate millions of dollars for his estate 40 years after his death.

John Lennon did well because he did something he enjoyed doing and he didn’t allow himself to be influenced by those who thought he should pursue a different line of work.

Confidence compounds:

By working to your strengths your confidence will grow.

Each success you have will improve your confidence. And as your confidence grows, one success will lead to another. It’s a virtuous circle.

Environment matters too:

Jim Rohn once said, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

Personally, I think this is true.

The people around you really do matter.

They influence you and their attitude rubs off on you.

Human beings are social animals and we exist within groups. We also have to fit into the group otherwise we’re very quickly ostracized by other group members.

Hang around with people who inspire possibility. People who lift you up and not pull you down. Mix with people who will influence you in a positive way. Find role models from whom you can learn.

How to find and do work you love:

Scott Dinsmore’s mission is to change the world by helping people find what excites them and build a career around the work only they are capable of doing.

If you can find the work you are compelled to do then you can add real value to your fellow human beings.

Discover what you’re really meant to do and you’ll be on to a winner.

You’ll also get maximum job satisfaction.

Therefore in conclusion, if you’ve yet to find what you’re looking for then keep looking until you do.

In the meantime, I recommend that you watch the video. It is thought-provoking and compelling and it will be a good use of your time.

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Did you find this article and video interesting and useful dear reader?

If so, then please share it on social media with your friends. When you share, everyone wins.

So please share it now. If you do I’ll be ever so grateful and you’ll be helping a keen blogger reach a wider audience.

Thank you.

How to love your job when you hate it

05/26/2021 by Roy Sutton

How to love your job when you hate it? A question I’ve been asked numerous times. My response is always the same. The best way to appreciate the job you have is to imagine your life without it.

That starts with taking a closer look at what’s good about it.

Life’s too short to hate your job:

Do you hate your job dear reader?

Do you tell everyone, at every opportunity that you hate your job?

By telling everyone you hate your job, do you imagine they’ll be impressed, or in some way feel sympathy for you?

Maybe you think, by doing this, your fellow workers will regard you as someone who’s unafraid to speak their mind?

Perhaps you think that in the eyes of your fellow workers this approach will make you look good, maybe?

Hold that thought and then consider this question. How do you feel about working with someone else who’s always moaning about how unhappy they are in their job?

Do you admire that person?

Do they impress you with their negativity?

My guess is that your response to my question will be negative. I’m sure you’ll be unimpressed with such people.

Everyone hates a moaner:

If you imagined that moaning about how unhappy you are is the best way to get people on your side then seriously you need to think again. Everyone hates a moaner, whatever indications you’ve heard to the contrary. Let me tell you this, no one’s impressed.

Your colleagues may not actually say so but they’ll find your negativity irritating at the very least. In fact, it’s probably driving them all nuts.

Life’s short and it’s hard enough for most people. So having some moaning Minnie constantly bringing them down just makes life harder.

Constant negativity is just a pain in the rear for most people.

Imagine your life without your job:

If your current mindset means you hate your job right now then the first thing to do is start changing that mindset. Start by looking at your job in a different way.

How?

Well, imagine your life without your current job? What would that be like? Think about that question carefully and be honest with yourself.

Without your job you’d have nothing to do; no reason to get out of bed; nowhere to go; no sense of purpose; nothing to challenge you; no money; and you’d be without the camaraderie of your fellow workers. You’d probably feel lonely and lack any real social life too.

How would that make you feel?

Would you feel better about yourself without those things?

I’m sure if you’re honest with yourself you’d realise that work gives us far more than we realise. I don’t think you’d really be happy without all those things mentioned above.

So the best way to begin appreciating your job is to imagine your life without it.

No job is perfect:

Most jobs come with an element of frustration and a spoonful of tedium. That’s life.

No job is perfect but no job is all bad either.

It’s just a matter of how you choose to look at things.

If you focus on the bad things then everything will seem bad. However, if you focus on the good bits then your job can begin to look very different and you’ll start to feel more positive about your work.

The fact is we all need to do something with our time, surely?

Even millionaires need to have something to fill their time.

There are only so many holidays you can take and so much shopping you can do.

Eventually, everyone needs a sense of purpose and we all want to feel that we’re making a contribution to the world around us.

Life’s a short movie:

Life’s far too short to be unhappy.

So if you hate your job then you have two choices:-

You find another job; or
You start looking differently at your current job.

And before you start searching the vacancy columns or the job websites, think carefully about what you might be throwing away, should you leave your current job.

Moving to another job doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be any happier.

Neither will it guarantee that you’ll find the perfect job for you.

So it’s worth thinking seriously about your current job first. At least it’s the devil you know.

Can you begin to look at your current job differently? Perhaps you need a little help?

I really hate my job:

Here’s a great motivational speech from the one and only Zig Ziglar that you might find very useful.

It’s full of great advice and well worth a few minutes of your time.

If you don’t like your job right now then you really should watch it.

Even if you do like your job, watch it anyway. I found it truly inspirational. So take a look at it now.

Further Listening:

I’m a huge fan of Zig Ziglar but I recognise that he had an evangelical presentation style that’s not to everyone’s taste.

However, if you can get beyond that presentation style then his words are inspirational and informative.

I particularly like his audiobooks which I listen to constantly when I’m driving.

One audiobook I can recommend is:-

The Born to Win Seminar

Listen to this and I promise you it will help you discover your untapped greatness and guide you towards greater success in life.

I bought my own copy of this audio program for my own personal library and it was well worth the price. I listen to it over and over again and I always find something new in his words.

You can check this audio program if you just CLICK HERE.

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How to love the life you live and live the life you love

05/06/2021 by Roy Sutton

Do you love the life you live? Do you enjoy your work? Life should never be just about work, but it’s a big part of our lives, so it affects how we feel about ourselves.

Do you get up each morning feeling inspired by what you’ll be doing during the day ahead?

A good question to ask yourself is the one Steve Jobs asks in the video below, “If you knew that today was the last day of your life would you still be happy doing what you have to do today?”

Knowing we will die one day reminds us that our time is precious and we should use it wisely.

Life is short and none of us knows when our final moment will arrive. So we must follow our heart and focus our energy on work that really matters to us.

If your work matters to you then you’ll do it well. And if you do it well you’ll make a difference. Make a difference and you’ll leave a legacy. Do this and you’ll love the life you live.

All of this is easier said than done, of course.

Many people experience life without any real sense of satisfaction. Far too many people experience a lifetime of disappointment and regret too. This all adds up to people living lives they don’t love.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to accept a less than satisfactory life.

If your life is unsatisfactory then you need to change. And change is possible.

A good place to start is by listening to the inspiring observations from the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, contained in the video ‘If today were the last day of my life’ included below. His words are thought-provoking and powerful. I found this video truly inspirational and I recommend it to you.

How to love the life you live:

Before you watch the video, ask yourself this question. Between now and dead would you be happy to continue with the life you have right now?

No?

Then you must change and keep changing until you love the life you live.

Never accept second best because life’s far too short.

Remember: Whilst you have to make a living, you also have to make a life as well. So, have no regrets. Start making the life you want to live as quickly as possible. It’s later than you think.

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The advantages of work: Why you should take it seriously

04/29/2021 by Roy Sutton

The advantages of work are many but often people fail to appreciate the importance of their work. So my question to you today dear reader is, how do you regard your work?

Perhaps for you, work is just a source of income but by no means your passion?

Maybe it’s something you must do simply because you desperately need an income but it doesn’t leave you feeling energized and motivated to do the best job you possibly could do?

Perhaps mostly you’re just going through the motions, doing the minimum you can get away with each day and longing for the weekend and time off?

Maybe you’re the sort of person who prefers to spend your time in the office chatting and drinking coffee with your workmates?

Does any of this sound like you dear reader or possibly a slightly exaggerated version of you?

If that’s not you and your work is your passion, or at least you take it seriously, then this article is not really for you.

This article is for readers who feel less than energised by the work they’re currently doing and those who need a timely reminder that there are good reasons for taking your work seriously.

Work is your livelihood:

If you’re not pulling your weight in your current job then you should know that it won’t have gone unnoticed. Just because your boss has yet to say anything doesn’t mean he or she hasn’t noticed.

And if you’re building a reputation for being a slacker then it’s only a matter of time before the company will find a reason to get rid of you, if you’re not careful.

You must appreciate that a business cannot carry costs that add little or no value to that business. That is, it can’t if its aim is to survive, at least.

Commercial reality will very quickly kick any business in the butt should its management fail to keep tight control on costs.

Companies are not registered charities.

Any costs must be covered by the prices charged. If a business bears unnecessary costs for long then the result will be pricing that is simply uncompetitive. And if the business isn’t competitive then it will lose out to the competition.

Think about that for a second. As a consumer, if Company A is selling a product at a lower price than Company B, where will you buy it? You’ll go for the best price every time. No customer loyalty will survive even a small saving in price. To believe otherwise would be naïve.

So if you’re not adding value then potentially you’re at risk of losing your job.

Your work is your livelihood, so losing your job could actually hurt you. In fact, the best way to appreciate your job is to imagine your life without it.

Work provides you with a sense of purpose:

The very essence of what work is all about is simple. Work is just doing stuff for other people in return for money. It gives us an income but it also gives us a sense of purpose.

Through work, we apply our skills and know-how to deliver an output or an outcome for someone else. That may be an individual or an organisation but either way we are paid for what we actually deliver.

Essentially that’s the psychological contract we enter into when we agree to do work for someone else.

If we’re not delivering what we’re paid to deliver then we’re not doing our job properly. We are not fulfilling the psychological contract that is work.

Taking pride in our work is important too. Our sense of purpose should drive us to do the best we can with the skills we have and we should be constantly seeking to improve.

If we don’t love what we do at any given time then we should be looking for ways to change our mindset to take a more positive view.

If we view our work positively then we’re more likely to be energised by it and if we’re energised by it then we’re more likely to do it well.

Work is how we make a difference:

You must also recognise that there’s a big difference between being busy and delivering real results. Never confuse industry with effectiveness. The two are very different things.

If I’m paying you to paint houses then the only measure I will use to judge you on is how well and how efficiently you paint houses. I don’t really care how helpful you might have been to the electrician or the refuse collector.

Being busy doesn’t count for anything unless you’re busy doing the right things. Doing the right things is how we make a real difference. And surely we’d all like to make a difference?

Other benefits:

Having a job actually provides us with many benefits.

For a start with the income it generates, it allows us to put a roof over our head and food on our table.

Managed carefully, the money we earn will put clothes on our backs and allow us to heat our homes.

And of course, it provides so much more too.

Having a job gives us status and our own income gives us a degree of independence and freedom.

All these things together improve our self-esteem.

And of course, work gives us a reason to get you out of bed each day.

Work is how we make a contribution to the society around us. Not just in what we actually do but also in the taxes we pay. That’s how we pull our weight and justify membership in the society in which we live.

However, let us not forget the camaraderie we enjoy with work colleagues. People are social animals and we need the company of others.

Yes, some of them will drive us nuts at times but mostly they’re good people just like us, with lives just like ours and with whom we can relate.

We share their laughs and we share their tears too at times; the good times and the bad times; it all makes life worth living.

Work allows us to engage with other people and that’s very important.

Your work can be your legacy too:

Work is what we do for other people and what we’ve done for other people is how we’ll be remembered long after we’re gone. So potentially your work is your legacy.

On that basis, whatever you do strive to do it well.

It might not seem much to you but it will matter to other people.

Have a sense of pride in your work whatever it is. It doesn’t matter whether you sweep roads or you’re a skilled heart surgeon we all have our place in society and we all have our contribution to make.

And whatever role you play, no one is better than anyone else.

Enjoy your work or keep looking:

It’s important you find a way to enjoy your work because you spend a third of each day doing it.

Sometimes it’s just a case of looking at your work in a different way in order to appreciate what you have. However sometimes even then for whatever reason, you’ll feel unhappy.

If you can’t find a way to enjoy your work then find another job. One more suited to your natural talent perhaps. However until you find the right thing, you must grit your teeth and do your current work to the best of your ability.

And never, ever just walk away from a job without having another one to go to.

It is ironic perhaps but it’s always much easier to find another job when you already have one.

Without a job, a potential employer might wonder whether you’re unlucky or just a loser. And usually, employers will be reluctant to take a chance on you if they’re unsure.

Conclusion:

The importance of work to our lives and our self-esteem should not be underestimated. So do the work you’re paid to do and do it well. Do that and success can be yours.

Don’t do your job properly and you’ll struggle to hold on to it for very long. Lose it and almost certainly you’ll regret it.

That’s the nature of work, it always has been and it always will be.

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How to become rich through your work

04/28/2021 by Roy Sutton

How to become rich through your work? A question many people ask. Some people get rich but somehow you don’t dear reader. Why? You work hard but you’ve got very little to show for it, right?

How is it that other people succeed and get rich but you never seem to make any progress at all?

Perhaps the question you’ve been asking yourself is, what’s the real link between working hard and getting rich?

Well give me a couple of minutes of your time dear reader and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned about work over the years and how it’s linked to the generation of real wealth.

First off, as I’ve said many times before; work is simply doing stuff for other people in return for money.

If you enjoy your work and it comes naturally to you then you’ll do it well. If you do it well then people will notice. And once people start to notice then increasingly you’ll be in demand.

The greater the demand for your services the more you’ll get paid. In short, your value will increase.

If you truly enjoy your work and it becomes your passion then it won’t seem like work at all.

However, if you work for a single employer then essentially you’re trading your time for money, regardless of whether you enjoy your work or otherwise.

Even if you work for multiple employers one at a time, the effect is the same. You’re simply trading your time for money. It cannot be scalable because, as an individual, there’s only so much you can do in a given period of time.

There’s nothing wrong with trading your time for money of course and it’s the way that most people earn a living. However, you’re unlikely to get seriously rich that way.

Working for an employer will certainly make you a living of course but, unless you work on Wall Street or in the City of London, that’s about all.

To earn serious money you need to be doing stuff for many people simultaneously. The more people you can serve simultaneously the more money you can make.

The obvious question in your mind now will be, how’s that be done?

Well, creative people serve many people simultaneously don’t they?

For instance, if you write a bestselling book, record a bestselling song or produce a bestselling DVD these would all add value to the lives of many people simultaneously.

When people buy the book, the song or the DVD in their millions then you can make millions of dollars in the process. Just ask JK Rowling, Paul McCartney or Ricky Gervais. They’ve all become rich through their creative work.

Then again not everyone can write, sing or perform. Perhaps you’re a designer?

Suppose you design furniture, say a chair perhaps?

You produce a fabulous design and offer it to a furniture manufacturer. They really like it and they want to use it but you hold the intellectual property rights (IPR) because it’s your design. So the manufacturer must pay you a royalty when the design is used for every unit sold.

If that chair becomes very popular and sells in the millions, your ongoing royalty payments can add up to something quite substantial. Replicate that with many designs and you could get very rich indeed.

In this case, the example is furniture but the same would apply if you design anything. For instance, the man who designed the retroreflective safety device known as cat’s eyes in Britain got very rich through his design. Fashion design is another area where serious money can be made from your designs if they become popular.

The trick with creative work is to understand the law around copyright and IPR and make sure you’re rewarded for your work through royalties.

The advantage of creative work is that the series of royalty payments can have a very long tail. Your work can be the gift that keeps on giving for years and years.

Take a song like Imagine by John Lennon.

John Lennon wrote that song around 1971 but we still hear it regularly on radio and television to this day. So despite the fact that it’s almost 40 years since Lennon’s tragic death, the song still earns money for his estate, i.e. his family. Now that’s a real legacy for them.

Starting a business and selling products by the thousand is another way to serve many people simultaneously.

If your business can produce products that provide your customers with genuine solutions to their problems then there really is serious money to be made. Problems are an opportunity to make money if you can offer suitable solutions.

Your business will employ people who are trading their time for money but through your business, you’ll be serving the many simultaneously and you can enrich yourself in the process.

The takeaway message for you today is that if you work one-to-one you’ll make a living but if you can work one-to-many you’ll make a fortune.

Whether it’s becoming a creative person, a performing artist, or starting a business, serving the many is the real route to riches.

It’s not easy of course but it can be done and people do. With a little self-belief and a lot of hard work, you can too.

So when are you going to get started?

Go on, have a go! Serve the many not the few.

Remember; it’s better to try and fail than to spend your life wondering what might have been.

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5 very powerful quotes with reflections on their meaning

04/14/2021 by Roy Sutton

Very Powerful Quotes:

1. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you learn to do it well. ~Zig Ziglar

Even the greatest exponents of any skill you care to mention started out as complete beginners. That’s a fact.

Whether it’s a great footballer player like Cristiano Ronaldo or a Rock guitar god like Jimmy Page, they all had to start somewhere.

In the beginning, they wouldn’t have produced anything special I am sure.

However, dedication to their craft and a determination to hone their skills took them from being ordinary to quite extraordinary.

To be really good, talent helps of course. However, nothing matches dedication and determination, if you are to excel at what you do.

If you want to be the best you’ve got to get started and then it’s all about practice, practice and more practice.

Before you can be the best you’ve got to pay your dues first.

The very best people will have spent thousands of hours developing their skills long before entering into the public’s consciousness.

People who succeed have paid their dues and earned their success.

You don’t get anything for nothing.

What you get out is in direct proportion to what you put in.

That’s the first law of achievement.

2. You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~C.S. Lewis

Age is just a number. It doesn’t have to be a constraint on your life.

You’re not on the scrapheap just because you’ve reached 50 or 60 or 70 or whatever.

You can still learn something new and there are still places to go and explore.

Perhaps you’re too old to play for Liverpool FC but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t get involved in football (or soccer as many prefer to call it) in some way.

You may never be able to play the guitar like Jimmy Page but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t learn to play a musical instrument.

You may never win an Oscar but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t get involved in amateur dramatics.

And you may never outsell JK Rowling but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t write a book and get it published.

With the Internet, eBooks and social media, the opportunities for making your name have never been greater.

Today you can write an eBook, self-publish and sell it on Amazon. I’m told that’s exactly how EL James of ’50 Shades of Grey’ fame got started.

If a book seems to be a big step, then how about writing a blog?

WordPress is fairly easy to master and you can set up a blog very quickly.

One of the advantages of age is that you’ve learned a lot along the way. So you can share your wisdom and experience.

You can make a real contribution if you want to.

So why not have a go?

It’s never too late to become the person you really could be.

You’ve got a lot to offer. Don’t keep it all to yourself. That would be such waste and there’s still an opportunity to leave a legacy.

3. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

Yesterday’s dead and gone. However good or bad it was, it’s now nothing more than a footnote in history.

So leave the past where it belongs, in the past.

Today is different.

At the beginning of a new day, anything is possible.

Learn from the past of course but don’t dwell on your mistakes, your bad luck or disappointing outcomes you wish had been different.

You can’t change the past, so focus on what can be achieved today and in the future.

Take strength from the present and think positive thoughts.

A positive mental attitude will carry you further than you think.

Remember: You’ll never have today again, so make sure you enjoy it.

4. Be miserable or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. ~Wayne Dyer

Now life may have been mean to you dear reader but so what? The reality is that life’s been mean to a lot of people.

However much life’s let you down, you’ll find that no one’s impressed by self-pity. No one wants to go to a pity party.

Self-pity’s an unattractive quality, to say the least.

Everyone’s struggling with their own lives, so they don’t need your misery to bring them down even further.

If you want to be appreciated then you have to be positive.

It all comes down to the choice you make. It’s better that you add something to the lives of other people, rather than take something away.

You can choose to ignore your troubles and be positive, or not.

It’s a fact that your outlook, sunny or otherwise, will have an impact on how you’re treated by other people.

Cheer them up and they’ll love you.

Make them feel depressed and they’ll head for the hills the moment they see you.

So what are you going to be? Remember, it’s a choice.

You can be the person who makes people smile when you enter a room.

Alternatively, you can be the person who makes people smile when you leave?

That choice is yours but I know which one I prefer.

5. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. ~Epictetus

How often do other people put us down?

They belittle our ambitions and tell us we’re getting above ourselves.

“You’re not good enough for that,” we’ll hear people say.

“You don’t have the brains or the talent,” will be their next response.

Then you’ll be told, “Oh people from your background can’t do that, it’s not for you.”

Eventually, if you’re not careful you start to believe it all.

And then you’re destined for nothing more than a life of mediocrity, just like those people who were putting you down.

And that’s the point.

The real issue is that they resent your ambition because they don’t have any ambition or they lack the confidence to try anything new.

They dislike the idea of you going places and getting on in life because they’ve never achieved anything.

Their opinions are presented to you as well-meaning advice, of course. However, they’re jealous, really.

They deliberately put you down in the hope that you won’t achieve anything more than them.

So, don’t be fooled.

Surround yourself only with people who encourage your ambitions.

People who will offer you guidance to help you get to where you want to go.

Don’t allow negative Nellies to put you off.

If you want to do something, then you have a go at it.

If you stick with it, you can succeed. Other people do, so why not you?

However, even if you don’t, it’s better to try and fail than never to have tried at all. At least you’ll know for sure whether something was right for you or otherwise.

Don’t allow the years to slip by with you wondering what might have been.

Believe in yourself and keep company only with positive people. The negative ones will just do your head in.

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Wisdom

Wisdom from India (1-20):

Wisdom from India (21-33):

Please share this wisdom with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

Developing good character:

Life-long learning:

Work on yourself:

Pursue excellence:

Add value:

Be determined:

Be persistent:

Accept every challenge:

Ask yourself some searching questions:

Where to go from here:

Move out of your comfort zone:

Never fear failure:

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The importance of personal branding:

Building a personal brand:

Further Reading:

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2. There’s no such thing as a failure:

3. Teach your children well:

4. Force for good

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Job satisfaction:

A sense of purpose:

Consider your work:

Knowledge required:

1. Know yourself:

2. Know your values:

3. Know your experiences:

4. Know what matters to you:

Confidence compounds:

Environment matters too:

How to find and do work you love:

Recommended Reading:

DISCLOSURE:

Please share this post with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

Life’s too short to hate your job:

Everyone hates a moaner:

Imagine your life without your job:

No job is perfect:

Life’s a short movie:

I really hate my job:

Further Listening:

Please share this post with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

How to love the life you live:

Please share this post with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

Work is your livelihood:

Work provides you with a sense of purpose:

Work is how we make a difference:

Other benefits:

Your work can be your legacy too:

Enjoy your work or keep looking:

Conclusion:

Please share this post with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

Please share this post with your friends:

Other articles that might appeal to you:

1. Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly until you learn to do it well. ~Zig Ziglar

2. You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~C.S. Lewis

3. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. ~Eleanor Roosevelt

4. Be miserable or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. ~Wayne Dyer

5. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. ~Epictetus

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