WHAT KINDNESS CAN DO WITH YOU

A LITTLE BIT OF KINDNESS

There are times in our life when we don't take action because we feel the act of kindness is too little, that it wouldn't make a difference. However, sometimes the smallest gesture can make a huge impact on someone's life. There are many different ways we can show kindness to others, and it doesn't have to be in a big way.

The simplest of things may make the difference. A smile, a door being held open, a handwritten note, a kind word, the list can go on and on.

I was recently reading some of emails I receive from my friends and came across the story of The Lion and The Mouse. While this story has been around for a long time sent by one friend, it still has wisdom in its words.

This is the story:

One day a Lion was asleep when a little Mouse began running up and down his back; this soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

"Please don't," cried the little Mouse: "forgive me this time, I shall never forget it: who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?"

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, he pulled with all his might, but the ropes were too strong. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight, in which the Lion was, went up to him, and with his sharp little teeth gnawed away the ropes, setting the Lion free.

"You once laughed at me," said the mouse. You thought I was too little to do you a good turn. But see, you owe your life to a poor little mouse." End if the story

While you may think the story is far fetched, the point I found in reading the story is not the size of the action that is important, but the difference that a small action made. Small acts of kindness makes a difference in ways you may not realize!

Do you have opportunities to give small acts of kindness? Some people might think that they do not have a chance to show another person a small measure of kindness but these opportunities are everywhere you go through the day.

For example, if you ride on a bus, have you ever said good morning to the bus driver or do you just ignore him or her and proceed to your seat? A simple good morning or good afternoon tells the person that you acknowledge them and it is even an acknowledgement that can help to brighten a day.

If you drive a car anywhere, do you let someone enter into to traffic or do you just keep driving inching along and ignoring the other driver? Stop and wave the other driver into traffic ahead of you is a small gesture of kindness that may influence this driver to do the same for someone else later.

When you go to the supermarket or store, do you hold the door open for a young woman holding her baby or do you just dart ahead through the door without stopping? 

When you are at work or classroom, do you say good morning to your colleagues or do you just go about your business without acknowledging their presence?

Or, how about those people you meet on the street that ask for money or who are peddling various goods? Do you ignore them, or give them no acknowledgement that they are also human and have feelings?

In democratic ages men rarely sacrifice themselves for another, but they show a general compassion for all the human race. One never sees them inflict pointless suffering, and they are glad to relieve the sorrows of others when they can do so without much trouble to themselves. They are not disinterested, but they are gentle.

If you were busy being kind, Before you knew it, you would find soon forget to think it was true that someone was unkind to you and If you were busy being glad, And cheering people who are sad, Although your heart might ache a bit, You'd soon forget to notice it..Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.

DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF

BUT WHAT ABOUT SNAGS .

My parents, teachers and good friends were always encouraging me to set goals and work hard to achieve them. They would tell me not to be a follower and not to set limits on what I could achieve. They truly believed that there were no limits that you could achieve whatever you wanted. 

One of my friend once told me the following story about a radish and a milk bottle, it was a story that I have never forgotten. 

A Farmer's Lesson In Life 

A farmer won a first prize at the country fair for his huge radish that was the exact shape and size of a quart of milk bottle. Many were curious as to how the farmer was able to grow this radish that was the exact shape of a milk bottle.

Finally one gentleman went up to the farmer and asked the question. The farmer replied, "It was easy. I got the seed growing and then I put it into the milk bottle. It had nowhere else to go." 

You can use this story as an analogy to life - our lives are shaped by the kind of surroundings we place ourselves in, the people that we allow to influence us, and the goals we give ourselves.

THESE ARE KEY INGREDIENTS 

If we only dream and take no action then we get no further. But if we plan, set a goal and take action then our life takes a different shape.

Now, the important parts of goal setting, though, go way beyond just writing down a goal statement and thinking that somehow your goal will be reached. 

To write a goal is only a minor part of the way forward. The rest of the elements of how to reach that goal must also be stated clearly and with a definite time frame to each step. 

This means that you must develop a detailed plan of action where each action step is detailed on what you must do, when and how and how much time it will take. If you do not make your plan detailed in this way and set specific target dates for completion, you will simply not be creating any kind of expectation in your mind or urgency that helps keep you moving. 

But what about The Bumps Along The Path . . .??? This is the question that a person can ask!

Sometimes, even when you are following your action plan, you will run into a snag. Snags are not uncommon and you should realize this before you even get started. 

These snags, though, should be viewed only as little inconveniences; these inconveniences are meant for you to resolve and move forward again. 

These little problems are those that most people cannot overcome because they simply quit using the excuse that their goal was never meant to be. 

Show that you are different; show that you have the dedication and resolve to keep going and you will demonstrate to yourself and everyone around you that you are really dedicated to accomplishing that which you have set out in your goal statement. 

Do Not Go It Alone 

The fact that you know that there will always be minor roadblocks; it is also wise to solicit the guidance and help of a mentor. 

This mentor is a person who has a positive attitude, is very skilled at always looking and finding solutions to issues and problems, and may also be someone who has experienced similar issues along their way to accomplishing their own goals.

Know that, Goals and actions can help us accomplish more in a year than what some people will accomplish in a lifetime. 

To prove this point read the biographies of successful people and you will see that goals and actions did in fact play a big role in their success. 

Now Reuben Koikai says, "don't put yourself in a bottle; in other words move out of what is comfortable and secure if you want to move forward."

BE INNOVATIVE

WHAT INNOVATION CAN DO TO YOUR LIFE

It is a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you have ever marveled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. Today Koikai is writing this article that will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY. Follow the beat of your own drum. 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 won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

SPEND TIME ON IT. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this point to tell you to quit your day job, or school entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.

RECORD YOUR DREAMS. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you have had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

FIND YOUR OWN STYLE. You'll know people wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

DON'T HIDE BEHIND NIFTY GADGETS OR TOOLS. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

NOTHING WILL WORK WITHOUT PASSION. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. One of the writers once said that "if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it." And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT INSPIRATION. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article will help you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

ITS ENOUGH.

HOW TO END PROCRASTINATION

Many of us fear taking action. We love making lists, forming plans and learning new techniques but when it comes to putting it all into motion, we freeze. We procrastinate. We hesitate. We find excuses not to work on our goals anymore.

Or, we do take action, but not on the important stuff. Oh no, we do more research, we refine our plans, we keep ourselves very busy so it seems like we are taking action, but we are actually just killing time.

The most common reason for this fear (besides the ones we have covered so far: fear of success, low self-worth, worries about what others will think, etc.) may surprise you: FEAR OF COMMITMENT.

The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.

We are afraid that once we begin moving forward we will be officially locked into our goal and we are suddenly forced to sink or swim! If we can simply avoid taking action, we can remain safely in the planning stage and not risk anything. We can convince ourselves that we did all we could, but it just didn’t work out, there were circumstances beyond our control - so it’s not OUR FAULT that we are not successful.

There is also another possibility, another reason why taking action seems so hard: sheer intimidation. This fear is often greatly reduced by setting reasonable goals, but we can also be irrationally fearful about moving forward even if our goals seem manageable.

The most effective way to deal with a fear of taking action is to simply disregard it and take action anyway!

That sounds like an impossible challenge if you are feeling paralyzed by fear, but I do have a bit of advice that should make you feel better. The fear of taking action almost ALWAYS vanishes shortly after you begin moving forward. You suddenly realize that you were worrying over nothing, and you actually begin to enjoy making progress. If you keep with it long enough and frequently enough, exhilaration takes over and you find you can’t hold yourself back any longer. What a wonderful feeling that is!

If you absolutely feel terrified about taking action, take some time to look over your plans and come up with one SMALL action step that you can take immediately. JUST ONE! Then take it. Then pick another small action step, and take that one too.

To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, To weep is to risk appearing sentimental, To reach out to another is to risk involvement, To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self, To place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss, To love is to risk not being loved in return, To hope is to risk despair, To try is to risk to failure.

But risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, But he can not learn, feel, change, grow or live. Chained by his servitude he is a slave who has forfeited all freedom. Only a person who risks is free. Its Enough... Lets end procrastination.

SHOULD I REALLY CHANGE?

WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU TICK?

Be all you can be, what you want to be really matters. I often see myself as somewhat contented with my life the way things are, but of course it's hard to think of anything else when where are real issues to be discussed.

Still I aspire for something deeper and more meaningful.

So we're all pelted with problems. Honestly it shouldn't even bother or even hinder us to becoming all we ought to be. Aspirations as kids should continue to live within us, even though it would be short-lived or as long as we could hold on to the dream. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks or can they?

1. WHAT DO I REALLY WANT?

The question of the ages. So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.

Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it is worth it.

2. SHOULD I REALLY CHANGE?

Today's generation has taken another level of redefining 'self', or at least that's what the kids are saying. Having an army of teenage nieces and nephews has taught me that there are far worse things that they could have had than acne or maybe even promiscuity. So how does that fit into your lifestyle?

If history has taught us one thing, it's the life that we have gone through. Try to see if partying Seventies style wouldn't appeal to the younger generation, but dancing is part of partying. Watch them applaud after showing them how to really dance than break their bones in break-dancing.

3. WHAT'S THE BRIGHT SIDE IN ALL OF THIS?

With so much is happening around us there seem to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel. We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much scrutiny. And if it's a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!

4. AM I COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT I'M DOING?

There's always the easy way and the right way when it comes to deciding what goes with which shoes, or purse, shirt and whatnot. It doesn't take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we'll all be equally the same in everything we do. Variety brings in very interesting and exciting questions to be experimented.

5. HAVE I DONE ENOUGH FOR MYSELF?

Have you, or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine doing.

6. AM I HAPPY AT WHERE I AM TODAY?

It's an unfair question so let it be an answer! You love being a good and loving mom or dad or friend or brother or mentor or leader to your kids and your society then take it up a notch! Your kids and all people in your cycle will love you forever. The same goes with everyday life!

7. AM I APPEALING TO THE OPPOSITE SEX?

So may be I don't have an answer to that, but that doesn't mean I can't try it, though. Whether you shape-up, change the way you wear your clothes or hair, or even your attitude towards people, you should always remember it will always be for your own benefit.

8. HOW MUCH COULD I HAVE?

I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it's more on how badly you really need it. I'd like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is that how much are you willing to work for it?

9. WHAT MOTIVATES ME?

What motivates you? It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make everyone happy, but to choose one of the may be the hardest part. It's not like you can't have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that's it. Just try it piece by piece.

10. WHAT REALLY MAKES YOU TICK? SO?

What really makes you tick? You can be just about anything you always wanted to be, but to realize that attaining something that may seem very difficult is already giving up before you even start that journey. Always remember, that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change you have to undergo, but it's something that you really want.

LET'S GO FOR A to Z

THE HEART OF SELF IMPROVEMENT

Pain may sometimes be the reason why people change. Getting flunked grades make us realize that we need to study. Debts remind us of our inability to look for a source of income. Being humiliated gives us the a push to speak up and fight for ourselves to save our face from the next embarrassments. It may be a bitter experience, a friend's tragic story, a great movie, or an inspiring book that will help us get up and get just the right amount of motivation we need in order to improve ourselves.

With the countless negativity the world brings about, how do we keep motivated? Try on the tips I prepared from A to Z

A - ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS.
Avoid negative people, things and places. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, ìthe future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

B - BELIEVE.

Believe in your self, and in what you can do.

C - CONSIDER.
Consider things on every angle and aspect. Motivation comes from determination. To be able to understand life, you should feel the sun from both sides.

D - DON'T GIVE UP.
Don't give up and don't give in. Many people failed once, twice, more than thrice before they came up with their invention and perfected the Brands. Make motivation as your steering wheel.

E - ENJOY.
Work as if you don't need money. Dance as if nobody's watching. Love as if you never cried. Learn as if you'll live forever. Motivation takes place when people are happy.

F - FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
Family and Friends are life's greatest treasures. Don't loose sight of them.

G - GIVE.
Give more than what is enough. Where does motivation and self improvement take place at work? At home? At school? When you exert extra effort in doing things.

H - HANG ON TO YOUR DREAMS.
They may dangle in there for a moment, but these little stars will be your driving force.

I - IGNORE THOSE WHO TRY TO DESTROY YOU.
Don't let other people to get the best of you. Stay out of toxic people and the kind of friends who hates to hear about your success.

J - JUST BE YOURSELF.
The key to success is to be yourself. And the key to failure is to try to please everyone.

K - KEEP MOVING.
keep trying no matter how hard life may seem. When a person is motivated, eventually he sees a harsh life finally clearing out, paving the way to self improvement.

L - LEARN
Learn to love your self. Learn to listen. Lear to Care. Learn different things at a time. Now, I know its not isn't that easy but Learn.

M - MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.
Make your things happen. Motivation is when your dreams are put into work clothes.

N - NEVER DO SOME THINGS
Never lie, cheat or steal. Always play a fair game.

O - OPEN YOUR EYES.
People should learn the horse attitude and horse sense. They see things in 2 ways, how they want things to be, and how they should be.

P - PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
Practice is about motivation. It lets us learn repertoire and ways on how can we recover from our mistakes.

Q - QUITTERS NEVER WIN.
And winners never quit. So, choose your fate are you going to be a quitter? Or a winner?

R - READY YOURSELF.
Motivation is also about preparation. We must hear the little voice within us telling us to get started before others will get on their feet and try to push us around. Remember, it wasn't raining when Noah build the ark.

S - STOP PROCRASTINATING.

T - TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.

Discipline or self control gives synonymous with motivation. Both are key factors in self improvement.

U - UNDERSTAND OTHERS.
If you know very well how to talk, you should also learn how to listen. Yearn to understand first, and to be understood the second.

V - VISUALIZE IT.
Motivation without vision is like a boat on a dry land.

W - WANT IT MORE THAN ANYTHING.

Dreaming means believing. And to believe is something that is rooted out from the roots of motivation and self improvement.

X - X FACTOR IS WHAT WILL MAKE YOU DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS.

When you are motivated, you tend to put on extras on your life like extra time for family, extra help at work, extra care for friends, and so on.

Y - YOU ARE UNIQUE.

No one in this world looks, acts, or talks like you. Value your life and existence, because you're just going to spend it once.

Z - ZERO IN ON YOUR DREAMS AND GO FOR IT!!!

EASIER SAID

EASILY DONE

The basics of setting a goal is an open secret known by top-caliber athletes, successful men and women and all types of achievers in all the different fields. The basics of setting goals give you short-term and long-term motivation and focus. They help you set focus on the acquisition of required knowledge and help you to plan and organize your resources and your time so that you can get the best out of your life.

Setting clearly defined short term and long term goals will enable you to measure your progress and achieve personal satisfaction once you have successfully met your goals. Charting your progress will also enable you to actually see the stages of completion leading to the actual realization of your goals. This eliminates the feeling of a long and pointless grind towards achieving your goal. Your self-confidence and level of competence will also improve as you will be more aware of your capabilities as you complete or achieve your goals.

The basics of goal settings will involve deciding what you really want to do with your personal life and what short term and long term goals you need to achieve it. Then you have to break down goals into the smaller and manageable targets that you must complete in your way to achieving your lifetime targets. Once you have your list waste no time in tackling your goals.

A good way to have a manageable list is to have a daily and weekly set of goals. By doing this you will be always in the position of going towards you life plan goals. Everyday will give you the opportunity to fulfill a certain goal giving you the feeling of accomplishment.

HERE ARE SOME POINTERS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN SETTING GOALS AND ACHIEVING THEM.

ATTITUDE

Attitude plays a very big role in setting and achieving your goals. You must ask yourself if any part of you or your mind holding you back towards completing your simplest goals? If there are any part of your behavior that is being a hindrance or puts your plans into disarray? If you do have problems in these areas then the immediate thing to do is to address this problem. Solutions may include a visit to a doctor or psychiatrist to control your emotions.

CAREER

Careers are made by good time management practice. Failing in a career is often attributed to bad time management. Careers require a lot from an individual which often makes the career the life of the individual. Plan how far do you want to go into your career.

EDUCATION

Education is key in achieving your goals. If your goals require you to have a certain kind of degree or require a certain specialization or demand a certain skill to be developed, make plans in getting the appropriate education.

FAMILY

Your family should never be left out of your plans. If you are just starting out then you have to decide if you want to be a parent or when you want to be a parent. You also have to know if you really would be a good parent and how well would you relate to extended family members

FINANCIAL POSITION

Personal financial situations also play a major role in achieving your goals. Have a realistic goal on how much you really want to earn. You also must be able to create plans or stages by which you will be able to reach your earning potential.

As the saying goes -'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy', or something to that effect, is by all means true down to the last the letter. Giving yourself a little pleasure: should be included into your plans.

To start achieving your lifetime goals, set a quarter of a century plan, then break it down to 5 year plans then break it down again to 1 year plans, then 6 month plans then monthly plans, then weekly, then daily.

Then create a things-to-do list for the day.

Always review your plans and prepare for contingencies.

The basics of goal settings should not be so difficult once you get to be familiar with them.

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