A very good article on overcoming shyness from PickTheBrain blog:

A key to overcoming shyness is recognizing these perceived slights for what they are–meaningless. When someone reacts to you negatively, don’t take it personally. Imagine the other person’s perspective. Is there something that may have put them in a bad mood? Are they trying to cover up their own inadequacy? Considering the perspective of the other person makes it easier to put their reaction in the proper context.

Many times we don’t want to speak up because we think that we have nothing to contribute, and therefore, to avoid embarrassment, we better keep in silence.

To get over this you need to recognize the merit of your own thoughts and the value they present to others. It’s ironic that the people most inclined towards shyness are often the most thoughtful. To reach your potential, you need to share yourself with the world. Your brilliant insights don’t hold any value until they’ve enlightened someone else.

Some of the practices that the article suggest, is the practice of sharing, sharing your insights, speak up even when you don’t want to. And more importantly, it’s how you can contribute to the society.

For the full article, click here.

Back to the book I’m reading right now, Be A People Person by John Maxwell, there is one of the ten tips he mentioned on handling criticism, which is

Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you can develop ability to laugh at yourself, you will be much more relaxed when given or giving criticism… Blessed is he who can enjoy his blunders.

John C. Maxwell

Often we criticize ourselves too much for the mistakes we made. Now what you can do is laugh at your weakness, as what John Maxwell said, enjoy your blunders. Enjoying doesn’t mean that we don’t change or fix our mistakes, that means we accept ourselves on not being perfect while we are in the progress of changing to become better and better. Another important point for us is that…

We are approved by God, we don’t have to win the approval of others and look good in their eyes. We are not perfect people. Too many of us take ourselves too seriously and God not seriously enough.

John C. Maxwell

Have you ever tried very hard to be productive? A blogger on blogging Michael Martine has a message on blogging productivity that we can apply to anything that we are doing.

The key to being productive is not to try and be productive… it is to understand and be yourself. If a “productivity guru” said that, he would be laughed off the stage, because productivity gurus make their money by selling you formulas—science without the art. Don’t try to be productive! Try to be yourself. Expressing yourself is the art. Productivity naturally follows.

Michael Martine*

So… be yourself! That means follow your passion and calling in life! Share with others and you will be productive!

*Michael Martine’s blog can be checked here.

Inspired by my devotional* today, taken from Proverbs chapter 2 to 3. Inspired by the point stated by John C. Maxwell on the passage, which is entitled The Irony of Spiritual Leadership:

As a spiritual leader, …

We are to get wisdom and understanding (2:1-5**), yet we are not to lean on it apart from the Lord (3:5,6***).

John Maxwell

It’s an irony isn’t it, if you see a bookstore, so many books and audios talk about wisdom, mindset, inspiring success stories, etc. It’s just similar like what Proverbs 1: 20-22 **** mentioned, wisdom calls aloud outside, raises her voice in open squares, and so on.

Sometimes I questioned, is it the right one, so many self-help books, and inspiring success stories being published and advertised, but will it contradict my Christian faith?

From the devotional today, I’m taking a conclusion that we are as a spiritual leaders or called-to-be leaders, we are asked to seek wisdom, from God Himself, from bible and from various experts and successful people that has learned the wisdom and knowledge throughout his life. Each of them may not perfect, but they have some value that God wants us to learn from.

Yet, we are asked to make use of the wisdom, making use of them without contradicting our faith, and the more important thing is that not to rely to our wisdom, the knowledge that we have been gathered around the years. Our trust still comes from God and God only, not human understanding nor wisdom.

*My devotional is taken from NKJV bible, specifically the Maxwell Leadership Bible, further info can be checked here.

** 1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God.

King Solomon (Proverbs 2:1-5 NKJV)

*** 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct^[a] your paths.

King Solomon (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)

**** 20 Wisdom calls aloud outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21 She cries out in the chief concourses,^[b]
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22 “ How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.

King Solomon (Proverbs 1:20-22 NKJV)

We all need each other to achieve our goals, nothing big in life to be achieved by a lone ranger.

I would like to introduce a site that recently joined, a site that thanks to Web 2.0, the content was provided by the all the users/subscribers who share their goals to all of you.

Steps to find your goal community:

• sign up to become its member,
• write down your goal or search from the available list of goals,
• find the people who share the same goals there,
• cheer others’ goals,
• get some more tips/links that can help you to achieve your goal.
• achieve your goal,
• and share more about tips/tools to achieve your goal

The site’s name is 43things.com, can be visited here. It has also some more links to 43places or 43people to find places or peoples you want to visit or meet.

Wish u all the best on achieving your goals.

When do you love people? I’m sure we all love or at least like people when they are care about us, helping us, or maybe when we can get or learn something from them. But… how about loving people just because they exist?

Since when do you love people just because they exist? Since you found out that’s what God does! So when it comes to loving yourself, do what God does: Look at yourself and see something beautiful. Soon you’ll see everyone else that way, too.

John Fischer

If we want to simulate God’s love to the world, we have to love them just because they exist. And love doesn’t mean that we accept whatever they are doing, love sometimes have to correct them, when they make some mistakes or incorrect decision.

Another point is that, how difficult that person is toward you, find something beautiful in them and remind yourself, God sees you beautiful, so is that other person.

It’s the tagline of the Joyce Meyer Ministries. One quote that Joyce has ever mentioned in her message:

Life is not about the arrival but it’s about the journey that we take to get there.

Joyce Meyer

So, enjoy your everyday life, you may have plans and goals, but do you enjoy doing it? Don’t cry over the closing door, the un-achieved dreams or unsuccessful plans. Take the lessons and let them go.

Be joyful in whatever process you’re going through as life is more about the journey than the arrival.

Joyce Meyer Ministries provide many ways to bless you, they have free audio and video podcast, as well as free magazine that can inspire and motivate you to enjoy your everyday lives. Do check it at www.joycemeyer.com

We are all selling, either selling our products if we are businessmen, salesmen and women, selling our time to our bosses if we are employee or even selling “ourselves” to potential life partner.

Rule #1 to understand what makes people tick: People Mostly Care About Themselves
It’s an important note to be applied in our relationships if we want to be successful in selling.

I read about an interesting quote in John Maxwell’s book “Be A People Person” about motivating people for their benefit:

“You have to close through your eyes”.

Tom Hopkins (How to Master the Art of Selling)

 

Inside that book, Tom Hopkins gives an example of successful blind salesman who attributed his success in selling his properties on his blindness. The fact that he couldn’t see the properties he sold, requested him to sell through the eyes of his prospect.

You must see the benefits and features and limitations of your product or service from your potential buyer’s viewpoint. You must weigh them on his scale of values, not your own.

Tom Hopkins (How to Master the Art of Selling)

I recommend the following book from John C. Maxwell on being a people person…

Accept who you are and never let anyone change how you feel about yourself. Do not let criticism from others affect you. You cannot please everyone but you are doing the best that you can. So believe in yourself and be confident.

Stop comparing yourself with others. Attempts to keep up with your peers will only cause more stress in your life. You are who you are, you are unique and special in your own ways so you should be happy and proud of it!

For the full article, click here.

When you have a closed door, trust God that He is preparing a better way for you.

Joel Osteen

That is more or less the highlight of the sermon I heard from Joel Osteen. When we are faced with a closed door, it could be because of our own mistake, or the events that happen to us, we somehow see that God is no longer working, God’s plan in our life has been degraded. That is the time we have to trust God on His way, instead of our own way or our own understanding.

Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine.

(Psalm 139:17 CEV)

For more message from Joel Osteen, click here.