Top 10 ways to increase your “luck”

So, how do we turn “bad luck” into “opportunity” and how do we recognise and seize “good
luck” when it happens. Here are the top 10 ways to increase your “luck”:

1) Be a believer. There are heaps of opportunities in life. We need to be abundant thinkers
who always believe that there are amazing opportunities to leverage. A negative person
generally is a scarce thinker, believing that all the best opportunities in the world have been
taken. The theory called the Pygmalion Effect states that you get what you expect. Most
“lucky”' people expect the best, confident that their future is going to be great. Somehow,
these expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies. Ask around and you'll find that “lucky”
and “unlucky” people have astoundingly different expectations.

2) Be action-biased. Inaction is the surest path to failure. If you keep trying, you will
ultimately succeed and luck will be on your side. Don't procrastinate. Don't be afraid to fail.

3) Make the most of unplanned events. The unexpected constantly bombards us. Learn to
love spontaneity and enjoy it. New opportunities may unfold when we least expect it.

4) Be aware. Always ask questions and explore your surroundings. Lucky people are aware
of what is happening around them and are continuously searching for opportunities.

5) Don't be afraid to say yes. In the movie “Yes Man”, Jim Carrey was made to say “yes” to
everything. He ended up being “lucky” by unearthing new opportunities and even met the
woman of his dreams. So, say “yes” more times than you do “no”.

6) Never eat alone. Building and maintaining a strong social network, including good
relationships with other people is critical to success. If you love people, and love being with
people, new opportunities will always appear. People provide support in times of trouble, act
as resources when you need information, and most importantly, they can bring you “luck” by
their valuable connections to social networks. So, make sure you limit your eating alone to
one meal a day. After all in Asia, food places are where most relationships are built.

7) Overcome self-sabotage. Our greatest enemy is ourselves. Don't beat up yourself with
negativity and destructive self-talk. Stop using words like “I can't” before even trying.

8) Be curious and don't be afraid to ask. Take risks and ask. Curiosity doesn't kill the cat. It
opens up new opportunities. Travel, try new things and don't stay in your comfort zone. Your
ROL magnifies when you identify these lucky breaks and leverage them.

9) Help others and ask for help. I have learn that the more I give of myself to others, the
luckier I am. The more I give, the more blessings I receive. But don't be afraid to ask for help
too. Lucky people ask for help and they reciprocate when others need help.

10) Pray often and do good always. Many people turn to a greater power to help them
increase their luck. Some say a prayer before they start their day for the strength and the
positive attitude they need to not give up. And do good always. As Idris reiterated to me,
when you do good often, good will befall you. Karma has a way of rewarding do-gooders.

It won't be

It Won't Be (the mind of a winner)

Bob Perks

If you fail, it won't be because you didn't try. The real journey to success is lined with failure.

If you lose it won't be because you didn't want to win.  The mind of a winner is already thinking about the next challenge.

If you fall down it won't be because you weren't standing tall and sure footed.  The important thing is always get back up and adjust your stance.

If you don't finish first in the race it won't be because you didn't run fast enough.  It means that someone ran faster than you...this time!

If you weep because you lost someone you loved dearly,it won't be because you lost faith in God.  The more you love the more you feel the pain of loss.  Having wept, means having loved so deeply and your faith is strong.

If you stop and change direction, it won't be because you didn't know where you were going.  It is because, like a ship on the ocean, one must always adjust sails to avoid the storms. The voyage may be longer but the destination will be the same.

If you are proud of yourself it won't be because you are egotistical and self centered.  It means that you have chosen to live by higher standards than many.

You see my friend, it won't be easy, but it will be worth it

The Formula for Failure

The Formula for Failure

by Jim Rohn

Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. We do not fail overnight. Failure is the inevitable result of
an accumulation of poor thinking and poor choices. To put it more simply, failure is nothing more
than a few errors in judgment repeated every day.

Now why would someone make an error in judgment and then be so foolish as to repeat it every
day? The answer is because he or she does not think that it matters.

On their own, our daily acts do not seem that important. A minor oversight, a poor decision, or a
wasted hour generally doesn't result in an instant and measurable impact. More often than not, we
escape from any immediate consequences of our deeds.

If we have not bothered to read a single book in the past ninety days, this lack of discipline does not
seem to have any immediate impact on our lives. And since nothing drastic happened to us after the
first ninety days, we repeat this error in judgment for another ninety days, and on and on it goes.
Why? Because it doesn't seem to matter. And herein lies the great danger. Far worse than not
reading the books is not even realizing that it matters!

Those who eat too many of the wrong foods are contributing to a future health problem, but the joy
of the moment overshadows the consequence of the future. It does not seem to matter. Those who
smoke too much or drink too much go on making these poor choices year after year after year...
because it doesn't seem to matter. But the pain and regret of these errors in judgment have only been
delayed for a future time. Consequences are seldom instant; instead, they accumulate until the
inevitable day of reckoning finally arrives and the price must be paid for our poor choices - choices
that didn't seem to matter.

Failure's most dangerous attribute is its subtlety. In the short term those little errors don't seem to
make any difference. We do not seem to be failing. In fact, sometimes these accumulated errors in
judgment occur throughout a period of great joy and prosperity in our lives. Since nothing terrible
happens to us, since there are no instant consequences to capture our attention, we simply drift from
one day to the next, repeating the errors, thinking the wrong thoughts, listening to the wrong voices
and making the wrong choices. The sky did not fall in on us yesterday; therefore the act was
probably harmless. Since it seemed to have no measurable consequence, it is probably safe to
repeat.
But we must become better educated than that!

If at the end of the day when we made our first error in judgment the sky had fallen in on us, we
undoubtedly would have taken immediate steps to ensure that the act would never be repeated
again. Like the child who places his hand on a hot burner despite his parents' warnings, we would
have had an instantaneous experience accompanying our error in judgment.

Unfortunately, failure does not shout out its warnings as our parents once did. This is why it is
imperative to refine our philosophy in order to be able to make better choices. With a powerful,
personal philosophy guiding our every step, we become more aware of our errors in judgment and
more aware that each error really does matter.

Now here is the great news. Just like the formula for failure, the formula for success is easy to
follow:
It's a few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Now here is an interesting question worth pondering:

How can we change the errors in the formula for failure into the disciplines required in the formula
for success?

The answer is by making the future an important part of our current philosophy. Both success and
failure involve future consequences, namely the inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets resulting
from past activities. If this is true, why don't more people take time to ponder the future? The
answer is simple: They are so caught up in the current moment that it doesn't seem to matter. The
problems and the rewards of today are so absorbing to some human beings that they never pause
long enough to think about tomorrow.

But what if we did develop a new discipline to take just a few minutes every day to look a little
further down the road? We would then be able to foresee the impending consequences of our
current conduct. Armed with that valuable information, we would be able to take the necessary
action to change our errors into new success-oriented disciplines. In other words, by disciplining
ourselves to see the future in advance, we would be able to change our thinking, amend our errors
and develop new habits to replace the old.

One of the exciting things about the formula for success - a few simple disciplines practiced every
day - is that the results are almost immediate. As we voluntarily change daily errors into daily
disciplines, we experience positive results in a very short period of time. When we change our diet,
our health improves noticeably in just a few weeks. When we start exercising, we feel a new vitality
almost immediately. When we begin reading, we experience a growing awareness and a new level
of self-confidence. Whatever new discipline we begin to practice daily will produce exciting results
that will drive us to become even better at developing new disciplines.

The real magic of new disciplines is that they will cause us to amend our thinking. If we were to
start today to read the books, keep a journal, attend the classes, listen more and observe more, then
today would be the first day of a new life leading to a better future. If we were to start today to try
harder, and in every way make a conscious and consistent effort to change subtle and deadly errors
into constructive and rewarding disciplines, we would never again settle for a life of existence - not
once we have tasted the fruits of a life of substance!

Don’t give up on your dreams

PUTIK LADA By ANDREW YEAP

Pursuing your dreams requires action. Time and effort are necessary to see results, and difficulties should be seen as a challenge, an encouragement to put in extra effort.

I BELIEVE many of us would have at some time or other dreamt about our future. Some dreams are big, others are small – it depends on each individual.

It is important to have dreams, be they big or small.

It is dreams that keep us going, pressing on in pursuit of our targets in life.

Without dreams, life would just move along and nothing of note would change because we would have no desire, nothing to strive for.

Without dreams, our lives would still be unchanged 10 years hence. Driven by dreams, we push our boundaries and unveil our hidden talents.

Someone once said: “It is not a problem having just one talent but it is a problem if we don’t know how to use that one talent.”

As life goes on, our dreams fade.

Our commitments draw us away from our dreams.

The people around us discourage us from pursuing these dreams.

Perhaps, we become so distracted by what happens around us that we totally forget about our dreams or lock them away.

I recently came across some chambering students and young lawyers who indicated a desire to leave the legal profession.

There were various reasons for them coming to this conclusion.

They were aware that they were about to make one of the most significant decisions of their lives.

Some said it was because of the low salary.

Others blamed the imbalanced lifestyle that comes with being in the legal profession.

Whatever the reason, they were prepared to abandon a journey that they had embarked on for years – the journey to become a lawyer.

I have met many law students, chambering students and young lawyers who had been inspired by other lawyers to embark on that journey.

They dreamt of becoming a lawyer who stands up for justice and the innocent.

They pictured themselves being a voice for the weak and poor.

They imagined presenting a case well and convincing a judge.

These are some of the dreams that inspire young people to want a career in law.

These were the dreams that they had when they entered law school – but along the way, various factors knocked their dreams off course.

Before giving up on our dreams, we need to ask ourselves the reasons behind the intended change.

Is there something wrong with our dreams? Is there something wrong with us that we have no choice but to give up?

What happened to the desire and the burning fire that existed within us not too long ago?

Walt Disney once said: “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”

Pursuing your dreams requires action.

To be successful, a lawyer cannot simply dream and sit in the office doing nothing.

A lawyer must work hard. Time and effort are necessary to see results.

Being in the legal profession means committing to a lifetime of learning.

Everyone desires to progress and to grow and no one wants to remain stagnant.

Facing some difficulties in the initial years should not be a barrier to pursuing your dreams.

The difficulties should be seen as a challenge, an encouragement to put in extra effort.

Nobody said learning was easy.

Nobody promised it to be smooth sailing. But negotiating rough waters is worth it if it means you move closer to your dreams.

As part of the journey, you will make mistakes, but you will learn from those mistakes.

Chambering students and young lawyers should find a platform that allows them to make mistakes and learn.

Many senior lawyers are willing to provide that opportunity, but the question is: Are you willing to make the most of it?

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams,” Eleanor Roosevelt once said. Are you willing to keep believing?

Let me encourage those of you who are contemplating giving up on your dream – whether or not it is a dream of a successful legal career – to carefully consider your dream again.

Set aside the countless reasons that come to mind on why you should give up on your dream.

Instead, try and recall why you had that dream in the first place.

Allow yourself to go back to the time of your life when that dream first took hold of you.

Think of the steps that will be required in order to make your dream come true.

Imagine how you will feel if your dream becomes a reality.

Do that and I believe your dream will regain the power to excite you once again.

Rekindle the fire that once burned within you; restart the engine that once kept you moving forward.

Allow your dreams to take hold once again.

And may all your dreams come true.

It's going to be one of those days

It's going to be one of those days


Bob Perks



Don't throw this day away. Don't give up on it before it even begins.

You declare, "It's going to be one of those days!" and it is.

Why?  Because you will choose to see only those things that help you to prove your point. You woke up this morning and stubbed your toe on the bed frame.

"It's going to be one of those days!"
You spill your coffee while shoving cereal down your throat, in a rush to get out the door because you're running late.

"It's going to be one of those days!"
The traffic is backed up and you have a meeting at 8:00 a.m. It's 7:59 a.m.

"It's going to be one of those days!"
So, here's my take on all of this.

First, you woke up.  Do you realize how many people died yesterday?  It is estimated that 151,600 people die each day.  You weren't one of them. This means you are alive.  You have another chance to change things, to make things better.

You stubbed your toe on your bed frame.  It hurt. Do you know how many people are estimated to be homeless just in America? According to the HUD estimates, there were 99,894 homeless people when a survey was conducted in January 2012, and 62,619 homeless veterans.

You woke up and you were in your own bed.  You have a roof over your head. You spilled your coffee in your rush to get to work. Hunger in America exists for over 50 million people. That is 1 in 6 of the U.S. population - including more than 1 in 5 children.
You have a job and a car and a bowl of cereal.  Enough said.

Now, to sum it all up...
You're alive. You have a place to live.  Food to eat. You have a job and a car.

Don't make me get into your personal life.  You know, like family and friends who love you.  God who believes in you! Wake up tomorrow and the moment you swing your legs and stand up, say, "It's going to be one of those days! Thanks, God!"

Then make it so.

There's an old saying from Heraclitus, a Greek Philosopher (535 BC - 475 BC)  which says:
"You could not step twice into the same river; for other waters are ever flowing on to you."

He believed that the universe was forever changing.  If you literally step into a river once and then again, the river would be different. So it is with your days.  You cannot step into the same day twice.  Everything changes.  You change.

You can say, "It's going to be one of those days," but you have a choice of how you choose to see it. If you count all the little things like stubbing your toe, spilling coffee, or traffic as proof of how bad it is, then you must also count all the little things that make it good.
I believe that if you made a list of good and bad, you would always come out with more good. Don't forget to count the fact that you own a piece of paper and a pencil.

Yes, there are people in this world that don't even have that.

"It's going to be one of those days!  Thanks, God!"

I learned from a jigsaw puzzle

Everything I needed to know about life I learned from a jigsaw puzzle


Jacquie Sewell 


1. Don't force a fit--if something is meant to be, it will come together naturally.

2. When things aren't going so well, take a break. Everything will look different when you return.

3. Be sure to look at the big picture. Getting hung up on the little pieces only leads to frustration.

4. Perseverance pays off. Every important puzzle went together bit by bit, piece by piece.

5. When one spot stops working, move to another. But be sure to come back later (see #4).

6. The creator of the puzzle gave you the picture as a guidebook. Refer to the Creator's guidebook often.

7. Variety is the spice of life. It's the different colors and patterns that make the puzzle interesting.

8. Working together with friends and family makes any task fun.

9. Establish the border first. Boundaries give a sense of security and order.

10. Don't be afraid to try different combinations. Some matches are surprising.

11. Take time often to celebrate your successes (even little ones).

12. Anything worth doing takes time and effort. A great puzzle can't be rushed.

13. When you finally reach the last piece, don't be sad. Rejoice in the masterpiece you've made and enjoy a well-deserved rest.

Copyright 2001 Jacquie Sewell ( jjsewell416@yahoo.com )

Think like a champion

1.

Composure, poise, and presence: Champions maintain balance under the most extreme adversity. They do not panic. They are able to focus,
stay relaxed and continue to walk the walk. They stay positive and act confidently to handle stress.

2.

Self-confidence: Champions believe in their capabilities and know what they can do. They maintain this sense of self even under pressure or
when things are not going well. They remind themselves they have succeeded in tougher times than these.

3.

Eternal hope: Champions fight to the end. They never give up. They continually seek ways to win and experiment with tactics to turn things
around in their favour. They truly believe that there is a way to win and they just have to discover it.

4.

Pacing skills: Champions know when to take a break and relax. They know how to control the clock so they can rest. They know that working
non-stop leads to burn-out. They have the experience to know when to cruise and when to turn it on.

5.

Control factor awareness: Champions know what they can control, what they can only influence and what is out of their control. They focus
only on those things within their control or influence and let go of the rest.

6.

The ability to learn: Champions absorb experience very rapidly. They learn from every outing, good or bad. They seek feedback from others
and consider all sides to infuse new techniques and methods into their play. They see what needs to be done to improve and win.

7.

Coachability: Champions are coachable. They seek help from those who are more experienced. They form collaborative partnership with
those who can help them. They appreciate the art and science of coaching and make it an integral part of their training programme.

8.

A strong work ethic: Champions know that hard work leads to confidence and the belief that they deserve to win because they have paid
their dues.

9.

Commitment: Champions dream big, and they make pact with themselves to reach those goals. They stay on track in spite of setbacks. They
continually remind themselves of their goals and readjust those goals as they are met. They make a commitment to train hard and follow
through, no matter what.


10.

Champions give their best in everything they do.

Seat on the couch

Sometimes life gets you down. Tough colleagues, tough job, tough customers, could be anything.
But I always look forward to the end of the day when I reach home and my little princess is waiting for me.

A seat on the couch


Joseph J. Mazzella
     It had been a long, hard day at work. At the time I was in my early twenties but by the end of the day I felt like I was ninety. Times were tough financially and the only job I could find was in a local lumber mill. That meant long hours for low pay. My days were spent cutting, carrying, and stacking boards with an injured back that never stopped hurting. My fingers were covered in band aids but still split and bled through my torn work gloves. When each day finally ended it was all I could do to trudge tiredly out to my car.

     The drive home was short but felt long. I was so worn out. Each day seemed to take more out of me and the money I earned was barely enough to feed my family. When I got to my front door I did my best to wipe the sawdust off my clothes before going in. Then I wearily hung up my hard hat, took off my cracked, worn, work boots, and collapsed on the couch. I sat there for a while with my eyes closed, trying to rest my aching back. Suddenly, I felt our little dog curling up in a ball next to me. I smiled and petted him for a bit before opening my eyes again.

     When I did my smile widened because my young daughter was standing in front of me holding her favorite children’s book. She looked at me innocently with her beautiful blue eyes and asked if I could read her a story. I bent over, helped her to climb up on my lap, and said, "Sure Sweetie." I felt a warmth and peace around me as I started to read and fresh energy soon began to fill my body and spirit. I knew then that everything was going to be alright and I silently thanked God for His love, for my family, and for my life.

     So many of us spend our lives in the pursuit of happiness. Yet, often all you need to do is take a seat on the couch and watch as love climbs on your lap, peace curls up by your side, and happiness fills your heart. May you always love freely and live joyfully as God intended.

The very least you can do

The very least you can do

Bob Perks
It sounds terrible.

It seems inadequate, maybe inappropriate... to do the very least.

"I heard about their divorce.  I felt bad, but I didn't know what to say.  So, I haven't called."

"He's dying from cancer.  I was his best man at their wedding.  I just can't see him like that. So, I'm not stopping by.  I want to remember him
in better times."

I don't know how you feel about reading those two statements.  They are true.  I heard people say it. So, what's the very least they could have done?

Called.

Sent a note.

We clearly are not called to do nothing at all.

This is when "The very least you can do" is better  than doing nothing at all.

I have heard it called, "burden sharing."  Biblical examples abound.

Romans 12:10 - Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Proverbs 31:8-9 - "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

I'm not preaching here.  I'm not a preacher.  I am a man, a human being who believes there is always something one can do even if it is the very least.

Like the smile given freely.

The kind word spoken.

Being there and not saying anything.  Your presence says it all.

The next time you see someone in need ask yourself, "What's the very least I can do?"

Then do it.

Sometimes the least you can do for someone is the most anyone has done...ever.

10 potential outcomes

If I could show you how to achieve a 10%-40% increase in your time, income and relational results - would you be interested? If you could go one step further and help your staff, spouse and family achieve these
same results, would that interest you?

One of the hallmark traits of both top producers and successful businesses is the conscious and consistent
investment in personal and professional growth. How much are you investing in your own business and
personal growth?

If you begin today consistently investing in the personal growth strategies that we are suggesting, here are
10 potential outcomes that can be achieved:

1) Gain between 10 and 15 additional forty-hour work weeks per year (multiply one to two hours a day by 365 days a year by applying more productive time management methods each day.

2) Increase your production by 10%-50% without investing more time and effort by improving your selling, networking and negotiation skills.

3) Place yourself ahead of 85% of the population and increase by 90% your odds of achieving financial independence by retirement age simply by having a sound financial philosophy and proven investment plan.

4) Improve your ability to be a more effective and loving parent, spouse and friend by improving your relational skills.

5) Improve your looks, confidence, energy, quality and length of life by having a consistent health/fitness philosophy and maintaining a health plan.

6) Increase every level of performance related to your company, staff and individual performance, as well as all your personal relationships, by mastering the art of communication.

7) Achieve a sense of purpose behind every action as well as increase your long-term success quotient by 95% by having a set of clearly defined 10-year goals.

8) Multiply your efforts and have a positive influence over a larger sphere of people by learning effective leadership and management skills.

9) Affect large groups of people at one time and place yourself in the upper echelon of your particular industry by learning how to give effective presentations to audiences.

10) Gain perspective, encouragement and motivation versus falling prey to the numerous pitfalls and down times so many people are faced with on a daily basis by having the consistent influence of top performers, role models, coaches and mentors in your life.

Success is everything?

by Jim Rohn



Someone once said to me that success isn't everything and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money wasn't everything and I certainly agree with that. But I do believe that success IS everything.

First you need to succeed to survive. We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the
soil and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family. But then second is to then
succeed to flourish in every part of your life. Good question to ask mature people “If you could do better should you?" And I think almost everybody would answer the question in the positive. If you could improve your health shouldn't you do that? If you can learn more shouldn't you do that? If you could earn more and share more, shouldn't you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality shouldn't you do that? And I think that is what success is really all about. It is not just a destination that is set for everybody to try and go for.

It is like Zig said, "improving in every area of your life to see if you can't with satisfaction at the end of the day, week, month and year and say 'I have made excellent progress this year, for myself, for my family, for my business, my career and my health.'". I think that kind of success everybody recognizes is legitimate and
something we should all strive for.

Interesting phrase in the bible that says strive for perfection - not that we can ever reach it. But it is in the
striving, to be a little bit better today than yesterday, in our speech, our language, our health, everything we can possibly think of.