Category Archives: Featured

Apr22

Dealing with ‘Cyclonic’ Stress – Keeping a Focused Eye! (Part I)

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Dealing with ‘Cyclonic’ Stress – Keeping a Focused Eye! (Part I)
Dealing with ‘Cyclonic’ Stress – Keeping a Focused Eye! (Part I)

I clearly recall a period of time back in my uni days where my life commitments look something like this:

1. Studying full time pharmacy

2. Holding part-time job for experience and spending money

3. Committed to a team in the race towards gold in a business plan competition

4. Participating regularly in a business mentoring program outside uni

5. Volunteering in regular Busines-skills short courses provided by our faculty

Juggling  these commitments was a challenge I wanted to see myself overcome…you know, to see if you can handle it all. I was curious. But it wasn’t long till the ‘juggling’ became ‘struggling’ and a whirlwind of deadlines, meetings and time constraints came tumbling my way. Anxiety levels amplified 100 times, my mind went into a jittery frenzy, body enters fight-and-flight mode…and I was TRYING TO FOCUS but before you know it – I felt completely overwhelmed, under-resourced and have everything going on EXCEPT THE FOCUS I SO MUCH NEEDED!

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I’ve had several of these experiences in the past and like the true definition of an IDIOT – I often repeated the same errors in dealing with it and just somehow magically hoped that better results would happen the 2nd or 3rd time round! haha But in truth, it wasn’t because I wasn’t capable. Within the context of everything that occurred, I did not develop sound ways to deal with these times of cyclonic stress. Time management was part of the issue. However, underlying that, it was a TIME EFFICIENCY issue. Alot of energy was uncontrollably spent worrying, justifying, blaming (others and myself) in an endless cyclic battle, which simply brought my activity levels right down to ZERO. There were 2 key things that were lacking in my life up until that point:

  • Sustaining FOCUSED THOUGHT and therefore FOCUSED ACTIVITY

I thought I had good focus because I could literally sit at a desk for hours on end ‘studying’ a material. Haha. Not. The adult mind has an average attention span of less than 15 minutes and I didn’t want to admit to that so I stubbornly held on. Until I started practicing Taichi, I had NO IDEA just how short my attention span really was. And in those cyclonic stress periods? Attention span and concentration pretty much was NIL.

  • Had no control over my emotions since being too caught up IN them

The more I dwelled, blamed, justified the more negatively productive I became. Ie. I became more productive in areas of procrastination and inactivity , which resulted in bitter disappointment and frustration.

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Fortunately, those times were imprinted in my life for the very purpose of becoming a more self-sustained individual. EVENTUALLY, I did learn several mechanisms to deal with these times – which I will share in the next post. These mechanisms are lessons more valuable than anything because it is part and parcel of paving our way to the success and happiness we all deserve.  Meanwhile, drop in your stories. I’ll be back with Part II in a bit. =)

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Yours in Happiness,

Apr16

Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART II)

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Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART II)
Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART II)

We’ll begin where we left off from “Ripples of Influence – Part I” – about being SLAPPED awake by a mentor =)….

These may be sort of like what is described by some as those ‘penny-dropping’, ‘a-ha’ moments when your perception of something completely shifts, often by some subtle distinction which you have always known intuitively, but have never been able to see through or delve beneath why it is so.

When was the last time somebody or something had THAT LEVEL OF IMPACT on you? So much so you always hold that experience as a measuring stick for subsequent experiences and decisions? It is THIS kind of  influence that will deem to be the most sustainable in the long-run. It is the self-perpetuating kind that can set people free without YOU being there. So in an ironic way, the truest form of influence we can have on others is that they eventually become independent of you, not dependents or co-dependents.

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But here’s the next question – who would we have to BECOME first in order to be truly influential? I’ll repeat:

WHO WOULD WE HAVE TO BECOME FIRST IN ORDER TO HAVE TRUE INFLUENCE ON OTHERS?

Ever noticed how consistent true leaders and entrepreneurs are? It’s like everything thing about their being – every cell in their body, mind and spirit are aligned so that every time they are called to deliver, they will. Without fail – to the right amount and to the right degree….and often in ways that escapes your notice until you look back after some time. And by then, it’s a sure sign that you’ve grown! One thing is for sure, their influence is no accident. It is a  consistently conscious and proactive effort.

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HERE’S A SIMPLE TIP:

Learn to THINK like your mentor in entrepreneurship and you will ultimately BECOME that person who will truly impact others in ways you probably didn’t think you could!

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Try this little challenge as a place to begin or as an experiment…Make a positive affirmation the last thing before you sleep or first thing you wake up. Even better, say it out loud! One of mine was: “Enjoy the ride! Take a lighter, more humorous approach to things today.”


Yours in Success & True Influence,

Jane

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PS. AN IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: Only do this with the best intention of wanting growth, nothing else. It may seem like simple fluff-talk but it is makes THE significant difference if you treat it so. Otherwise, it is just wasting time. The quality of your thoughts and attitudes for even this little exercise will determine the quality of the outcome. Even the greatest leaders are still avid followers of multiple mentors and their all began from baby steps and kept accumulating & growing, accumulating & growing, accumulating & growing….=)


Apr14

Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART I)

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Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART I)
Ripples of Influence – Being Influential Is Not An ‘Outsourcing’ Issue (PART I)

When we think in conventional terms about ‘influential people’ – what do we normally associate it with? I can suggest a few: power, money, dominance, high profile, fame, politics etc. Influential people seem to have many followers, admirers, advocates. These are all true observations. Where the problem lie 99% of the time is that we focus on these observations and think we have to possess these associations (ie power, money, dominance etc) first before being able to ‘be influential.’ And so we easily say to ourselves, ‘no I’m not influential…I don’t have enough money yet, not a high enough rank yet, not enough power yet’… etc. Some will strive for it their entire lives, chasing to have more of these associations and some think they’ll never reach it and give up. Either way, the problem isn’t something we lack ‘out there.’ It doesn’t make sense to ‘outsource’ influence does it?

In fact, the Latin etymology of the word ‘influence’ – influentia means to flow form an origin; to emanate.


So it’s not an ‘out-sourcing’ issue, it’s an ‘in-sourcing’ issue. We have to re-inspect our understanding…because whether we seek it or not, we are all people of influence. =) We just inherently are. By the very nature of human connectedness and interaction, we can not, NOT influence if that makes any sense! We know our moods can affect others, our tone of voice can affect others, and our experiences can affect others. How can you say you are not influencing another individual every minute every second of the day?! Of course in turn, we are also constantly influenced by others. Prior to being aware of all this, the majority of us simply get by in life exerting passive influence on others and reacting passively under the influence of others.

If you can begin to see that everything we say and do will inevitably invoke some kind of response in someone else – feelings, thinking, actions. Can you see how we can actually be ‘responsible’ for another’s behaviour and course in life? It is this exact ‘response-able’ realization that will allow the openings for being a truly influential leader.

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Without a doubt, one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) ways of influencing someone is at their thought level. The sequence generically goes something like this:

Shifting FUNDAMENTAL WAYS somebody sees something will…

Influence HOW THEY THINK that will…

…transform THEIR THINKING PROCESS, which will..

…influence HOW THEY BEHAVE, leading to RESULTS that not have otherwise been.

See the natural ripple you can be for those around you? =)

And when I say ‘shifting fundamental ways somebody perceives something’, I honestly mean SHAKING somebody’s WORLD, turning it UPSIDE DOWN, as if someone has SLAPPED you awake for the first time. It is that refreshing! When was the last time you felt like that?

I think this might be a good place to stop or you’re going to lose concentration and go mind-wandering. =) (Average adult attention span is what, only 15-20 min? And that’s probably on a good day!) So I’m going to leave it here for today and come back with follow-up post tomorrow. Meanwhile, share your stories, thoughts and insights and help spread the love!

Yours in the Path Towards Boundless Influence,

Jane

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PS. I can assure you, I’ve been slapped awake by my mentors MANY TIMES! And still am! Yes, I tended to fall back asleep after a while. =)  But you know, it’s an infinite learning process… if it weren’t for my mentors who have slapped me into shape before I knew any better, I can’t imagine what ripple effects I’d be sending out right now!

Apr9

Can We Do Something As Simple As Just ‘Picking Things Up’ And ‘Letting Them Go’?

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Can We Do Something As Simple As Just ‘Picking Things Up’ And ‘Letting Them Go’?
Can We Do Something As Simple As Just ‘Picking Things Up’ And ‘Letting Them Go’?

As vague as the title of this post may sound – this is one of the central practices and attitudes I believe is so crucial when it comes to manifesting greater happiness and success in our lives. Successful entrepreneurs are not an accident. They have certain ways about their being which have landed them in their richness – on the exterior and interior.

Really, financial freedom is a by-product of their internal growth.

What do I mean by ‘picking things up’? A lot of things. ‘Picking things up’ ultimately boils down to any conscious choice we make – whether it be something as small as sleeping by 11pm or as big as launching into your own business or perhaps dealing with a loved one. Whatever the choice, there will be some consequence that follows – which of course, we have no control over.

However, here is the insane part. 95% of people will focus and hang on to the consequences after things have been accomplished. (Or even crazier, start guessing what the consequences might be before acting on the choice…but I’m going to digress from the intent of this post so I’ll save it for another time). The reaction could be disappointment, hurt, anger etc..

I know during my adolescent years, I really struggled with regaining true positivity every time someone close would criticize me – always pointing out reasons why I cannot do things.  My emotional reflex to that of course was to jump at my own defense – which sometimes that played out as spiteful anger and other times as simply having my own pity-party! I would go into all sorts of rants, justifications and rationalizations as to why I have been wronged, how I was right etc etc. I would dwell on it the entire night, or god forbid, a whole week! And in hindsight (being the best teacher), so much productivity was lost to dealing with those emotions which I had no say over. They simply ‘arose’ and I just passively soaked it up – like a true victim.

Truth is, we do this all day long ….in every instance we find ourselves dwelling on something somebody has said or done. And often, the closer that person, the harder we find to let it go and forgive. It comes back to that old saying ‘forgive and forget’. And I’ll say right now, 95% of people don’t REALLY forgive, and don’t REALLY forget. Otherwise, there would be no room for recurring conflict over the same issues!

In a similar way, the harder or longer we have strived for something and ‘failed’, the more difficult we find to renew ourselves with the same belief that we can still achieve our ideals. And again, the vast majority live like this for most of their lives, passively dictated by their emotions and hence, never truly able to steer their lives in the way they honestly deserve. And we ALL deserve happiness and wealth in our lives without a doubt.

So can you see, that our ability to have the courage to ‘pick things up’, in the face of any consequence, and the complete audacity to then just ‘let things go’ regardless of the outcome (good or bad)… is SO damn important to our own happiness and success… because we are ENTIRELY responsible for it. The faster we can implement this in any given moment we react to something that we recognize in ourselves as being unnecessary, the greater productivity we will have. And what comes with greater productivity? More results that you desire. =)

To Success and Persistent Growth,

Jane

Apr5

It’s Not So Much About Anti-Ageing As It Is About Age-Reversal…We Have Much to Learn From The Young!

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It’s Not So Much About Anti-Ageing As It Is About Age-Reversal…We Have Much to Learn From The Young!
It’s Not So Much About Anti-Ageing As It Is About Age-Reversal…We Have Much to Learn From The Young!

I have always admired the way children are just the way they are – unabashed, unafraid and an absolute sponge for what the universe has the offer them. I am sure you can relate and would probably be inclined to go into a ‘well yes, when I was young…’ thought-stream.

It seems as we grow ‘older’ – many layers of restrictions begin tightening their grip around our minds and we forget to dream, dissociate from it, even fear it…filing anything that is idealistic into the ‘just not possible’ draw…and ‘the reality is in fact such and such’…

These restrictions have been moulded by our upbringing, our families, our schooling, our friends, our society, our cultures, our professions…Are these not the very things that have shaped your mental terrain to this point? All your values, beliefs, should’s and shouldn’ts, good and bad, right and wrongs? It has to be one way or the other right?

We habitually accept things because that’s just what it appears to our line of sight and/or our experience. As adults, we question less and less and reject more and more…it is NO WONDER we can no longer SPONGE anything! It’s SATURATED with our views, and our subjectivity

…and we think this is what is ‘real’. Well, just let this 12 year old by the name of Adora Svitak voice what is ‘real’…=)

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Impressive? I was so BLOWN AWAY!!

I constantly have to remind myself to treat this world in as open a way as my mind can possibly handle at this point as I peel away at my own subjectivities, assumptions and judgements. The easier ones to catch are the ones already made aware. The ones hiding in the blindspots…haha, I’m still discovering…However, children just HAVE it.

I really want to share this little mind-switcher that honestly made a HUGE IMPACT on how I related to reality and my own subjectivity hehe  =D

  1. Get ANY OBJECT (eg a mug) from within your reach and place it directly in front of you. Make a mental note on what you see
  2. Now turn it 90 degrees (doesn’t matter whether clockwise or anti-clockwise) and describe what you see
  3. Do as above in 2. three more times
  4. Now stand up and see the object from above and describe the view from there
  5. How about the bottom view?

None of the 6 views were the same where they? (front, back, left, right, top and bottom) And yet they weren’t they all the same object? Apply this to the real world and in any situation, any person you may begin to see how linearly we see things. I mean what we see is what we see – there’s not doubt. However, we often attach the ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ after it. All the views of the object were all true and all correct. And children are able to accept and consider all possibilities without further judgement. WE on the other hand…hahaha

Now who’s looking childish? =)

Yours in the Path Towards Age-reversal & Success,

Jane

PS. Btw, our ability to ‘age-reverse’ our mind is one of the key ingredients to having any amount of success and abundance in our lives…all it takes is some conscious effort =) Awareness is our duty to act! I am certain of this or I would not have been so blessed with the true knowledge and experience many mentors and friends have shared with me… Rock on guys! =)

Apr3

Why Timing is Perfect for Leveraging the Internet For Self-Expression and Manifesting Wealth

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Why Timing is Perfect for Leveraging the Internet For Self-Expression and Manifesting Wealth
Why Timing is Perfect for Leveraging the Internet For Self-Expression and Manifesting Wealth

It is a known fact that the voice of our current civilization resides in the Information/Knowledge Worker Age. There is no denying that we are a much more educated mass than our previous predecessors. It is now the norm and expected standard to complete tertiary study and/or beyond. Bit since the emergence of the internet in the late 20th Century, the SURGE in the amount of information available and technological means to acquire them is so easy that quite literally, most of the existing systems of education and business models today will either have to RETIRE or ADAPT to the emerging NEW ECONOMY at play. Our world is screaming for true entrepreneurs at the moment!

If you have not yet seen this video about how ridiculously fast information is turning over in our current day and age, click on it now and it’ll just shock and amaze you…Enjoy =)

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Most of these corporations are still operating on paradigms from the INDUSTRIAL AGE, where the main source of productivity depended on linearity, scalability and a huge reliance on machinery, NOT people. In this INFORMATION AGE and NEW ECONOMY, one of the most valuable assets we carry is our knowledge, skills and experience. However, the vast majority of corporations and businesses still place their human resources in the ” expense account” and somehow machinery and equipment as investment. And then you wonder why there is an all-round distrust in large organizations, disengagement in the workplace, and an increasing trend towards niche business startups. Quite simply -

Applying the Industrial Age control model to an emerging generation of knowledge workers and entrepreneurs seeking flexibility and freedom in their lifetime, is like attempting to fit a cube in a round hole. It is quite simply not sustainable.

The power of the online medium lies in its infinite abundance of information and resources thanks to the digital revolution. Who knew the advent of a bunch of 0’s and 1’s would create such infinite possibilities?  And right at our fingertips? And especially now with the explosion of Web 2.0 technologies such as social media,  blogs, online communities, video sharing etc, information sharing, collaboration and building relationships in your chosen niche market could not be any more simpler and timely. Of course, with a new economy lies NEW INCOME STREAMS, NEW SKILLSETS requiring NEW TRAINING. Click the links and you’ll see why this is so and all at literally $0 expense. =D

Just think about the efficiency and global presence of the internet…that alone can translate to your business or cause,  running simultaneously and autonomously anywhere on this planet regardless of your locality….(You won’t just be dreaming about Greenbacks, they will physically be depositing in your account as you snore away =D )

Although many corporations are currently flocking to the internet in droves with the purpose to increase their business efficiency, exposure and cost-savings,  there still remains  goldmines of untapped resources unknown to the vast majority and reserved for those genuinely looking to build a solid online business and sharing their wealth responsibly.  This is really not a short dash for cash. If that was is what you are after, then this is really the wrong place to look. Since when is any level to real success attained through anything but ploughing hard at the fields?! However, if you truly do want an all-encompassing freedom this lifetime not only for yourself, but for those people and causes you cherish, then you honestly need a to know HOW and WHERE to begin. Here is where you can start. This is a team I work closely with and I’ll say no more as the system will do all the speaking =). As I progress though this blog, more will be revealed. Things are rumbling my dear friends! Your feedback is oh so welcome so let me know your thoughts. It’s the first step to influence and I’m DYING to know what’s ticking!

Yours in Manifesting True Success,
Jane