Rahul Dravid - The Wall walks off, sad but proud

Rahul Dravid retirement from international cricket was announced at his home ground, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, in a function room filled with more than 200 people. Family, team-mates, friends, KSCA members, officials and journalists had gathered - as did fans watching a live broadcast on national television - to mark the end of a remarkable career and a "reassuring presence" in the Indian team. Dravid, the second-highest run-getter in the history of Test cricket, possibly the last of India's classical Test batsmen, was a cricketer who successfully straddled the old school with the new age, becoming a pivotal figure in the growth of India's Test team in the 21st century.

The press conference began on schedule and, within three-quarters of an hour, Dravid left the room and international cricket as he had walked in. Swift, smooth, business-like, and, on Friday, to the sound-and-light burst of camera flashbulbs. The significance of Friday's announcement will be understood only six months down the line, when India play Test cricket for the first time in 16 years without the most reliable one-drop in their history.

The decision to retire was not sudden, he said; the period of contemplation had lasted over a year as he assessed his game series after series. The disappointment of the Australia tour had not given him any 'eureka' moment around his decision to leave the game. "I didn't take the decision based on one series… these decisions are based on a lot of other things, it's the culmination of a lot of things. I don't think it's based on what happened in the last series. For each one it comes differently, for me it's come with a bit of contemplation, a bit of thought, with friends and family."

On his return from Australia, Dravid spent a month, taking out the "emotion" from the overall result in order to "look at things dispassionately," he said. At the end he said, "I came to this decision and when I came to it, I was very clear in my mind." It had, he said, been easy as it was difficult, that he had known "deep down in his heart" that it was time for the "next generation of the young Indian cricketer" to take over.

It was tough to leave "the life I have lived for 16 years and, before that, five years of first class cricket. It [cricket] is all I have known all my grown life … it wasn't a difficult decision for me because I just knew in my heart that the time was right, and I was very happy and comfortable in what I had achieved and what I had done. You just know deep down that it is time to move on and let the next generation take over."

Dravid entered the function room straight into a scrum of photographers, looking almost apologetic at having caused such a fuss. He was dressed in his India blazer and seated on the podium next to BCCI president N Srinivasan and his former team-mate, captain and now KSCA president, Anil Kumble. The walls around him were lined with portraits of Karnataka's Test players, in the front row of the audience were members of his family, team-mates and the cricket community of the city.

He began by reading out his statement, his voice steady as he listed the people who'd played a part in every stage of his career - coaches, selectors, trainers, physios, officials, team-mates, family, even the media. He ended with the Indian cricket fan. "The game is lucky to have you and I have been lucky to play before you… My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride."

With the statement ended and applause breaking out, Dravid looked at his wife in the first row. There was both relief and calm on his face and something other than television lights reflecting in his eyes. After the contemplation and the deliberation, the conversations with people he trusted, it was over.

Dravid became the first of India's senior-most cricketers - Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman being the others - to quit the game after a season of speculation surrounding their future. His decision follows a poor tour of Australia but he enjoyed a prolific run through 2011, scoring five centuries - including four in the Caribbean and England. However, he is set to captain Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL season.

	Kumble called Dravid one of Karnataka's "finest cricketing sons" and spoke of his "reassuring presence" for India in the dressing room and on the field.

The biggest surprise of the afternoon, however - far more unexpected than even the finality of Dravid's retirement - was to follow. It came from BCCI president N Srinivasan: a man famous for an undemonstrative, glacial public face made an emotional and heartfelt speech. He spoke extempore of an "irreplaceable" cricketer, his voice wavering more than once. Srinivasan recalled having watched Dravid "grow from the days he played club cricket in Chennai, from the Ranji Trophy days … to the time he captained India". Dravid, he said, was an "ambassador for the sport, for the Indian team and for India".

"None of us really want to see such great players go away, we like to think they are permanent," Srinivasan said. "I think that deciding when to retire is possibly the hardest decision Rahul has ever faced. It is not easy to say adieu…"

Kumble called Dravid one of Karnataka's "finest cricketing sons" and spoke of his "reassuring presence" for India in the dressing room and on the field. It was Kumble who got Dravid to eventually crack his first smile of the afternoon, when he said the KSCA would now "expect to see you often in the association wearing the administrative hat." There were also a few tips on life after retirement, Kumble telling Dravid that apart from being busier "with exceptional demands made on your time, your ability to say no will be challenged like never before".

Sitting in the audience was Dravid's former team-mate Javagal Srinath, the current KSCA secretary, who had walked into the room before the event to check if the arrangements were in order. Dravid's immediate future includes six weeks of the IPL and he offered no clues as to whether he would take up a post-retirement life as coach, administrator or commentator. "I truly believe that some time away from the game will be good for me, I've played the game for 20 years I've lived in a cocoon, in a surreal world, this world has been away from reality in some ways." He did say though that because he loved routines, his return to the real world could include his new routines that involve dropping his sons off at school and shopping for groceries.

Among Dravid's contemporaries, both Kumble and Sourav Ganguly retired just after Test matches and Dravid was asked whether he had not wanted to end his career that way, walking off a field of play. "Just to keep playing for the sake of playing just one Test match, I didn't think was right." He needed to play, "for the right reasons - to win Test matches for India. I've done that for 16 years and I feel the time was right, I've had a great run. I have given this some thought … at the end of the day when a player has to go, he knows he has to go and I didn't feel the need to drag it on longer [in order to have a farewell Test]." Dravid was replying to questions in three of the four languages he speaks, taking particular pride in receiving special applause from the back of the room for working his way through a fairly long answer in Kannada.

Along with his wife, sons and brother, Dravid had walked onto the Chinnaswamy field for a short while just before he came in to speak to the media. The stadium was his finishing school before his graduation to Test cricket, and the adjacent NCA nets turned into a trusted training ground over the past decade where Dravid had always showed up early to work on his game.

Now retired, he will finally be free of the 7am gym and nets sessions. But what about the pure love of just batting? Of striking the ball with bat? Wouldn't he want to steal into the nets just for a hit or two? Dravid paused for a moment, smiled and then said: "Probably in the quiet. I'll come very late at night."

On the day he left the international game, this became the perfect final image of Rahul Dravid. Not that of the obdurate competitor in the arclights of cricket's 'surreal' centre. But of the "reassuring presence", of the craftsman in the quiet of dusk, of the man who never stopped trying.

Kodaikanal Trip

Kodaikanal Trip

Vagamon Trip

How to take care of your eyes?

It is said that a person’s eyes are the window to their soul. If this is the case then taking care of your eyes couldn’t be any more important.
There is a vast majority of people who take care of their skin, hair and other parts of the body, but eye care tends to be neglected until there is an issue.

There are easy solutions to the common problems pertaining to the eye, here are few that you should try:
• You should eat a good amount of fruits and vegetables like spinach, carrots, mangoes and papayas. These types of food have beta carotene which is helpful for good vision.
• Get the right amount of sleep. Proper sleep refreshes the eyes and helps them work appropriately.
• When you exercise on a regular basis, you will improve blood circulation. When you have a better circulation that means your eyes will have enough oxygen to work adequately.
• If you drink at least 12 glasses of water you will avoid your eyes getting puffy.
• Do not rub your eyes. Blinking is better for your eyes as it gives them a massage and keeps them healthy.
• Milk is good to use to clean your eyes. You can use a cotton ball that has been dipped in milk to clean the eyes.
• Use 2 drops of rose water in your eyes. It will give your eyes a lift and cause your eyes to have a glow.
• Sunglasses need to be worn in the middle of the day. Direct sunlight can cause massive damage to your eyes.

These above mentioned tips will help improve and protect your eyes. Eyes are one of the most valuable parts of our anatomy so anything we can do to protect it should be done.

Steps to happiness

Connect
Developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours will enrich your life and bring you support

Be active
Sports, hobbies such as gardening or dancing, or just a daily stroll will make you feel good and maintain mobility and fitness

Be curious
Noting the beauty of everyday moments as well as the unusual and reflecting on them helps you to appreciate what matters to you

Learn
Fixing a bike, learning an instrument, cooking – the challenge and satisfaction brings fun and confidence

Give
Helping friends and strangers links your happiness to a wider community and is very rewarding

Stay Focused at Work

1. Write out a daily task list and plan your day
There’s nothing like a task list sitting next to you to keep you focused. When you have a list of the things you need to accomplish in a day, having that close to you constantly reminding you of what needs to be done is a great way of keeping on track.

2. Allocate time slots colleagues can interrupt you
In a busy work place, people are moving and talking all the time. If you play a role in a team where others need to interact with you, try allocating a time slot they can interrupt you. Instead of having people stop by your desk every 10 mins and asking you questions, let them know of a time in the day, say between 2-4pm you can be interrupted. At all other times, you can really get some work done.

3. Apply time boxing
Instead of working at something till it is done, try working on it for a limited period, say 30 mins. By that time, the task is either completed or you allocate another time slot, perhaps in another day, to pick it up again. This way, you keep your work fresh and engaging throughout the entire working day.

4. Setup filters in your email
If you spend a lot of your time communicating and planning in front of your computer, chances are you deal with emails on a frequent basis. Setting up filters in your email client can be a great way of sorting out what’s important and urgent from personal stuff which can wait. Instead of dealing with a single Inbox with hundreds of unread email, you only need to deal with smaller folders categorised by project, priority and context.

5. Do not check personal email in the morning
Checking personal emails can be very distracting even with filters setup. This is especially true when your friends send you links to interesting articles, jokes or videos on YouTube. If you’re not careful, you can get side tracked for hours. Instead of checking your personal email as soon as you get in, try starting work straight away. This will build up some momentum as you ease into your work day. You should check your personal email only after you have a few tasks completed or underway. Also, if you don’t want to perpetuate a particular distracting email thread, just don’t reply to it until after work

6. Fill up a water bottle
Keeping yourself hydrated is pretty important for all sorts of health reasons. Instead of going to the water cooler with your glass every hour, try filling up a water bottle at the start of the day. This does a couple of things – firstly, it limits the starts/stops associated every time you get up for water and secondly, it avoids being sucked into lengthy discussions around the water cooler.

7. Find the best time to do repetitive and boring tasks
No matter how much you try to avoid it, you’re going to have to face doing things which are either repetitive or boring. For these tasks, I find it is best to choose a time in the day to work on them. For example, I’m more alert at the start of the day, so it’s better to work on things which require brain power early. Working on boring tasks that can be done via auto-pilot are better left towards the end of the day when I’m usually tired.

8. Don’t make long personal calls
Most of us have a good separation between our working and personal lives (or a least try to). I think we can all agree we should avoid having work intrude on our personal time as much as possible. The reverse of this also applies. Try limiting the time you spend doing personal things during work as they can be distracting and draining on your motivation. For example, you do not really want to be thinking about your weekend away with your spouse when you really need to get things done.

9. Clean up your desk
Some of you may have desks which can only be described as ordered chaos. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as you can find what you need without too much digging around. However, if you can’t, I suggest cleaning up your desk. That doesn’t mean having an empty desk, it just means having neat stacks of paper, all filed in the correct location. It also helps tremendously having all the things you need easily within arms reach. For example, if you need a place to write, having your pen and notepad close by and easily accessible is incredibly useful.

10.Get a good chair
If you sit for long hours at your desk and I’m sure some of you do, you might find it helpful to get a good chair. I find it’s pretty hard to stay focused when my neck and back are sore because I have a bad setup at my desk. A good chair can eliminate this, allowing you to work for long stretches without breaks and physical distractions.

11. Use shortcuts on your computer
If you find you do the same thing with your computer more than once throughout the day, you might find it helpful to look for ways in which you can do them without too much manual repetition. For example, if there’s a project folder you access all the time, try adding a shortcut to your Explorer or Finder so you can get access to it with a single click, instead of expanding folder after folder in the tree panel.

12. Close programs you’re not using
As a software engineer, I use a lot of programs important to my work. However, in most cases, I only need a few applications open at the same time. Instead of Alt-Tabbing constantly and fighting the computer to locate the program you need, try only having the applications you need open. Close everything else. For example, if you have already located a file and no longer need a particular Explorer or Finder instance open, close it. There’s no reason to leave it around at all.

13. Change your mindset and make work fun
For me, I find it difficult to stay focused on doing things I’m not by nature interested in doing. In most cases, there’s probably nothing I can do about it. However, be mindful of the fact that your perception of work is something you can control. For my last tip here, I suggest you try changing your mindset or turning work into a game. An unfocused mind, is an unchallenged mind. So make things fun!

I hope these tips will take you closer to more focused and productive work days

Merry Christmas

Long ago, about 2000 years, when King Herod ruled Judea (now part of Israel), God sent the angel Gabriel to a young women who lived in the northern town of Nazareth. The girl's name was Mary and she was engaged to marry Joseph.

The angel Gabriel said to Mary: 'Peace be with you! God has blessed you and is pleased with you.' Mary was very surprised by this and wondered what the angel meant. The angel said to her 'Don't be afraid, God has been very kind to you. You will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be God's own Son and his kingdom will never end.' Mary was very afraid but she trusted God. 'Let it happen as God chooses.' She replied to the angel. Gabriel also told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth who everyone thought was too old to have children, would have a baby boy whom God had chosen to prepare the way for Jesus.

Mary said goodbye to her family and friends and went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Elizabeth was very happy to see Mary. She knew that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. An angel had already told Zechariah that Elizabeth's baby would prepare people to welcome Jesus. He was to be called John. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home to Nazareth.

Joseph was worried when he found out that Mary was expecting a baby before their marriage had taken place. He wondered if he should put off the wedding altogether. Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said: 'Don't be afraid to have Mary as your wife.' The angel explained that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son and told Joseph that the baby would be named Jesus which means 'Saviour' because he would save people. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had told him to do and took Mary as his wife.

At this time, the land where Mary and Joseph lived was part of the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Augustus wanted to have a list of all the people in the empire, to make sure they paid their taxes. He ordered everyone to return to the town where their families originally came from, and enter their names in a register (or census) there. Mary and Joseph travelled a long way (about 70 miles) from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because that is where Joseph's family came from. Most people walked but some lucky people had a donkey to help carry the goods needed for the journey. Joseph and Mary travelled very slowly because Mary's baby was due to be born soon.

When they reached Bethlehem they had problems finding somewhere to stay. So many people had come to register their names in the census, that every house was full and every bed was taken in all of the Inns. The only shelter that they could was a stable or cave with the animals. In this poor place Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God. In those days it was the custom to wrap newborn babies tightly in a long cloth called 'swaddling clothes'. Jesus' bed was the manger that the animals ate their hay from.

In the hills and fields outside Bethlehem, shepherds looked after their sheep through the long night. As the new day began, suddenly an angel appeared before them and the glory of God shone around them. The shepherds were very, very scared, but the angel said, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you and everyone. Today in Bethlehem a Saviour has been born for you. You will find the baby lying in a manger.

Then many more angels appeared, lighting up the sky. The shepherds heard them praising God singing: 'Glory to God in highest, and peace to everyone on earth.' When the angels had gone the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem to see what has happened.' So the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph. The baby Jesus was lying in a manger as they had been told. When they saw him, they told everyone what the angel had said and everyone who heard the story were astonished. Then the shepherds returned to their sheep, praising God for sending his Son to be their Saviour.

When Jesus was born, a brand new bright star appeared in sky. Some Wise Men in faraway countries saw the star and guessed what it meant. They were very clever men that studied the stars and had read in very old writings that a new star would appear when a great king was born. They set out to find the new king and bring him gifts.

The Wise Men followed the star towards the country of Judea and when they got to the capital called Jerusalem they began to ask people: 'Where is the child who is born to be king of the Jews?' Herod, the king of Judea, heard this and it made him very angry to think that someone might be going to take his place as king. Herod sent for the Wise Men to come to him. He told them to go on following the star until they had found the baby king. He said: 'When you have found him, let me know where he is, so that I can go and worship him.'. But Herod did not tell them that he really had an evil plan in mind to kill the new king.

The Wise Men followed the star towards Bethlehem (where it said that the king would be born in the old writings). It seemed to stop and shine directly down upon the place where Jesus was.

The Wise Men entered the house where they now lived and found Jesus with Mary, they bowed down and worshipped him. The Wise Men spread the the gifts they had brought before Jesus. The gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Wise Men were warned in a dream, by God, not to go back to Herod. So they returned home to their countries in the East by a different way.

When the Wise Men had gone, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' the angel said, 'take Jesus and Mary and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for Jesus to kill him.' So Joseph got up, took Jesus and Mary during the night they left for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod died.

When Herod realized that he had been tricked by the Wise Men, he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys aged two or younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding area. This was to try and kill the new King, as his plan to find the location of the new king from the Wise Men had failed.

After Herod had died, Joseph had another dream in which an angel appeared to him. The angel said, 'Get up, take Jesus and Mary and go back to Israel, for those who were trying kill Jesus are dead.

So Joseph got up, took Jesus and Mary and they went back to Israel. But when he heard that Herod's son was now king of Judea, he was afraid to go there. So instead they went to Galilee, and lived in their old town of Nazareth.

5 Steps to Begin a Positive Change in Your Stressful Life

Life became a complicated affair. There are too much clutter and commotion that brought about the anxiety, stress and dissatisfaction for many. A lot of us are being caught up by our own time schedule that having 24-hours in a day is not enough to fulfil all the things we need to accomplish, may it be at work, at home, for our personal and social self or our finances.

This information age and productive generation is the reason for this stressful lifestyle that most of us lived in. Now, you can do anything in an instant and be wherever you want to be in just a few click of the button. That’s thanks to the marvel of technological advancement. But isn’t technology was supposed to eliminate the work and stress for humans? Technological advancement have created a more stressful environment and busy lifestyle because of your own mindset and choices. Instead of seeing these technology as tools to make your life much easier, you’ve used it to accept more obligations beyond your own ability. And that’s what most of us are unaware of. We become too attracted to have self-fulfilment and prestige in accepting a busy and fully-loaded responsibility, but then we complain on how stressful and unhappy our life is. Like time for relaxation and inner peace is too far from reality.

The question now is how can you stop surviving the cycle of your stressful and busy lifestyle to achieve a more balanced and stress-free lifestyle? How can you achieve a life that’s lived to the fullest?

This post will give you a five quick steps for you to start changing the stressful life you have now to change in a more positive way of life that can eventually lead you to find your inner piece, happiness and success in life.

1. TODAY IS YOURS, LIVE IT FULLY

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon – instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. – Dale Carnegie

It’s time you stop running too fast to get ahead. Life is not about the past or the future, it’s about today. In a busy and cluttered world, we tend to be too much preoccupied with the material things and demands that we forget that life is temporary and short. The only guaranteed day that you are alive is today, so live it.

2. UNDERSTAND WHAT COMPRISES A BALANCED LIFE

Everyone is a house with four rooms: Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.

For most, life became a routine of a long list of similar tedious tasks to be done over and over again like it will never end. Life became only about work or one aspect of life. We do not know how ever that stress and unhappiness is mostly blamed to lack of balance in life. When we tend to focus only on one aspects of our life, such as work, we tend to neglect all the other aspect and when it happens, damages occur. To change this and prevent future damages, make a renewal and try your best to meet with the four areas of your life.

3. ACCEPT CHANGE AS PART OF LIFE

The only constant in life is change. Do not be scared for change to happen. Anticipate and accept change.

One of the biggest trap that unhappy people are faced in is change. Because we are too busy and too preoccupied we neglect to see what’s happening around us and what are the things that change or about to change. And when change happens, we are hit big time and become paralyzed. Once you start doing the first two steps above, I’m sure it will be easier for you to observe change before it begins/happens. When you learned to live today and understand how balance life works, it is much easier for you to smell a change to happen and faster for you to accept it.

4. LEARN TO FORGIVE, FORGET AND MOVE FORWARD

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. – Walt Disney

Failures, pains and disappointment happens either caused by our own decisions and actions or by someone else. When ‘caused by our own decisions and actions, be kind to yourself, take it as a learning process for you to do better in the future. And when it caused by someone else, do not push it hard and blame the other person, you cannot control other’s decision/action, you can only accept them and move forward in your life.

5. KEEP EXPANDING YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

The problem with our busy lifestyle and doing the same things over and over again is we get to comfortable with things and let ourselves become ordinary. We settle for less and accept that what we currently are is the best we can become. Most of us stop learning after graduating college. However, if we want to achieve success and happiness in what we do in our day to day life, our learning should start after graduation and ends only when we die. Start learning things other than what you do. Learn ways on how to improve yourself in other areas of your life, who knows you will be able to discover a hidden talent that you can be the best of. Don’t be surprised to discover that you can more than the profession/career/course you’ve took in college.

Life is neither hard or complicated, it’s imperfect, but you too can make a big positive change in your life despite life’s imperfection. Remember, like attracts like.

Happy journey to your Life!

5 Tips for Working Nightshift and Leading a Normal Life

If you work in a business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, chances are that you have to adapt to the business hours of another country. This may leave you working night shifts in a call center more often than not. Working nights can be difficult for BPO employees, but there are ways to make it an enjoyable experience. Here are five tips for working nightshift in the BPO industry and leading a normal life:

1. Don’t forget to eat and drink.

When you are working in the outsourcing industry, it’s easy to forget to pay attention to the essential fuels that your body needs. Carry healthy snacks to work with you during your night shifts at the call center.

2. If you rotate shifts, rotate forward.

In the event that your call center allows you to rotate shifts, always rotate forward. Move from nights to day shift and finally afternoons if at all possible. This will help to keep your body and mind more in synch through the shift change.

3. Plan time to spend with friends and family.

Relationships with others are also an important part of your physical and mental health. You might be missing out on nightlife because of your work schedule, but that does not mean you cannot build and maintain personal relationships. During your time off, you can certainly find time to meet a friend for breakfast or lunch or even take a vacation. If you make a set plan with friends and family, it is easier to make sure that you get enough quality time with them. Planning ahead will also ease your feelings of isolation and give you fun things to look forward to enjoying.

4. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it.

When you are away from your outsourcing job, you need to follow a set schedule just like you would if you were working the day shift. Choose a time of day that you want to sleep and stick to it. If you go right to sleep when you get off, there will still be time to take care of errands during business hours when you wake up. Likewise, if you stay awake when you get off, you can run errands and take care of business before you go to sleep in the afternoon. The important thing is to be consistent. Consistency will help you get a full eight hours of sleep before you return to the call center.

5. Be conscious about fitness.

Working night shift tends can take a toll on BPO employees’ physical and mental wellbeing – unless you take measures to incorporate healthy living into your lifestyle. Just because you are working nights in a call center does not mean that your physical and mental wellbeing should be neglected. There are many 24-hour fitness centers that will allow you to exercise and stay in shape.

3 Steps How To Be More Successful In Your Life

Step 1 - Take Full Responsibility For Your Life

Do you believe that life happens on you because it is fate? Or do you believe that whatever happens to you because you choose to? The main difference between a successful person with an ordinary person who is struggling with life is that a successful person will never blame on what had happened to him. Successful people are strong believer in themselves.

Successful people believe that everything happens on them because they choose to. It is because of their decision and action that lead them to the kind of lifestyle they are living today.

On the other hand, if you are struggling through life today, it is because you’re not in control of your life. Instead, you let all the circumstances around you take control of you. People will only struggle through life because they are not in control of what happens to them.

Which means, if you’re in control, you’ll feel happy, you’ll feel satisfy and as a result, you’ll be more successful.

To sum it all, if you want to be successful in your life, you must first learn to be responsible. You have to take the responsibility that whatever happened to your life, happens for a reason.


Step 2 - Follow Your Instinct And Do What You Love

Where do you think that successful people find their motivation to keep going on even if they failed 100 times? It is from doing what they love. When you do something that you love, you’ll automatically come up with the motivation to keep going on. And this is the number one motivational source of every successful person.

If you think that successful people are all workaholic and they don’t have the time to enjoy their life, then you’re wrong. To them, they’re not working, they’re enjoying simply because they’re doing something that they love so much. They’re willing to do it even if they’re not making any profit or getting any pay. If you’re willing to do this, you’re definitely doing something that you love to do.

So focus in doing what you love, and then only try to make money from it. Most people thought that they should work hard and then make money from their hard work and so they can enjoy their life with the money they have.

But this is not what a successful person would think. For a successful person, he’ll do something he loves, he’s enjoying what he is doing while making money from the process and keep enjoying what he is doing. This is the real mindset of a successful person.

You’re struggling in life because you’re trying to profit from something that you hate to do. When you dislike to do something, you’ll never put in 100% commitment into doing it better. So find out what you love to do today and keep doing it.


Step 3 - Commit To Life-Long Learning

Constant learning and never-ending improvement are vital in ensuring your success in your field. I know that if you’re going to be a millionaire, you must be the top 5% in your field. When you become the top 5% in your field, you’ll definitely make more money than those who are in your field.

And the only way you can become the top 5% in your field is through committing to life-long learning in your field and apply the knowledge into your life.

Think about it, can you commit yourself and spend 30 to 60 minutes everyday to read a book? If you can, you’ll probably finish a book in a week. This means that you’ll finish 50 books in a year. Compare to others, how many books do you think most people will read? The answer is none. Most people are not going to read any books right after they leave their school.

Therefore, if you can commit yourself to this self-improvement habit, you’ll definitely transform yourself into the top 5% in your field. Some people might say that it takes 1 year to finish 50 books, which is a long time. However, you must remember that no matter you spend the 60 minutes into reading or you spend it to watch television, you’re going to lose that 60 minutes as well.

You cannot stop time, you can only benefit from it by doing something constructive. And this is what you’re going to do with it, use the time to learn and improve. Wake up 30 minutes early each day and use that time wisely to improve yourself.

You can also attend seminars and workshop to improve your knowledge in your field. Don’t wait for seminars to come to you, instead, go for those seminars. And listen to audio when you’re travelling, this will leverage the most from your time.

These are the 3 steps that you’ll need to be more successful in your life. To be successful is not an overnight process, you must go through all the process first before you can see the results. Success is a process, it is all about getting things done. So follow through these 3 steps today and start to transform yourself into a super achiever.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is a joyous family festival celebrated with lot of enthusiasm in US, Canada and several other countries. Thanksgiving Day Festival commemorates the feast held by the Pilgrim colonists and members of the Wampanoag people at Plymouth in 1621. On this day people express gratitude to God for his blessings and give thanks to dear ones for their love & support. Feasting with family is an integral & most delightful part of Thanksgiving Day celebrations.

About Thanksgiving Day:

Origin of Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is America's preeminent day. It is celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It has a very interesting history. Its origin can be traced back to the 16th century when the first thanksgiving dinner is said to have taken place.

Journey of Pilgrims

The legendary pilgrims, crossed the Atlantic in the year 1620 in Mayflower-A 17th Century sailing vessel. About 102 people traveled for nearly two months with extreme difficulty. This was so because they were kept in the cargo space of the sailing vessel. No one was allowed to go on the deck due to terrible storms. The pilgrims comforted themselves by singing Psalms- a sacred song.

Arrival in Plymouth

The pilgrims reached Plymouth rock on December 11th 1620, after a sea journey of 66 days. Though the original destination was somewhere in the northern part of Virginia, they could not reach the place owing to winds blowing them off course. Nearly46 pilgrims died due to extreme cold in winter. However, in the spring of 1621, Squanto, a native Indian taught the pilgrims to survive by growing food.

Day of Fasting and Prayer

In the summer of 1621, owing to severe drought, pilgrims called for a day of fasting and prayer to please God and ask for a bountiful harvest in the coming season. God answered their prayers and it rained at the end of the day. It saved the corn crops.

First Thanksgiving Feast

It is said that Pilgrims learnt to grow corn, beans and pumpkins from the Indians, which helped all of them survive . In the autumn of 1621, they held a grand celebration where 90 people were invited including Indians. The grand feast was organized to thank god for his favors. This communal dinner is popularly known as “The first thanksgiving feast”. There is however, no evidence to prove if the dinner actually took place.

While some historians believe pilgrims were quite religious so, their thanksgiving would've included a day of fasting and praying, others say that the Thanksgiving dinner did take place.

Turkey and First Thanksgiving Feast

There is no evidence to prove if the customary turkey was a part of the initial feast. According to the first hand account written by the leader of the colony, the food included, ducks, geese, venison, fish, berries etc.

Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Feast

Pumpkin pie, a modern staple adorning every dinner table, is unlikely to have been a part of the first thanksgiving feast. Pilgrims however, did have boiled pumpkin. Diminishing supply of flour led to the absence of any kind of bread.

The feast continued for three days and was eaten outside due to lack of space. It was not repeated till 1623, which again witnessed a severe drought. Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of thanksgiving in the year 1676. October of 1777 witnessed a time when all the 13 colonies joined in a communal celebration. It also marked the victory over the British.

After a number of events and changes, President Lincoln proclaimed last Thursday in November of thanksgiving in the year 1863. This was due to the continuous efforts of Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor. She wrote a number of articles for the cause.

When is Thanksgiving Day?

Date of Thanksgiving Day varies every year and several countries celebrate it in different time of the year. Given here is information on Thanksgiving Day date in US and Canada for the past, present and coming years.

When is Thanksgiving Day in US?

Thanksgiving Day finds its roots in America. It is celebrated with lot of fervor and euphoria on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. For the people in US Thanksgiving is a time for merrymaking, shopping, family reunion, feasts and family dinners. People also take time to thank God for his constant grace and for all the material possessions man enjoys. For many Thanksgiving is also the time to thank near and dear ones and being grateful for their kindness.

Thanksgiving Day in 2010 - November 25
Thanksgiving Day in 2009 - November 26
Thanksgiving Day in 2008 - November 27
Thanksgiving Day in 2007 - November 22
Thanksgiving Day in 2006 - November 23

When is Thanksgiving Day in Canada?

Thanksgiving Day in Canada is, however, celebrated on the second Monday in the month of October every year. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving Day a month earlier because autumn season starts early in Canada than in America.

Thanksgiving Day in 2010- October 11
Thanksgiving Day in 2009 - October 12
Thanksgiving Day in 2008 - October 13
Thanksgiving Day in 2007 - October 8
Thanksgiving Day in 2006 - October 9

5 Facts About Goal Setting

These practical tips on goal setting can help make it easier to set and reach goals:

1. Specific, realistic goals work best.

When it comes to making a change, the people who succeed are those who set realistic, specific goals. "I'm going to recycle all my plastic bottles, soda cans, and magazines" is a much more doable goal than "I'm going to do more for the environment." And that makes it easier to stick with.

2. It takes time for a change to become an established habit.

It will probably take a couple of months before any changes — like getting up half an hour early to exercise — become a routine part of your life. That's because your brain needs time to get used to the idea that this new thing you're doing is part of your regular routine.

3. Repeating a goal makes it stick.

Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you're working for. (Writing it down works too.) Every time you remind yourself of your goal, you're training your brain to make it happen.

4. Pleasing other people doesn't work.

The key to making any change is to find the desire within yourself — you have to do it because you want it, not because a girlfriend, boyfriend, coach, parent, or someone else wants you to. It will be harder to stay on track and motivated if you're doing something out of obligation to another person.

5. Roadblocks don't mean failure.

Slip-ups are actually part of the learning process as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. It may take a few tries to reach a goal. But that's OK — it's normal to mess up or give up a few times when trying to make a change. So remember that everyone slips up and don't beat yourself up about it. Just remind yourself to get back on track.

Qualities of a Good Employee

The Traits of a good employee- What makes a good employee?Here are the top employee qualities:

1. Communicator: Employers love to hire employees who have the ability to communicate well and express themselves in a clear manner, whether in writing or speaking. Inaccurate/inappropriate communication between employees can cause many problems to the company.

2. Self-Motivated: A good employee never hesitates of taking responsibility or a more responsible position. She also ready to work beyond the call of duty in order to meet goals or to solve problems, even if the job in discussion is not one of the regular works she is usually assigned.

3. Hard worker: There is no substitute to hard work. Although everyone seems to say that they work hard not many keep on working after being at the job for a while. So, one has to keep reminding oneself about the importance and significance of working hard as an employee.

4. Adaptable/decisive and effective learner: Employees who know how to adjust themselves to new environment, willing to learn new things (quick learners) and perform their best in changes are likely to be the best performers in any organization.


5. Team Player: Many companies consist of teams. Any company requires an effective team effort. An employer who can contribute is an ideal worker. Someone who is like a fish in the water (of the organization), who can perform well in a team will become a factor sooner or later.

6. Helping others: everyone appreciates a helping hand every now and then. Do not hesitate in helping out others. This make the person establish friendly relations with the coworkers and keeps the office running smoothly which in turn is appreciated by the employers.


7. Honesty: A good employee is honest about his/her work and qualifications. Self criticism and willing to receive feedback (bad as good) is essential to become a good learner.

8. Ethical: Work rules are made to be followed. There is decorum of every place that ought to be kept. A good employee follows the policies of the company and inspires others to do so too.

9. Give credit where it is due: One of the most prevalent practices doing the rounds in offices today is stealing the credit of a job well done. A good employee will not only truthfully let the right co-worker have her credit but also share her own accolades with his team.

10. Polite: Being friendly and approachable will never harm. a good employee greets her co workers a ‘good morning’, says little courteous things like ‘thank you’ and ‘you are welcome’. These things may appear insignificant but go a long way in establishing the person as favorite employee.

11. Disciplined and punctual: Every boss loves a punctual, disciplined and conscientious employee. Time is money. Coming late to office, taking unnecessary breaks, procrastinating and leaving earlier than the usual hours cost money to the company. No employer will ever appreciate this.

12. Avoid gossip: The person should always remember that she came to the office to work, to make a career. Do not spread office gossip or rumors. Respect the privacy of the co workers. Safeguard and protect the confidential nature of office business
and transactions.

5 Tips To Become More Valuable At Work

1. Show up 5 minutes early

If your boss shows up at 9 am like clockwork, then getting to work at 8:59, yourself, is a very worthwhile 1-minute investment. Even if you have to arrive 5 minutes early, it is well worth it to be there before your boss if at all possible. Think about it this way: If your boss has to cut one employee and all other factors are equal, do you think he will cut the person who he sees come in a few minutes late or the one that is always there already working by the time he gets to the office and he isn’t sure how early they actually get there?

The amount of time you put into work isn’t directly related to your output, but most bosses don’t have any really good measurements of your output, so time becomes the de facto standard to measure how much you are doing. It may not be fair, but it is a game you can win by investing a few extra minutes each day.

2. Don’t gossip

In most cases, gossip isn’t going to do anything helpful for you. Most gossip is just going to waste your time. There may be some benefit in keeping track of people’s moods and events that will impact their jobs. For example, if one of your coworkers is fed up and getting ready to quit, it might not be bad to know that ahead of time. But you definitely don’t want to be the person sharing. If you share gossip about others, people won’t trust you with their own information.

3. Be the peacemaker

The ability to help people work through different views is very valuable. Work isn’t going to get done when people disagree, and efficiency is going to suffer when people are forced to do something against their will. If you can help bring about consensus and compromise, you help make everyone more efficient.

4. Share information freely

People often try to increase their own importance by not giving others information. This is a short-sighted strategy and will usually make people dislike you. If you want to be valuable, people need to enjoy working with you. Furthermore, if you only give people the bare minimum information that they ask for, they may feel like you are trying to make them fail.

One of the most annoying people I have ever worked with will spend 10 minutes explaining what he isn’t going to tell you (because he is too busy). If he would just tell you in the first place, it would have only taken five minutes. In his mind, he feels more important being “too busy” to talk to you.

You want to be known as an information hub–not an information dam.

5. Make other people look good

A lot of people operate with the idea that anything they do to make someone else look good must make them look bad. Giving kudos isn’t a zero sum game. Helping other people look good doesn’t necessarily hurt you. In fact, people who you’ve gone out of your way to help promote are more likely to give you credit for your work and help you when you need it. Working with a group of people who are actively trying to help you succeed is a much better condition than working with a bunch of people who think you are trying to take advantage of them.

You can make other people look good in a variety of different ways. Giving them credit is a great way to start. If your boss compliments you on a report you did and one of your co-workers helped, go ahead and tell your boss that your co-worker was a great help. Then tell your co-worker. “I told the boss that the report wouldn’t have been nearly as good without your input.”

Tips on Retaining Employees

•Your employees need more than monetary compensation to feel happy and satisfied at work. Workers who feel fulfilled are not only more productive, but they also stay with you longer. The cost of unwanted turnover can be 1.5 times the employee's annual salary and can harm both morale and production. By implementing the following tips, you can keep your employees satisfied and build lasting loyalty.

Start Smart

•You can reduce employee turnover if you begin by hiring the right person for the job. Choose someone with not only the correct skill set to fulfill the duties for the position, but also the right values and personality for your company culture.

Share Expectations

•Share your expectations of your employee's job duties and how their responsibilities support your company's mission and goals. Employees who understand the importance of their job work more effectively and feel more fulfilled.

Be Consistent

•After you establish your expectations, apply your policies consistently. Equality and fairness result in employee respect and better retention. Your pay system should be equitable as well and competitive for all employees.

Feedback

•Employees respond to regular and constructive feedback. Periodic evaluations give workers an opportunity to respond to any challenges and build on their successes. Workers who receive recognition for a job well done feel that their contributions are valued.

Growth Opportunities

•Offer your employees ways to grow beyond their current position. Develop the people in your organization as you grow your business by providing ongoing education and training, and by providing incentives, new opportunities or promotions. If you provide ongoing professional development, you demonstrate your organization's willingness to develop your people.

Empower

•As much as possible, empower your employees to make decisions that concern their job. Workers respond negatively when management makes a decision that impacts their job responsibilities without consulting them. By getting an employee's input, you send her the message that you trust her and her decision-making abilities. Work toward creating a more collaborative environment. Employees will feel like an integral part of the team if they are involved in the decision-making process.

Culture

•Create a we-are-in-this-together company culture. Motivate your staff members to support each other. Also, get to know your employees, their hobbies and outside interests. If your staff feels more like a family, then a staff member is less likely to seek other employment.

Five Stages of Team Development

Most experts in team development agree that teams will go through five different stages. How fast a team moves through each stage will depend on the team members, their individual skills, the work they are expected to do, and the type of leadership available to the team.

Bruce Tuckman deemed the four main stages of team development in order as Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Later, as self-managed teams became common in business, he added a fifth stage of Adjourning/Transforming. Thomas Quick called the five stages for teams: Searching, Defining, Identifying, Processing, and Assimilating/Reforming. Whatever term is used for the stages, teams will go through all five during their developmental and working processes.


Stage 1 - The first stage is when the team is formed and members meet. They learn what the team opportunities and challenge will be. Individual members may be confused about their role or not understand the need for the team. Members will agree on goals and assign actions for work, often working independently. Ground rules or team guidelines are established. At the start, the team leader may be a member of the group, a supervisor, a manager, or a consultant who will facilitate the team-building process. Leadership will help the team to define their processes. At this stage, the leader needs to be directive and understand the requirements for team training to move through each stage.

Stage 2 - During the second stage, individual expression of ideas occurs and there is open conflict between members. Members tend to focus on details rather than the issues and compete for influence. Low trust among team members is an evident indicator of this stage. The team needs to select their desired leadership style and decision methodology. The team leader can help by stressing tolerance and patience between members. The leader should guide the team process towards clear goals, defined roles, acceptable team behavior, and a mutual feedback process for team communication.

Stage 3 - In the third stage, the team develops work habits that support group rules and values. They use established tools and methods; exhibit good behaviors; mutual trust, motivation, and open communication increase; positive teamwork and group focus are apparent. The team relationships grow and individual characteristics are understood and appropriately utilized. The team leader continues to encourage participation and professionalism among the team members.

Stage 4 - The fourth stage shows high levels of loyalty, participation, motivation, and group decision-making. Knowledge sharing, cross-training, and interdependence increases. Team is self-directing in development of plans and strategy to meet their goals and carry out work. Personal growth and sharing is encouraged throughout membership. The leader becomes a facilitator aiding the team in communication processes and helping if they revert to a prior stage.

Stage 5 - For project teams, temporary committees, or task forces coming to an end, there will be a finalizing stage as they .celebrate and recognize group achievement. Then some mourning over the dissolving of the team relationship and begin planning for the change in individual work requirements. During this stage, leadership needs to emphasize organization gratitude and both team and individual recognition. For continuous work teams, there may be a higher performance level as they develop and transform as individuals and reform into revised teams. It is important to note that continuous work teams may revert to prior stages when new people are added to the team.

Time and effort are required to move through the various team development stages. Every team will go through all the stages. However the timeline of each stage may be different for each team depending on the individual members and their skill levels, the work the team is expected to accomplish, and team leadership during each stage.

5 Steps to Building a Successful Team

Before we start, it's important to remember that teams exist for one reason: to achieve results! However, it's also important to remember that teams must be sustainable in order to continue producing those results, so that's why we look at the inter-relationships among the team members -- to ensure that those relationships are working at the level needed for the team to continue producing results without getting burned out. Let's look at this process of building a successful team so that your team can get to the next level and be not only effective, but sustainable, in achieving its desired results.

1. Measure the current effectiveness of your team

In order to help your team be more successful, it's important to first look at how successful the team is currently. Measuring your team can serve as a benchmark for team development, as it gives you a current evaluation of your team as it exists today. The best way to do this is to measure your team's effectiveness, which can be done in several different ways:

- Personal interviews: Asking each team member a specific set of questions designed to measure their effectiveness is a great way to learn about what's really going on within your team. The disadvantage of this method is that some team members will not be forthcoming with information during face-to-face interviews because they are not anonymous. Results are best yielded when the interviews are done by an external facilitator who will maintain individual confidentiality.

- Simple measurement: A very simple method to use is to ask your team members "on a scale of 1 to 10, how effective is this team"? And see what their responses are so that you can ask some follow up questions to learn more about their perceptions.

- Assessment tool: In our opinion, this is the best method to measure the current state of your team because it is anonymous, unbiased and team members are generally very candid and open in their responses. The assessment results are then shared with your team in a specially-designed team development process that includes exercises to help the team improve in areas needed.

2. Create your vision of a highly successful team

This is where you can use the "begin with the end in mind" concept that Stephen Covey and others have used for years. This step is about using your imagination to create the most successful, productive, cohesive team that you desire! The vision of your team can include the following components:

- Team's values, priorities and desired results

- Organization's values, priorities and desired results for this team

- Your own values, priorities and desired results for this team

- Productivity factors: these are factors defined by Team Diagnostic International as the factors that support the team in achieving results, accomplishing tasks, staying on course to reach goals and objectives. They include strengths such as accountability, decision making, goal setting, etc.

- Positivity factors: these are factors defined by Team Diagnostic International as the factors that focus on the inter-relationships between team members and the spirit or tone of the team as a system. They include strengths such as trust, respect, clear communication, handling conflict, camaraderie, etc.

I encourage you to create your "desired team" vision with your team. Schedule a time to meet with them to allow for everyone to participate in this creative process! And, remember to think out of the box -- what would it look like to have a team that was achieving results beyond what you think is possible today?

3. Communicate effectively

This is a huge topic that I will only be able to scratch the surface in this article! However, here are the most important tips to remember in my experience of working with teams:

- Everyone receives information differently. Some people have to see it, others have to hear it, etc. How do you like to receive information? Remember that just because one way works for you, that same way doesn't work for all of your team members.

- Find out how each person needs to receive information in order to process it. Ask your team members "how do you like to receive information?" so that they can tell you whether they are visual learners, auditory learners, etc.

- Remember to communicate important information using several different methods so that all of your team members will receive the information you are trying to convey.

- Check in with your team regarding your communications and ask them how you can improve.

4. Develop a plan to turn your team vision into reality

Now that you've measure your team's current effectiveness, you've created a vision of your desired team and you've determined how to best communicate with them, it's time to create an action plan!

This step is about creating goals that support you in growing your team to the next level. We do complete workshops on effective goal setting and don't have space here to go into all of the details, but here are the basics:

Remember to set goals that are

- Specific

- Measurable

- Attainable

- Realistic

- Time oriented (make sure each goal has a deadline!)

5. Take a stand for your team!

Whether you see yourself as "the leader" of your team or "a leader" of your team or "a member" of your team, you are in a position to influence your team. Take a stand for the improvement of your team! Here are a couple of ways that you can do that:

- Remind your team members of the vision you see for your team and what you see as being possible for your team. Remind them that it IS possible to grow to the next level! And, ask them what they need to grow to the next possible.

- Look for ways to build and develop your team. When was the last time your team had a meeting that was dedicated to enhancing your team's relationships? When was the last time that your team went out to lunch together, or did another fun activity? If you aren't familiar with the types of team development that be effective for your team, or if you don't have the time or expertise to develop a program, call in an expert to help you create a program for your team.

Investing time, energy and financial resources in your team can be simple -- it doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. The important thing is that you do something on a regular basis to keep your team motivated, engaged and productive so that they can produce the results that you and your organization desire!

Five Simple Rules for Healthy Life

Rule # 1: Breathe Properly


Breathing is the most basic condition for survival. If we breathe in a right manner, we give ourselves more prana (life-force). Always breathe deeply, slowly and smoothly. This way you relieve stress and send more oxygen to the blood, brain and muscles increasing your energy levels and mental performance. Never breathe through mouth. If possible, learn ayurvedic therapies like “Pranayam” which is a traditional series of breathing exercises. Even if you do not learn it, always pay attention to how you breathe. Gradually, you will develop the habit of breathing deeper and slower. Set aside some time in your daily schedule for aware breathing. When stressed, sit down for a while in a relaxing position and breathe deeply before you react.

Rule # 2: Drink Plenty of Water


Water is not only essential for rehydration but also leads to purified blood, glowing skin and healthy body tissues. Thus, you look beautiful, the natural way, when you drink plentiful water. Ayurveda suggests observing urine as a guide to know how much water you need to drink daily. If your urine is not clear or it looks too concentrated, you should increase your daily intake of water. Inadequate water leads to headaches and fatigue as also to dehydration which has serious health consequences. Sip water over time rather than gulping it down in large quantities. Do not have too much water just before or during meals. Drinks containing caffeine and alcohol do not substitute water. Fruits and vegetables with high water content can be taken but plain and pure water is essential.

Rule # 3: Eat the Right Food


Ayurveda recommends right kind and right quantity of food planned according to one's own body constitution. Inappropriate foods and poor eating habits can result in many diseases like diabetes, obesity etc. If you want to reduce weight by natural ways, you should control your eating habits and exercise regularly. Food needs are unique to one's body. So, be attentive to what you eat and how these affect your overall health. Avoid those foods which do not suit you. Eat pure, fresh, whole, natural foods. Make an eating routine and follow it. Make eating your meals an important activity and don't neglect it for other works.

Rule # 4: Exercise Regularly


Adequate physical and mental activity are significant for health and longevity. As food should be taken according to one's body needs, exercise should also be structured in a way that is ideal to your needs. Walking and yoga are beneficial for all as they can be adapted according to individual needs. Exercising early in the day is best. Do not exercise on an empty stomach or immediately after meals.
Do not pain or exhaust yourself while exercising, do it moderately. Mental exercise should also be followed. Anything that keeps our minds engaged or where you can learn something new, such as traveling, reading, solving puzzles, taking up a new hobby or project etc. will give your mind the much needed exercise. Such activities like gardening, music, teaching and volunteering are examples of activities that enrich you mentally as well as emotionally and spiritually.

Rule # 5: Sleep Adequately


All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy- Ayurveda too believe this. Learn to relax and take adequate sleep as it recharges mind and body for the next day. Sleep deprivation leads to high blood pressure, obesity and depression. How much sleep do you need should be determined by yourself- eight hours sleep theory doesn't fit for all. Quality sleep is what refreshes you. It is when your mind completely disengages from other senses. 'Early to bed and early to rise' is not only a phrase- it's a universal fact for getting sound sleep because the sleep that you get in the earlier hours of night is the most productive sleep. You can adopt many techniques for getting better sleep like a cup of lukewarm milk, deep breathing and a bedtime lower limb massage. So, follow these simple five rules and stay healthy for ever!

5 Steps to Start your Career in Social Media [Guide]

Are you a social media addict, you think it’s the best you can do, have a wish to start career in this profession. Not to worry then! It’s not that difficult, how those so-called marketing GURUS could make you feel. If you can write well and think well then you can join the RACE.

This guide is short but fruitful if you follow it accordingly.

These are the 5 simple steps including questions to get you hired and start career in social media.

1) Are you super active on Social media?

It’s important to be an active user on all the popular social media platforms, it creates the awareness of your name prominently b/w different group of people. Being a super active user means daily interaction and keeping people involved in something interesting.

People take more interest in those users who update their social networks more often than those who login to their accounts once in a week.

Step 1 – Become Active on Social media:

* Interact with your friends and followers on a regular basis
* Always post the content of their interest
* Create and insert information on all the popular social web properties even if you don’t use them, there are tools to update them without signing in. there are many reasons to do it which you will learn by time.

2) How many people are following you?

Another crucial point in starting your career in social media business is your overall following. How many friends do you have, how many people are following you on different social networks, pages, groups, lists, directories etc does matter.

Your numbers of followers is a great way to demonstrate your power to targeted company or employer, that how you could be very beneficial for them by reaching mass audience easily and accomplishing their goals.

Step 2 – Increase your number of followers

* Increase your friends and followers on different social networks
* Make use of social properties like groups, lists, fan pages etc

3) Are you a trend setter or part of a trend?

There are two types of people on social networks. First category is for those who follows or join others conversation and trends. Lies in the second category are those who set trends and start conversations.

You got to be a trend setter to mark your name in a social media industry.

Step 3 – Break News and be a trend setter

* Be the first one to post and something and make it viral, something like breaking news, interesting videos, images etc
* Post something arguable or debatable which can pull in lot of people to speak.
* Ask questions about peoples interests or concerns.

4) Do you have your personal brand?

Personal branding on social media mainly includes your profile pictures, your Bio, your style of communication and your professionalism.

Like people create an individual’s image about their nature, life style and income in their minds, in online world it’s all same like it does in our real world or offline life. Your pictures, your words, your BIO, the stuff you post, the way you talk to them will create specific imageabout you in their minds; now it’s up to you how do you want to make them feel about yourself.

Step 4 – Create Personal Brand

* Select one profile picture for all your networks, and avoid changing them very often especially with micro blogging networks like twitter. People assess you by your profile picture then your name.
* Create and save BIO on your hard drive, and use it on all your social networks.
* Apply the style of communication your followers are satisfied with. For Example: if your targeted readers are happy with slang, casual or misspelled type of communication then you should do it else avoid this at any cost.

5) Do you Blog?

If not then start doing it now, NO! Don’t run to buy yourself new domain, hosting, design, dev. And stuff, you are good to go with even free hosted blog like WordPress (example.wordpress.com) Al though if you think you can easily get domain, hosting, design, dev then you should go for as it is much better for many reasons.

Writing a good blog will increase your readership and your value; this will also increase your importance than ever.

Step 5 – Start your Blog

* Start your blog using free third party service like wordpress.com or self-hosted blog.
* Start writing about your interests and use social media to drive traffic.
* You can add snippets and source URL from other blogs to get more traffic.

There is a lot more to learn, we will cover more topics in the future. Your comments are precious, feel to express your thoughts.