50 Life Lessons
I was recently emailed a thoughtful list of 50 of the most important life lessons compiled by Regina Brett, a 50-year-old (not 90, as many people think) columnist from Ohio, USA. This list has gone on to be the “single most popular column ever written by Regina.”
I want to share this list with you and hope that when we reach 50 years of age we’ll be able to look back and share similar words of wisdom:
- Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
- When in doubt, just take the next small step.
- Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
- Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
- Pay off your credit cards every month.
- You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
- Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
- It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
- Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
- When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
- Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
- It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
- Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
- If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
- Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
- Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
- You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
- A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
- It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
- When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
- Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
- Over prepare, then go with the flow.
- Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
- The most important sex organ is the brain.
- No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
- Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”
- Always choose life.
- Forgive everyone everything.
- What other people think of you is none of your business.
- Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
- However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
- Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
- Believe in miracles.
- God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
- Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
- Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
- Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
- Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
- Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
- If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
- Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
- Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
- All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
- Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
- The best is yet to come.
- No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
- Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
- If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
- Yield.
- Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
- (Own a dog - they really are a man’s best friend!) - that one was added my me
I really like the ones in bold. Which ones hit home for you?
No excuse for not working out
Does this sound familiar? You want to get in shape and start training, so you sign up at the gym only to find yourself never getting around to going. To justify your laziness you come up with all sorts of excuses - you feel tired, you’re too busy, you feel out of place, you can’t afford it, you have a headache…
As my personal trainer says, until exercise becomes a lifestyle habit we’ll come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid making a dedicated commitment to improving our bodies. That’s why I love this ad by Nike.
No excuses! Grab that sweat towel and get on the treadmill or get pumping…
10 Golden Rules of Social Media Worth Remembering
Aliza Sherman has put together a great list of “golden rules” of social media. In summary:
- Respect the Spirit of the Internet, which is about communication and networking instead of marketing and selling.
- Listen carefully to the online conversation before speaking.
- Add value to your online conversations.
- Respond in a timely manner to any feedback or queries.
- Prioritise your business’s social responsibility in the same manner you do profit.
- Share what you know and have, be it time, information and knowledge.
- Step out of the spotlight every now and again, and give others praise.
- Don’t spam. Enough said.
- Be authentic instead of being someone or something you’re not.
- Before going at it alone, first see how you can collaborate with those who are out there and doing social media marketing well.
The best advise is that social media is people. Once you understand that, all else fits into place.
Three Miniature Gadgets For Your Pocket
Size does matter and in the world of tech toys smaller, more portable gadgets are the preferred choice. Here are three great finds that I’m putting on my wishlist.
Small on the outside. Big storage on the Inside
Freecom, a German technology company, claims its Mobile Drive XXS is the world’s smallest external 2.5″ hard drive. While it’s small on the outside, the device offers up to 500GB of storage space! It could go down as one of the sexiest ones too; designed by Belgian top designer Sylvain Willenz, the product received an iF Product Design Award this year.
The Mobile Phone goes Mini
Weighing in at only 40.1 grams and measuring a mere 72mm x 37mm x 7.8mm, the Modu is the world’s lightest mobile phone. Don’t believe me? Ask the Guinness World Records. What’s even better is that it’s marketed as a modular phone too meaning that you get to choose the features that best suit your lifestyle with mate devices, which include things like media players, digital photo frames, GPS devices and digital cameras. Yes please!
Take the Bulk out of your Camcorder
Everyone is talking about YouTube but not everyone’s on it. I think that’s about to change thanks to the Flip Mino HD camcorder, dubbed the lightest and possibly smallest HD camcorder around. Weighing only 3.3 ounces, this camcorder comes with built-in memory for up to 60 minutes of high-quality video, a rechargeable lithium ion battery and full editing software for viewing, editing, and one-click emailing and uploading to MySpace, YouTube and other video sites.
I so want one of each…
An Executive Guide to Using Social Media
BusinessWeek have published a great guide on social media that takes a look at the latest social media trends and how companies are and should be using tools such as Facebook and Twitter. The guide has some great interviews, tips and advice - definately a must-read.
View BusinessWeek’s special report to social media here.
Via.
Confessions of an American Idol-holic
I admitted to someone this week that I’m addicted to American Idol. In not so many words she said I should be embarrassed - after all who watches that!?
I do. And I love the show partly because it’s entertaining but also inspiring to watch how people’s lives literarily get changed through the competition.
This year I’ve been glued to the show, and from week to week I’ve consistently been backing - much like most people (I hope) - Adam Lambert. Kris Allen isn’t a bad second but in my opinion no match to the chameleon-like, overly confident Adam who has delivered week on week the best, most electrifying performances that you’d expect only from a professional singer while at the same time has, as Rolling Stone puts it, “single-handedly rescued the franchise”.
Whether he wins or not, personally I think that Lambert is the best contestant American Idols has ever seen. Do you agree? e-online thinks so stating he could be the next Zac Efron or Elvis Presley!
Pink Dot - Supporting the Freedom to Love in Singapore
Two gay rights ads promoting Singapore’s Pink Dot day this Saturday have surfaced on the Web, and they’re moving, eye opening and worth sharing. You don’t have to be gay to appreciate this, and in a country (South Africa) where gay marriage is legal (albeit in my opinion still not widely accepted) we often forget that other countries don’t have it so lucky!
Hopefully this excellent campaign goes a long way to attract awareness and positive change not only in Singapore, where sex between two men carries a two-year jail sentence, but also across the globe where narrow-mindedness sadly still prevails amongst society.
If You’re Addicted To Twitter, Get a Mercedes-Benz
Osocio reminds us that texting while driving kills way too many people. Mercedes-Benz may have found the answer.
Because Colour-Matching iPod Earphones Are a Must
Radius’s TruTune earbuds for the iPod Nano 4G come in nine different colours and are a must for anyone with a sense of style and fashion, right? Riggghht…
Source: CNET
Twitter Trends, Surviving (or not) the Recession, & Why Blogs Still Matter
- Find out what’s trending on Twitter and, most importantly, why. While on the subject of Twitter, learn how to share files on Twitter, when you joined Twitter, and more about 10 business Twitter apps for the enterprise.
- Due to the economic pressures 24/7 Wall Street predicted the twelve major brands that will disappear by the end of next year. I can’t say that I’d mind Crocs disappearing, truth be told. The “dark recession” isn’t however too much of an issue for some of the world’s most powerful luxury brands.
- Two self-help links worth sharing are Azadeh Ensha’s article entitled 10 Ways to Build Traffic to Your Site and The Do’s and Don’ts of Modern Web Design project.
- Lastly, if you think blogs are the future, you’re wrong. There’s so much more to social media that the good old blog. However, they’re still an important part of the online mix and here are six reasons why.
Happy browsing…
Want to be remarkable with clients? Get to your starting point…
Chase Jarvis says it best when he says “…now it’s when the client says she’s happy that I really start to work hard. That’s the starting point.” And you know what, he’s so right! Want to know why?
Anyone with an ounce of experience, dedication and passion can succeed in executing a vision or plan for a client, but few are able to build trustworthy relationships with clients that are not only based on doing what you (we) get paid to do - creative thinking, professional execution, etc. - but also going that extra mile to create something magical, unexpected and hopefully remarkable. It’s about taking what you do and injecting it with the sort of stuff that makes chickens dance, monkeys talk and cows turn into purple.
So, my question to you then is Isn’t it time we all start reinventing our success barometers and start delivering the unexpected?
It’s 2009 & We’re Still Against Same-Sex Marriage
There’s been a lot of controversy about anti-gay marriage statements and support by Carrie Prejean, a Miss USA contestant from California. As you may know, she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage and has subsequently unveiled an ad (below) called “No Offense” in which she stars in, which ultimately tries to scare the public by twisting the truth.
I already said on Twitter that I can’t believe civil rights issues like this are still prevalent amongst society. While I won’t get into the politics of this campaign, I will say that I believe in being unbiased towards mankind, tolerance and love, and equal opportunities. And I thank god for countries like South Africa, Spain, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Sweden who recognize the basic rights that same-sex marriage allows.
In Desmond Tutu’s words, “To penalize someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalized for something which we could do nothing (about) — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.”
Of course, this is an American issue and it’s great to see support for LGBT rights and same-sex marriage appearing amongst the political crowd. Just recently, Steve Schmidt (former campaign advisor to Sen. John McCain) was quoted in saying, “It cannot be argued that marriage between people of the same sex is un American or threatens the rights of others. On the contrary, it seems to me that denying two consenting adults of the same sex the right to form a lawful union that is protected and respected by the state denies them two of the most basic natural rights affirmed in the preamble of our Declaration of Independence — liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, I believe, gives the argument of same sex marriage proponents its moral force.”
What do you think?
Europeans Trust Friends, Acquaintances and Colleagues Most
According to research conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK by InSites Consulting, people consider their friends, acquaintances and colleagues as the most reliable sources of information. Doctors and specialists come second, followed by academics, company employees and financial analysts. Unsurpisingly, celebrities and politicians scored the lowest.
The three most reliable sources of information were the Internet (50%), Television (23%), and Newspapers (13%). In fact, 7 out of 10 Internet users read other people’s comments on websites about products and brands, a trend that has become a leading influencer of people’s purchase decisions.
I put myself personally as one of these users - all my accommodation in Frankfurt and Barcelona for my forthcoming trip was based on other travelers’ reviews and experiences. In fact, even my choice of airlines was a result of other people’s reviews. Like they say, practice what you preach…
Travel Quotes To Inspire Your Wanderlust!
As I type this I’m eagerly anticipating my next overseas trip. I’m leaving to Doha next week, then off to Frankfurt (instead of London due to plan changes) for a few days, before heading to Barcelona. The trip is part business, part pleasure - the two going hand-in-hand if you know how.
This trip comes in handy too. To be honest, this past few weeks has been really busy. And while busy=GOOD, when you’re too engrossed in one too many deadlines, you need a detour from everyday life to breath some fresh air and clear your mind. It’s also great knowing that with the current work, new and exciting work awaits my return thanks to Cosmedia’s client base growing as it is.
I often get asked why I travel as much as I do. My answers usually relate to a deep desire to learn new cultures, stretch my boundaries, and cultivate new relationships, while at the same time being open to new opportunities and appreciating the country I always come back to, South Africa.
I came across some great quotes that explain this with greater clarity. If you’re juggling the decision of whether you should travel or not, I hope the below inspires you to find the means to explore the world.
Travel Quotes To Inspire Your Wanderlust!
“All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own. And if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.” - Samuel Johnson
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” - Rudyard Kipling
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine
“Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That’s not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating.” - Michael Crichton
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure - self-determined, self-motivated, often risky - forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind - and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” - Mark Jenkins
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” - Paul Theroux
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” - Robert Louis Stevenson
“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” - Moorish proverb
“People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.” - Dagobert D. Runes
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” - Freya Stark
“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” - Lin Yutang
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” - James Michener
“Travelling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese
“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do - especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” - William Least Heat Moon
“A traveler without observation is a bird without wings.” - Moslih Eddin Saadi
And my four personal favourites:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain
“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” - Bill Bryson
“Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” - Maya Angelou
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” - Susan Sontag
What are your favourite travel quotes?
Social Media Marketing Up. Gen Y Usage Down. And UK & Spain Highest Social Networking Penetration.
Some interesting research to get your day started:
- 63% of companies plan to increase their social media marketing budgets this year, with social network advertising alone estimated to rise over 17% this year to $2.35 billion! However 39% of companies find it somewhat difficult and 20% find it very difficult to measure social media. It’s really time that marketers start educating themselves not only on what social media is and why it’s important, but also examing the various ways in which they can measure, assess and evaluate their campaigns in relation to their business goals.
- Baby Boomers (individuals born between 1946 and 1964) are the fastest growing demographic of social networking sites whereas interest by Generation Y (those born in 1978 and 1995) users in social networking sites has plateaued. While I’m a strong believer in social media being used across age groups when carefully researched and thought-through, it’s important to note that the Internet and more specifically social media isn’t just about youth. More importantly though is to use the right social media channels for the right audience.
- 74.6% of European internet users aged 15+ visited a social networking site in December 2008, with the UK and Spain having the highest social-networking penetration - good to know since I’m in London and Barcelona in two weeks! In France, Facebook is the most popular social networking site in France and in Germany YouTube tops the charts as the most popular video site.
Non social media specific but interesting nonetheless; searches on search engines for keywords and phrases related to the current econonomic climate have gone up drastically. “Unemployment benefits” and “Unemployment” are two examples, both up by more than 200% in 2008. Another way proving that (a) people are stressed and that (b) search engine activity reflects what’s happening offline.
Have a great day!
