Preparation for Life After Graduation -- Things I Wish I'd Known Before Graduation
Believe in yourself, know what you want, and make it happen! …. Unknown
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars. -- Les Brown
No one can walk backwards into the future.
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. -- Mark Twain
An Old Farmer's Advice
Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
Meanness doesn't just happen overnight.
Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
It doesn't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
You cannot unsay a cruel word.
Every path has a few puddles.
When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about isn’t ever going to happen anyway.
Don't judge folks by their relatives.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it -- a second time.
Don't interfere with something that isn’t bothering you.
Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.
Sometimes you get, and sometimes you are got.
The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal watches you from the mirror every morning.
Always drink upstream from the herd.
Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.
If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's -- dog around.
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to the Almighty.
Author -- Unknown
Thinking Positive John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!
You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood."
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident.
When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
He continued, "..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything .
Author -- Unknown
Attitude Is Everything The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstance, than failure, than successes, than what other people say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company a church a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. we are in charge of our attitudes.
-Charles Swindoll
Business Cards
There are several rewards generated by great business cards. See sample business cards here. On top of the list are:
1. They are a reflection of you. They show that you have taken the time to market and position yourself. They suggest your leadership position.
2. They speak for you. They say, "you're someone special," before you ever say a word.
3. They communicate your potential. They are a sample of your work. Great cards, great work; ordinary cards, ordinary work; and crappy cards, crappy work.
4. They set the right tone for any visit. If you give your card at a networking event or during an appointment and get a "nice card" comment, it sets the tone for a positive discussion or meeting.
5. It's the most potent form of lasting advertising you've got. An excellent card is kept, is shown to others, and is reinforcement for claims contained in your other advertising.
6. You get multiple impressions for cheap. If you distribute 1,000 cards a year (4 a day), that is 1,000 business impressions a year. If your card is good enough to be re-shown to others, the number of impressions could multiply times five. WOW!
7. Your card will be saved. Not every card you give will result in an immediate job contact. If your card is great, people can't bring themselves to throw it away. It will stay around a desk or drawer until the day it's finally USED.
8. You gain a victory at "hand to hand" combat. The right card captures attention, disrupts competition, and wins the battle for attention and respect.
9. It's like getting married. A spouse will bring you 90% of life's joy or 90% of life's misery -- depending on selection. The same is true with business cards.
10. They are a competitive advantage, especially when two cards (yours and a competitor's) are being fondled to make one decision.
11. They are your identity and image. Your personal identity is displayed on your business cards and reflected in the real world. It's your image. What is that worth?
12. They are your personal signature. They make a statement. They send a message. Are you proud to offer your business card?
Source: Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, Knock Your Socks off Selling and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless Customer Loyalty is Priceless.
Results
"What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. Your answers lie inside of you." -- Denis Waitley
"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be." -- Douglas Adams
"We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn. Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service." -- Earl Nightingale
"Progress in mediation comes swiftly for those who try their hardest." -- Pantanjali
Transitioning to a New Job
When you begin work on a new job, the last thing you want to do is screw up so your new boss is all over you, but many new hires drop the ball, according to Peter Vogt, MonsterTRAK Career Coach.
The problem rarely stems from a lack of knowledge or poor technical skills. It often goes back to something much simpler: Your personality in the workplace, particularly during your first few weeks on the job is the issue.
Remember the spot on your second-grade report card that said "works and plays well with others"? This skill is still important, because it’s shockingly easy to make an awful first impression on your new colleagues –- the kind that will taint your reputation the entire time you’re with the organization.
How do you save yourself and perhaps even your career? Here are four key attitudes and behaviors to help you make a positive first and lasting impression.
Don’t Know Everything
"You may be a smart cookie, but as a 20-year old something, you’re still a relative newbie in the business world," says Alexandra Levit, author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College. So tread lightly when it comes to sharing your groundbreaking ideas, especially when you’re the new person.
"Resist the temptation to jump in and take over projects or to assume that you know how things should be done," Levit says. "Older colleagues with more experience will perceive this behavior as arrogance and will quickly dismiss your valuable input."
A Sincere ‘Thank You’ Goes a Long Way
Isn’t it nice to hear "thank you" once in a while? Your coworkers feel the same way. So does your boss. "Your manager is a human being who likes to feel appreciated, just as you do," says Susan Stern, president of Stern + Associates, a public relations and marketing firm in Cranford, New Jersey. "That means that if your manager takes you to lunch, gives you a gift, bonus or raise, or even hosts a company party, you should reply with a heartfelt ‘thank you.’"
Few Go Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
The number of clock-watchers that work around you will amaze you. These workers only do the tasks required of them and not an ounce more. They complete their 40 hours per week and not a second more. Their lack of interest can be your gain if you simply offer to take additional assignments or give extra time once in a while.
"Happy volunteers rack up points," says Stern. "Companies are always impressed with junior staffers who are willing to pay their dues, roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help. By exhibiting this “can-do” attitude and leaving your ego at the doorstep, you’ll show management that you’re committed to hard work, advancement and the team effort."
Listening Is Highly Rated
"This should be an obvious one, but many entry-level workers are anxious to prove their knowledge, and they speak without listening first," says Mary Harris, a corporate etiquette and protocol consultant in Fort Lauderdale. The unintended result is an image of a snotty know-it-all with no regard for more-experienced colleagues.
So above all, really listen, says Marjorie Brody, head of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania-based Brody Communications and coauthor of Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?
"When you understand what people are saying to you and need of you rather than always focusing on your own agenda, you garner respect from your colleagues as someone who is attentive and cares," she explains.
Turning Liabilities Into Assets by Zig Ziglar A group of villagers in the Orient decided that a towering hill with a bamboo thicket on top had to be leveled so the ground could be used for farming purposes. That same hill in the USA would have required the aid of giant earthmoving equipment to level the ground, but the Oriental mind didn't see things quite that way.
Thousands of people who lived in the immediate area got together and started removing the hill basket by basket of dirt. They handed down the baskets from top to bottom, and in some cases the lines were two miles long. For many days it seemed as though nothing was happening; the hill was not disappearing. But over a period of time, due to incredible teamwork and the commitment of thousands of people, the hill was leveled to a beautiful, flat farming area.
By their example, the Orientals demonstrated that when we are confronted with seemingly impossible tasks, if we break them down into small segmentsor one basket at a timewe can literally accomplish the impossible and move mountains. The villagers took a liability and turned it into an asset. Think about it.
Examine your liabilitiesmaybe you can convert them to assets, even if it's just a basket at a time. Source: http://ultg.jimrohn.com
Mind Is Master
"Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes, And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes, The tool of Thought, and shaping what he wills, Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills; He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass; Environment is but his looking-glass." -James Allen
Smart Money Moves to Deliver Long-Term Returns
Many of us overlook the building blocks of financial planning that are crucial to creating wealth. Here are some essential steps: Eliminate any credit card balances – If you can only spare a few dollars each month, target your cards with highest interest rates. Establish an emergency fund – Bad stuff happens, so a major crisis such as a job loss or a medical emergency, so tuck away at least three to six months’ worth of living costs in a safe investment or bank savings account. Get free 401 (k) money from your employer – Your money grows tax deferred until retirement in a 401 (k) savings plan. Your contributions reduce your taxable income and cut your tax bill. Save outside your 401 (k) plan – Make sure you are saving enough to begin to invest in stocks and funds. Lock your mortgage costs – Adjustable rate mortgages are great when interest rates are decreasing, but when interest rates are heading higher, lock your mortgage rate even if it costs you to do so. Determine what you own already – Successful investors need a plan, so your money is spread over a broad spectrum of stocks and bonds. Have an ideal portfolio in mind before you buy your next investment. Sell some stocks and funds to rebalance your portfolio – Jettison some winners and losers to free up cash for new investments. By routinely rebalancing, you force yourself to buy low and sell high.
Source: Wang, Penelope. Money, August 2004.
Instructions for Life
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 2. When you lose, dont lose the lesson. 3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your own actions. 4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 5. Dont let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 6. When you realize that youve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 7. Open your arms to change, but dont let go of your values. 8. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 9. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, youll be able to enjoy it a second time. 10. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Dont bring up the past. 11. Be gentle with the earth. 12. Once a year, go someplace youve never been before. 13. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. 14. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. 15. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
Source: Dalai Lama Thoughts
Achieve True Happiness Through Gratitude People who express gratitude every day are more alert and enthusiastic, more determined, optimistic, and energetic. They are less depressed and more likely to meet their personal goals. These are the results produced from studies conducted by psychology professors Robert Emmons, a former MSU faculty member, and Michael McCollough. They say that people find a greater appreciation for life after going through a negative event, such as health issues or a disaster. Some people appreciate whatever they have, even if it is not much. According to Attitude is Gratitude there is a spark in each of us that can reverse the trends of hostility and depression within us and in the world around us. By developing an attitude of gratefulness we can begin the journey toward harmony and happiness.
Negotiations After the Job Offer Once a job offer is received, and before you accept, there are aspects of your job offer that you can negotiate to sweeten the deal. This is the time to get more money or better benefits. After you accept a job offer, your negotiations are usually limited to yearly personnel reviews and exceptional opportunities for merit increases. See more information on negotiations here.
No Excuses, by Chris Widener Don't you just hate it when people make excuses for their failures? So do I. But do you know what I hate even more? Finding myself making excuses for my failures! I have a policy that I try to live by: No excuses.
Here are some thoughts on a "No Excuses" policy.
People will respect you. When you say that there are no excuses, that you blew it, and that you take full responsibility to make the situation right, people will be astounded (since very few people make no excuses) and they will come to a greater respect of you.
You will find yourself taking greater responsibility. When you know that your policy is to have no excuses, there will be less room for error because you will be doing everything that you can to make sure the job gets done!
You will become the "go to" person. When someone wants something done, they will turn to you because they know that they can count on you to perform. And they know they won't get any excuses! This will improve your level of success, and that is exactly what you are aiming for, right?
Practice up: "You're right. There is no excuse for that. I will fix it immediately." Refreshing!
Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Information about Chris's audio series, Extraordinary Leaders Seminar, may be found at www.yoursuccessstore.com
Mentors Play an Important Role on Your Road to Career Success Mentors play a major role during your work life. They are role models of the type of person you want to become, someone to admire for their achievements, a person of respect who can give you wisdom and guidance without prejudice, someone to inspire you to greater achievements and someone who can provide a guiding light with words that stick with you over the years.
Where can you find a mentor? If you are seeking help, get it from those who have been through the battles and won. Mentors take pleasure in helping you. They are at a point in their careers where they are ready to "give back." Often your mentor has been helped by their mentor, and they are returning the favor to the world. They want to give help -- it's how you receive it that will determine whether the relationship flourishes.
Who are your mentors? Earn the privilege and get one. Then maintain the relationship for the success of your career.
Voice Mail Etiquette
In Ann Lander’s column on February 16, 2002, she offered these tips for voice mail users (senders and receivers) that make sense:
1. When leaving a voice mail message, say your name slowly and clearly, and state it at the beginning and end of the message. If your name is unusual or difficult to figure out, please spell it.
2. Always leave your telephone number, even if you think the person already has it. People retrieve their messages from business trips in other states, vacation trips in Europe and from the grocery store. They might not have your phone number handy. And say it slowly, please. There is nothing more irritating than having to play a message back again and again in order to write down all the information.
3. Get to the point. Don't ramble on for 20 minutes, search for files, locate missing information or research something while you are on the phone. Have whatever you need ready before you make the call.
For those who receive voice mail, here are some suggestions for you:
1. Answer your messages, even if you are no longer doing business with the caller. It is simple courtesy to let them know their message was received.
2. Check your voice mail throughout the day. Some messages are urgent. And if you allow your message box to fill up, not only will you miss calls, it will be impossible to answer your messages in a timely manner.
3. Don't hide behind your voice mail. Be responsive. If you have no intention of returning calls, change your voice mail message to indicate that you prefer to be contacted by snail mail, e-mail or via your secretary.
Thanks, Ann Landers, for your suggestions.
Your Power Grid By Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D.
The recent energy crisis in California makes some of us more aware than ever of how interconnected we all are. When businesses in one area lose power and can't operate, the repercussions can go far beyond the area, the state, or even the nation. The domino effect can be felt around the world.
Each of us is like a power grid, intricately connected to all other human grids. At different times, we all create, receive, or pass on energy. Accepting energy form others is as natural and productive as accepting the warmth of the sun.
Whenever circumstances rob you of your spark, hook up with outside power sources:
1. Share the burden. You don't have to go it alone. Find others who have gone through similar challenges and get support and encouragement from them. Consider setting up a buddy system, where you support each other.
2. Let your family and friends know that you need their support. You've given them lots of your energy in the past. Now you can give them another gift, allowing the to feel really good about themselves because they can give you the boost you need.
3. Reach outside your immediate power grid. "No man is an island," is just as true now as it was when John Donne wrote the words in the 17th century. There are lots of worldwide resources you can tap if you expand your thinking. Consider new sources of information and new business and personal alliances that can be tapped through the Internet; through local, national, and international organizations; through networking at work or in your personal life.
You are not alone. The energy you need is flowing all around you. Tap into it and watch your lights go on!
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