First Impression

Dressing  is the outward expression of a man's state of mind.  It is his attire that tells the world what he thinks of himself.  Dressing neatly and properly is the beginning of one's good virtue.

• Appropriate dressing is an important prerequisite to effective business interaction and social communication.
• Style is acquired through interest, exposure and practice.
• It is important to derive satisfaction from proper dressing as it projects a person's character and status.
• Favourable first impressions are vital for business success, especially in corporate circles.
• Those who present a befitting wardrobe and a dynamic self-image have an edge over others.  They definitely earn the esteem and respect of their colleagues and companion.  In top-notch business echelons, a good corporate image is also bankable.
• In creating a favourable first impression, it is important to complement one's appearance with the power and prestige of one's rank and to dress according to one's profession.

"Clothes make half of the man, the other half is his character and his accomplishment"

"Clothes will not make a gentleman but they can contribute richly to the wearer's sense of well-being and credibility in the eyes of others"

10 Attitudes of Successful Workers

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

Why do some people seem to reach the top of the corporate ladder easily, while others remain stuck on the middle-management rung? You might think that it is just because those people have more of what it takes to succeed, like brains, talent and powerful people in their corner. But there is something else that is just as important: attitude.

Dr. Martin Seligman, an authority on optimism, discovered that attitude was a better predictor of success than I.Q., education and most other factors. He found that positive people stay healthier, have better relationships and go further in their careers. And he even found that positive people make more money.

Anyone can adopt the right attitude. No matter where you are from or how much innate talent you have, the right attitude can make a difference in your career. Try adopting these 10 attitudes of successful workers:

1. I am in charge of my destiny.
If you spend your entire career waiting for something exciting to come to you, you will be waiting a long time. Successful professionals go out and make good things happen. So commit yourself to thinking about your career in an entirely different way. You will make it to the top, and you are in charge of making it happen.

2. Anything is possible.
Think that there is no way you will ever be at the vice-president level? Then you definitely won't. Remember: If you think you can't, you probably won't. Adopt the attitude of The Little Engine That Could -- "I think I can."

3. No task is too small to do well.
You never know when you are going to be noticed. That is one reason to take pride in your work -- all of it. One public relations executive in Chicago said that her first task in the PR department of a ballet company was reorganizing the supply closet. She tackled the project with gusto and was immediately noticed for her hard work and attention to detail. Remember this the next time you feel like slacking because you are working on a menial task.

4. Everyone is a potential key contact.
While you do need to be aggressive in the workplace, you can also go far by being nice to those around you. Do you think it's unimportant to establish a good rapport with your boss's secretary? Well, just try getting your meeting squeezed onto the schedule when you really need it. Be courteous to those around you -- you never know when your past contacts will play a role in your future.

5. I was made to do this job... and the one above me.
If you spend your days feeling like you are not cut out to do the work you are responsible for, your performance will suffer. Your job may not be the perfect fit, but successful workers act like they are in their dream job, no matter where they are.

6. It's not just what I know, but who I know.
Successful workers understand the importance of networking, both in and out of the office. You need to proactively establish professional contacts. Invite a colleague out to lunch. Go to the after-work happy hour. Join your professional association. Do your part to establish a networking path for your future.

7. What else can I do?
Since you are in charge of your destiny, it's your job to look for ways to improve your professional self. Volunteer to take on an extra project. Learn a new skill that will make you more marketable. Stay late to help your co-workers. Successful workers don't just complete the job and sign out -- they look for additional ways to make their mark.

8. Failure will help pave the way to my success.
While it seems like some people never experience setbacks, the truth is everyone fails from time to time. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they deal with failure. Those who find success are the ones who learn from mistakes and move on.

9. I am my own biggest fan.
Have you been waiting for someone in the office to recognize your talents and efforts? Maybe it's time you start tooting your own horn. Step up and talk about your accomplishments and what you have done for the company. Successful workers know how to point out their achievements without sounding boastful.

10. My opportunity monitor is never turned off.
Yes, there will be days when you will want to just be happy with the status quo. But remember that successful workers are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve. Keep your eyes, ears and your mind open to new opportunities -- you never know when you will discover the one that will change the course of your career!

A Women's Thinking for a happier life

Recently, in a large city in Australia ,
a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym.
It said, "This summer,
do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

A middle-aged woman,
whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster,
responded publicly to the question
posed by the gym.


To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life,
get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.
They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.
They play and swim in the seas,
seeing wonderful places like Patagonia ,
the Bering Sea
and the coral reefs of Polynesia .
Whales are wonderful singers
and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures
and virtually have no predators
other than humans.
They are loved, protected and admired
by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist.
If they did exist,
they would be lining up outside the offices
of Argentinean psychoanalysts
due to identity crisis. Fish or human?
They don't have a sex life
because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex?
Just look at them ... where is IT?
Therefore, they don't have kids either.
Not to mention,
who wants to get close to a girl who smells
like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me:
I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age
when media puts into our heads
the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight
because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads
that when there is no more room,
it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren't heavy,
we are enormously cultured,
educated and happy.

Beginning today,
when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!¨

Attitude Determines Altitude

by Shah Saleem Faruqi – The Star 11 January 2012

 An excerpt from the article written by the Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM and Visiting Professor at USM.  Nice one and inspiring too.  Happy reading.

Success is a matter of personal perception.  To some people, wealth, power, influence and status are the tests of having made it.  To others – success is to bring sunshine into the lives of others.  When you do that, some of that sunshine will illuminate your life as well. 

Whatever your concept of success is, its attainment is rooted in some conducive mental attitudes and a great deal of planned, hard work.

Visualising and envisioning: You must envision, constructively imagine and role-play whatever you wish to be.

Dreams are the foundation of reality.  If you can dream it, you can achieve it.  Any fulfillment is, of course, subject to your courage and discipline to act on your dreams and materialize them into concrete actions.  Kipling’s admonition must be remembered:  “If you can dream and not make dreams your master.  If you can think but not make thoughts your aim”.

Daily planning:  On a daily basis, plan your schedule. Fill every minute with 60 seconds of distance run.  Sail in a chartered course.  Do not drift in the wind and the waves.  

Act on, not just react to, things as they come.  Do not let others lead you by the nose.  Do not count on luck.  Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Mapping the road ahead:   Careers are like ladders with many rungs.  Map out the steps.  Fix time frames.  Periodically review your progress towards your long-term goals.

Intensity:  There must be an intensity of commitment, a fire, a burning desire, an over-riding, if not single-minded, determination to attain your goals.

Ambition:  Think big.  Do not settle for too little.  Make plans to reach the sky.  If you land on the clouds, that’s OK.  Strive harder next time.

Faith in God:  When confronted by inevitable storms, trust God.  God does not burden any soul with more than it can bear.

Self-confidence:  We are all specks of dust in the universe.  This necessary humility can, however, go hand in hand with a self-confidence that everything is attainable if we strive hard enough.

We must doubt our doubts but not our beliefs.  We must remember that attitude, more than aptitude, determines our altitude.

 

Discipline and hard work:  Work is part of worship and must be given the same type of devotion.  Hard work compensates for lack of genius.   Many ordinary people achieve extraordinary things because they toil through the night while the world sleeps.  Genius is 10% inspiration; 90% perspiration.  A toiling tortoise can beat a heady hare.

Over the course of four decades, I have seen scores of extremely intelligent people fail in their endeavours because they lacked the humility that drives hard work;  the discipline and planning that ensures progress; and the courage and persistence that overcome odds.

In most challenges in life, natural talents do not take us very far.  Discipline does.

Passion:  Whatever you do , do well.  Let reason be the rudder and passion the sail.  There are no small jobs; only small people.   There is honour in every profession provided we put our heart and soul into it and do ordinary things extraordinarily well.

It is often the case that those who do small jobs meticulously are likely to confront major challenges majestically.

Do not wait for ideal conditions: Do not wait for the perfect time to start building on your dreams.  External conditions will never be ideal.  We have to make do with what we have.  The wind often changes for the better once we set sail.  It is our inner determination that makes the world stand aside to let pass a man who knows where he is going.

Show-case your talents:  At a place of work, substance and form, isih dan gaya, the ability to be relevant, as well as to seem competent, are all equally important.  Don’t be like the peacock that dances in the jungle but is not seen by anyone.

Find sophisticated and civilized ways to show-case your talents.  Polish up your communication and PR skills so that your hard work and competence will be known.

Rewards come in many ways:  It is natural to expect appreciation and recognition.  However, one must remember that in the workplace there are rivalries, jealousies and injustices.  As in the outside world, so in the workplace, justice does not usually prevail.  If the rewards do not come when they are due, remember that God is watching.  His justice will one day prevail.

Work never goes to waste.  A competent man is like the moon.  Clouds can hide the moon for a while but in the end the beams of light will break through and the world will be filled with their luminescence.  Remember also that hard work with sincerity is nourishing for the soul and good for health.  The rewards of hard work are long term, internal and intangible.  We all know that of all the things that matter in life, most are not things.

Success and failure:  Success is never final.  It is a journey, not a destination.  It is a continuing process of repeating , reinforcing past accomplishments and conquering new challenges by adapting to a changed world.  Success is sustained effort over time and persistence in the face of hurdles.  It is an attitude of “I think I can”.  It is the courage to treat adversity as an opportunity.  It is the willingness to regard every dare as a door.

Falling down does not amount to failure.  Failure is to stay down.  Falling down is never fatal.  Life breaks all of us.  The thing to do is to learn from our failings and to emerge stronger where we’re broken.

Happiness:  To seek inner peace, live simply.  Richness is not the accumulation of wealth but the smallness of needs.  Think deeply.  Act nobly.  Leave the world a better place than you found it.  Learn from people you admire.

“Lives of great men all remind us:  we can make our lives sublime and departing leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.”