Attitude is Everything......

An excerpt from Attitude is Everything by Vicki Hitzges

Years ago, I was the public relations director for motivational guru, Zig Ziglar. At the time, he was arguably the best-known, most loved speaker in the world. When audience members heard Zig, they witnessed a man chockfull of energy, vitality and joy. Having worked closely with him and knowing him well, I can tell you that the Zig you saw on stage was the real Zig Ziglar. In fact, I can't remember ever seeing him when he was not happy and upbeat.

The Zig I knew was one carbonated guy.


Every time Zig answered his home phone, he picked up the receiver and said with gusto, "This is Jean Ziglar's happy husband!" And he meant it!



Awhile back one of Zig's closest friends and I were discussing Zig's aura of happiness. "Completely genuine," his friend said. "I have never seen him down." Then he added thoughtfully, but with love, "Hardly what you'd call normal."


"What's Zig's secret?" I asked.



"I think," he said, "it comes down to feeling grateful. Never met a guy more grateful than Zig. Period."



You'd think anyone that grateful must have had an easy life. But that's not so.


Zig started out poor. Dirt poor. His father died when he was six, leaving his mother to raise eleven children alone. The family was virtually penniless. Yet despite their poverty, Mrs. Ziglar instilled a strong work ethic in her children and raised them to believe that both she and God loved them. She also instructed her children to practice saying "please" and "thank you." Those lessons stuck. Her formula of work, love and faith made their difficult lives easier. Gratitude made their lives enjoyable.



Zig once told me, "When we neglect to require our children to say 'thank you' when someone gives them a gift or does something for them, we raise ungrateful children who are highly unlikely to be content. Without gratitude, happiness is rare. With gratitude, the odds for happiness go up dramatically."


Years ago, Zig created the popular phrase, "Have an attitude of gratitude." According to Zig, "The more you recognize and express gratitude for the things you have, the more things you will have to express gratitude for."

I know firsthand that giving thanks brings joy. Awhile back, I heard Oprah Winfrey urge viewers to keep a Gratitude Journal. It seemed pretty schmaltzy to me, so I didn't do it. But Oprah was a jackhammer. Day after day, week after week, she kept pounding on that idea. I'd catch her show here and there. Same thing: Keep a Gratitude Journal. A few months later, I was speaking to a government group and staying in a cruddy hotel. I was seated at the hotel's indoor restaurant by a swimming pool reeking with enough chlorine to purify the Love Canal. As I waited impatiently for my meal to arrive, I suddenly remembered Oprah's directive. What the heck? I had a pen and some scrap paper.

I listed my mother who spent time each day praying for me. I wrote down my father who deeply loves me. My kind, funny brother and his family. My job and the opportunity to travel and encourage people. Friends. Laughter. For the fact that I had a place to sleep that was safe. For a private bathroom. (You start listing - you begin to get thankful!) I quickly listed about 30 things and noticed that not only did I have a lot to be thankful for, but suddenly I was in a terrific mood!

Publisher Malcolm Margolin was grateful for something that's right outside our doors, but most of us have never taken the time to experience it. He wrote, "The next time it begins to rain... lie down on your belly, nestle your chin into the grass, and get a frog's-eye view of how raindrops fall... The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world."

That might strike you as advice from a person with not nearly enough to do, but personally, I like it. If Margolin can feel joy in soggy clothes looking at wet grass, you and I can find all kinds of things for which we can give thanks!

Try it! Count your blessings. Jot them down. At least stop and think of as many things as you can that you're thankful for right now. It worked for Oprah, Zig, Margolin and me. Give it a shot. If you want to feel happy, try on an attitude of gratitude for a change in your mood, your outlook and you.

Confident presenters are excellent actors…!!!

Confident presenters are excellent actors…!!! 

I. Six ways of making effective presentation:

1. Maximize the first moment based on
    - What audience want
    - Tell the audience what you are going to tell

2. Involve Audience
    (We think 4 times faster than we speak)
    - Ask questions
    - Seeking Opinion & Suggestions

3. Use Visuals (Charts etc.)
    - Concise information
    - Only key points
    - Maintain the Pace  

4. Maintain Control over audience

5. Read the group
    - Stories, jokes, practical examples

6. Push for action
    - Ask to generate idea


II. Tackle anxiety with confidence:

•          Preparation – works like magic
•          Practice – jump into as many presentations as you can
•          Do yoga/ deep breathing – never hurts
•          Positive self-imaging – let’s be kind to ourselves

III. Other Points:

1. Structure : Keep It Simple and Straight (KISS)
2. Keep 25% buffer for audience
3. Conclusion should be definitive
4. Don't put too much of content, slides are to support you
5. Topic: keep it Straight, Simple and Relevant
6. Communication: Simple, Collaborative, be assertive
7. Audience size does not matter only methodology changes
8. Go easy on animation - pictures on every slide does not work, keep it in alternative slide or after every 2 slides.
9. Color choice
    - For the Dark Room: dark background & light text
    - For the Light Room: light background & dark text
    - Heading: choose color starting with 'B' (Brown, Black, Blue)

The woman in your life...

The woman in your life...very well expressed...

Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry with these facts as well.


A girl, who is as much educated as you are; Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements;

One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name;

One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen;
One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her;and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;


One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

Free Travel to childhood :)

I commute to work these days by public transportation- the newly introduced Volvo bus services.

A pleasant commute to forget the worries of traffic jam, sweat and the crowd in this highly populated metro.Just sit and relax...........

Every day's experience is unique with some set of unique people who just fascinate me.

It was a Monday morning when I was traveling, a two year old boy dragged his mother pleading her to take him in Volvo.The mom nodded yes finally.

As they entered and sat the kid was overexcited....he had a sweet kiddies language. he was actually in heights of his dream all jumping to catch the air vent,looking at people and didn't want the bus to halt even for few minutes in stops...

He was ordering the driver asking him to start...He had smart answers to every question one would ask.almost everyone in the bus became a fan of him in those few minutes forgetting all their worries and tension....

I was also one among them recollecting all the mischievous activities I had done when traveling and how my Parents used to answer me and handle..........

 It was not a travel to office but a travel back to childhood....thanks to the kid for the free travel :)

Bossy Boss

Most working people face problems managing their boss.....
Pity your boss. The poor guy has to get up early to see who comes in late. - Jacob Braude
Here is a fun quiz that I read recently on net.It gives idea on know how well you gel, and know your boss.
Give yourself one point for each of the questions that appear real to your situation.

1. Do you go out of your way to avoid your boss?
2. Do you usually ask your boss's secretary what kind of mood he or she is in before stepping in to his or her office to ask a question?
3. Do you hesitate to offer your opinion because it isn't asked for or listened to anyway?
4. Do you rarely get a word of thanks no matter how hard you work?
5. Does your boss criticize you in public?
6. Is your boss "the Teflon man"?Does he slide away from decisions and action?
7. Do you have to ask for feedback in order to get it?
8. Do you only hear what's wrong when you do get feedback?
9. Does your boss frequently say, "Handle it," (without a word of explanation) and then disappear?
10. Does your boss play favorites?
11. Does your boss make jokes about your weaknesses?
12. Does your boss respond to your requests for career guidance by saying, "Just work hard and you won't have to worry about it"?
13. Does your boss allow numerous interruptions when you're trying to talk to him or her?
14. Does your boss hog the credit for your work?
15. Does your boss keep dumping additional work on you, in spite of your heavy workload, without making any attempt to help you prioritize?
16. Does your boss take every opportunity to enforce the rules in a rigid, black and white manner regardless of personal circumstances?
17. Does your boss use phrases such as, "Just do what you're told." "You're not paid to think."
18. Do people avoid applying for jobs in your area because your boss's reputation is lousy?
19. Has at least one person left your area in the past year because he or she couldn't tolerate your boss?
20. Do the people in your work unit spend at least ten minutes a week discussing the boss's behavior towards them?
21. Do people in your boss's area rarely get promoted?
22. Does your boss talk at you instead of with you?
23. Do you complain about your boss at least once every week to a friend or family member?
24. Does your boss "forget" to tell you about information the rest of your peers know?
25. Does your boss frequently cancel your meetings with him or her at the last minute because some "important" issue has come up?
26. Do you get a generic performance review without specific examples of what you did right or wrong?
27. Does your boss say one thing but mean another?
28. Does your boss ignore your complaints or fail to act on them?
29. Does your boss call meetings just to hear himself talk?
30. Do you rarely get an opportunity to try something new in spite of repeated requests?

Now, let’s check your score!
If your score is between 0 to 5, consider yourself lucky. If your score is between 6 to 10, chances are your boss is a good leader who is only human. In the press of daily events, no one will be a perfect manager all of the time.
If your score is between 11 to 20, your boss is probably difficult to work for. You will have to decide if it is worth putting up with it to get what you want. Many people tolerate difficult bosses because they are learning new things, are in a field they adore, or need the job. If these or other rational reasons don't exist, it might be wise to consider changing jobs. Your boss may block your advancement or make your life miserable - either way, your motivation could disappear or your performance could suffer.
If your score is more than 20, your mental and physical health are at stake. Put a resume together and put the word out to your friends and relatives that you're looking for a new job. Don't wait-unless you're a masochist.
If you circled numbers: 5,10,11,14,17 you could be in a very bad position. Bosses, who don't care about their employees, make cruel remarks, are selfish, threatened, or arrogant are particularly dangerous to work for. They can destroy your self-esteem and self-confidence to the point where you doubt yourself.

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is a good idea but everyone wants to take steps that they are sure will actually work. The first thing is to keep the end in mind and be proactive.

Visualizing where we want to be and having a mission for how we are going to achieve it will definitely keep us on track.

The next thing is know your values and what you stand for. Stick to your values so that when you are in trouble you will not compromise them.

It is better to prevent actions that you would like to avoid by first knowing how you feel inside.It helps your actions reflect the way that you feel inside, and not contradict your values and what you stand for.

The next step is, to find variety to keep you interested. Switch it up from time to time if you are doing the same constant thing you will find yourself bored.

Just appreciate everything that is around you and what you have achieved this will keep you sane and also very importantly humble. Love people and serve them. Love is a power that rewards people in relationships that matter and find a lot of happiness.

Have faith in yourself and what you can do. If you have faith you will be surprised at what you can actually achieve. Everybody leaves a legacy whether it be a good thing or a bad thing. Try to always leave a positive legacy.

Potential plus positive influence equals personal greatness remember that formula.
Things do not always turn out as expected. No matter how much you try, unpredicted obstacles sometimes occur so just make sure that you keep the positive hope and faith alive.

Remember that many people cruise through life not having a clue about what they want, and just simply react to what comes along, they either choose to accept it or reject it. It is up to you to choose what you want to do.

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves inside us all."

"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

"The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather Which wolf wins?

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Funny story........

Funny stories can make for not just interesting read but can also be narrated to friends and family where all can have a hearty laugh.

Here is one such story:

One day, a CEO of a company threw a party for his executives at his mansion. At the back of the mansion, the CEO had a large swimming pool anyone had ever seen. The pool was, however, filled with hungry alligators. The CEO told his executives "I think an employee should be measured by courage. Today I am what I am because of my courage and this is what has made me a CEO. So this is a challenge to all of you present here: Who has the courage to dive into this pool, swim through these alligators, and make it to the other side? The one who will do it will win anything they desire - money, property, jewels, anything!"

All the employees laughed at the outrageous offer and proceeded to follow the CEO. Suddenly, they heard a loud splash. Everyone turned around and saw that the HR manager was in the pool, swimming for his life. He dodged the alligators left and right and made it to the edge of the pool. He pulled himself out just as a huge alligator was about to snap at his shoes. The flabbergasted CEO said, "You are amazing. I've never seen anything like this in my life. You are brave and surely beyond measure and I will give you anything you want. Tell me what I can do for you. The manager panted for breath, looked up and said, “Can you tell me who pushed me in the pool?"

The Color of Friendship

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel.All claimed that they were the best.The most important.The most useful.The favorite.

Green said:"Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority."

Blue interrupted:"You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing."

Yellow chuckled:"You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun."

Orange started next to blow her trumpet:"I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you."

Red could stand it no longer he shouted out:"I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy."

Purple rose up to his full height:He was very tall and spoke with great pomp: "I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey."

Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination: "Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace."

And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak:"You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me."

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.
The rain continued:"From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow." And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, let us remember to appreciate one another.

If You Love Someone . . .

Was going through a article shared in web.It was really awesome so thought would share here :)

If you love some one because you think that he or she is really gorgeous ...

then it's not love..

it's - Infatuation . . .

If you love some one because you think that you shouldn't leave him because others think that you shouldn't ...

then it's not love..

it's - compromise . . .

If you love some one because you think that you cannot live with out his touch ....

then it's not love ..

it's - lust . . .

If you love some one because you have been kissed by him ...

then it's not love..

it's - inferiority complex . . .

If you love some one because you cannot leave him thinking that it would hurt his feelings ..

then it's not love ..

it's - charity . . .

If you love some one because you share every thing with him ...

then it's not love..

it's - friendship . . .

but if you feel the pain of the other person more than him even when he is stable and you cry for him ..

that's - LOVE . . .

if you get attracted to other people but stay with him without any regrets..

that's - LOVE . . .

If you let him go knowing that he has to go but he doesn't want to..

that's - LOVE . . .

How to Dance in the Rain....

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and told him to take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and I decided that since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On examining his wound it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said....."She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, that is the kind of love I want in my life. True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Life isn't what you gather, life is what you scatter.

Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

as narrated by a nurse....Shared on text mails

Hare and Tortoise Corporate Stories

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster.They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race.

The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realised that he’d lost the race.

The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race.

This is the version of the story that we’ve all grown up with. But then recently, someone told me a more interesting version of this story. It continues. The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realised that he’d lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there’s no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.


The moral of the story?

Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady.

If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It’s good to be slow and steady; but it’s better to be fast and reliable.

But the story doesn’t end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there’s no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.

The moral of the story?

First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.

In an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you.
If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.The story still hasn’t ended.

The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realised that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they’d felt earlier.

The moral of the story?

It’s good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you’re able to work in a team and harness each other’s core competencies, you’ll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well.

Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.
There are more lessons to be learnt from this story. Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort.

Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both. The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.

When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke’s growth. His executives were Pepsi-focussed and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time. Goizueta decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.

He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke’s share of that? Two ounces. Goizueta said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn’t Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something. To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump.

To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things.

Chief among them are that:

• Fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady;
• Work to your competencies;
• Pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers;
• Never give up when faced with failure; and
• Finally, compete against the situation – not against a rival.