YOUR SCHOOL WORK ARE AN ADVENTURE, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW

"Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in." - Leonardo da Vinci, 

I read all night, I read that professor's boring subject. While reading it, it felt like a worm was boring through my brains and chewing the matter up. It was almost like rather than retaining information, my brain was losing information.

Lol, right?

I am sure I'm not alone in this situation.

Many of us study without desire. We read because we are forced to or because we are scared to fail. And guess what happens most times on the day of the exams, we fail miserably or better still, we just pass as though we hadn't read. 

This is quite frustrating, right?

Take it from me, it is.

How about you take a different approach to studying? Is it possible to get your body to love what you're reading or studying? This might not seem as herculean a task as we have been led to believe. 

One of my favorite opinions of life is that nothing is real and nothing is unreal, its all a matter of what you believe. This sounds. strange, right? Well, take this example, why aren't babies scared of drowning? If you place a child face-up in a pool, the child will just lay there without frantically trying to swim or float, floating would be effortless for the child. However, try this same thing with a boy or girl who has been repeatedly warned by his mother not to go to the pool as he might drown if he does. Once he's placed in the pool, he would immediately start to frantically try to swim or even float and thus start drowning. 

What was the difference between both? One had been fed with the information that being in a pool was a sure way to die while the other one had been fed with no such information whatsoever. Our beliefs are formed by the information that we know. YOU CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW. 

Back to studying, what about if the information you have about books and your school subjects was not that your tests and exams were an opportunity for your school to witch hunt you? Rather, your books and school subjects were like an interesting adventure where you get to experience beautiful worlds and see things written on paper come to life? 

Trust me, if you can reorient your mindset about your books to see them as wonderful adventures, studying would no longer be a drag but a desirous adventure.And you will always look forward to what next your book has to offer.

I know this may all sound almost impossible. However, trust me, it isn't. Try manually telling your mind that you are about to start an adventure when you open your book to read. Do this daily for the next 21 days and you will see how your body will adjust and fall in love with your books.

See ya at the top and remember, stay winning!!!

Learning the Value of Listening To Others

There isnt really any need to living life if one does not do so to be successful. But really, success isn't something to be owned or possessed. Remember, success has very little to do with money though there is nothing wrong in being a rich success.

Success is not in how you look but there isn't anything wrong in looking good. Actually, you should look good.

So, what exactly is success, we need to have a paradigm shift in our mindset and way of thinking?

Let us consider this story of this fascinating couple.

There was this writer and motivational speaker. He always loved having people over to his house and telling them anecdotes in a bid to impress them. He always wanted his visitors to think he and his wife were an amazing couple. But the visitors never for once did.

Then one day, something amazing happened. He had just returned from a speaking trip. And as usual, he had a couple over. Due to the intensity of his trip, he was so tired that he could not share any anecdote or stories.

So, he decided to listen to the couple. He sat quietly and listened to the other people talk for a change.
As he listened, something amazing happened. He learnt that the couple had achieved way more than he had, and also, that they were more educated than he was. Hence, there really wasn't any need to try to impress this couple.

He and his wife, Jane listened for a stretch of three hours, and he made only quiet comments such as, Really? or Wow, thats interesting or Tell me more, give me an example.

They finally got up to leave, and as they went out the door and down the driveway, he ran to his bedroom window to try to hear what they were saying about their evening. He was still somewhat insecure and didnt understand the difference between trying to impress and simply paying value to others. He wanted to hear what they had to say. After all, they might be talking about him
He strained to listen, and as they opened their car doors, he could hear the husband tell his wife,

Weren't they the most fascinating couple you've ever met? What great communicators! Just delightful, marvelous people.

He looked at his wife, and she looked back at him. He said, But we didn't say anything except to ask questions.

And Jane, his wife said, That's right. They went away feeling that we value them because we gave them our full attention all evening long.

We all need to learn the same lesson he learnt that evening. He didn't go all out to impress. He didn't share any anecdotes or stories he felt they might like. He just paid attention and listened to them talk about themselves. Nonetheless, the guests went away saying,  

Greatest people we've ever talked to.

After that night, he went back to doing more listening than talking. Listening to people does a lot of good for you and the person youre listening to. You get to learn new things, and the person would feel you attach value to the person. The truth is that most people want you to hang on to their every word. And there is no better way to let them know that you are sincerely interested in them and that you care about them.

One more thing, listen to understand

Why You Should Text Your Ex

It's all in the past. The past is gone. She hurt me. Why should I try to contact her???

Well, you should.

You should talk to her even if you broke up with her or she broke up with you. Why? The past is for you to learn and also for you to derive energy for the future.

Do you sustain yourself with food you are just eating or food that you have eaten?

Food that gives you energy is food you ate in the past.

So, the past is very important. A lot of energy, money, time was invested in that relationship. Imagine transferring the energy produced into something productive, like your career, your ministry, your relationships and so on.

Is it possible to do such?

Well it is. Energy cannot be created nor destroyed. That means the energy put in a past endeavor or relationship is never really destroyed, it is rather kept or piled up in you as hurtful energy.

But just as the way you look at things change what you are looking at, then the way your mind considers that hurtful energy can transform it to useful positive energy.

Hence, rather than feel hurt and sad at the loss from the former relationships, endeavors and dreams, call your ex, revisit the past, harvest as much energy as you can from the period and then use it for the future.

How do you do that?

Easy. focus on and talk about the positive things that happened to you and through you in those past events. The more you do, the stronger you get.

Then you will have enough energy for the future.


Your goals, dreams and aspirations are waiting for you...


See you at the top....

Marketing: An Essential Skill for Effective Social Entrepreneurship

While I look at this as a great opportunity. I know it is an enormous challenge. The primary reason is that business people and social entrepreneurs tend to misunderstand each other. Business executives typically look at social entrepreneurs as bleeding-heart do-gooders that waste their time chasing after lost causes.


Moreover, social entrepreneurs tend to view profit-seeking business people as money-grubbing and selfish with little concern about the greater good. Even worse, they tend to view marketers as slimy, sleazy liars.

In an effort to shatter these stereotypes and bring together both sides for the greater good, it is first necessary to explore the question -

Why do intelligent people wanting to use their intelligence to solve the world’s social problems tend to shun marketing?

Many culprits There are many reasons for this negative view of marketing. Here are just a few of them. Our culture disparages it. From Arthur Miller’s classic, Death of A Salesman, to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, and the TV hit Mad Men, marketers are frequently depicted in a negative light. Many universities don’t teach it. Many academics think it is beneath them and often look down upon marketing as a soft subject. Some view selling as a mortal sin. Those that do offer courses in sales typically hire adjunct professors from outside academia to teach it. Too many have learned on the job. Since there are few good places to learn, too many marketing people learn on the job from bosses that have acquired bad habits.


This tends to perpetuate the negative stereotypes about marketing and selling. No quality control or licensing standards. Unlike CPAs, lawyers, architects, and doctors, marketing has no quality control or licensing standards that require passing comprehensive exams. As a result, the marketing profession is populated by a wide range of people with varying skills and ethics - from slimy, sleazy liars to some of the most professional and talented people in the world. Of course, when stereotypes are formed, “stereotypers” tend to use examples from the bottom of the barrel. Fear of rejection.

Those that tend to be more intelligent and socially-conscious (the ones who gravitate to social entrepreneurship) tend to be more sensitive to rejection - a natural part of the sales process. The fear of rejection is often given as a reason why so many shun marketing/sales. Given these misunderstandings and the fact that marketing is a critically important function to the success of any enterprise - social or not - what is the solution? Better understand the importance of marketing To explain the importance of marketing and convince a skeptical audience to believe it, it is useful to quote a well-respected independent credible third party who was not even a marketer. I choose the late Peter Drucker - a management guru, professor at the Claremont Colleges, and the person who is considered the father of management consulting. Druker placed marketing on the highest pedestal possible.

He is quoted as saying, “Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two - and only two - basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.” In the same vein, David Packer co-founder of Hewlett-Packard famously said, “marketing is too important to be left to the marketing people.” This emphasized its importance at the same he castigated most marketers for not knowing : An Social Jun 19, 2016 Updated Jun 19, 2016 Ira Kalb Assistant Professor of Clinical Marketing, Marshall School of Business,University of Southern California For the second time, I have been asked to teach a course in Marketing for the esteemed Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship Program at University of Southern California (USC).


The primary reason is that business people and social entrepreneurs tend to misunderstand each other. Business executives typically look at social entrepreneurs as bleeding-heart do-gooders that waste their time chasing after lost causes. Moreover, social entrepreneurs tend to view profit-seeking business people as money-grubbing and selfish with little concern about the greater good. Even worse, they tend to view marketers as slimy, sleazy liars. In an effort to shatter these stereotypes and bring together both sides for the greater good, it is first necessary to explore the question - Why do intelligent people wanting to use their intelligence to solve the world’s social problems tend to shun marketing?


Many culprits There are many reasons for this negative view of marketing. Here are just a few of them. Our culture disparages it. From Arthur Miller’s classic, Death of A Salesman, to Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, and the TV hit Mad Men, marketers are frequently depicted in a negative light. Many universities don’t teach it. Many academics think it is beneath them and often look down upon marketing as a soft subject. Some view selling as a mortal sin. Those that do offer courses in sales typically hire adjunct professors from outside academia to teach it. Too many have learned on the job. Since there are few good places to learn, too many marketing people learn on the job from bosses that have acquired bad habits.

This tends to perpetuate the negative stereotypes about marketing and selling. No quality control or licensing standards. Unlike CPAs, lawyers, architects, and doctors, marketing has no quality control or licensing standards that require passing comprehensive exams. As a result, the marketing profession is populated by a wide range of people with varying skills and ethics - from slimy, sleazy liars to some of the most professional and talented people in the world. Of course, when stereotypes are formed, “stereotypers” tend to use examples from the bottom of the barrel. Fear of rejection. Those that tend to be more intelligent and socially-conscious (the ones who gravitate to social entrepreneurship) tend to be more sensitive to rejection - a natural part of the sales process. The fear of rejection is often given as a reason why so many shun marketing/sales.

Let Your Fears Inspire You

Mommy, I'm afraid!!


We all had this one time in our lives when we were scared of something or someone. I remember watching horror movies and being so scared that I stayed awake all night. Or when robbers came to my vicinity, that I was so scared they would visit my house, that I stayed awake all night.



What did you use all that energy derived from the fear from?


You would say fear cripples you.


Hmm...


For something to cripple you, that means it is strong enough to overpower you.


If it can overpower you, that means it has much energy in it.


Think with me, what stops me from using the energy from fear to achieve my goals?


NOTHING!!!

If you can run faster than normal because you were scared a dog chasing you was gonna bite you, then you can turn all the negative energy from fear to amazing amounts of positive energy.


When you do this, channel it into your goals and aspirations and you will be on a smooth cruise to success.

So, put on your shoes. Don't let your fears cripple you. Let them inspire you. And start running.




See you at the top...

DO WHAT YOU LOVE, THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. — Howard Thurman

This above statement is very trite.

Everyday we think we need to work to make money and survive.

WRONG!!

Living, surviving and thriving is not about money. It is about doing what you love to do best. Doing what you love to do best may not make you money but it will make you stay alive.

Really?

Am I not ahead of myself here?

Well, maybe I am.

But let us look at the guys that have excelled in the world today. They all did what they loved to do best. They didn't try to conform to another person's idea of what's best for them.

Remember, you are the actor, director and ultimate audience of your own movie.

So do what you love, love what you do and excel at it. When you do,people will come looking for you to pay you for what you love. Cos that's what we all love, right?

See you at the top...

Who says you have to travel out of where you are to make it?

Time and again, it has been observed that people move from small towns to big cities to fulfill their dreams, with nothing more than their talent in hand. These places often promise them of providing essential elements that convert their dream into reality, and ultimately lead a better life.

But do not think for a minute that these dreams are as small as their respective towns are said to be. Realizing that they need better resources and a sustainable environment to make sure that they can share their dreams with the world, these entrepreneurs believe in one simple theory- everything is possible; if you have the will to accomplish it!

Here’s a list of some of these small town entrepreneurs who made it big it in their home town and now doing the same across India.

1. The Himachali FinTech Disruptor

Hailing from a small town Nahan in Himachal Pradesh, Manavjeet Singh has proved that no boundaries can stop you if you aspire to dream big and turn it into reality. Currently operational in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad with over 27,000 applications generated so far, Rubique, the FinTech disruptor has processed loans worth over 310 crore and more than 8,000 credit card setups since inception. It is now looking forward to win over more financial institutions in the country, keeping the key element of ‘convenience' as its core.

With a dream to own a “Contessa”, Manavjeet Singh landed in Mumbai from a town where the total human population is just 28,899. The passion to make it big has made him work with some of the best brands like CITI, HDFC Bank, Reliance Capital and Yes Bank.

‘Think big, dream big’ is the mantra that I believe in. Ever since my journey started from Himachal Pradesh, I always wanted to make it big. And after working for almost 25 years in the corporate field, I realized that to disrupt the market practices and implement new ideas, you need a blank canvas on which you could draw a picture suited to the needs of the consumer. And that’s how my entrepreneurial journey started,” said Manavjeet Singh, CEO and Founder of Rubique.

2. Brewing Startup in Siliguri

If you are born in Siliguri, a town in the Darjeeling district, then it’s very likely that you are doing something related to tea. Kaushal Dugar, a serial entrepreneur came back to his hometown to tap this opportunity, and today he is turning the small young green leaf into a delicious drink.

“I came back to Siliguri and decided to work for my older brother who runs a tea export business. Working there showed me the other side to the business, from what I had seen with my father – I saw the infrastructure that was being used to take the tea from gardens to the consumer and was surprised at how dated it was. And in these challenges, I saw a great opportunity for a change, said Dugar.

Today the startup is backed by JAFCO Asia, Accel Partners, Keystone Group LP and Dragoneer Investment Group. Apart from this they have so far shipped over 35 million cups’ worth of tea to customers in over 94 different countries.

3. From UP To UPTU via AI

“The world is full of distractions, hence, set the right goal, plan the road-map, concentrate and work hard towards it. No one can stop you just because you are from small town. Just throw yourself in the direction of your dreams, work hard, work hard and work hard! Believe me, it works” said Atul Rai, founderStaqu, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) startup working in image understanding domain, bypassing the need of human inference to describe images.

Rai, who belongs to a small village in Azamgarh, U.P., has managed to associate with companies like Paytm, Yepme, Roposo, Tradeindia etc. within 6 months of launching Staqu. Apart from Fashion eCom, Staqu is also working with some of the top OEMs in India including Karbonn, which recently launched Fashion Eye, based on Staqu’s AI and other brands like Panasonic, Lava, and Micromax.

4. Expanding Bihar’s Reputation

Pranjal Prashar realized the ‘Make it or Break it’ power of social media, long before it became the buzzword. Since he loves to solve problems, he focused on tackling the ‘Break It power’ of social media. He sought not only to harness but also to profitably leverage this uncontrolled and unabashed power of social media. He did so by finding a solution for positive online reputation management of the players in the hospitality industry. And thus his idea of REPUP took shape.

Despite being from a working middle-class family in Bihar, Prashar’s dream did not hesitate to take a fly. Today he is looking to bring 500 hotels onboard RepUp.

“We introduced our first product “Piquor” in 2013, a brand advocacy platform for hospitality businesses. Based on our data and inputs from clients, we decided to build something which can give a holistic picture of online reputation and help the clients improve the customer experience. Businesses were already getting serious about online reviews and comments. Restaurants were running out of business because of blogs and social posts. The solution was needed and there was a white space so we decided to jump in” said Prashar.