Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Pandemic Virus Advice

March 24, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan Khan

Dear Friends,

If you want to scare yourself real good, you should scour the internet for news releases on the Virus.

I assure you, this will ruin your peace of mind and make you wonder why you should even try at life, the way you used to a short month ago.

The message of mayhem and misery is going to bring you down, if you let it.

Let us be among the first friends, to remind you that now is not the time to retreat or give up hope!

Now is the time to double down!

Double down on being brave and courageous.

Double down on being supportive to others who are scared.

Double down on working hard at your goals. When this crisis time is over, you will emerge stronger.

Double down on staying positive and resourceful as a leader for your family, friends and co-workers.

Be smart. Wash your hands, don’t touch your face.

At the same time…..

Wash your mind of negativity and don’t let fear overcome you either!

For all our Awesome Life Email subscribers, we will send you a *FREE* special guide that we hope you will find helpful, that will show you how to get more peace of mind and help you to achieve your goals!

It is a longer read, but just in time for the moment we live in! Please share your feedback with us and make sure you share this post with everyone you know that could use some perspective.

If you haven’t done so already, subscribe to our email list at: https://www.awesomelifebook.com/

You are Awesome and You Can Get Through This!

A Perspective on The Crisis

March 23, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad Ahmad

"Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance." Virgil

We are in the midst of a pandemic that has shaken the world like none before it.

Many are fearful and some are feeling hopeless. But this too shall pass.

Humanity has faced many trials in the past..and moved forward. We will do so again this time. We need to keep our focus on enduring the day and planning sensibly for the future. We are not individuals wandering this existence alone. We are a global community of intelligent, rational and compassionate beings that will work together to solve this latest crisis.

I believe in humanity and ask you to do the same. People are working together and will continue to do more of this because they realize what is at stake. It will take all of us to make things better.

If you are a subscriber, coming soon to an Inbox near you is our Ultimate Guide to Perseverance in Hard Times. Stay tuned for it.

I leave you with one of my favourite Stoic Quotes that captures the moment for me:

“Objective judgment, now, at this very moment. Unselfish action, now, at this very moment. Willing acceptance – now, at this very moment – of all external events. That’s all you need.” Marcus Aurelius

With Best Wishes for Patience and Fortitude.

Why Do We Train?

March 16, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad Ahmad

Many people workout their physical bodies. Some are also practicing mental fitness and resilience. A few people are regular in spiritual practice and achieving higher stages of enlightenment. But what is all this for? Why bother trying to develop mind, body and soul?

I believe we do this because we know that through such struggle, hardship and focus, we become better versions of ourselves.

By training the body for strength and endurance, we obviously look good and feel better. We are also ready to bear the stress of life with more courage and stamina.

The practice of mental training to calm and focus the mind is a requirement for effective decision making, problem solving and creativity. We become more productive as well as more empathic though exercises of the mind.

The soul or spirit is the third aspect of our being that needs to be trained to be a complete human beings. When we ponder on the divine and what it means to be a good human being in context of other living things, we find purpose, fulfillment and peace.

There are many people who train one or two aspects of their being but I challenge every one of you to be the Awesome ones who train all three - your mind, body and soul. In my personal experience, this is the only way to become a truly happy and effective human being.

Action Steps:

When you train your body, think of your loved ones and how you will be able to help them by becoming stronger. Imagine the kinds of strength you need to possess to carry the physical burden of your role including security of your family in times of danger. Develop the physical fitness you need with these things in mind.
When developing better mental fitness, think of all of your important roles in life. How can you perform them with excellence and the best decision making. Create a plan to figure out what your mental fitness needs to be so you can lead your family and community.
When you consider your spiritual state, review how you feel today and what your perspective is for all living beings. How do you fit into this world and what kind of relationship do you want to have with every other living things starting with the most important people in your life. Demonstrate the kinds of habits, words and actions you would like to see more of in the world as part of training for the soul. This will give you more self-awareness and also respect for life.

Is Pain Necessary For Goal Achievement?

March 9, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

When you are out to achieve a goal, you will try to avoid pain, and this can become your main problem.

Everyone wants to live a life of ease and pleasure. No one wants to end up with no rewards after putting in an effort, either.

Even our biological makeup seems to promote the desire for ease and pleasure.

After an intense effort, we crave rest.

Similarly, when we eat our fill, we enjoy the bliss of a full stomach and are tempted by dessert!

In the pursuit of our goals, we seek pleasure and avoid pain.

Most humans seem to have a default setting that wants maximum results for minimum effort. And yet, when we truly achieve a goal of any importance, we usually do so with significant effort, sweat, tears, and scraped knees.

The best results come from hard work!

The benefits of hitting our goal exceed the achievement of the goal: they include a sense of personal confidence and the belief that other goals can likewise be achieved.

Let’s take a look at the fascinating methods of a gold medal producing swim coach:

Mark Spitz, who in 1972 won 6 Olympic gold medals, went to Indiana University, and his coach was a guy named Doc Counsilman, the greatest swim coach in America’s history.

The first day of practice every fall, Coach Counsilman would take all the guys going out for the swim team out on the swim deck.

There was a little banner that hung over the pool, and the banner only had three words on it: Hurt, Pain, Agony.

The coach said, "Okay, we're going to spend a lot of time together this year, and if you want to be a part of this swim team, every afternoon, you have to come here for a couple of hours and swim until you hurt.

But if you have higher goals and you want to be a national champ, you have to come here every afternoon and swim until you're in pain."

"If you have still higher goals and you want to be the next Mark Spitz, you want to be a world champion or an Olympic champion; you have to come here and train until you're in agony." He said, "So it's your choice. Hurt, pain, agony." He said, "All of you, I wouldn't have recruited you unless I knew each and every one of you had world-class potential inside of you."

Here's the interesting thing. Whether you choose hurt or pain or agony, by the time you take a shower and go home for dinner, everything is going to go back to normal, so it's how much are you willing to give in that 2, 2-1/2 hours every day that's going to determine your destiny.

What's it going to be?

Hurt, Pain, Agony.

A little pain today will offset a lot of pain tomorrow.

I hope you will agree. Your most awesome life depends on it!

Action Steps:

Commit to seeing your goal being achieved regardless of how much pain may come your way.
Hone your skills that will be needed to achieve your goal. Spend the time, hire the coach, put in the hours. Get wet.
Give yourself a deadline. Otherwise, you will never see the finish line.
Have a strategy for getting back on the horse when you get bucked off.
Remind yourself of the pleasure of the pain⎯achieving your goal.

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.

Influence vs. Manipulation

March 2, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We live in a world of millions of self described “influencers” and just as many manipulators. They are all over the Internet, TV, Radio and in our workplaces, schools as well as our families. Influence is the kind, helpful and necessary act of helping another person change for their own benefit. That could be through better eating, exercise or simply sleeping more. Real Influencers are necessary parts of human society.

Manipulators are those people who try to confuse, scare, insult and even force us down a certain path. The decision they are seeking from us is for their material, political or some other gain. It doesn’t have to do with our well being even though they might try to convince us that we somehow benefit from it. Manipulators are often pretending to be influencers and that is the danger. Knowing who is who and understanding who truly benefits from your change of action, thinking or purchase is your power.

We will always have Influencers and Manipulators in society so learn to tell them apart from now on. Don’t be manipulated by an influencer ever again.

How a Little Boy Fixed The World

February 24, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

I want to tell you a really cool story today.

A father and his son were sitting together in their living room on a peaceful Sunday.

The little boy of seven years old was not interested in the nature documentary his father was watching. He kept asking him when they would go out to play cricket, as promised.

The father wanted to finish watching his program and came up with an idea to keep his son busy for twenty minutes. Or so he thought.

He grabbed a nearby magazine that had a map of the World on it. He then ripped it into tiny pieces and jumbled them up in his palm and put it on the coffee table. He then asked his son to put the picture back together again.

The little boy was done in five minutes and showed his father, his reconstructed picture of the World. The father was astonished and asked his son how he finished the puzzle so quickly.

The little boy replied, "It was easy, on the other side of the paper was a picture of a man. All I had to do was fix the man, and the World took care of itself!"

The father was proud of his son's ingenuity, and at the same time, he was taken back by the deep wisdom, imparted by his 7-year-old son.

We all need to take care of fixing ourselves. The work needs to be done from the inside out. If we work on ourselves, our outer world will take care of itself.

And that’s the end of the story.

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.

Becoming vs Getting

February 17, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Life is a process of change. We are in the constant transformation from who we are today into who we could be tomorrow. What you get in life is tied to the kind of person you become. With this in mind, stop focussing on what you get or have in life. Make a conscious effort to realize what you are becoming. Do you like the person you see in the mirror each day? Do you have a vision for the kind of life you want to be living?

If you want to become better person and have more quality things in your life, make a plan to transform yourself a little bit each day. Make the necessary changes gradually and watch how Awesome you can be!

Awesome Things People NEED To Hear

February 8, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

We play many roles in our lives. Parent, Child, Employee, Friend, Manager, Neighbour, Leader, Follower and so many more. In each role we have, there are some words and ideas we need to know about that makes us better in these roles. Below I will share some thoughts about what I think are the most Awesome ideas we wish others would say.

As a child, we want our parents to say they are proud of us and love us no matter what our grades are. We also want them to help us become the best version of ourselves whether that is a Doctor, Lawyer, or something less traditional like a plumber, carpenter or mechanic.

As a parent, we want to hear our children say that they are grateful we raised them up despite lack of money or resources. Parents need to hear that they did their best with what they had and their kids don’t think anyone else could have raised them any better.

As a spouse, we need to hear that we are important in this relationship and that decisions are made with both of us in mind. Each spouse needs to hear that disagreements don’t mean we don’t care about each other but rather, that we need to work things out together.

As a friend, we need to hear that we chose this bond with each other which is beyond blood relations. Friends need to hear that their opinions matter and that this relationship is strong for life.

Neighbours need to know that they are in a friendly environment where they will be safe along with their property. If they ever need help, they need to hear that their immediate neighbours will be there to offer help.

As an employee, we need to hear that our work has value and is part of a larger goal. Employees need to know they are not commodities that can be easily let go or be overwhelmed with work no one else will do.

As a manager, we need the whole team to know we are working in the team’s best interest to achieve some larger goals. Managers need the team to know that they are Leaders of the business and chosen for their ability to successfully manage groups of people to take them where they need to go.

Finally, as a human being, we need other people to know that we are more than our race, skin tone, nationality or gender. We need to hear other people value our opinion and ideas in an objective way. We all want to be heard as individuals and not grouped together with others we look or sound like.

If we want to be appreciated more, we need to become more aware of our relationships with others. Wouldn’t it be Awesome if you heard more of the above things and applied them in your life?

How To Be Happy: An Overlooked Technique!

February 3, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

What is your experience with being and staying happy?

Are you able to stay happy once you feel happy? Is being happy your natural state or something you have to work at?

If you wanted to be happy in an instant, what would you do to be happy?

Take a moment to think if you need to.

The best thing to be happy is to do the things you enjoy and to make time for it in your daily schedule. A few examples might be things like reading, listening to some music, spending time with your friends, playing a video game, writing or volunteering. These are all excellent ideas.

How do you know when you are truly happy after volunteering or playing a video game? Is it because you feel a warm giver's high or the dopamine hit from going to the higher level in the game? Are these forms of happiness long-lasting? I think you will agree that these are only temporary boosts and not long-lasting.

To have a long-lasting form of happiness that stays with you and is easy to replenish is available anytime, you do a bit of prayer. Yes. Prayer. If you are spiritual and believe in a Creator, don't forget to add this to your list of things to do every day.

There is no way to know if this works unless you try it. To maximize your prayer, you can try three things as a reminder. Before starting your prayer, try to erase your mind of its thoughts of the day. Once you start your prayer, don’t forget to show gratitude for the big and small things in your life. During your prayer, let all your questions, complaints and concerns come out; remember that you are having a private and personal prayer⎯don’t hold back.

Prayer is the overlooked technique that very few people are talking about. Your mental peace comes from doing a lot of things, but if you pray for success in what you are aiming for, don't be surprised if you start feeling happy in the very core of your heart. If others start asking you about that light you keep shining, don’t keep this technique or this short article a secret either!

How to Have an Awesome Work Ethic

January 27, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

“We all can be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice. What I mean by that is, there are inherent sacrifices that come along with that. Family time, hanging out with friends, being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision.” Kobe Bryant - Championship NBA player for LA Lakers

Some people are born with lots of talent and most of the rest just work hard at something. That thing they have chosen involves passion, persistence and a positive mindset to achieve despite not having the most talent at something. The late great basketball player, Kobe Bryant, demonstrated what is possible in basketball and life by working harder than everyone else. He made basketball his craft and studied it from various angles. He made sure he learned from the best in the game whether they were current players or retired ones.

When a driven person invests time and energy into something important, they are bound to be successful because it’s simply not possible to focus on something in a sincere way without getting the benefits of achieving greatness. It will take a lot of work, sacrifices and thick skin to tolerate all the negative people you will encounter on your journey but it’s worth it in the end. Whatever you want to achieve can be yours if you commit to an Awesome Work Ethic.

Action Steps:

Ask yourself, are you willing to work harder than everyone on your team? Raise your game until you are hardest worker at whatever task you are doing.
Are you committed to being the best in whatever you are doing? Rate your current performance in life on scale of 10. How can you get to a 10 in all the things that matter to you?
Look at your weekly schedule and note how many days you have dedicated to personal excellence in something. If you really want something, put it in your calendar!
Focus on excellence each day in whatever you are doing. Those days of excellence will add up to Awesome results.

How To Improve Yourself Rapidly In One Week

January 20, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

“Took this dream and made it mine”⎯from the song: Untouchable, by DMX

“The losing stops now”⎯from the movie: Coach Carter starring Samuel Jackson

As I write this article, it is a Saturday. In two days, Monday arrives, and it's off to the races again.

When I think about how my work week went last week, I think to myself I could have been a bit more productive.

Does that ever happen to you?

I left my office on Friday, having prepared for upcoming meetings this week and writing out a new To-Do list. I think I did an excellent job, but I just came across a better idea that I intend to implement on Monday.

Here it is:

If I want to make noticeable and rapid improvements, I need to start a weekly improvement program.

Simple. End of story.

Here is how I will do it.

On Monday, before I begin checking my email and bouncing to the first thing on my To-Do list, I will ask myself how my previous week went and what I can do better this week. I will write that down in a notebook and make it a weekly habit to be done every Monday Morning.

There are two benefits to doing this:

1.Because it is weekly, I will not wake up three months later, feeling like I am not getting ahead or spinning my wheels. I think you might know what I mean.

We all implement a great idea and then let it go to the wayside because we get busy with "stuff." Weekly check-ins will keep good intentions⎯honest and tracked.

2.This exercise of asking what I can do better this week will spark my "creative thought machine." I intend to write whatever pops into my head and refine the list later. In fact, I am sure some new innovative ideas will come to mind because I am asking myself a question that demands a new way of thinking.

Everything can be done better. We are witness to this phenomenon; otherwise, we would all still be sitting around fires at night and hunting for food with wooden spears during the day.

Who knows how much more money I will make and increased sense of relaxation and accomplishment I will gain from doing this!

My goal is to do this for the rest of 2020 and see how it works out.

How about you? What did you do last week? What can you do better this week?

Action Steps:

Get a Notebook; a nice one that shows respect to your new effort.
Carve out time on Monday Morning: 15 minutes well spent can create time as you become more focused on doing things that matter.
Ask and think in terms of: better, improvements, big wins, win-win and increased service/value (this automatically brings in the money) and lower stress and anxiety (this will pay dividends in health)
Commit to this new technique of activating “Betterfication” for at least 12 weeks to see if it makes any difference in your life.
If it does, drop us a line, we want to hear what happened and how it changed things for you.
To focus yourself: Ask, what am I currently doing to improve results at work and play?

If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.

Doing vs Being

January 13, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Many people think they “have to do” something or other. They don’t realize that they get to BE or become something else through their thoughts, words, and actions. When you realize that each moment is a step on the journey of the person you become, you have more power. You begin to see your daily routines differently. Your choices matter more and you will hopefully make wiser decisions to help you on your journey.

Don’t think of what you have to do today or this year. Think instead of what kind of person you want to become and gradually, that’s the transformation you will see happening. That will make your habits more likely to stick and will mean all the difference in the world.

Why The Year 2020 Is Going To Be Hard

January 6, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

Don't you love it when you wake up, and you feel like a million dollars?

How about when your first cup of tea or coffee tastes just perfect? Or how about that feeling when you get a new client, make a new sale or nail a presentation at work?

Personally, I love it when someone notices how good I look.

If only every day could be this way!

Well? How about you?

Don’t you enjoy life more when it is going your way?

When people around you are behaving the way they should? When everything you touch turns into gold?

Especially when this happens every day?

Do you agree that life should be easy and not hard?

But sometimes it seems like life is hard and brutish, nasty and monotonous. One day things are up, and the next, they are sideways. What about days that everything that could go wrong, go very wrong? Life is not fair! Why does everything have to be so damn hard?

Do you have the answer?

May I offer one that could change your outlook on life forever? After learning this insight, you may well see life as it is for the first time and be able to relax into life truly.

Here it is: Life is not supposed to be easy.

That’s it.

Stop wondering or complaining. All of nature and your own experience and observation prove that life is not supposed to be easy.

An orchard of mango trees needs to be planned and cultivated. A business will go through ups and downs even if the owner is a millionaire. People with healthy and slim physiques need to stick to their plan over years⎯not 90 days.

And on the other hand, a storm can wipe out a town in a few minutes with innocent people in it. The survivors rally and rebuild. They were strong in spirit and mind. The mentally weak among them become resentful of life and stop living even though they are alive.

Life is a trial as much as it is an open book test. You will have wins and losses. Joys and pain. Ups and downs. The difference will be from this day forward, it will not be a surprise.

Life is not supposed to be easy.

And 2020, like any year before it or after it, will not be easy. Those who are strong both in spirit and mentally will rally. You are one of them.

Here is your action plan for 2020:

Please write down your goals that you must achieve this year and resolve to get them done regardless of how hard things get in life.

The next time one of your friends or relatives goes through a tough time in life, remind them that life is not supposed to be easy.

Share this article with them if you please.

All the best to you in 2020 and beyond. May you be strong, both in spirit and mind.

The Secret Behind Getting Rich

January 3, 2020 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

As the new decade begins, you might like to ask who will get rich in the next ten years?

Who among your friends, relatives or co-workers will strike it rich?

How will they do it?

What about you?

Will you get rich?

Perhaps, all we need to do is watch a movie that reveals a Secret. Another possibility is that rich people are in possession of some magic formula. It could also be that they have some inside information that is passed down to them behind closed doors?

That may be; however, for the rest of us regular folks, the secret lies in knowing four fundamental truths that I shall reveal immediately without further suspense.

Ready?

Really, ready?

First and foremost, you should paint a picture of your goal on the canvass of your mind. Vividly imagine your new business or professional goal as though it is done. See yourself in the picture, cashing big cheques and standing on a stage receiving an award for extraordinary achievement.

Hold the image in your mind and make it a habit to think about it several times a day.

A useful tool will be to write down the description of your goal on the back of a business card, put it in your wallet, purse or bathroom mirror and look at it often.

Our mind works very well when you give it a picture. Imagination has, in it, a very creative force.

Use the tools of your mind like an artist uses the tools of her trade; a brush, some paint and a canvass creating a picture that is admired by thousands of people. Your tools are visualization, repetition of thoughts held with detail, the revivification of positive past experiences and faith that your vision will manifest. This will cause your mind to make you aware of the things you need to implement to build your vision into reality.

Second, you must act on your intentions. Most people that are introduced to this whole conceive, believe and achieve philosophy are ignoring the most critical step⎯personal action. Nothing will happen by sitting in a corner, doing affirmations and praying day and night. You have to get out there and act. Act with faith, work with purpose and be prepared to be knocked down trying.

Grand plans require hard work.

Thought and action must go hand in hand. You can’t just think and manifest.

Furthermore, the nature of your action should start today.

Now not later. Later may never come or look safe or be free of complications. Waiting creates inertia, second thoughts, and putting things back on the shelf. Act now and figure it out as you go. Apply systematic and intelligent action that is done daily without fail.

Thirdly, whatever business you intend to bring into reality should be based on giving your customer value. If you can figure out how to provide more value than your customer traditionally gets from others, you will have a long-term and robust business. The best companies in the world create value and grow because of this simple rule.

Here is the final “secret” ingredient. Pray to your Creator for what you visualize to come into reality. Pray with faith and purpose and be in a state of gratitude. Your level of gratitude will bring you closer to your Creator in spirit and mind. When you connect more closely with the Source of all things the power of creation flows to you and through you and starts the process of bringing your vision into reality. This will ultimately cause things and events to happen in your favour as if by magic.

Your faith will strengthen and your purpose will be refueled. You will become unstoppable.

If you follow these instructions, don’t be surprised if you become rich in the coming decade.

Have a clear vision; take action on your vision without delay; add value to your customer’s life and pray for success!
If you liked this article and know someone who is goal-oriented and should read this, please share it on your social media and suggest they visit www.awesomelifebook.com to subscribe to our email list.

60 Awesome Life Lessons Learned In 50 Years

December 30, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

I was inspired by Shazad, who told me I ought to write out 50 life lessons to correspond with my 50th trip around the Sun. I ended up with 60 for good measure and hope that you might find a few of them to be useful to you.

Childhood adversity can shape you to be a winner.
Words you use profoundly affect how you perform in life.
Seeing yourself doing things well in your mind’s eye translates into you performing well in real life.
Have a few good friends that you stay in touch with at least every two weeks. A good friend makes life that much more happy.
Encourage others to be their best. Your words may be the only encouragement they hear.
Drink tea to relax and enjoy the fact that you have a mug, a teabag, milk, a kettle, clean water, a comfy chair and a place you call home. Be thankful and count your blessings. Watch your happiness increase.
Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses, especially when you intend to excel in life.
Eat processed foods only once every 15 days. Avoid sugar and seed oils.
Copy the habits and mindset of successful people. They may be famous or even your Mom.
Go and meet successful people and ask them good questions.
Be patient and hard working. Rome and yourself were not built in a day. Work hard while others play and live a life less ordinary.
Watch what you are saying in public. Others are listening.
Build your own brand. Decide what it is and devote a lifetime to its reputation.
Be not afraid to do things or of things. Be brave and know you have or can develop skills to handle anything.
Read every day so that you get smarter on a subject that captures your fancy. For example, diet and fitness, Dobermans, watches, religion, investing, personal development.
Practice writing and public speaking, so you sharpen these skills. Become a communicator and a leader.
Look at people who have messed up their lives and don’t do what they do.
Follow good morals and rules found in your religious beliefs. They are designed to give you a life that shields you from suffering and unneeded complications.
Speak to people with respect, and you will get respected back.
Watch movies and read stories that inspire you to live your life with awesomeness.
Take courses to improve your self and your earning abilities.
Make a plan to achieve your goals. Know why your goals are important to you.
Write down goals to achieve over the next six months and act on them.
Get someone to be your accountability coach. Recruit your friend or spouse. You need to report your progress on your goals once every week for the rest of your life.
Friends are a gift of heaven. Cherish your friends and support them back.
Honesty is the only policy. Play the long game. Others will notice.
Mind your own business means to compete only against yourself.
Wish others more success and watch your success blossom.
Prayer in your quiet and private time is the same as meditating.
Your mind has two parts: the horse and the rider. The rider is your conscious mind, and your unconscious mind is the horse. The horse does the will of the rider. A good rider leads the horse. Be a good rider.
Expect good things to happen to you. Your mind will seek those things just as a magnet attracts iron.
Don't trash talk to anyone, especially when they are not in your presence. You will cheapen yourself and only convince spineless listeners.
Take care of your body. You pay for the sins of youth in your older years.
Go for a daily walk to get exercise, keep your back pain-free, stave off stress, anxieties and insomnia. A good walk is an elixir for what ails you.
Stop scaring yourself. Don’t imagine things to be worse than they are. If they turn out bad, you will respond gracefully and not react fearfully.
Be on time by arriving 15 minutes early. Doing this will make you relaxed and permit relaxed thinking and performance.
Family time is important. We are so busy that we have to make it happen. Stay in on a Saturday night and chat about your lives instead of chatting over digital devices while you're on the go.
Don’t lose your temper. When you do, you always wish you didn’t. It’s worth the effort.
Don’t keep good information or ideas to yourself. Share freely and let others benefit too.
Adopt an abundance mentality and be optimistic. Every small thinker and pessimistic person lives below their potential.
There is a proper time in life to do certain things, so do them while you can. Trying to take up tennis when your knees are worn out is one example.
Invest your money early in life and monthly, so it grows through compounding.
Make a plan to be debt-free. Spend less than you make.
Think of ways to increase your income. Ask for a raise by helping your company with an idea to make even more revenue or if you own a business, by selling more products, or by increasing your client base or by selling larger ticket items.
Watch your habits and beliefs. Both will influence the outcomes in your life. They control you like a software program.
Buy fewer things but buy higher quality, so you enjoy what you buy for a long time.
Give to charity and witness your own prosperity take off.
Live in the moment and enjoy your life. It is not a rehearsal.
The prime time of your life is now. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone.
Remember, you will die. So rather than get gloomy, use this to motivate yourself to really go for it. Live life to the fullest.
Think highly of yourself. Your self-image and esteem for yourself will make or break you.
Mindset is not everything; it is the only thing — all greatness within lies upon the bedrock of a solid mindset.
Know your purpose for living. This will give you the courage to beat all obstacles and setbacks.
Failing is good as long as you see it as feedback to make a comeback and change your direction.
Avoid negativity. This comes in the form of people, the evening news, ideas or surroundings.
Organize your time in blocks. This will help you to get things done. Do all your critical activities in time blocks and don't skip back and forth between unrelated tasks.
Think about your future and flourish. Think about your past and perish.
Never give up. Tomorrow has in it something miraculous for you. Find it.
Affirmations work. The three most powerful to use are: I am..., I choose to...I will have...
This is your life. Live it according to your own book.

Use All Your Gears

December 22, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

The way the average car moves is by having an engine that burns some kind of fuel combined with a transmission which applies the power generated by the engine to the 4 wheels. Modern day transmissions have many gears ranging from 5-8 speeds in total. At lower speed, the car is in lower gear but to get to higher speeds, the transmission needs to shift into higher gears.

People are like cars in that we are sometimes going fast and sometimes at medium speed or just getting started in lower gear. This is as it should be. We need to be cycling through our gears in life rather than being stuck in the lower gears or always roaring down the road of life in high gear. Different people will have a different number of gears so no one is going to ‘drive’ the same way in life. One thing that we all have in common is that we all have a slow, medium and fast mode which means we can and should be ‘shifting’ up and down. Like a car, we need to take a rest from cruising at high speeds. Likewise, we need to regularly go into higher gears to cruise the highway to avoid burning out the transmission in stop and go traffic of daily life.

No one can stay in low gear in life and enjoy the experience. We all like to go into high gear and experience a rush or excitement but we can’t live in that mode either. We have to be shifting through the various speeds available in each of us to truly experience all of life. Applying too little power or too much power all the time is not good for people or cars. When you use all your ‘gears’ on a regular basis, you experience the best ride of your life. Buckle Up and drive safely!

Action Steps:

Once a week, slow things down and cut out todo’s or events in your calendar. Just pay attention to your environment and breathing throughout the day.
Take 2 Weeks to unplug and travel each year. Delegate your responsibilities before you leave home and just enjoy the time away from daily routines of life.
Be prepared to work a few longer hour days each month to push yourself into higher gear of productivity and completion.
Practice 10 minutes of mindfulness at the end of workday. This can be on Train/Bus as you travel home. Try to mentally ‘park’ your work thoughts and get ready for home life so you can successfully make the transition when you step into your home.
Wake up extra early a few days a week and exercise for 30 minutes before you start you day. Get everyone moving and start visualizing how successful your day will be.

How To Be The Michael Jordan Of Positive Thinking And Crush Everyone Else

December 10, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

Can I ask you a trick question?

What part of the concept “Positive Thinking” is more important: Is it the positive aspect or the thinking part?

Don’t rush to give the answer. Think. Really Think.

Okay…so what is your answer? Is it positive, or is it thinking?

Here is the answer: it’s thinking. The foundation of success that positive thinking can deliver is rooted in thinking. All the good things that happen to you and all the bad things that happen to you can be directly traced back to your thinking. Your thinking affects your emotions, which then affect your actions. Right actions lead to good outcomes. Good outcomes are, therefore, traceable to your thinking.

As U.S. President Thomas Jefferson said,

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude (read thinking) from achieving his goal; nothing on Earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude."

We spend a lot of time thinking.

Whenever we are pursuing a goal⎯our thinking makes it happen. The interesting thing is that our thinking is often not serving us well, and when that happens, our goals get sidetracked. Thoughts of doubt or fear can creep in. Sometimes it’s thoughts of failing or the enormity of the commitment that is the culprit. However, when we really want to do something, not only do we find a way, we think ourselves into doing it.

Achieving a big important goal is not easy. But what if you start to focus on your thinking to trigger your goals into reality?

When you think you can, you can, and when you think you can't….so, don't box yourself into some limited definition of what you can accomplish.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, even if that person is yourself.

Get quiet with yourself and look inward. Have a talk with yourself and start by encouraging yourself to take supreme command of your thinking to create the circumstances you want.

Yes. There are several other components to achieving your goals, like being positive. The start of it all will be in your thinking. So make it count by organizing your mind towards the best thinking possible and positively pursue that as a goal!

Hey, just remember, Michael Jordan did not give up when his High School Coach cut him from the Varsity Team.

Ask Yourself, What Am I Missing?

December 9, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Whenever I get something wrong or face a difficult problem, I ask myself this question, “What Am I Missing?”. I make sure I explore what I know and also what I don’t know. Where is the key info I need to solve the issue? Sometimes it is a set of things and not one “magic” bullet or a “smoking gun” that is obvious.

By frequently asking ourselves “What am I missing?” We get confidence in what we actually know and an opportunity to get more info. This is the remedy for over confidence and impulsive decision making.

Take the time to make sure you have enough clarity and avoid the regret of making an uninformed decision. You’ll be glad you did!

Seeing The Future Is The Best Thing To Learn This Year

November 25, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Ahsan

Sometimes I wish I had a crystal ball. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what your future holds?

2020 is just days away, but what will it be like?

If you think about it, humans crave stability and safety and trying to keep things in life predictable.

How do we do it? The main problem is that we don’t have a crystal ball and seeing around corners is beyond human capacity!

Life is sometimes like a road trip.

Imagine you are off for a road trip from your hometown to another city just two days away. Now imagine the year is 1985, no internet, GPS or Satellite to guide you. All you know is that there are roads to travel, exits to take and hotels and restaurants along the way.

As you pack the car, you think to yourself, what if I get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere? What if I get lost? All possible scenarios even in 2020. You head out anyway by overriding the thought and thinking positive. Along the way, an interesting thing happens….

First of all, your paper map gives you enough confidence about what route to take but not what each road will look like? Some roads are pretty straight, others have pot-holes, and others have curves and bends that you can't see beyond.

It's hard to see around the bend, isn't it? But after driving for hours in such situations, you notice that all you need to see is what you can ahead of you and that as you come through the curve, you begin to see what is ahead of you again.

In other words, not seeing the entire road ahead is not a problem if you focus on what is in front of you and let the rest reveal itself as you get closer. You just need to see far enough ahead and then steer in the right direction after that. And that is life!

We may like to know what tomorrow holds, but soon enough tomorrow arrives, and we flow with the next curve or bend. What other reality or choice do we have? No need to stress about tomorrow or what it may bring!

Get it? Got it? Now don’t forget it!

Here is your Action Plan:

Someone smart said the best way to build your future is to design it.

Based on that idea, sit down and think about a goal that you have like earning more money or getting fit.

Now make a plan and follow it. It’s that simple.

Just don’t get caught up in the thought about seeing everything clearly as you would on a straight road. Your road will and must have curves and bends.

Just start the ignition, follow your plan and focus on what’s ahead.

When your day is done, be honest with yourself about your efforts and start all over again tomorrow.

You Got This!

Why Everyone needs Vision, Value and Mission statements

November 19, 2019 Shazad Ahmad

By Shazad

Most Companies, countries and even some families have them. We see them written on walls and websites as well as slide decks. I’m talking about Vision, Values and Mission statements. These are 3 different but related things. We should have all 3 of these for our personal lives to transform how we think, act and speak.

A Vision is something to strive for that pulls us toward SOMETHING GREATER. A vision is something that is always out of our grasp but the seeking of which drives a person, nation or company towards every constant improvement.

Values define HOW we behave as we move forward towards our Vision. We need Values to articulate what our core beliefs are and the code of conduct we live by. Writing down 2 to 5 Values and reviewing them on regular basis can be enough to make sure our thoughts, words and actions are aligned with our authentic self.

A Mission is a time-stamped challenging goal we hope to achieve. It can take many months or years to achieve and is aligned with our Vision. Missions can be determined by external factors as well as originating from our internal Values. Mission Statements help a person or a company organize its resources to concentrate efforts towards something significant that you can be proud of when it is achieved. Having Missions ensures there is movement in life towards the achievement of something worth doing. Missions can be very motivating and inspire growth in individuals and nations such as the race to land a person on the Moon and safely return them to Earth.

If you want to truly be inspired and live according to your true principles, you also need to define your Vision, Value and Mission statements.

Action Steps:

Define what your personal VISION is for your life and write it down. Review it often and refine it as needed each year.
Define what your VALUES are and why they are important to you. Have 3-5 core values and write them out. Review these every week if not daily, to remind you to align your actions with those values.
Create at least one MISSION statement for the next 6-12 Months and write out some details on the major steps to achieving this Mission. Review your Mission Statement every day and refine it as needed to get you closer to achieving it.