Thank You My Dear Child

This brought memories back and once again tears. Yes, tears. But not tears due to fear but tears of joy. My child was right. The Lord will make a way and He truly did. I am truly thankful for that time which happened a number of times... a reminder from a child that the Lord cares. 

Have a blessed day.

The Power of a Tribe

 I can't help but post this.

Need I say more?  I love you sisters :)

The Mum Song

http://bit.ly/1Tfipap

Hear this out Mums and kids.  You will love this!

Tidy and Recycle

I am into Spring cleaning today, so I am giving you some tips to clean up and recycle.

Tired of shoes flying all over your house?Don't throw your wine box. Use it to warehouse your shoes in those handy slots.

Never forget to pay a bill on time. This way you save money from interest penalty. 

Use your old plastic napkin holder to organize your bills, arranging them in the order in which they need to be paid.

Reuse plastic Easter eggs.

Don't throw away the fun. These colorful containers are great for stacking snacks. You can use them again come Easter time for children's treats.

Instant picnic kit.

Don't throw away the box of your soda. Use this six pack carton as caddy for your flatware, napkins, ketchup and mustard and anything else you would need for your picnic. This 6 pack carton provides convenient compartments for easy transport.

No mess pancake.
Clean your empty ketchup plastic bottle. Use it as your handy no-mess pancake batter dispenser.  Pour in the batter in the plastic bottle, then squeeze out precise/perfect portions.

Do you still use matches?

Don't throw away the empty matchbox. Create your artwork. Decorate the box; tuck a few needles, pins, and thread into the matchbox for an instant sewing kit. 

Useful shower caps.

Collect hotel giveaway shower caps. These are perfect shoes wrappers when traveling. Use the shower cap to wrap your shoes before putting them into your suitcase. 

Helpful aluminium foil.
Now, if you need to do some re-painting this spring, use aluminium foil to cover the doorknobs, hinges and other ornamental hardware with aluminum foil. It works better than masking tape and it is easy to remove when you are done re-painting.

Happy Spring cleaning :)

It is Better to Give

Mother’s Day is celebrated in the month of May, though the United Kingdom celebrates Mum’s Day in March. Whichever month this very special day is celebrated, my topic today “It is Better to Give” reminds me of mums’ effortless giving. I haven’t known any mum who does not live by this motto, “It is better to give.”

I will not enumerate why this topic aptly applies to mums because I believe we all know that mums would give everything and anything for their children. Rather, I will enumerate some reasons why we sometimes refrain from giving. That is, we forget our mother instinct and emotions when it comes to giving to people other than our children.

Why do people sometimes find it difficult to give?

People find it difficult to give because of short-sightedness.
We must look beyond the short term; that is losing something when we give. We should think of the benefits that we will receive as we give today. A buyer asked for a discount but was rejected. Unknowingly the customer who asked for a discount intends to buy in bulk. Had the seller probed and developed a relationship with the customer, he could have known the possibilities of growing his business in the long term.

People find it hard to give because they think they deserve to hold on to what they've worked so hard for.
You refuse to give (share) part of your earnings to help the poor because you believe you deserve to enjoy what you worked hard for. True, but then giving is a way of acknowledging God’s gift to you - the gift of strength, wisdom, and good health to work.

People find it hard to give because they think that the recipient is not worthy of the gift. Are we worthy of God’s gift of talents and skills that allow us to earn a living or even build our wealth? If God were to hold His blessings depending on our worthiness, would anyone receive His blessings? In as much as God gives because He loves us, we must likewise do the same. We give not because of the worthiness of the recipient. Give because it is the right thing to do - to honor the deserving, to help the needy, to be a blessing, to show our love to God and to mankind.

People find it hard to give because they think they have nothing more to give.

You think you are not able to give much to your children. But you give more than material things to your children. You give them your love and your time. You are not able to give much benefit to your workers. But you give them importance and your time to advise them on any issues. You may not have the capacity to give financially now but look at the other resources that you have. Surely, you will find something to give to someone.  

"It is more blessed to give than to receive" is worth thinking about and doing. As Proverbs 11:24 says, "One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." Why withhold giving if you will not become wealthy by withholding? Why withhold giving when your giving will give joy to someone? Give the way a mum gives to her children. 

How to Make an Impactful Speech

You don’t have to speak in front of a group of men and women in business suits to justify that an impactful speech is necessary.  A speech whether spoken to a crowd or to an individual needs to have an impact because we should not be wasting the opportunity to improve our business or make a mark on someone.  Your speaking skill will enable you to get more clients, close more deals, sell more products, and help someone.

It doesn’t matter if your business is not related to coaching; you need to brush up on your speaking skills or your every day speech to improve your business. Improving your speaking skills will help you in your every day communication to your customers, colleagues, and employees.

Tell a story.

Making an impactful speech is not difficult; all you have to do is to tell a story. You catch the audience attention with a story. Telling a story will also make it easy for your audience to remember what you said, believe what you said, and learn from what you said. Studies show that people believe stories more readily than numbers or statistics. The audience process stories intellectually, emotionally, and visually (visual aids and the speaker’s movements). To make an impactful speech, start with a story followed by some statistics and visual aids to emphasize your point.  

Focus on the “Who” or the people in your story.

People (your audience) are interested in other people. Tell stories about people, particularly heroes. When I say heroes, I don’t just mean the famous people but rather look internally and externally in your company for the stories of your own everyday common heroes that your audience personally know and can relate with.

Create suspense in your story.

Suspense will keep your audience attentive. Suspend your story; make your audience guess the outcome of the story.

Crack a joke.

You need some practice to be successful in cracking a joke. You must know when to inject the joke in your speech to make it effective. Otherwise, the joke could be on you.

Make your audience experience your story.
Describe the scene. Make them smell, feel, and taste your story. Smell and other sensory words also trigger the formation of memory. Sensory words and your actions (movements) will help them experience your story.

Use quotations or twist a phrase.

People identify with quotations; they even memorize the quotes that have an impact in their life. However, do not use very long quotes or you will lose its impact. Paraphrase quotes that are longer than two lines. Your speech will be more memorable and impactful when you twist a phrase. The billionaire, Warren Buffet said when asked why he consistently hires retirement-age managers rather than young ones, “You can’t teach young dog old tricks.”

Use alliteration, repetition, and rhythm when making a speech.

Alliterations make for more descriptive sentences apart from making it sound nice. For example, "My exhaustion from an hour hike under the heat of the sun was quenched when I spotted the babbling brook." Choose to repeat some words in your speech to emphasize a point. Rhythm can also be used to help your audience understand better and ward off boredom.

When you use statistics, choose startling numbers.

Don’t just say, “There are 2,035 people in this village that sleep without food”.  Rather say “99% of the villagers starve”. Use statistics sparingly to make an impact.

Every day, we make a speech. Use your speech to impact your business and other people.

Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills

You may not notice it but you negotiate every single day of your life. As you make decisions the moment you awake, you also have to negotiate as you go through your day. You talk your child into bringing his snacks to school instead of buying from the cafeteria, you negotiate with a neighbor for a ride, you bargain with the grocer, etc.

Every single act that you do requires negotiation.  Here’s how to sharpen your negotiation skills whether it be a simple negotiation at home, in your neighborhood, at your work, or in your business.

Like the good old boy scout motto, “Be prepared.”

People think that confidence and boisterousness are keys to sealing a deal.  Others say that you need experience to become a good negotiator. But most of the time, it merely takes preparation to ensure you are aptly equipped to assert mutually desirable terms, anticipate objections, and discern your opponent’s weak spots to enforce a win-win solution. Note that I mentioned “win-win solution” because winning a negotiation means we are concerned with our so-called “opponent”.  A win-win negotiation is another long topic so let me just briefly state that we are after a humanely negotiation; we do not negotiate to abuse our so-called “opponent”.  When you have a heart, a compassionate heart, you become endearing even to your opponent and this will overshadow any lack of experience you may have in negotiation. Having a heart will also make the other party less defensive and will make the other party more amenable to your stipulations.

Keep in mind that everything is negotiable.

When you decide that the terms for anything can be changed into a beneficial agreement for both parties, doors of possibilities and opportunities open.

Keep building relationships.
No negotiation will proceed unless a good relationship is built. Negotiation does not happen when people are unruly and shouting at the top of their voices. The same is true in building a business. If you are in the business of networking, do not just give away your business card in an event. Spend a few minutes connecting and getting to know people more on a deeper level. Ask about their family, their hobbies, goals, etc. Get a little more personal. A good relationship will help you collaborate and improve your business deal.

Do not assume that the other party understands or knows what you want; ask for what you want.
The reason why sales people don’t get the sale is because they don’t ask. The same is true in negotiation; to get what you want, you must ask for it. The reason why some sales people don’t ask for the sale is because of the fear of rejection or being branded as too strong. Same is true in negation; some negotiators fear rejection or are afraid of being branded as greedy. In negotiations, rejection is never personal. If you were rejected or did not win the negotiation, it merely means that that you did not present a viable argument substantiating why you should get what you want. Or it could mean that there was a much better solution to the issue at hand.

Practise the art of silence.
What is your reaction to a sales person who just keeps on talking? Irritated and you don’t give him the sale. You may even vow never to talk to him again; you will avoid him. Too much talk will prevent you from knowing what the other party has to say and therefore not being able to refute whatever is in their thoughts. Do not underestimate the power of silence. According to an old adage “he or she who speaks next loses.” Keep quiet and listen to win the  negotiation.