Innovation in Me

Innovation is the word of the new millennium.  Innovation is taken to mean not just technical innovation but personal innovation. To keep pace with the new world, we need to innovate ourselves.

Innovation is a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. There is power in innovation. Maybe you’re mesmerized by somebody's creative prowess and ingenuity; fret not, you too can create and innovate. It takes only time, concentration and desire to innovate. Everyone is born with a creative juice. The box of crayons in kindergarten was not only for the kids you possessed the talent or potential; it was for every kid in kindergarten because the truth is that everybody has potential.

Do you remember how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? The same is true with innovation. It takes a lot of practice and patience before this mind function comes easily when called and when it does it comes naturally. Bringing out those inherent creative juices from you takes time and prodding.

Don't listen to the negative things that people say. Follow the beat of your heart; follow your gut feel. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They most likely won't. If all the geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on your ideas. I don’t mean to tell you to quit your job and jump on to implement your idea. Rather, manage your time wisely so that you can spend time to grow and develop your ideas. 

Exercise, take a walk, run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins to clear and relax your mind and allow ideas to pop out from it.  

Dreams have meanings; record your dreams. Some dreams are just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of. In these crazy dreams are untapped innovative powers you have lying within. Make notes of your dream as these may just create an innovative spark in you.

Don’t copy or replicate; find your own style. It cannot be called an innovation if it was a mere adaptation of someone else’s work.  People will appreciate your innovation more when it is uniquely yours.

It doesn’t matter if you lack gadgets or tools. A masterpiece is produced not from the most expensive set of paints but from the most creative mind. You don't need some expensive fountain pen or a flashy laptop to write a best seller. J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue.

Innovation starts with passion. Why do you wake up in the morning? What keeps you going? What is your utmost desire? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Do you remember the hare and the tortoise? The tortoise won the race because he simply desires and worked to win. Ellen DeGeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. When you want something so bad, you become virtually unstoppable. That, my friend, is passion. Passion will keep you going. 

Sometimes, you don’t even need inspiration. You can’t face inspiration; you can't force it. Inspiration will hit you when you least expect it; be always prepared. An idea could strike you on the subway and it will be unfortunate if you don’t have a sheet of paper to scribble down an idea that could change the world. Always have a pen and paper within your reach at all times.

I hope these tips helped perk up your creative juices. Above all, keep in mind that you are doing these things for your own satisfaction and not for anybody else's. Whether you like it or not, your innovation, personal or otherwise, will soon be noticed and everything would snowball from there.

Creating an Online Business

An online business is one of the best businesses that a single mom should consider. Funny, but it was in my most trying times that I discovered the internet and in the process was able to build not just one but a number of successful online businesses. Let me discuss with you two online venues/sites that you can look into when creating your online business.

Almost all business coaches would tell you that to be successful in your business venture you have to create a product or service that you are most interested in, are obsessed with or passionate about. This makes sense because if you love what you do, you would never feel like you are working at all. You just keep on doing it and will be very creative with your ideas and approach. Of course, as a single mom there is the added challenge of wanting your business to pick-up immediately because you need the money to support your family. Nevertheless, when I was putting up my businesses the ones that I am more passionate about were the ones that easily made money and looking back even during the hard times I did not feel the burden because I loved what I was doing.

I am not a techy person; the internet offers so many free tutorials and free website platforms that even an elementary kid can do. So creating a website that would serve a particular niche in the market is not difficult to do. The first thing you need to do is to make a little research to determine an underserved need in the market. Since this is your initial venture, do not go too far but just consider a possible need in your community. Observe the market, interview people casually; that is, just asking friends, neighbors and family members what they feel is a need they have which is not being served by the businesses in your area.  When you have confidently identified a product or service that you can deliver, start building a simple website. When you're building a website, you're going to want to find cheap keywords that you can use to promote your business as well as create good content. By creating the content and then creating back links between yourself and other websites, you'll be setting yourself up to have a high page rank with Google. By using AdWords to bring traffic to your website and then also developing your natural search engine traffic, you will have built yourself a very solid business.

The second avenue that you can consider after creating your own website is to use eBay. This is an area which was particularly hot several years ago and still remains a solid business proposition. Many people are able to make a full-time income on eBay. You can sell your own product but even if you don’t have your own product to sell, you can still earn money by using eBay. You will need to find a wholesaler where you can get products at a discount to sell on eBay. The general idea when working on selling on eBay is to find a drop shipper. A definition of a drop shipper is a wholesaler sells you a product and will ship the product to a customer. You will buy the product at the wholesale price and then make money on the difference between what you buy the product for and sell the product for on eBay. Using the wholesaler allows you to focus on selling the product without worrying about stocking the product. You do not need to worry about any sort of shipping or backend but you will want to make sure that everything gets sent out.

These are two basic ideas in creating an online business. There are many ways to make money on the Internet but these are two proven methods. You will not have to use a lot of money up front to create these particular online businesses and these businesses can be something that you will have great deal of success with.

Steps to Personal Improvement

 

 

No one is perfect such that he/she does not have to improve in any aspect of his/her life. The key to personal improvement and success is learning. When you learn about you, what you want, and what specific difficulties you want to change, you are on the road to improving your personal life.

Life is process that goes through problems, diagnosis and solutions. Re-live a time in your life; look back to see obstacles you went through and what you did to overcome those obstacles.  Were your decisions capable of helping you handle the problems? Did your decisions have good or bad consequences? If you made good decisions then, can you use those decisions now to fix problems?

Once you review your history of problem-solving tactics move on to evaluate your skills. What skills do you have that will help you improve your personal life? What skills can you develop that will guide you to a prosperous life? Do you need to continue school? Can you find a better job?

Unlock the Door to Personal Improvement

You need to unlock the doors to your personal improvement. You need to unlock the door to honesty.  When you are honest with yourself and others, it helps reduce emotional chaos. When a person lies, they live in denial, anger, misery and hopelessness; worst is they live in self pity. Stop the pity party and move on. Accept the truth that something or someone (yourself included) hindered you from achieving your goal.

For instance, you deny that you made a mistake in your decision that derailed your career goal. You keep telling yourself and the people around you that what you now have is what you want. This attitude will just keep you in your present position longer (and probably permanently and will forever be miserable) but if you accept the truth and work towards what you really desire then you can get back on track to your career path.

Are you addicted to sex, alcohol, and cigarettes? How about shopping, work, food? If you discover an addiction seek help. There are support groups, helpful resources including addiction clinics of all sorts that will offer you a hand. Never deal with addictions alone. This is also to say that you will also need to work on yourself to take control of your addictions. The key to success is accepting you have a problem. Honesty is the key that opens many doors. Once you accept you have an addiction, you will find it easier to get help.

Look Ahead

Look ahead and keep reminding yourself that you will soon get to where you envision to go. I love this quote though I can’t remember who wrote it “What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.” When you look ahead, you are visualizing your future. Visualization helps you to keep improving yourself so that you reach your objective. Steps, no matter how small, will get you towards your goal as long as you keep looking ahead and keeping focused to your objective.



Reach for the Stars

Do you have a dream?  Are you doing something to reach your dream or you simply lie down and dream about your dream? If you are doing the latter then for sure your dream will simply become a dream, not a reality. All dreams are valid; they can come true, they are possible as long as you work hard towards your dream. You need to be passionate about your dream; it must be in your mind 24/7 making you think of ways to reach it. You need to be intentional in your daily activities leading your every action a step closer to your dream. It's all about hard work and being intentional. And these always pay off.

How do you reach for the stars?

1. Work while waiting for your big break. Achieving your dream doesn’t happen overnight. While waiting for your dream to be a reality, you need to work hard for it. You need to plan for it so that every hard work you do leads you a step closer to your dream. To make sure you are ready for the big break, you must prepare yourself for it. For instance if your dream is be a well-known pianist you must practice not just daily but practice every time you have the opportunity to do so.  When the time comes that you are asked to perform before a huge audience you will be able to perfectly execute your piece without effort. Sometimes I see people playing the piano at shopping malls oblivious to the people around them. It doesn’t matter that people do not notice or care to listen to their music; they just do what they want to do. Who knows a famous musician might be passing by and will take notice.
2. Don’t put boundaries in what you can achieve. Your present situation does not determine your destination. Even if you are miles away from your dream, you can achieve it as long as you daily take steps toward your dream. Do not lose hope, but work purposely for your goal. There is no better example I can give you but single moms that I have been working with. Most of these single moms were battered wives. They were left penniless by ex-husbands. Having nothing but courage, hope and dreams these single moms single handedly cared for their children. They raised their children giving them their material needs but most especially unconditional love. These single moms dream was to prepare their children for success and they did it with passion, determination and courage. They did not look at their present circumstance but focused their attention to their dream. They pushed the boundaries, pressed on and have arrived at their dream destination.  
3. Do not be too busy to have a hobby. Most of us when we were entering the university, we chose the course that our parents or friends recommended only to find out that it is not what we wanted to do. If you land a job because of the course you have taken in the university, there is no shame to that.  You earn a living from your profession but that should not stop you from pursuing what you are more passionate about. I have a friend who took up dentistry. She put up a dental clinic after passing the board. Though her clinic was doing well, she felt that she enjoys baking cakes more than tinkering with the teeth of her patients. She considered baking as her hobby and enjoys sending cakes to friends and relatives until one day she decided to put up a bake shop near her dental clinic. She hired a dentist to help her in her clinic so she can spend more time in her bake shop where she doesn’t feel like she is working because she enjoys what she does. 
   

To reach for your star, commit your dream to God and ask for His divine direction as you work hard to get closer to that dream day by day.

Choosing Your Mentor

Nobody wants to do it alone. Loners may insist that they enjoy being alone, but the truth of the matter is that, no one wants to be alone. If we are honest to ourselves, we all want to know that someone is with us in our journey.

Most people would prefer to follow someone; someone who seems to be heading the same way as we are. There is nothing wrong in following someone. But you need to make sure that your leader is truly heading in the way you want to go and that you will be accomplishing something by following that leader.

A man was caught driving in the middle of a downpour. The rain was so heavy that it impaired his visibility. Undecided of whether to stop or keep going, he spotted a set of taillights in front of him. He then decided to simply follow the car ahead of him as it seems that it is going in the same direction as he intends to go. He felt comfort in knowing that there was another person on the same journey. He kept following the car for what seemed like miles, until the car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. The man kept still wondering if the car ahead of him had mechanical problem or there is a blockage in the road or if the car hit an animal. A few minutes passed but the car still did not move. Instead it went to a full stop, turning off its engine and taillights. Furious that the car stopped in the middle of the road, the man began swearing.  The driver of the car tapped the man’s window.  The man asked, “What’s your problem?” The driver said, “I was going to ask you the same thing.” The man snapped, “Well, I’m not the idiot who stopped in the middle of the road and turned off his lights.” “Right”, said the driver. “But you are the idiot who’s parked in my driveway.”

There you have it.  It is okay to follow someone but you need to make  sure that the person you are following and you look up to as a mentor is someone who will expand your vision. Having a mentor matters but having the right mentor matters even more.

A mentor is important because they help you uncover your blind spots, help you see farther and stretch your horizons. A mentor helps you see clearly to discover your best path to success.

A mentor is able to do these because a mentor knows the way. He or she has the insights and wisdom born  from experience. A mentor will show the way, generously applying their insight and wisdom to your specific situation. A mentor will go the way; that is, walk with you through your own journey and help you learn from your experiences.

Donkey Tale

Allow me to share with you a very old tale and remind you of its valuable life lesson.

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey (People around us can be cruel).

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly (When faced with life issues we panic). Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up (Instead of crying and calling a pity party, we need to be clever and creative).

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life lesson: Life is going to shovel dirt on you. Never think that life can be fair... it is not. Issues will come when you least expect them. The trick to getting out of the well and out of your issues is to shake it off and take a step up. Treat each of the problems in life as a steppingstone to make you a better person. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Always remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive because if you don't you will carry the hatred in your heart, always feeling the pains of anger and bitterness.  Your opponent on the other hand may not even mind your situation or may not know your feelings.2. Free your mind from worries - Most of the things that you worry about never happens. Live one day at a time. Leave the tomorrow's worries tomorrow.3. Live simply and appreciate what you have. Be content and enjoy life; stop and smell the roses.4. Give more. It is better to give than to receive.5. Expect less from people but more from yourself. I will never forget the life statement my father has thought me - Do not expect people to do as you do so that you will not get frustrated.

When You Feel Like Quitting

Regardless of nationality or culture, being a single mom is one of the hardest jobs for a woman. Regardless of the reason of being a single mom, these ladies found themselves abandoned by the fathers. They are then forced to fend for themselves and for their children. Providing financially for their family is one thing but an equally heavy toll is raising a family alone (without the father).


A lot of times you will feel like quitting. You feel like throwing in the towel and leaving, but you know you can’t and you should not. What should you do when you feel like quitting?


When you feel like quitting, think about why you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t quit because you have mouths to feed and futures to make better. Think about your children and how you want them to grow up to be the best that they can be. Feel the love you have for them. This love will be your strength that will keep you going and forget about quitting no matter how difficult your situation may be.

When you feel like quitting think about your vision for your children. How do you want them to grow up? What do you want them to become. What is your dream for them? Having a clear vision of your dreams for your children will help you keep working towards that dream, that goal for your children.  You need to keep your focus on your objective so that you will have the strength to go on doing what you need to do for your children. Keeping your focus on your children’s future will be your energy to work for the financial needs of your children and it will be your energy to nurture and nourish your children with love, teaching them good values and encouraging them to be the best that they can be.

Triumph through persistence. You will encounter a lot of frustrations along the way, a ton of hardships but these should not derail you or cause you to weaken.  You will triumph through persistence. When you fall down, get up and keep going. Winston Churchill said, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time – a tremendous whack.” One of your hurdles will be financial needs. You tried several means to earn a living but failed. Do not be disheartened on your first attempt. Try something else and if that doesn't work, try another thing again. Just keep trying, keep working and soon you will come out of your financial problems. Learn from your failures and use these learnings to propel you to success.  We are blessed with internet technology that will allow you to work at several business opportunities while being at

home with your children (send me a message fadenew@gmail.com if you need more information on how this will work for you).

 

Do not accept your helplessness. As long as you are alive, you can never be helpless. There is a lot of help around – family, friends, community and most specially our loving heavenly Father, Jesus Christ. Keep that negative voice out of your head; you have a purpose and therefore, you will prevail