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"Try not to become a person of success, but rather a person of value."
Albert Einstein
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 08:18 AM
A recipe for business success.
Many entrepreneurs excel at bringing the idea from concept to marketable product, but lack the necessary management and marketing skills to make it happen. Nonetheless, some choose to go it alone, though help is at hand.
Others with limited budgets in the short term choose to go it alone, but have major difficulties asking stupid questions, or indeed any questions.
It appears that I am simplifying the process somewhat, however our ego can be a major obstacle in the context of developing a new business idea.
Willingness to learn and the ability to delegate are key skills - dont let your ego drown your entrepreneurial possibilities.
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
Helen Keller
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:49 AM
Highlighting and reflecting on your personal values helps to unearth your mission but there is more.
Research just published in November's issue of Psychological Science has shown that the simple act of reflecting on your values can ease some of the physiological effects of stress.
In an experiment with college students asked to perform a stressful task, researchers found that those who first reflected on some important personal values -- whatever they were -- showed lower levels of a stress-hormone while they were under pressure.
For their experiment, David Creswell of the University of California Los Angeles.
and his colleagues had 80 college students go through the stressful task of explaining why they were a good candidate for a university job to a pair of stern interviewers.
Beforehand, about half of the students answered questions that caused them to think about an area of life that they had earlier identified as important to them, such as religion, social issues or politics. This was a "subtle" way to lead them into reflecting on their personal values, Creswell noted.
The rest of the students answered questions on issues that were not personally meaningful to them.
Before and after the stressful task, the researchers took saliva samples from the students to measure levels of the hormone cortisol, which tend to spike in response to stress.
Overall, the study found, students who'd reflected on their personal values showed less of a cortisol response to the stressful situation.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 09:35 AM
The Moken, also known as the "sea gypsies", are a nomadic people living off the coasts of Burma and Thailand.
In their language, there is no word for " want."
Think about it.
(Above reported in The Sunday Times.)
This reminded me of my visit to the Quechuan Indians high up in the Andes in Peru in 1998. Most of the tribe had never met anyone from the " developed world" at that time.
In their language, there is no word for "I" nor indeed is there any word for "doubt."
I recall asking one of their leaders whether or not he ever got depressed. My English was translated to Spanish and then to Quechuan. Pasculito the Shaman was mindboggled by this word. Couldn't understand it!
No want, no I, no doubt - developed wisdom from an "undeveloped world."
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 12:36 PM
37 Stress management tips in Readers Digest - here are a few that caught the eye:
5. Say Cheese
Smiling is a two-way mechanism. We do it when we're relaxed and happy, but doing it can also make us feel relaxed and happy. "Smiling transmits nerve impulses from the facial muscles to the limbic system, a key emotional center in the brain, tilting the neurochemical balance toward calm," Dr. Cooper explains. Go ahead and grin. Don't you feel better already?
11. Put It on Paper
Writing provides perspective, says Paul J. Rosch, M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress in Yonkers, NY. Divide a piece of paper into two parts. On the left side, list the stressors you may be able to change, and on the right, list the ones you can't. "Change what you can," Dr. Rosch suggests, "and stop fretting over what you can't."
14. Just Say No
Trying to do everything is a one-way ticket to serious stress. Be clear about your limits, and stop trying to please everyone all the time.
29. Fall for Puppy Love
In a study of 100 women conducted last year at the State University of New York at Buffalo, researchers found that those who owned a dog had lower blood pressure than those who didn't. If you don't have a pooch, visit a friend's: Petting an animal for just a couple of minutes helps relieve stress, researchers have found.
31. Dial a Friend
Sharing your troubles can give you perspective, help you feel cared for and relieve your burden.
33. Say a Little Prayer
Studies show that compared with those who profess no faith, religious and spiritual people are calmer and healthier.
36. Straighten Up
When people are under stress, they slump over as if they have the weight of the world on their shoulders. "Slumping restricts breathing and reduces blood and oxygen flow to the brain, adding to muscle tension and magnifying feelings of panic and helplessness," Dr. Cooper explains. Straightening your spine has just the opposite effect. It promotes circulation, increases oxygen levels in your blood and helps lessen muscle tension, all of which promote relaxation. "
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 01:31 PM
"Women are like tea bags, put them in hot water and they get stronger."
Eleanor Rossevelt
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 12:04 PM
84 per cent of the UK population believe that communing with nature makes them feel instantly more relaxed.
A walk in the park or the mere sight of the sea is enough to restore equilibrium in people who are experiencing serious stress. 42 per cent of those surveyed saying that the latter activity is the quickest and most effective stress reliever.
The study by Hoegaarden, is based on a survey of two thousand adults nationwide
Though thirty percent of urban dwellers were stressed, just 19 per cent of those who live or work in rural locations say they feel stressed on a daily basis.
Another interesting statistic cited by the study was that on average, city dwellers can expect to spend 73 days without more than five minutes of silence at a time, whilst those who live in rural areas go only 14-21 days.
Almost a quarter (22 per cent) of all Londoners have not experienced silence for over six months.
A life without silence - for me this is a scary proposition.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 10:32 AM
While putting the finishing touches to my new book, I decided to take a few weeks out and then return for my last scan.
After my self imposed break, I noticed a few significant issues with flow and repetition. I genuinely couldn't believe how I had missed these on my previous examinations.
What had happened?
To see the manuscript with new eyes, I needed some timeout, a period away from writing.
Like the frog in the boiling water, I was getting too accustomed to the heat and wasn't noticing the problems.
The advice is simple: for all your little and large problems, choose a timeout today for new found clarity, and oftentimes with your new eyes, some very obvious win-win solutions.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 01:31 PM
"Seven years have passed since that frightening moment when I lost my sight and I am happy to be able to say that I now view my blindness as an inconvenience rather than a life stopping disability. So much of what I thought was impossible back then wasn't impossible at all. Obstacles that seemed insurmountable were overcome with time and effort and, with each obstacle that I have overcome , life has become better."
(Excerpt from new book Making it Happen by Mark Pollock published by Mercier Press.)
In 1998, Mark Pollock was a student and international rower with a fantastic job offer in London when he suddenly lost his sight. He had been on the crest of a wave as he prepared for his final exams in Trinity College Dublin, but came crashing back to earth with the news that he would never see again.
Since then Mark has rebuilt his life and, indeed, has exceeded his achievements of before. Within six months of going blind he was working again and, two years later, he completed a Masters Degree in Business Studies. He has won medals while rowing for Northern Ireland at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, completed six marathons in one week in China's Gobi Desert, raced in the world's most extreme marathon at the North Pole, developed an international speaking business and co-authored a book focused on the motivation and life choices of successful people.
Again we learn life is a journey of choice - each one of us has the ability to choose our reactions to life's challenges. We can transcend any set of circumstances if we so choose.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 12:23 PM
Extracted from the very interesting book "Think yourself Rich" from Sharon Maxwell Magnus:
- You have to be born wealthy to become wealthy.
- You need to be academically brilliant.
- You need to have had a stable background.
- It's all luck anyway.
- You need to be young to become successful.
- You need to have a certain type of personality.
- You need to be a crook to get rich.
Her findings are based on the results of a unique survey of three hundred British millionaires.
The research proves that a life of magic, adventure and abundance awaits anyone who is willing to engage in life regardless of their background.
ENGAGE!
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 08:40 AM
A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has shown that men who suffer a slide in their career fortunes during their lifetime take the hit much harder than women who suffer a similar fate.
Though the study showed that women are twice as likely to be downwardly mobile, they generally avoided the depression and poor psychological well being that were found in men.
Men who experienced a downward social shift were four times more likely to experience depression than men who improved their social status, whereas there was no marked difference in mental health between women who had moved up or down the social ladder.
The University of Newcastle study followed men and women born in 1947 from childhood to age 50.
Am I more than my job?
Researchers suggested that the findings might be explained by the fact that men born during that era gained much of their self-esteem from their careers, whereas women found fulfillment from social pursuits outside work, such as children and friendships.
Female emotional intelligence.
It's also possible that women are more emotionally resilient in such situations, the researchers suggested.
Posted by Kevin Kelly at 08:24 AM