Don’t Worry, Be Happy … At Work

This article reminds me of a quotation that goes something like this, “If you like the work that you are doing, then it is as if you are ‘playing’ everyday.” I agree with the author on the point, “…find the kind of work that can bring you joy. You will be happy in your work…”, and yet how many have the courage to find the work that they like?

“The highest reward for man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it. ” — John Ruskin

My son came home from a basketball game last night all aglow bragging about how he almost made a double triple, or was it a triple double, I’m not sure. The reason it struck me was he was in a state of pure joy. Exhilarated from just playing a competitive game with a bunch of other basketball enthusiasts, he was unaware of how his shining face and simple state of joy made me feel happy for a brief moment. Yes, joy is catchy! I started to think about joy and how it applied to our work.

Another thing came to my mind when I saw that remarkable moment of pure joy in my son’s face. It was that Bobby McFerrin song from back in the 80s, remember, Don’t Worry – Be Happy? Talk about being a millionaire, I bet that McFerrin has a decent amount of scratch lying around. I recently read an article that showed how much that song has been used in movies, pop culture, and advertising and I was blown away!

Here is a brief summary:

Don’t Worry, Be Happy was referenced in the movie Public Enemy. George Carlin wrote about it in his book, Napalm and Silly Putty. It was used in the movies Jarhead, and Dawn of the Dead, Flushed-Away. It was used by George H. Bush in the 1988 elections until McFerrin protested against it. He was a democrat of course. It was used in two episodes of ‘The Simpsons’. The song was adapted to an ‘Alamo Rent Car⒝ commercial. It is used in a ‘Nintendo DS’ game, ‘Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney’. It was used in an episode of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’. It also appeared in an episode of ‘The 70s Show’ and made it on a Huggies commercial. The song won a Grammy for Best Song of the Year in 1989. It remained in the number one spot of the ‘Top 100 Billboard Hits’ list for two weeks in 1988.

I guess the popularity of that McFerrin song has a lot to do with the fact that not worrying and being happy is where most of us want to be. Humans need to be happy. Come to find out, our being happy is essential to our health. Recent studies have indicated that when we are happy we secrete hormones that bolster the immune system in our bodies. A study on stress for example revealed that stress brings about a drop in the number of lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the body. These white blood cells are important players in the immune system. So, if you can control stress, you can increase your immunity. This of course controls disease and ultimately relates to how long we live. I’d say that has everything to do with being happy!

Yes, happiness is important! We need to be happy in all our activities, including work. That is why when I became a workforce development trainer in 1998, I was startled to learn that most Americans were unhappy about their jobs. Statistics tell us that over 60% of Americans are not happy about their jobs. I saw it everyday, people coming in to see me after losing a job and declaring they were never happy at most of their jobs. It’s no wonder we hear songs like ‘Working Nine to Five’ and ‘Take This Job and Shove it!’ as Americans lash out from anger at their unhappiness with work.

But take comfort at the thought that this information has made an impact and we are seeing a new generation of workers that are turning to face the issue and making happiness at work their concern. Ultimately what we are finding is people are looking for right job matches more than ever before. They have been made aware that happiness on the job is important and they are looking for jobs that will supply them that happiness even at the sacrifice of wages if they must.

Which brings us to the quote for today which I feature on my website by John Ruskin, an English reformer from the late 1800s said, “The highest reward for man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.” Ultimately, work must bring us satisfaction, just like the satisfaction my son had when he came home from his basketball game gleaming with joy of his competitive victory. Work must be like that! Satisfaction about our work expands us; it fills our void we have to be needed and useful human beings. When we strive to learn an occupation and put our knowledge to work, striving to better the world or the things that will make the world a better place, we ultimately feel the rush we can only explain as “joy”. My maxim for life is: “when our work makes a better world, it makes a better us.” We ultimately create ourselves through our meaningful work. Our work is us.

My encouragement to you is find the kind of work that can bring you joy. You will be happy in your work; your days will go by quicker; and you will see that living is a beautiful thing! You will feel the pride that comes from creating, mostly creating you. You might then find yourselves humming that catchy little tune I can hear now: Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

About the Author: John Cyr is a retired workforce development trainer and motivational consultant who writes articles and editorials under the pen-name Johnny Cyreous, or Cyreous. He maintains a website of quotes by famous people and advocates his method of teaching at http://www.cyreousquotes.com.

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

The Power of Thankfulness

Being thankful for something is similar to being grateful for something. Thankfulness or gratitude is a powerful positive emotion that can change the state of your mind almost instantly. The first time I came across this concept of gratitude was when I first watched The Secret video. I have since practiced it on a constant basis especially when I feel negative thoughts clouding my mind. I will consciously focus on what I have and verbally said it out, “I am grateful for this …. I am grateful for that etc.” By going through that short simple exercise helps to put my mind in a positive state.

The exercise that the author has written in this article can further help you to enhance the state of your mind and put it in a positive state. I wish for goodness in all aspects of your life.

There is one sure fire medicine which cures all pain and opens the way for your greater good. It allows you to sleep well at night, wake up refreshed and filled with enthusiasm for your daily tasks. This medicine is abundantly available, has no side effects and can be taken in large or small doses regularly. You need no one to prescribe it. The more you take, the sweeter it is. The medicine is the practice of thankfulness.

Although there are endless cures for anxiety, one thing is impossible – to be upset and grateful at the same time. When we take thankfulness on as a practice, we see that gratitude is more than a fleeting feeling, it is a daily practice, a basic way of life.

In fact, no matter what we are feeling, we can always perform deeds of thanks; actions that express our gratitude and awareness of the good we constantly receive. Actually, when we perform these actions, our feelings often turn themselves around. And as we constantly express our gratitude we become more and more aware of all we have to be grateful for.

There are two important aspects of this practice; one works with our actions, the other with our attention. Rather than give in to our usual self-centered focus, we take our attention off our habitual complaining mind, and continually make ourselves aware of what we are receiving, moment by moment, day by day. Most of the time we feel we are constantly giving and receiving little. Most people feel drained and unappreciated. However, when we focus instead upon all we receive, we will be amazed at how much we have taken for granted.

A strong support and underpinning for this practice comes from Naikan therapy, which was developed in Japan. Naikan is simple, simple, direct and incredibly powerful. It can be done by anyone at anytime. In Naikan, we take time to focus upon and answer three fundamental questions; it is best to get a notebook for this, sit down and write your answers down, very carefully and specifically. A Naikan sitting usually takes from thirty to forty minutes. The three questions are: What did I receive today? What did I give today? What trouble or pain did I cause today?

Answering these questions carefully and persistently can change our lives. The third question does not exist to create guilt, but simple awareness of our behavior and its effect upon others. When we notice that we have caused some trouble or pain, we can then simply correct it. And once we are aware of it, it is much less likely we will do it again.

We do not ask how was I hurt or upset today. The mind constantly dwells upon this question and the purpose of Naikan is to balance our lives and minds. We can do Naikan on the day, or on anything else. In the Naikan retreats that go on, we do Naikan on relationships, taking three years at a sitting. What did I receive from this person? What did I give to this person? What trouble or pain did I cause this person?

As we do this wonderful simple practice daily we naturally become more aware of and grateful for the many, many gifts we constantly receive (most of which we have either taken for granted or been unaware of. The fullness we usually seek in others, comes to us on its own. And then, inevitably we just want to give back. It happens naturally.

When we are so filled with thanks and plenty, it is impossible not to do so. The practice of thankfulness, of acknowledging others, giving back to them, being aware of and moved by the good we are giving, can heal many aspects of a life. It washes old hurts and resentments away. It opens the door for good to arrive. It is a gift we give to ourselves which others receive simultaneously.

————————

Discover The 2000 year old Zen secrets for being calm, balanced and positive, no matter what’s going on in your life in Living By Zen, by Dr. Brenda Shoshanna, ‘http://www.livingbyzen.com’ Dr. Shoshanna is a psychologist, speaker, long term Zen practitioner and teacher, relationship expert on http://www.ivillage.com and author of many books. Get her free ezine and articles at http://www.brendashoshanna.com ; contact her at [email protected].

Check out our special offers at SkinStore.com!

Happy People Know How To Let Their Heart Lead

When I was a child, my grandfather visited my family every weekend. I dearly loved Poppa, and I vibrated with excitement and joy as soon as I saw him approaching the front door. I could feel the energy in my heart jumping out to meet the energy of his.

Even as a child, I recognized that my heart’s powerful energy extended beyond my body. Today, science confirms this.

The Institute of HeartMath, a world leader in research-based transformational technology, has found that our hearts generate an electromagnetic field around us that is several feet in diameter and five thousand times greater than the field generated by the brain — five thousand times!

HeartMath researchers have also found that peoples’ heart patterns look different when they’re happy than when they’re angry, frustrated, or sad.

Negative emotions cause erratic patterns called ‘heart rhythm incoherence’ which have damaging effects on your body. When you’re feeling angry or sad, stress hormones and cholesterol are released into your body, your heart pumps faster, and your blood pressure rises.

In contrast, when you’re feeling appreciative and loving, you create ‘heart rhythm coherence’ – smooth, even patterns in your heart’s rhythms. These feelings of happiness increase the production of anti-aging hormones, normalize blood pressure, improve cognitive function, and strengthen the immune system. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

What’s most exciting is that HeartMath discovered that you can create more coherence in your heart rhythms at will simply by focusing on emotions such as appreciation, love, and gratitude.

And this is one of the secrets that happy people know: No matter what’s going on in life, they let love lead. During the research for my book, Happy for No Reason, I interviewed 100 unconditionally happy people — I call them the “Happy 100.” It was clear that one of the ways they let love lead is through gratitude. Though they have the same kinds of fears, pains, and disappointments as you and me, people who are Happy for No Reason simply focus more on gratitude throughout their day. You too can use the power of gratitude to raise your level of happiness. It’s a matter of where you focus your attention.

Where do you focus your attention?

One of my Happy 100, Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk in his eighties and founder of the Network for Grateful Living, is one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Brother David shared with me a gratefulness practice he’s done every day for over 30 years.

Each day he selects a different theme to remind him about gratitude. For example, one day he’ll choose to focus on water, so every time he encounters water – washing his hands, watering the plants or brushing his teeth – he uses it as a reminder to be present in the moment with pure gratefulness. This exercise requires no extra time or physical energy — it’s simply a shift in his awareness that allows a continual flow of appreciation, love, and gratitude.

Try it for yourself. Choose your theme for today – it could be leaves, the sound of traffic or the telephone. For the rest of your day, whenever you encounter your chosen theme, let it be a cue to consciously feel gratefulness.

When you focus your awareness every day to experience what Brother David calls “great fullness” in every moment, you’ll significantly raise your baseline level of happiness.

This is one of the many Happiness Habits I learned from the Happy 100.

About the Author: Marci Shimoff is author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul, making her one of the bestselling female nonfiction authors of all time. She’s also a featured teacher in the international film and book phenomenon, The Secret. Visit http://www.happyfornoreason.com

Get a copy of Happy for No Reason: 7 Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out by Marci Shimoff

Yahoo! Personals 7 Day FREE Trial offer

John Gokongwei, Jr. Ad Congress Speech

Truly an inspiring speech. One statement I like best, ” The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards. But we have to play those cards the best we can. And we can play to win!

John Gokongwei, Jr.
Ad Congress Speech
Nov 21, 2007

Before I begin, I want to say please bear with me, an 81-year-old man who just flew in from San Francisco 36 hours ago and is still suffering from jet lag. However, I hope I will be able to say what you want to hear.

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. Thank you very much for having me here tonight to open the Ad Congress. I know how important this event is for our marketing and advertising colleagues. My people get very excited and go into a panic, every other year, at this time.

I would like to talk about my life, entrepreneurship, and globalization. I would like to talk about how we can become a great nation.

You may wonder how one is connected to the other, but I promise that, as there is truth in advertising, the connection will come.

Let me begin with a story I have told many times. My own.

I was born to a rich Chinese-Filipino family. I spent my childhood in Cebu where my father owned a chain of movie houses, including the first air-conditioned one outside Manila. I was the eldest of six children and lived in a big house in Cebu’s Forbes Park.

A chauffeur drove me to school everyday as I went to San Carlos University, then and still one of the country’s top schools. I topped my classes and had many friends. I would bring them to watch movies for free at my father’s movie houses.

When I was 13, my father died suddenly of complications due to typhoid. Everything I enjoyed vanished instantly. My father’s empire was built on credit. When he died, we lost everything-our big house, our cars, our business-to the banks.

I felt angry at the world for taking away my father, and for taking away all that I enjoyed before. When the free movies disappeared, I also lost half my friends. On the day I had to walk two miles to school for the very first time, I cried to my mother, a widow at 32. But she said: “You should feel lucky. Some people have no shoes to walk to school. What can you do? Your father died with 10 centavos in his pocket.”

So, what can I do? I worked.

My mother sent my siblings to China where living standards were lower. She and I stayed in Cebu to work, and we sent them money regularly. My mother sold her jewelry. When that ran out, we sold roasted peanuts in the backyard of our much-smaller home. When that wasn’t enough, I opened a small stall in a palengke. I chose one among several palengkes a few miles outside the city because there were fewer goods available for the people there. I woke up at five o’clock every morning for the long bicycle ride to the palengke with my basket of goods.

There, I set up a table about three feet by two feet in size. I laid out my goods-soap, candles, and thread-and kept selling until everything was bought. Why these goods? Because these were hard times and this was a poor village, so people wanted and needed the basics-soap to keep them clean, candles to light the night, and thread to sew their clothes.

I was surrounded by other vendors, all of them much older. Many of them could be my grandparents. And they knew the ways of the palengke far more than a boy of 15, especially one who had never worked before.

But being young had its advantages. I did not tire as easily, and I moved more quickly. I was also more aggressive. After each day, I would make about 20 pesos in profit! There was enough to feed my siblings and still enough to pour back into the business. The pesos I made in the palengke were the pesos that went into building the business I have today.

After this experience, I told myself, “If I can compete with people so much older than me, if I can support my whole family at 15, I can do anything!”

Looking back, I wonder, what would have happened if my father had not left my family with nothing? Would I have become the man I am? Who knows?

The important thing to know is that life will always deal us a few bad cards. But we have to play those cards the best we can. And we can play to win!

This was one lesson I picked up when I was a teenager. It has been my guiding principle ever since. And I have had 66 years to practice self-determination. When I wanted something, the best person to depend on was myself.

And so I continued to work. In 1943, I expanded and began trading goods between Cebu and Manila. From Cebu, I would transport tires on a small boat called a batel. After traveling for five days to Lucena, I would load them into a truck for the six-hour trip to Manila. I would end up sitting on top of my goods so they would not be stolen! In Manila, I would then purchase other goods from the earnings I made from the tires, to sell in Cebu.

Then, when WWII ended, I saw the opportunity for trading goods in post-war Philippines. I was 20 years old. With my brother Henry, I put up Amasia Trading which imported onions, flour, used clothing, old newspapers and magazines, and fruits from the United States In 1948, my mother and I got my siblings back from China I also converted a two-story building in Cebu to serve as our home, office, and warehouse all at the same time. The whole family began helping out with the business.

In 1957, at age 31, I spotted an opportunity in corn-starch manufacturing. But I was going to compete with Ludo and Luym, the richest group in Cebu and the biggest cornstarch manufacturers. I borrowed money to finance the project. The first bank I approached made me wait for two hours, only to refuse my loan. The second one, China Bank, approved a P500,000-peso clean loan for me. Years later, the banker who extended that loan, Dr. Albino Sycip said that he saw something special in me. Today, I still wonder what that was, but I still thank Dr. Sycip to this day.

Upon launching our first product, Panda corn starch, a price war ensued. After the smoke cleared, Universal Corn Products was still left standing. It is the foundation upon which JG Summit Holdings now stands.

Interestingly, the price war also forced the closure of a third cornstarch company, and one of their chemists was Lucio Tan, who always kids me that I caused him to lose his job. I always reply that if it were not for me, he will not be one of the richest men in the Philippines today.

When my business grew, and it was time for me to bring in more people – my family, the professionals, the consultants, more employees – I knew that I had to be there to teach them what I knew. When dad died at age 34, he did not leave a succession plan. From that, I learned that one must teach people to take over a business at any time. The values of hard work that I learned from my father, I taught to my children. They started doing jobs here and there even when they were still in high school. Six years ago, I announced my retirement and handed the reins to my youngest brother James and only son Lance. But my children tease me because I still go to the office every day and make myself useful. I just hired my first Executive Assistant and moved into a bigger and nicer office.

Building a business to the size of JG Summit was not easy. Many challenges were thrown my way. I could have walked away from them, keeping the business small, but safe. Instead, I chose to fight. But this did not mean I won each time.

By 1976, at age 50, we had built significant businesses in food products anchored by a branded coffee called Blend 45, and agro-industrial products under the Robina Farms brand. That year, I faced one of my biggest challenges, and lost. And my loss was highly publicized, too. But I still believe that this was one of my defining moments.

In that decade, not many business opportunities were available due to the political and economic environment. Many Filipinos were already sending their money out of the country. As a Filipino, I felt that our money must be invested here. I decided to purchase shares in San Miguel, then one of the Philippines’ biggest corporations. By 1976, I had acquired enough shares to sit on its board.

The media called me an upstart. “Who is Gokongwei and why is he doing all those terrible things to San Miguel?” ran one headline of the day. In another article, I was described as a pygmy going up against the powers-that-be. The San Miguel board of directors itself even paid for an ad in all the country’s top newspapers telling the public why I should not be on the board. On the day of reckoning, shareholders quickly filled up the auditorium to witness the battle. My brother James and I had prepared for many hours for this debate. We were nervous and excited at the same time.

In the end, I did not get the board seat because of the Supreme Court Ruling. But I was able to prove to others-and to myself-that I was willing to put up a fight. I succeeded because I overcame my fear, and tried. I believe this battle helped define who I am today. In a twist to this story, I was invited to sit on the board of Anscor and San Miguel Hong Kong 5 years later. Lose some, win some.

Since then, I’ve become known as a serious player in the business world, but the challenges haven’t stopped coming.

Let me tell you about the three most recent challenges. In all three, conventional wisdom bet against us. See, we set up businesses against market Goliaths in very high-capital industries: airline, telecoms, and beverage.

Challenge No. 1: In 1996, we decided to start an airline. At the time, the dominant airline in the country was PAL, and if you wanted to travel cheaply, you did not fly. You went by sea or by land.

However, my son Lance and I had a vision for Cebu Pacific: We wanted every Filipino to fly.

Inspired by the low-cost carrier models in the United States, we believed that an airline based on the no-frills concept could work here. No hot meals. No newspaper. Mono-class seating. Operating with a single aircraft type. Faster turn around time. It all worked, thus enabling Cebu Pacific to pass on savings to the consumer.

How did we do this? By sticking to our philosophy of “low cost, great value.”

And we stick to that philosophy to this day. Cebu Pacific offers incentives. Customers can avail themselves of a tiered pricing scheme, with promotional seats for as low a P1. The earlier you book, the cheaper your ticket.

Cebu Pacific also made it convenient for passengers by making online booking available. This year, 1.25 million flights will be booked through our website. This reduced our distribution costs dramatically.

Low cost. Great value.

When we started 11 years ago, Cebu Pacific flew only 360,000 passengers, with 24 daily flights to 3 destinations. This year, we expect to fly more than five million passengers, with over 120 daily flights to 20 local destinations and 12 Asian cities. Today, we are the largest in terms of domestic flights, routes and destinations.

We also have the youngest fleet in the region after acquiring new Airbus 319s and 320s. In January, new ATR planes will arrive. These are smaller planes that can land on smaller air strips like those in Palawan and Caticlan. Now you don’t have to take a two-hour ride by mini-bus to get to the beach.

Largely because of Cebu Pacific, the average Filipino can now afford to fly. In 2005, 1 out of 12 Filipinos flew within a year. In 2012, by continuing to offer low fares, we hope to reduce that ratio to 1 out of 6. We want to see more and more Filipinos see their country and the world!

Challenge No. 2: In 2003, we established Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. and developed a brand for the mobile phone business called Sun Cellular. Prior to the launch of the brand, we were actually involved in a transaction to purchase PLDT shares of the majority shareholder.

The question in everyone’s mind was how we could measure up to the two telecom giants. They were entrenched and we were late by eight years! PLDT held the landline monopoly for quite a while, and was first in the mobile phone industry. Globe was a younger company, but it launched digital mobile technology here.

But being a late player had its advantages. We could now build our platform from a broader perspective. We worked with more advanced technologies and intelligent systems not available ten years ago. We chose our suppliers based on the most cost-efficient hardware and software. Being a Johnny-come-lately allowed us to create and launch more innovative products, more quickly.

All these provided us with the opportunity to give the consumers a choice that would rock their world. The concept was simple. We would offer Filipinos to call and text as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee. For P250 a month, they could get in touch with anyone within the Sun network at any time. This means great savings of as much as 2/3 of their regular phone bill! Suddenly, we gained traction. Within one year of its introduction, Sun hit one million customers.

Once again, the paradigm shifts – this time in the telecom industry. Sun’s 24/7 Call and Text unlimited changed the landscape of mobile-phone usage.

Today, we have over 4 million subscribers and 2000 cell sites around the archipelago. In a country where 97% of the market is pre-paid, we believe we have hit on the right strategy.

Sun Cellular is a Johnny-come-lately, but it’s doing all right. It is a third player, but a significant one, in an industry where Cassandras believed a third player would perish. And as we have done in the realm of air travel, so have we done in the telecom world: We have changed the marketplace.

In the end, it is all about making life better for the consumer by giving them choices.

Challenge No. 3: In 2004, we launched C2, the green tea drink that would change the face of the local beverage industry — then, a playground of cola companies. Iced tea was just a sugary brown drink served bottomless in restaurants. For many years, hardly was there any significant product innovation in the beverage business.

Admittedly, we had little experience in this area. Universal Robina Corporation is the leader in snack foods but our only background in beverage was instant coffee. Moreover, we would be entering the playground of huge multinationals. We decided to play anyway.

It all began when I was in China in 2003 and noticed the immense popularity of bottled iced tea. I thought that this product would have huge potential here. We knew that the Philippines was not a traditional tea-drinking country since more familiar to consumers were colas in returnable glass bottles. But precisely, this made the market ready for a different kind of beverage. One that refreshes yet gives the health benefits of green tea. We positioned it as a “spa” in a bottle. A drink that cools and cleans.thus, C2 was born.

C2 immediately caught on with consumers. When we launched C2 in 2004, we sold 100,000 bottles in the first month. Three years later, Filipinos drink around 30 million bottles of C2 per month. Indeed, C2 is in a good place.

With Cebu Pacific, Sun Cellular, and C2, the JG Summit team took control of its destiny. And we did so in industries where old giants had set the rules of the game. It’s not that we did not fear the giants. We knew we could have been crushed at the word go. So we just made sure we came prepared with great products and great strategies. We ended up changing the rules of the game instead.

There goes the principle of self-determination, again. I tell you, it works for individuals as it does for companies. And as I firmly believe, it works for nations.

I have always wondered, like many of us, why we Filipinos have not lived up to our potential. We have proven we can. Manny Pacquiao and Efren Bata Reyes in sports. Lea Salonga and the UP Madrigal Singers in performing arts. Monique Lhuillier and Rafe Totenco in fashion. And these are just the names made famous by the media. There are many more who may not be celebrities but who have gained respect on the world stage.

But to be a truly great nation, we must also excel as entrepreneurs before the world. We must create Filipino brands for the global market place.

If we want to be philosophical, we can say that, with a world-class brand, we create pride for our nation. If we want to be practical, we can say that, with brands that succeed in the world, we create more jobs for our people, right here.

Then, we are able to take part in what’s really important-giving our people a big opportunity to raise their standards of living, giving them a real chance to improve their lives.

We can do it. Our neighbors have done it. So can we. In the last 54 years, Korea worked hard to rebuild itself after a world war and a civil war destroyed it. From an agricultural economy in 1945, it shifted to light industry, consumer products, and heavy industry in the ’80s. At the turn of the 21st century, the Korean government focused on making Korea the world’s leading IT nation. It did this by grabbing market share in key sectors like semiconductors, robotics, and biotechnology.

Today, one remarkable Korean brand has made it to the list of Top 100 Global Brands: Samsung. Less then a decade ago, Samsung meant nothing to consumers. By focusing on quality, design, and innovation, Samsung improved its products and its image. Today, it has surpassed the Japanese brand Sony. Now another Korean brand, LG Collins, is following in the footsteps of Samsung. It has also broken into the Top 100 Global Brands list.

What about China? Who would have thought that only 30 years after opening itself up to a market economy, China would become the world’s fourth largest economy? Goods made in China are still thought of as cheap. Yet many brands around the world outsource their manufacturing to this country. China’s own brands-like Lenovo, Haier, Chery QQ, and Huawei-are fast gaining ground as well. I have no doubt they will be the next big electronics, technology and car brands in the world.

Lee Kwan Yew’s book “From Third World to First” captures Singapore’s aspiration to join the First World . According to the book, Singapore was a trading post that the British developed as a nodal point in its maritime empire. The racial riots there made its officials determined to build a “multiracial society that would give equality to all citizens, regardless of race, language or religion.”

When Singapore was asked to leave the Malaysian Federation of States in 1965, Lee Kwan Yew developed strategies that he executed with single-mindedness despite their being unpopular. He and his cabinet started to build a nation by establishing the basics: building infrastructure, establishing an army, WEEDING OUT CORRUPTION, providing mass housing, building a financial center. Forty short years after, Singapore has been transformed into the richest South East Asian country today, with a per capita income of US$32,000.

These days, Singapore is transforming itself once more. This time it wants to be the creative hub in Asia , maybe even the world. More and more, it is attracting the best minds from all over the world in filmmaking, biotechnology, media, and finance. Meantime, Singaporeans have also created world-class brands: Banyan Tree in the hospitality industry, Singapore Airlines in the Airline industry and Singapore Telecoms in the telco industry.

I often wonder: Why can’t the Philippines, or a Filipino, do this?

Fifty years after independence, we have yet to create a truly global brand. We cannot say the Philippines is too small because it has 86 million people. Switzerland , with 9 million people, created Nestle. Sweden, also with 9 million people, created Ericsson. Finland, even smaller with five million people, created Nokia. All three are major global brands, among others.

Yes, our country is well-known for its labor, as we continue to export people around the world. And after India, we are grabbing a bigger chunk of the pie in the call-center and business-process-outsourcing industries. But by and large, the Philippines has no big industrial base, and Filipinos do not create world-class products.

We should not be afraid to try-even if we are laughed at. Japan, laughed at for its cars, produced Toyota. Korea, for its electronics, produced Samsung. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ biggest companies 50 years ago-majority of which are multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, Procter and Gamble, and Unilever Philippines, for example-are still the biggest companies today. There are very few big, local challengers.

But already, hats off to Filipino entrepreneurs making strides to globalize their brands.

Goldilocks has had much success in the Unites States and Canada, where half of its customers are non-Filipinos. Coffee-chain Figaro may be a small player in the coffee world today, but it is making the leap to the big time. Two Filipinas, Bea Valdez and Tina Ocampo, are now selling their Philippine-made jewelry and bags all over the world. Their labels are now at Barney’s and Bergdorf’s in the U.S. and in many other high-end shops in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

When we started our own foray outside the Philippines 30 years ago, it wasn’t a walk in the park. We set up a small factory in Hong Kong to manufacture Jack and Jill potato chips there. Today, we are all over Asia. We have the number-one-potato-chips brand in Malaysia and Singapore. We are the leading biscuit manufacturer in Thailand, and a significant player in the candy market in Indonesia. Our Aces cereal brand is a market leader in many parts of China. C2 is now doing very well in Vietnam, selling over 3 million bottles a month there, after only 6 months in the market. Soon, we will launch C2 in other South East Asian markets.

I am 81 today. But I do not forget the little boy that I was in the palengke in Cebu. I still believe in family. I still want to make good. I still don’t mind going up against those older and better than me. I still believe hard work will not fail me. And I still believe in people willing to think the same way.

Through the years, the market place has expanded: between cities, between countries, between continents. I want to urge you all here to think bigger. Why serve 86 million when you can sell to four billion Asians? And that’s just to start you off. Because there is still the world beyond Asia . When you go back to your offices, think of ways to sell and market your products and services to the world. Create world-class brands.

You can if you really tried. I did. As a boy, I sold peanuts from my backyard. Today, I sell snacks to the world.

I want to see other Filipinos do the same.

Thank you and good evening once again.

Be Open To Possibilities

Reading this article reminds me of a quotation, “Challenges are not there in our lives to stop us but to help us grow.” I have always used this quotation to motivate others and myself especially when there are challenges in our lives. I still remembered the time when I was there in Philippines, for a business venture, on my own; when I was first being ask to conduct a presentation to a group of audiences, it was a truly terrifying experience.

Public speaking is one of the fears of most people and I am no exception. During that time, I had thought of putting off this terrifying experience. However, on the other hand, a thought comes across my mind, “there will never be a time when I will be totally ready to do something. To be ready, I have to make myself go through it.” And so I did it. From that first terrifying experience, I went on with many other presentation both to group as big as 50-60 and to individual. Come to think of it now, I am fortunate to be given the challenge.

When you imagine your future, do you see unlimited potential or do you see a lack of opportunities? Almost everyday, we are overrun by bad news, bleak outlooks, and people who complain about how miserable their lives are. In such a climate, it’s no small task remaining upbeat and optimistic. But it is precisely that kind of positive attitude that will open your eyes to the opportunities that are always present.

Many of the circumstances appear to block us only because of the assumptions we make. In other words, if we colour our view of the world with negative energy, our behaviour towards it will appear to elicit an unfavourable response. If you look at your environment through cracked and grimy glasses, you won’t see a pretty picture.

When you participate in negative dialogue, either with yourself or with others, you are setting yourself up for failure. It’s almost as if there’s an instinct to prove oneself right, and if you think things will turn out badly, your thoughts and action will contribute to that result. When you retreat from a world you perceive as grim, you’re closing yourself off to the possibilities.

But what happens if you remain open to the possibilities? When you view the world from a perspective of unlimited potential, your attitude will shift. So will the way you engage your employees, customers, friends and family; everyone you come into contact with.

You will project an image of abundance, and your drive and hope will inspire those around you. You will become a motivating force in a climate of openness and courage, a climate that gives back to you just as much, if not more, than what you gave to create it.

When we’re open to possibilities, we see further and are more inclined to take risks. Risks that may not always yield the results we want, but which create more paths towards our goals. You’re only a failure if you stop trying. Because opportunities for success are limitless – when one doesn’t pay off the way you imagined, there’s always the next, and the next. One of them will be the one to catapult you forward, and it could just be the next one.

Being open means that you have to stand confident in the realm of possibilities – no matter the competition and no matter your fear. If your entire focus is on what your competitors are doing, your attitude will be passed on to your employees, and, ultimately, your clients.

But if you focus on what you do best and how to better satisfy your clients and engage with them in new and powerful ways, your results will be quite different!

Two Magic Words That Improve Any Relationship

A recent article I read on improving relationship. Very often than not, we tend to take for granted the people around us; it is as if the people around us should be behaving in certain ways; like taking care of us and loving us. When was the last time that you have shown appreciation to the people around us especially to family members that are closest to us?

Just as what Mother Teresa said, “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.” It is the same with appreciation. Most people yearn for words of appreciation or recognition and yet most do not lavish these words generously. What is stopping you from speaking words of appreciation or recognition? Could it be, “… it takes time and most people consider writing thank you notes a chore …” as suggested in the article? You may be screaming out aloud there, “I know this!” To know and not to do, is yet to know.

It doesn’t matter whether you are at home or on the job, you have to learn to get along with all types of people. Would you like to experience joy in these relationships instead of frustration?

THE MAGIC BEGINS

One of the most useful phrases in improving your relationships is, “I appreciate.” These two magic words will make others feel closer to you and create loyal relationships.

Wouldn’t you like a little more appreciation for what you do? The truth is, so does everyone. People crave appreciation. Nobody ever gets enough, and the most difficult people hardly get any at all. Show your appreciation to people at work or at home, and you will reap the rewards. When you show your appreciation, others will want to do more for you.

Obviously, you know to say “thank you” when someone gives you a gift or does something special for you. However, if you’re seriously interested in improving your relationships, you need to let people know how much you appreciate things that are not special, the things that we just take for granted because people are supposed to do them anyway. Start today by saying, “I appreciate” for all those little things.

FEELING VALUED

Appreciation makes people feel valued. It also builds trust and a feeling of acceptance. These powerful attributes act like a magnet to attract people to you and make them want to continue helping you.

To your co-worker, say, “I appreciate your pleasant smile. It makes me look forward to coming to work.”

To your husband, say, “I appreciate your taking out the trash, helping the kids with their homework, etc.”

BENEFITS

There are even more benefits. When you express your appreciation to others you will feel more peaceful because you are focusing on how others are making your life happier, not on their shortcomings. You will feel more successful because you will be living with an attitude of gratitude for what you have now, even though your life is not perfect.

If that’s not enough, here’s another reason. With your expression of appreciation, you will be creating an atmosphere of love and acceptance. It’s like spreading man-made sunshine into the lives of those who have, in some small way, given something to you.They will, in turn, spread it to others and warm the hearts of many people, just like a pebble tossed into the water spreads ripples far and wide.

GETTING RESULTS

Just think of all the results you can get simply by saying, “I appreciate.” If it makes such a difference why don’t more people show their appreciation?. It’s probably because it takes time and most people consider writing thank you notes a chore. However, it isn’t necessary to make a big deal out of expressing appreciation. A simple phone call, e-mail message or short note only takes a minute or two.

Don’t be like the husband who told his wife on their wedding day, “I’m telling you now that I love you, and if that ever changes, I’ll let you know.”

To help you remember to express your appreciation often, write the names of those you thanked on your calendar, review it each month and realize all the relationships you have improved. You will find out for yourself that saying, “I appreciate” really does create magic.

By Harriet Meyerson, a Speaker, Author and Coach

Choosing To Be Positive

I received this email from a friend today on choosing to be positive. This reminds me of a story I read about a restaurant manager named Jerry. Follow the link to the story if you have not read it yet: It’s Your Choice

How has your day been? How is it going to be? If we had the choice, we’d no doubt want each day to be phenomenal – exciting, enriching, meaningful, joyful and pleasurable. But are you exercising that choice? Do you intentionally and consciously choose your attitude each day?

Most of us tend to allow external circumstances or other people to choose your attitude for us. As in, whether our day is a good one or not is dictated by whether we get up on time, whether the kids give us any trouble, whether the traffic is agreeable, whether the boss is in a good mood, whether another big, thankless task is dumped on us, whether our spouse or partner greets us with a smile.

When you choose to live this way, you are allowing external circumstances to control your mood and disposition. This is fine as long as everything runs smoothly in your life. But that doesn’t happen often, does it? Life is hardly predictable – accidents happen, machines break down, kids have their tantrums, workloads become seemingly unmanageable. And when you finally get home in anticipation of a tender hug and a sympathetic ear, you find instead another frustrated and angry person who can’t wait to dump all the day’s tribulations onto your already tired soul.

What happens then? What happens when you have a lousy day?

You see, the problem with not choosing a positive attitude everyday is that we run the risk of getting a negative one imposed on us at the whim of other people and situations. Our mood is then at the mercy of the volatile. But although we can’t dictate the weather, we certainly can choose how we react to it.

So what if we claim our right to consciously choose our attitude?

Well, we’d invite more joy into our lives. We often overestimate the influence the outside world has on our mood – like if we encounter a surly cashier at the cafe, we feel offended and ourselves become sullen and rude, as if to pay forward this unbearable debt of bad manners. When really, the moment’s tension can be neutralised instantly if we choose not to be affected by someone else’s thoughtlessness.

By choosing a positive attitude each day, we attract more positive experiences into our lives. The quality of each experience often determines the quality of the next experience – I’m sure you’ve been in situations where your plans get thrown off completely because something went wrong. But when things go awry, you can also choose to move on without a scratch, thus affecting a better outcome or future experience.

Buy Skincare Products and Cosmetics – from StrawberryNET.com