Friday, November 18, 2011
A THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
U.S. President John Kennedy said, The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
BRAIN FOOD THAT HELP YOU CONCENTRATE
Ginseng, Fish, Berries, or Caffeine?
Listen to the buzz about foods and dietary supplements and you'll believe they can do everything from sharpen focus and concentration, to enhance memory, attention span, and brain function.
But do they really work? There's no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. The good news is that you can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain -- if you add "smart" foods and beverages to your diet.
Caffeine Can Make You More Alert
There's no magic bullet to boost IQ or make you smarter -- but certain substances, like caffeine, can energize and help you focus and concentrate. Found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and some medications, caffeine gives you that unmistakable wake-up buzz -- though the effects are short term. And more is often less: Overdo it on caffeine and it can make you jittery and uncomfortable.
•••••••***************************************************************************************************************************
Sugar Can Enhance Alertness
Sugar is your brain's preferred fuel source -- not table sugar, but glucose, which your body metabolizes from the sugars and carbohydrates you eat. That's why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability.
Consume too much, however, and memory can be impaired -- along with the rest of you. Go easy on the sugar so it can enhance memory, without packing on the pounds.
Eat Breakfast to Fuel Your Brain
Tempted to skip breakfast? Studies have found that eating breakfast may improve short-term memory and attention. Students who eat breakfast tend to perform significantly better than those who don’t. Foods at the top of researchers' brain fuel list include high-fiber whole grains, dairy, and fruits. Just don't overeat; researchers also found high-calorie breakfasts appear to hinder concentration.
Fish Really is Brain Food
A protein source associated with a great brain boost is fish -- rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain function and development. These healthy fats have amazing brain power: higher dietary omega 3 fatty acids are linked to lower dementia and stroke risks; slower mental decline; and may play a vital role in enhancing memory, especially as we get older.
For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.
Add a Daily Dose of Nuts and Chocolate
Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. Dark chocolate also has other powerful antioxidant properties. And it contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.
Enjoy up to an ounce a day of nuts and dark chocolate to provide all the benefits you need without excess calories, fat, or sugar.
Add Avocados and Whole Grains
Every organ in the body depends on blood flow, especially the heart and brain. Eating a diet high in whole grains and fruits like avocados can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower bad cholesterol. This reduces your risk of plaque buildup and enhances blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells.
Whole grains, like popcorn and whole wheat, also contribute dietary fiber and vitamin E. Though avocados have fat, it's the good-for-you, monounsaturated fat that contributes to healthy blood flow.
Listen to the buzz about foods and dietary supplements and you'll believe they can do everything from sharpen focus and concentration, to enhance memory, attention span, and brain function.
But do they really work? There's no denying that as we age chronologically, our body ages right along with us. The good news is that you can increase your chances of maintaining a healthy brain -- if you add "smart" foods and beverages to your diet.
Caffeine Can Make You More Alert
There's no magic bullet to boost IQ or make you smarter -- but certain substances, like caffeine, can energize and help you focus and concentrate. Found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, and some medications, caffeine gives you that unmistakable wake-up buzz -- though the effects are short term. And more is often less: Overdo it on caffeine and it can make you jittery and uncomfortable.
•••••••***************************************************************************************************************************
Sugar Can Enhance Alertness
Sugar is your brain's preferred fuel source -- not table sugar, but glucose, which your body metabolizes from the sugars and carbohydrates you eat. That's why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and mental ability.
Consume too much, however, and memory can be impaired -- along with the rest of you. Go easy on the sugar so it can enhance memory, without packing on the pounds.
Eat Breakfast to Fuel Your Brain
Tempted to skip breakfast? Studies have found that eating breakfast may improve short-term memory and attention. Students who eat breakfast tend to perform significantly better than those who don’t. Foods at the top of researchers' brain fuel list include high-fiber whole grains, dairy, and fruits. Just don't overeat; researchers also found high-calorie breakfasts appear to hinder concentration.
Fish Really is Brain Food
A protein source associated with a great brain boost is fish -- rich in omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain function and development. These healthy fats have amazing brain power: higher dietary omega 3 fatty acids are linked to lower dementia and stroke risks; slower mental decline; and may play a vital role in enhancing memory, especially as we get older.
For brain and heart health, eat two servings of fish weekly.
Add a Daily Dose of Nuts and Chocolate
Nuts and seeds are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age. Dark chocolate also has other powerful antioxidant properties. And it contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.
Enjoy up to an ounce a day of nuts and dark chocolate to provide all the benefits you need without excess calories, fat, or sugar.
Add Avocados and Whole Grains
Every organ in the body depends on blood flow, especially the heart and brain. Eating a diet high in whole grains and fruits like avocados can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower bad cholesterol. This reduces your risk of plaque buildup and enhances blood flow, offering a simple, tasty way to fire up brain cells.
Whole grains, like popcorn and whole wheat, also contribute dietary fiber and vitamin E. Though avocados have fat, it's the good-for-you, monounsaturated fat that contributes to healthy blood flow.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
GREGOR MENDEL
Un monje austriaco desarrolló en 1865 los principios fundamentales de lo que hoy conocemos como “genética”. Gregor Mendel demostró que las características heredables son aportadas mediante unidades discretas que se heredan por separado. Estas unidades discretas, que Mendel llamó “elemente”, se conocen hoy como genes.
Términos como “gen”, “clon” o “ADN” nos son completamente familiares. A diario vemos noticias sobre estos temas, y damos por sentado que se tratan de ciencias nacidas en los últimos años. Pero no siempre es verdad. El verdadero padre de la revolución que representa la genética y que de alguna manera ha hecho posible la clonación de animales (y, según algunos, inclusive de humanos), nació en el 22 de julio de 1822 en un pueblo de la actual República Checa.
Hijo de un veterano de las guerras napoleónicas y la hija de un jardinero, vivió una infancia marcada por la pobreza. En 1843 ingresó en un monasterio agustino de Königskloster, donde fue ordenado sacerdote en 1847. Más tarde se trasladó a la Universidad de Viena para seguir una carrera docente. En 1851 el sacerdote conseguía el titulo de Doctor en Matemáticas y Ciencias, gracias a lo cual, tres años mas tarde se convertiría en profesor suplente de la Real Escuela de Brünn.
Gregor Mendel siempre fue muy observador. A pesar de su formación religiosa, el científico que había en el reparaba en detalles que a sus pares a menudo se le pasaban por alto. Gran amante de la naturaleza, gustaba de dar largas caminatas por los alrededores del monasterio. Quizás todos estos factores hicieran inevitables que comenzase a notar sutiles variaciones en las plantas que veía en sus derroteros.
Fue así como en uno de sus paseos se encontró una variedad extraña de una planta ornamental que era muy común por aquellos lugares. Mendel no pudo más que preguntarse como era posible que esa planta hubiese obtenido esas características irregulares. Sin dudarlo, Gregor tomó esa planta anómala y la llevo consigo, para plantarla al lado de un ejemplar de la variedad normal. Sin saberlo, este pequeño experimento que llevaba a cabo en 1856 seria el que despertaría en el su gran capacidad de investigador.
En esa época ya se sabía que para obtener una nueva planta la flor de una debía ser polinizada con el polen de otra. Por supuesto, nadie había estudiado en profundidad las implicaciones de este mecanismo. Gregor dedicó los cinco años siguientes a la botánica. Mantuvo un pequeño jardín en monasterio, en el que tenia una gran variedad de plantas fertilizadas artificialmente. De forma rutinaria cruzaba una con otras, e iba anotando los resultados de sus experimentos. La primera fase de su análisis consistió en la obtención, mediante cultivos convencionales previos, de líneas puras de cada planta. Esto le proporciono una gran variedad de semillas para experimentar.
Luego, de manera metódica, cruzó estas estirpes de dos en dos, mediante la técnica de polinización artificial. De este modo le era posible combinar variedades diferentes de una misma planta, que presentaban distintas y muy precisas características entre sí. Algunas variedades tenían semillas lisas, otras arrugadas; o bien presentaban flores blancas unas y flores coloreadas las otras. Mendel quería comprender que ocurría al cruzar una con otra.
Sus trabajos en el jardín le permitieron a Mendel enunciar sus famosas tres leyes de la herencia, también conocidas como “leyes de Mendel”. Básicamente, Gregor descubrió que, mediante el cruzamiento de razas que difieren en al menos dos caracteres, se pueden crear nuevas razas estables. Sus trabajos fueron la base de todos los descubrimientos efectuados sobre los mecanismos de la herencia.
Las tres leyes de Mendel
Las conclusiones obtenidas por Mendel luego de años de trabajos en su jardín y de miles de cruzas realizadas, pueden resumirse en sus tres leyes:
La primera ley, también llamada "Ley de la uniformidad de los híbridos de la primera generación", enuncia que “cuando se cruzan dos individuos de idéntica especie correspondientes a dos líneas puras y que difieren en el aspecto que presenta un mismo carácter, los descendientes muestran una homogeneidad en la característica estudiada y todos heredan el carácter de uno de los progenitores (llamado “factor dominante”), mientras que el del otro parece haberse perdido, o bien, presentan un rasgo intermedio entre los dos de los padres.”. En el último caso, se dice que hay “codominancia”.
La segunda ley, conocida como "Ley de la separación o disyunción de los alelos", nos dice que los factores hereditarios (mas tarde llamados genes) constituyen unidades independientes, que se transfieren de una generación a otra sin sufrir modificación alguna. Al cruzar entre sí los descendientes obtenidos de la reproducción de dos líneas puras, se observa que el carácter recesivo (el que no se manifiesta), transmitido por uno de los progenitores, se hace patente en la segunda generación filial en la proporción de ¼. Esto implica que el carácter dominante se da en las 3/4 partes de los descendientes. Cada pareja de genes que determinan el carácter estudiado y que se hallan presentes en un determinado individuo se separan y al formarse las células reproductoras se combinan al azar.
La tercera ley, llamada "Ley de la independencia de los caracteres no antagónicos", afirma que cada carácter es heredado con total independencia de los restantes caracteres. Mendel debió cruzó plantas que diferían en dos caracteres (dihíbridos) y cuyo genotipo era, por ejemplo, AaBb para llegar a esta conclusión. Al formarse las células reproductoras, se originan cuatro tipos distintos (AB, Ab, aB y ab), que se combinarán de todas formas posibles con los mismos tipos del otro individuo. En total se obtienen 16 genotipos posibles.
Como suele ocurrir en estos casos, los trabajos de Mendel estaban años por delante de los de sus colegas. De hecho, la mayoría de los científicos de la época no se habían siquiera planteado las preguntas que se hizo Mendel durante sus paseos por el monasterio. Como consecuencia de ello, y a pesar de haber demostrado con pruebas concretas la real de la existencia de genes ya en 1866 (año en que publicó sus resultados en las memorias de la Sociedad de naturalistas de Brünn, con el título “Ensayos sobre los híbridos vegetales”), no trabajo fue reconocido durante su vida.
En 1900, el trabajo de Mendel fue duplicado por tres científicos (Hugo de Vries, Karl Erich Correns y Erich Tschermack), 26 años después de la muerte de Gregor Mendel. La comunidad científica comenzó a interesarse en los mecanismos de transmisión de características genéticas, y poco a poco comenzó a nacer una ciencia que, en la actualidad, seria capaz de obtener duplicados exactos de seres vivos, mediante procedimientos de clonación.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE READ IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED IN LIFE
Double Your Personal Power by Mastering One Simple Strategy I've Used to Make a Fortune
By Michael Masterson
In any organization, power moves inexorably to those who speak well.
By well, I don't mean eloquently. I mean persuasively. There is an art and a skill to persuading people to accept your ideas. In today's essay I will tell you about the simple, four-part strategy that I use.
It is a strategy that is responsible for a great deal of the success I've had in business. It can be used online, on the phone, and in person. And you'll be able to use it as soon as you finish reading this.
But before I reveal my technique I'd like to persuade you that speaking well is indeed a very powerful success tool. Because if you have any doubt, you won't put my trick to work, will you?
Think about some of the most powerful people in the world. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett, to name a few.
What do these people have in common? Intelligence? Yes, but there are plenty of intelligent people who don't have power and who aren't successful. Our universities are filled with them. No, intelligence is not it.
What these three people share is the ability to speak well and persuasively.
Oprah Winfrey is a master speaker. Her secret to becoming the world's most powerful woman (and there is no doubt that she is - even more powerful than Hillary Clinton, another great speaker) is that she found a way to make millions of people believe she cares about them.
Bill Gates became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the history of America not by being a computer genius (he isn't) but by knowing how to convince a select group of people that he could deliver a system that could change the world.
And Warren Buffett? His persuasion skills have been a huge part of his success.
"Speaking well is... the number one reason for career advancement," Virginia Avery asserts in The Power of Your Speech. "Every time you meet with a client or make a presentation, your image is affected - for better or worse."
Woodrow Wilson, Avery points out, began his career as a reserved political science professor with a stilted speaking style. When he decided to go into politics, he set about becoming a skillful orator. And when he delivered his inaugural address as the 28th President of the United States, it was said that "not since Lincoln has there been a president so wonderfully gifted in the art of expression."
Lincoln's prowess as a speaker is beautifully illustrated by a story told by Peggy Noonan in On Speaking Well.
"When the famed orator Edward Everett spoke before Lincoln at Gettysburg, he went on for more than two hours and pulled out all the stops with poetry and pleading and stentorian phrases. Then Lincoln got up and offered a masterpiece of compression, two or three minutes on the meaning of war and the meaning of the day... With great grace [Everett] wrote Lincoln, 'I shall be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.'"
Persuasive speaking skills helped most of America's most influential presidents "get their most cherished programs through Congress and leave their stamp on the future," wrote Michael Kazin in The Washington Post. Every modern president "who left office with his popularity intact" - from Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan - said Kazin, was a masterful speaker.
"If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence and I had my choice of keeping but one," Daniel Webster once said, "I would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the power of speaking, for through it I would quickly recover all the rest."
Although I consider myself a writer first and foremost, my skill at speaking has been responsible for most of my most important accomplishments.
Saying the right thing got me a 25% share in the first information product I created. That stake in the business made me a millionaire in less than two years.
Speaking well landed me additional partnership deals in the years following that first one. As a result, my share of the business grew to include one-third of a group whose yearly revenues exceeded $135 million.
Less than two years after I "retired" at 39, I talked my way into a high-paid gig that has generated a substantial seven-figure income ever since.
Speaking persuasively continues to help me form partnerships and make alliances that are both pleasurable and profitable.
So... have I convinced you that being able to communicate persuasively is a critically important success skill?
Then my next question to you is this: What are you doing about becoming a more persuasive speaker? What steps are you taking right now? Are you reading books on speaking? Are you taking courses? Are you thinking carefully about how you communicate with your colleagues, your clients, and your boss?
How would they rate you as a persuasive speaker? If the answer is anything other than "great," you have work to do!
And don't tell me you "don't have enough time." Stephen Covey poked holes in that argument in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
In the rush to get everything done that we are given to do every day, said Covey, we tend to take care of the urgent tasks first and push off the non-urgent ones. Yet, it is the important-but-not-urgent tasks - like those that help you improve your speaking skills - that will make the greatest long-term difference in your life. So you have to make them a priority. And once you make them a priority, they will get done.
It is impossible to overestimate the value of speaking well. Whether you are negotiating a lease on a car, presenting an idea at a business meeting, having a conversation with a powerful person you've just been introduced to - what you say and how you say it matters.
So let's begin your mastery of speaking with the simple four-part strategy I talked about at the beginning of this essay. As I said, you can put this strategy to work immediately. And you will notice the difference as soon as you start.
Persuasive speaking has four parts: knowing what you want, understanding what the other person wants, understanding the possible objections, and then presenting your case as simply as possible.
Step One: Figure out what you want.
Let's say you've been invited to take part in a business meeting... or perhaps you're gearing up to have an important conversation with a family member. Spend some time beforehand thinking about the topic you will be discussing. Figure out how you can benefit from it. Set a specific, measurable goal for yourself. Then figure out how you can achieve that goal.
This may seem like an unnecessary step. You might be thinking, "I don't need to think about what I want. I am always aware of it."
In fact, most people don't know what they want. They have some general impressions of what being successful means. But they don't analyze those impressions. They don't break them down. They don't understand how to achieve them strategically.
Step Two: Figure out what the other person wants.
Contrary to what some self-improvement gurus will tell you, you won't get what you want in life simply by asking for it.
Everybody is ultimately motivated by self-interest. Achieving your specific goals, therefore, is a matter of figuring out how you can satisfy the desires of others.
If, for example, your goal for that business meeting you've been invited to is to be nominated to head up an upcoming project, plan for it by making a mental list of how your nomination will help each person attending the meeting. Figure out how, in leading the project, you can provide that.
Most important, think about how you can direct the project so that it will achieve growth and profitability for the company. Spend some time formulating the phrases you will use to drive that point home.
By putting the company first, you will enlist the respect and support of just about everyone. You will establish yourself as a natural leader. And then, when you explain how the project will benefit each person individually, you will see how quickly they line up to support you.
Step Three: Take time to consider the objections.
After figuring out how you can achieve your goal by providing benefits to others, make a list of the objections you might encounter.
Good copywriters do this when they write a promotional package. Good public speakers do this before giving a speech. You should do it too before making any informal presentation.
Of course, it's not enough to list potential objections. You must craft concise arguments that will overcome those objections. You must show your listeners that you are sympathetic to their concerns and that you have a plan to deal with them.
Break the objections down into their component parts. Analyze those parts. Discover their weaknesses or find ways to minimize them. Base your thinking on research, if you have time to do it. But also think about your past experience. Remember that your ultimate objective is to find solutions that are good not just for you but for the people you're speaking to.
Step Four: Keep it simple.
After you have taken these first three steps, you will be very excited to present your case. But then you will start coming up with all sorts of extra ideas. All sorts of secondary benefits and arguments that might be useful if you were writing a long paper, but which will only hamper your effectiveness if you include them in your oral presentation.
So before you make your pitch, make a conscious decision NOT to mention these secondary considerations. Just focus on the main idea and the primary benefits. And state them as clearly and compellingly as you can.
Ready, Fire, Aim
Most of us, most of the time, speak impulsively. We are stimulated by some event or remark and utter the first thing that pops into our heads. We don't stop to consider the effect our statement will have on those to whom we are speaking. Neither do we consider how our words will affect us. Yet they surely do.
"Words are all we have," Samuel Beckett said. And this is often true.
You can't force your colleagues to listen to your ideas. You can't force your boss to give you a raise or a promotion. You can't force your spouse to agree with everything you say. But if you follow these four simple steps before you speak, you will be amazed at the persuasive power you will have.
[Ed. Note: This essay is based on a chapter from The Pledge: Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life. You can read the rest of Michael Masterson's latest book here.]
By Michael Masterson
In any organization, power moves inexorably to those who speak well.
By well, I don't mean eloquently. I mean persuasively. There is an art and a skill to persuading people to accept your ideas. In today's essay I will tell you about the simple, four-part strategy that I use.
It is a strategy that is responsible for a great deal of the success I've had in business. It can be used online, on the phone, and in person. And you'll be able to use it as soon as you finish reading this.
But before I reveal my technique I'd like to persuade you that speaking well is indeed a very powerful success tool. Because if you have any doubt, you won't put my trick to work, will you?
Think about some of the most powerful people in the world. Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffett, to name a few.
What do these people have in common? Intelligence? Yes, but there are plenty of intelligent people who don't have power and who aren't successful. Our universities are filled with them. No, intelligence is not it.
What these three people share is the ability to speak well and persuasively.
Oprah Winfrey is a master speaker. Her secret to becoming the world's most powerful woman (and there is no doubt that she is - even more powerful than Hillary Clinton, another great speaker) is that she found a way to make millions of people believe she cares about them.
Bill Gates became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the history of America not by being a computer genius (he isn't) but by knowing how to convince a select group of people that he could deliver a system that could change the world.
And Warren Buffett? His persuasion skills have been a huge part of his success.
"Speaking well is... the number one reason for career advancement," Virginia Avery asserts in The Power of Your Speech. "Every time you meet with a client or make a presentation, your image is affected - for better or worse."
Woodrow Wilson, Avery points out, began his career as a reserved political science professor with a stilted speaking style. When he decided to go into politics, he set about becoming a skillful orator. And when he delivered his inaugural address as the 28th President of the United States, it was said that "not since Lincoln has there been a president so wonderfully gifted in the art of expression."
Lincoln's prowess as a speaker is beautifully illustrated by a story told by Peggy Noonan in On Speaking Well.
"When the famed orator Edward Everett spoke before Lincoln at Gettysburg, he went on for more than two hours and pulled out all the stops with poetry and pleading and stentorian phrases. Then Lincoln got up and offered a masterpiece of compression, two or three minutes on the meaning of war and the meaning of the day... With great grace [Everett] wrote Lincoln, 'I shall be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.'"
Persuasive speaking skills helped most of America's most influential presidents "get their most cherished programs through Congress and leave their stamp on the future," wrote Michael Kazin in The Washington Post. Every modern president "who left office with his popularity intact" - from Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan - said Kazin, was a masterful speaker.
"If all my talents and powers were to be taken from me by some inscrutable Providence and I had my choice of keeping but one," Daniel Webster once said, "I would unhesitatingly ask to be allowed to keep the power of speaking, for through it I would quickly recover all the rest."
Although I consider myself a writer first and foremost, my skill at speaking has been responsible for most of my most important accomplishments.
Saying the right thing got me a 25% share in the first information product I created. That stake in the business made me a millionaire in less than two years.
Speaking well landed me additional partnership deals in the years following that first one. As a result, my share of the business grew to include one-third of a group whose yearly revenues exceeded $135 million.
Less than two years after I "retired" at 39, I talked my way into a high-paid gig that has generated a substantial seven-figure income ever since.
Speaking persuasively continues to help me form partnerships and make alliances that are both pleasurable and profitable.
So... have I convinced you that being able to communicate persuasively is a critically important success skill?
Then my next question to you is this: What are you doing about becoming a more persuasive speaker? What steps are you taking right now? Are you reading books on speaking? Are you taking courses? Are you thinking carefully about how you communicate with your colleagues, your clients, and your boss?
How would they rate you as a persuasive speaker? If the answer is anything other than "great," you have work to do!
And don't tell me you "don't have enough time." Stephen Covey poked holes in that argument in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
In the rush to get everything done that we are given to do every day, said Covey, we tend to take care of the urgent tasks first and push off the non-urgent ones. Yet, it is the important-but-not-urgent tasks - like those that help you improve your speaking skills - that will make the greatest long-term difference in your life. So you have to make them a priority. And once you make them a priority, they will get done.
It is impossible to overestimate the value of speaking well. Whether you are negotiating a lease on a car, presenting an idea at a business meeting, having a conversation with a powerful person you've just been introduced to - what you say and how you say it matters.
So let's begin your mastery of speaking with the simple four-part strategy I talked about at the beginning of this essay. As I said, you can put this strategy to work immediately. And you will notice the difference as soon as you start.
Persuasive speaking has four parts: knowing what you want, understanding what the other person wants, understanding the possible objections, and then presenting your case as simply as possible.
Step One: Figure out what you want.
Let's say you've been invited to take part in a business meeting... or perhaps you're gearing up to have an important conversation with a family member. Spend some time beforehand thinking about the topic you will be discussing. Figure out how you can benefit from it. Set a specific, measurable goal for yourself. Then figure out how you can achieve that goal.
This may seem like an unnecessary step. You might be thinking, "I don't need to think about what I want. I am always aware of it."
In fact, most people don't know what they want. They have some general impressions of what being successful means. But they don't analyze those impressions. They don't break them down. They don't understand how to achieve them strategically.
Step Two: Figure out what the other person wants.
Contrary to what some self-improvement gurus will tell you, you won't get what you want in life simply by asking for it.
Everybody is ultimately motivated by self-interest. Achieving your specific goals, therefore, is a matter of figuring out how you can satisfy the desires of others.
If, for example, your goal for that business meeting you've been invited to is to be nominated to head up an upcoming project, plan for it by making a mental list of how your nomination will help each person attending the meeting. Figure out how, in leading the project, you can provide that.
Most important, think about how you can direct the project so that it will achieve growth and profitability for the company. Spend some time formulating the phrases you will use to drive that point home.
By putting the company first, you will enlist the respect and support of just about everyone. You will establish yourself as a natural leader. And then, when you explain how the project will benefit each person individually, you will see how quickly they line up to support you.
Step Three: Take time to consider the objections.
After figuring out how you can achieve your goal by providing benefits to others, make a list of the objections you might encounter.
Good copywriters do this when they write a promotional package. Good public speakers do this before giving a speech. You should do it too before making any informal presentation.
Of course, it's not enough to list potential objections. You must craft concise arguments that will overcome those objections. You must show your listeners that you are sympathetic to their concerns and that you have a plan to deal with them.
Break the objections down into their component parts. Analyze those parts. Discover their weaknesses or find ways to minimize them. Base your thinking on research, if you have time to do it. But also think about your past experience. Remember that your ultimate objective is to find solutions that are good not just for you but for the people you're speaking to.
Step Four: Keep it simple.
After you have taken these first three steps, you will be very excited to present your case. But then you will start coming up with all sorts of extra ideas. All sorts of secondary benefits and arguments that might be useful if you were writing a long paper, but which will only hamper your effectiveness if you include them in your oral presentation.
So before you make your pitch, make a conscious decision NOT to mention these secondary considerations. Just focus on the main idea and the primary benefits. And state them as clearly and compellingly as you can.
Ready, Fire, Aim
Most of us, most of the time, speak impulsively. We are stimulated by some event or remark and utter the first thing that pops into our heads. We don't stop to consider the effect our statement will have on those to whom we are speaking. Neither do we consider how our words will affect us. Yet they surely do.
"Words are all we have," Samuel Beckett said. And this is often true.
You can't force your colleagues to listen to your ideas. You can't force your boss to give you a raise or a promotion. You can't force your spouse to agree with everything you say. But if you follow these four simple steps before you speak, you will be amazed at the persuasive power you will have.
[Ed. Note: This essay is based on a chapter from The Pledge: Your Master Plan for an Abundant Life. You can read the rest of Michael Masterson's latest book here.]
Saturday, March 12, 2011
ONE MONTH FUEL PRICES BREAK
The 2011-2012 Budget was presented in the House of Representatives this morning. It is called Celebrating Growth, Sustaining Recovery and is to come online on April first. Before we get into the full figures, there’s a projected deficit, an increase in recurrent expenditure due to the wage bill and a slight increase in revenue and grants. But a few bright spots: as promised there will be no new taxes; taxes will be removed from kerosene and for good measure, the PM announced that an expected price hike in the price of fuel tonight, will be held-off. The flip side is that it is only a one time deal and prices will continue to go up thereafter.
Dean Barrow
“For effective this very day, we will signed into a law a statutory instrument that will zero rate the GST on gasoline, illuminating kerosene and diesel. In its place, we will increase the import duty on gasoline and diesel at a fixed specific rate amount. This amount will not be equivalent to what the GST take is currently—at over one hundred U.S. dollars per barrel, but it will be equivalent to what the GST take was when the world oil prices were in the U.S. eighty-five dollar per barrel range. In effect Mister Speaker, the Government will no longer gain, however slightly, from any rise in international oil prices. To repeat, we are in fact, rolling back the effective tax a little by import duty substitution at a rate equivalent to the GST position that existed in the idle of last year as oppose to the higher GST position that obtains now. But we go further, Mister Speaker, for we will not applied the makeup import duty to illuminating kerosene. This is mainly used by the poor and is currently import duty free. So we will now remove the GST from kerosene and replace it with nothing. There is a shipment of fuel due today and the pump prices were to increase by about a dollar twenty Belize per gallon for gasoline and a dollar Belize for kerosene and diesel. What government will do is, as I indicated, remove the GST, but for this shipment alone, we will not impose the substitute import duty. We will therefore make a huge revenue sacrifice. But I must caution, Mister Speaker, that this is a one time only gesture. When the next shipment after this arrives, around the end of March, it will have to be subject to the new import duty in lieu of GST. Because of what we’re doing and not imposing the GST or the substitute import duty, instead what will happen with the shipment coming in tonight, the price will go down to ten-thirty-nine for premium, ten-thirteen for regular, eight-thirty-six for kerosene and nine-sixty-one for diesel.”
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
John Briceño
“What he did skillfully, politically, is that he talked about not increasing the cost of fuel that would have gone up by about a dollar and twenty cents; but for one month. Obviously he is trying to remove that whole anger form the Belizean people with his budget—trying to find a way to ease that just for two weeks because as we all know shipments come in every two weeks. And he has already admitted that the price of fuel is going to go up in the next shipment that is going to come in.”
Barrow says that the government’s loss on the shipment of fuel is one million dollars.
Dean Barrow
“For effective this very day, we will signed into a law a statutory instrument that will zero rate the GST on gasoline, illuminating kerosene and diesel. In its place, we will increase the import duty on gasoline and diesel at a fixed specific rate amount. This amount will not be equivalent to what the GST take is currently—at over one hundred U.S. dollars per barrel, but it will be equivalent to what the GST take was when the world oil prices were in the U.S. eighty-five dollar per barrel range. In effect Mister Speaker, the Government will no longer gain, however slightly, from any rise in international oil prices. To repeat, we are in fact, rolling back the effective tax a little by import duty substitution at a rate equivalent to the GST position that existed in the idle of last year as oppose to the higher GST position that obtains now. But we go further, Mister Speaker, for we will not applied the makeup import duty to illuminating kerosene. This is mainly used by the poor and is currently import duty free. So we will now remove the GST from kerosene and replace it with nothing. There is a shipment of fuel due today and the pump prices were to increase by about a dollar twenty Belize per gallon for gasoline and a dollar Belize for kerosene and diesel. What government will do is, as I indicated, remove the GST, but for this shipment alone, we will not impose the substitute import duty. We will therefore make a huge revenue sacrifice. But I must caution, Mister Speaker, that this is a one time only gesture. When the next shipment after this arrives, around the end of March, it will have to be subject to the new import duty in lieu of GST. Because of what we’re doing and not imposing the GST or the substitute import duty, instead what will happen with the shipment coming in tonight, the price will go down to ten-thirty-nine for premium, ten-thirteen for regular, eight-thirty-six for kerosene and nine-sixty-one for diesel.”
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
John Briceño
“What he did skillfully, politically, is that he talked about not increasing the cost of fuel that would have gone up by about a dollar and twenty cents; but for one month. Obviously he is trying to remove that whole anger form the Belizean people with his budget—trying to find a way to ease that just for two weeks because as we all know shipments come in every two weeks. And he has already admitted that the price of fuel is going to go up in the next shipment that is going to come in.”
Barrow says that the government’s loss on the shipment of fuel is one million dollars.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S DAY
International Women's Day has been observed since in the early 1900's, a time of great expansion and turbulence in the industrialized world that saw booming population growth and the rise of radical ideologies.
1908
Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.
1910
n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.
1911
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.
1913-1914
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.
1917
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.
1918 - 1999
Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.
2000 and beyond
IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.
However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.
So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
1908
Great unrest and critical debate was occurring amongst women. Women's oppression and inequality was spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. Then in 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter hours, better pay and voting rights.
1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman's Day (NWD) was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate NWD on the last Sunday of February until 1913.
1910
n 1910 a second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. A woman named a Clara Zetkin (Leader of the 'Women's Office' for the Social Democratic Party in Germany) tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day - a Women's Day - to press for their demands. The conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, representing unions, socialist parties, working women's clubs, and including the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament, greeted Zetkin's suggestion with unanimous approval and thus International Women's Day was the result.
1911
Following the decision agreed at Copenhagen in 1911, International Women's Day (IWD) was honoured the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. However less than a week later on 25 March, the tragic 'Triangle Fire' in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working women, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This disastrous event drew significant attention to working conditions and labour legislation in the United States that became a focus of subsequent International Women's Day events. 1911 also saw women's 'Bread and Roses' campaign.
1913-1914
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women observed their first International Women's Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1913 following discussions, International Women's Day was transferred to 8 March and this day has remained the global date for International Wommen's Day ever since. In 1914 further women across Europe held rallies to campaign against the war and to express women's solidarity.
1917
On the last Sunday of February, Russian women began a strike for "bread and peace" in response to the death over 2 million Russian soldiers in war. Opposed by political leaders the women continued to strike until four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. The date the women's strike commenced was Sunday 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia. This day on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere was 8 March.
1918 - 1999
Since its birth in the socialist movement, International Women's Day has grown to become a global day of recognition and celebration across developed and developing countries alike. For decades, IWD has grown from strength to strength annually. For many years the United Nations has held an annual IWD conference to coordinate international efforts for women's rights and participation in social, political and economic processes. 1975 was designated as 'International Women's Year' by the United Nations. Women's organisations and governments around the world have also observed IWD annually on 8 March by holding large-scale events that honour women's advancement and while diligently reminding of the continued vigilance and action required to ensure that women's equality is gained and maintained in all aspects of life.
2000 and beyond
IWD is now an official holiday in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal (for women only), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia. The tradition sees men honouring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts. In some countries IWD has the equivalent status of Mother's Day where children give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.
The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.
However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives.
Annually on 8 March, thousands of events are held throughout the world to inspire women and celebrate achievements. A global web of rich and diverse local activity connects women from all around the world ranging from political rallies, business conferences, government activities and networking events through to local women's craft markets, theatric performances, fashion parades and more.
Many global corporations have also started to more actively support IWD by running their own internal events and through supporting external ones. For example, on 8 March search engine and media giant Google some years even changes its logo on its global search pages. Year on year IWD is certainly increasing in status. The United States even designates the whole month of March as 'Women's History Month'.
So make a difference, think globally and act locally !! Make everyday International Women's Day. Do your bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED?
Why do we have to study? Why do we need good grades? Why are assignments necessary? Why must we have quiz and tests?
Life is the biggest school there is and sooner or later YOU will be faced to deal with it alone with a family of your own and a life in which you decide what is good or bad, and right or wrong. That is the day that the schooling you receive in classrooms and in your early everyday lives prepares you for. It is a step on that great path to becoming an indivdual who is independent and free. Free to make choices and free to make mistakes. Free to mess up and free to succeed. SO UNTIL THAT DAY ARRIVES YOU HAVE TO STUDY, YOU HAVE TO AIM FOR GOOD GRADES, YOU HAVE TO DO ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES AND TESTS. IT IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES AND YOU CAN DO IT!
SO, JUST SAY, I CAN!
YO PUEDO!
IT IS ALL POSSIBLE AND IT IS ALL GOING TO HAPPEN.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
Life is the biggest school there is and sooner or later YOU will be faced to deal with it alone with a family of your own and a life in which you decide what is good or bad, and right or wrong. That is the day that the schooling you receive in classrooms and in your early everyday lives prepares you for. It is a step on that great path to becoming an indivdual who is independent and free. Free to make choices and free to make mistakes. Free to mess up and free to succeed. SO UNTIL THAT DAY ARRIVES YOU HAVE TO STUDY, YOU HAVE TO AIM FOR GOOD GRADES, YOU HAVE TO DO ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES AND TESTS. IT IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES AND YOU CAN DO IT!
SO, JUST SAY, I CAN!
YO PUEDO!
IT IS ALL POSSIBLE AND IT IS ALL GOING TO HAPPEN.
HAVE A GREAT DAY!
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