Push out your comfort zone with a little more power and passion each day -- and you'll soon open a whole new world for yourself.

Today's Challenge: Persist With Passion Until the Desired Results are Attained.

1. Be PERSISTENT! What would improve your results if you had the courage to try it?

2. Be TENACIOUS! Which one of your goals is worth more than the courage and commitment you now give it?

3. Be DETERMINED! What will it take to knock on -- or walk through -- that door you've been avoiding lately?

Setting a goal is never enough. To reach your goal, you must continue to take whatever actions are necessary until you finally succeed. While success is never guaranteed, if you don't persevere to the end, it will never come your way. Of all the skills to master, determination and persistence are two of the most important. You can have a perfect game plan but if you lack persistence, you may as well forfeit the game before you even start to play.

"Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it." ~ Irving Berlin

Think about it and take on this motto:

"I persist with passion until I succeed at whatever I do."

TQ Thinking

 Se você, como eu, não conhece a banda mas sentiu-se comovido pela barbárie, a qual foram acometidos, acesse o Myspace do grupo e deixe sua mensagem de apoio aos integrantes e família.

Maiores informações no Indiana Daily Student.

Esquisitices...

O site Total Guitar divulgou algumas esquisitices de famosos artistas. Confira a lista abaixo:

Def Leppard - very, very small plums.

Motley Crue - Grey Poupon dijon mustard

Keith Richards - Norah Jones

James Brown - two girls under 21

David Hasselhoff - a life size cut-out of...David Hasselhoff

Bon Jovi - two large Squeegees

Gorgoroth - 50 sheep heads and one carpenter

Pink Floyd - a miniature golf course

Lil Kim - three walls covered in pink fluff

Tenacious D - Three whores, houmous

Por JMauro Pimentel

(They said) you don't have to be a genius to do well in graduate school. You must be reasonably intelligent, but after certain point, there are traits which become more important in determining success. Ya, among others, one of the main trait is called Tenacity.

Tenacity / tenacious (adj) : (from thesaurus.com) : persistent, viscous, tough, stubborn.

Tenacity means sticking with things even when you get depressed or when things aren't doing well. You think your goal is worth the life? you stick with it. You think your research method is confusing? you stick with it. Your simulation or experiment is not as your expected?you stick with it. You think your research question is not that obvious enough? you stick with it.
Finally, you think your 3 years or more (JUST FOR) study is wasting your life time? you damn stick with IT.

Why?

Because, I want to make a living based on what that interesting to me. Not just doing daily job which are mostly 'dull'. I want to build my own research center, get research funds, innovate something and get respect. (maybe...become professor someday)

That is why it will worth all my life.

I hope that reason is vaguely enough.

O grande desafio tem sido arranjar aplicações para isto.

Outro novo entretenimento é o Twitter, por entre emails e entradas nos mais variados blogs, a vida real acontece por aqui, com pequenas actividade e confissões mais pequenas ainda.. É para isso que serve o Twitter e até o Twhirl. You should try..

Hmmm, I think this may possibly apply to me.

By nature I am a slow methodical artist. I like to build things up in layers, one on top of the other. With my drawings and my textile pieces, I work one step at a time, allowing each stage to simmer before I move to the next. When I work with acrylics, I do the same thing. Occasionally, I will work quickly, in textiles, but I have already mastered the medium and know what to expect and what I can and cannot do for the results I want.

I have somehow gotten into my mind that I want to learn to master oils. And with my allergies I have had to move everything for the oils onto the back porch where there is no possiblity of odor lingering. Which means I need to work relatively quickly. And yet, I tenaciously persist in attempting to master this medium. Yes, I like to challenge myself.

This morning I decided to spend some time on the back porch and try another attempt at oils. And you know you're absorbed in something when you finish and realize you put your mp3 player earphones into your ears, but never turned it on....and you didn't even notice!

Today's painting.

I have achieved a modicum of success in creating depth. I have accomplished creating a rock wall successfully. And I am starting to understand that I cannot, at this point, achieve the detail I want, with oil, in one sitting. Perhaps there is yet another technique I need to learn. And so, I persist.

Tenacious, yes, that may just describe me.

Hi Kelly ! Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a young 41 year old mother of 3 wonderful children who I love more than anything in the world. I was born and still live in the beautiful city of Aberdeen in Scotland. I was a secretary for many years before I accidentally became an inventor 10 years ago.

So what is your company about ?

Right now, my company is about getting an excellent end product to the customer in a fast but efficient manner whether that is direct to the customer’s home or a huge shipping order to a warehouse in the States. 

The patent application for my Thudguard invention was submitted in 1998 only a few short months after I came up with the idea.  In the past 10 years, my company has been through every developmental stage that it takes to make an idea become a reality.  It has been the biggest learning curve of my life.

How did the idea for Thudguard come about ?

Thudguard, baby safety hat invention, was born out of pure necessity to protect my one-year-old infant after she had a nasty fall, as I couldn’t find anything suitable on the market.  To see the distress of your baby with a head injury is enough to make you find a way for that not to happen again.  Ask any parent!

Quite true. Did you start your venture alone ?

Very much alone in the business sense but I did benefit from my family’s help and support.  10 years ago, local business support was very limited. Yes they could help the lady down the road set up a mobile hair salon or a young man with a removal van service but not a woman with an invention ! They didn’t know what to do with me. They sent me to their top person who gave me at least three good pointers and sheer determination not to fail took over from there.

After attending my local Enterprise Trust for the first time, I was advised to do 3 things;

1.     Get an accountant

2.     Get a legal representative

3.     Get expert endorsements for my invention

The first 2 were easy. I simply walked in to the biggest accountancy and legal firm in Aberdeen and said, “I don’t have any money but I have a really good idea.  Will you help me and when it works out I will pay you”.  Thankfully they took the chance and now have both been paid.

But the 3^rd worried me somewhat.  I had made an appointment to see the head pediatric accident and emergency consultants at my local hospital to ask them what they thought of my baby safety hat.  If they had laughed at my hat I may have run out of their offices and never have looked back.  But they didn’t, in fact they said;

"Thudguard will be welcomed by many parents as a piece of equipment that may provide protection for children from a head injury. This can only be a good thing as even one accidental head injury is one too many. Avoiding head injury means reducing potential visits to the A&E department, which in turn may potentially save the NHS/ER resources.

Wow. Now that's what I call inspiring feedback. How did you look for financing after that ?

The accountancy firm that I got on board developed a business plan with me and it was 3^rd time lucky with the banks.  It really was touch and go but having the top legal and accountancy firms behind me, the bank couldn’t refuse, and things went from strength to strength after that.

Do you only sell the Thudguard online ? If so, have you ever thought of selling in specialized baby stores ?

Thudguard sells online in many different countries now and we are in the middle of developing the new retail packaging for worldwide retail outlets.

How successful has your business been since day one ?

Day one came nearly 8 years after getting Thudguard through all the red government tape as it took that long to get such an unusual invention to pass all the product standard certification and impact testing. We launched in 2005 and from selling a few a day over the internet to now, setting up a US website; see www.babysfirstheadgear.com a Turkish website; www.thudguard.com.tr as well as looking for distributors in Australia; see www.thudguard.com.au. We have also recently secured a Thudguard website an distributors in Singapore, South Korea and more recently, Egypt. So it’s safe to say that we are definitely growing.

How complicated is the Thudguard fabrication process ? How do you handle it ?

Finding a manufacturer for my invention was a night-mare and took a long time and I went down many wrong roads. Then it occurred to me that I should find a head gear manufacturer that had dealings with a similar fabrication process to what I was looking for and then it became obvious – rugby helmets were made of soft yet protective foam so they would know how to make my baby helmet….. and they did !

What consequences to your personal life has the move towards entrepreneurship brought about ?

The obvious ones like stress and obsession compromising the quality time between me and my children but I try to remember that, “No one on their death bed ever said, I wish I had spent more time at the office”!  And that usually gives me the perspective I need to keep my priorities in check.

That quote rings very true. What are the 3 toughest challenges your company has faced so far ?

1. Getting a British Standards Expert to write a new technical specification to test and pass Thudguard to.

2. Finding a company willing to take a license to distribute and market Thudguard for 2 years to give me time to learn how to do it by myself.

3. Taking over and running the company by myself ! 

Can we expect new innovations from you in the future ? Teen Thudguard maybe ?

Funny you should ask!  I am working on something just now that is going to be an amazing improvement to head gear for cyclist but can’t say too much about that! With regard to Teen Thudguard – Ha ha…..(You must have the same problem with teenage drinking in Canada?)… but I guess I had that coming as I am often branded as an “over protective parent”, and that’s just from my own children. My oldest son is 23 years old and still laughs when remembering that I wouldn’t let him cross the road by himself when young but guess what?  He now works on oil rigs all around the world and faces all kinds of dangers every day! My 21 year old son just passed his driving test and is about to graduate and take a year off to go around the world – without me! So I guess being a bit of a mummy bear while they were growing up hasn’t done them too much harm.

Hahaha. I'll remember that. Last but not least, what advice would you give to a young person with entrepreneurial ambitions ?

Get a dictionary and find the word TENACIOUS.  Stick a picture of yourself next to it and never forget that this is what you are!

You got it Kelly.

Learn more about Thudguard and your baby's safety on the official website.

Sê tu mesmo e um dia  passa a ser o que os outros precisam .. Mas só dentro do horário de expediente :P

Sê tu mesmo, aproveita e vive o que és @

What does enterprising mean?

In Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1), enterprising is defined as

An Ant is a great example of being Enterprising. On a hike once, I observed this massive trail of ants industriously working. As you lay a stick across their trail or put your foot there you quickly observe that they immediately begin to go around over or create a new way to continue their work. You put another obstacle in the way, they quickly adapt again and find a new way. They NEVER give up. They always persist to find a new way and blaze a new trail. As a PM, that is the attitude it takes. Being a quick change artist, being persistent and enterprising will develop and help you deliver successful projects. In considering how you could do better, it requires constructive evaluation, asking sponsors and team to share info with you along the way.

I think it is important to push forward and drive projects as much as possible and requires you doing the best that you can. Being an enterprising project manager, will require dedication, quick to seize opportunities, solve problems and be disciplined. In each project, you have the same amount of time in everyday. So if you are working in your project, even an average 8 hour day you want to make the most of every minute. So how can you do that? Think of people around you, think of people in office, on the news who manage to push forward and succeed despite the most incredible obstacles. Ron Pausch is one of those people I saw in the news, a young child at Shriners recovering horrific burns are a few that come to mind that working hard everyday to make the most of every minute. They are quick to seize opportunities regardless of anything else.

As a PM, the worst message is “no” and it happens all the time. It is the role of asking people on your team, at vendors, other organizations to make things happen and get the work done. It requires developing a plan, revising your plans, following your plan, modifying approach and always being ready to attack problems. Its an attitude of regardless what comes up, having the attitude of “what can I do to make this work”. As the leader, you work to push forward with that clear picture in your head of what success for the project is and taking the steps along the way to stay on track towards that goal.

The difference between success and failure can be very small. Successful PM’s may often work harder but most importantly they are using a variety of tools to work smarter which is more important. One area to evaluate is how you use your time, do you spend time micromanaging or spend time getting the very best resource on your team who is competent to complete work without taking your time. It is important to make use of every hour and really drive the day rather than get pulled to each crisis that others in the team should really be resolving. You need to run your project and you need to run your day. You need to If you can boost effectiveness of time 20% every year, you can double your productivity every few years. Enterprising project managers will drive project activities with clear goals. This can be done by planning the next day at the end of the day, planning week and making minor adjustments as work progresses.

Don't mistake trivial activity for productivity. You probably know some people who always seem to be busy being busy. To be a successful PM, you need to spend time on the productive activities. Its important to not mistake the junk that is trivial with actions on strategic activities results producing high payoff activities. If you spend time on activities, others can and should be doing its costing you a lot as you are not doing that other activity. Focus on your highest value activities and be relentless at asking “what is the highest and best use of my time?”

Another key is to prioritize and focus relentlessly. Assuming that you have picked your high payoff, high leverage activities you have a clear focus. Staying focused is easier said than done. It takes discipline to stay on track and create boundaries when you need them. This can be as simple as logging off email and scheduling time to more quickly go through at end of day. It could mean not logging on till key deliverables are done in the morning.

Every time we choose to do less than we possibly can and model that within the project team, we limit our possibilities, potential and results for your project. You can alter your project results by doing a little more each day to work smarter. So take the example of the ant and keep your head and find that alternative to deliver your projects!

WTF? Czy ta Ania, to Lord Lucyfer sam w sobie? Ten Belzebub, który szuka Kostki Przeznaczenia(obejrzyjcie Tenacious D in Pick of Destiny - zrozumiecie)?

W każdym bądź razie za samo bycie(bycie albo nie bycie, w cudzym odbycie?) już dawno powinni zostać wysłani... Nie, nie do piekła, bo rogacze mieli by z nimi, nomen omen, krzyż pański. Przydałoby się wymyślić jakieś inne, jeszcze gorsze miejsce dla tej chorej bandy. Czekam na sugestie.

W każdym bądź razie sam ich wygląd i zachowanie przyprawia mnie o mdłości. Poza tym, z tego co udało mi się dowiedzieć z "różnych źródeł", emo to jedyna grupa, która łączy hiphopowców i metali. Oczywiście łączy ich ideologia - jak można wyglądać jak jakaś niedogolona cipa(tak, chodzi mi o emo). Litości! Jak można mieć włosy, które zasłaniają pół ryja! Do tego zestaw żyletek w pudełku po zapałkach, w kieszonce. I to tylko po to, aby nacinać sobie skórę, bo to fajnie, kurwa, wygląda! Łał...

Zatem już widzicie - nienawidzę całego tego zjawiska. Swoją drogą "oni" twierdzą, że to taki andergrałnd i w ogóle. Weźcie mi wytłumaczcie - jak undergroundowa subkultura może być aż tak rozpowszechniona na świecie? Zabijają samych siebie od środka(złoty środek?). I jak można wyglądać tak strasznie stereotypowo? Bo stereotypy rzadko kiedy są prawdziwe, ale o emo to prawda do kwadratu.

Mam taką głośną nadzieję, że ten "gatunek" umrze/wyginie/zdechnie jak najszybciej.

Hitler jest emo. ;)

Things are sometimes better understood when left
Unwritten, or left undone and remain unspoken.

They are immortal not in pages, not in words,
Not in works of my hands.

They are engraved forever
In my heart.