Agung Purnomo

The Law of Attraction In 5 Steps

2008-06-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

While you may know how to use the law of attraction to reach a goal, how do you apply it on a day-to-day basis to attract only good things in your life?

This is important as little things can add up. Occasional negativity can have quite a strong, lasting impact on your life. So, with the law of attraction in mind, do the following to attract only the good:

ï¿½Start your day right. Each morning, mentally tell yourself that today is going to be a great day.

ï¿½Always be thankful for something. Everyday, think of at least one thing you are grateful for. It need not be something big ï¿½ it could be the sunny weather, the nice conversation you had with your friend, or anything else that makes you feel good. Immerse yourself in that feeling of thankfulness for a minute or so.

ï¿½Fight negative with positive. When something bad happens and you start feeling bad, allow yourself to feel it only for a short time and do not wallow in it. Then think of something positive that will be powerful enough to replace the negative in your mind ï¿½ it could be the image of a loved one or a very beautiful place you want to go to. You can also play your favorite music, read an inspirational book or anything else that would put you in a positive frame of mind.

ï¿½Surround yourself with positive people. Being around them will keep you positive. Avoid or minimize contact with people who drain you of energy or make you feel down.

ï¿½Have time devoted to your inner self. Dedicate a period of time for quiet or stillness. Free yourself from the daily distractions. Relaxation exercises such as meditation, yoga or even simple techniques such as deep breathing and keeping your midn clear for a few moments can do wonders if done regularly.

The starting point of attracting all the good and great things in life begin with a positive mind.

Joel Riley

Affiliate Marketing, Want To Learn?

2008-06-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Wan to Learn Affiliate Marketing? Well You've Come To The Right Place!

There are tons and tons of resources that you can find about affiliate marketing online.There's websites, blogs, ebooks, reports and tutorials everywhere!

Tho some of them are better then others,and no one really wants to waste their time with the ones that don't follow through with what they promise.

If your just getting into affiliate marketing its easy to drift off and try and go your own way by advertising everywhere and chucking tons of ads on your website just to find out your only making a few bucks here and there, if that!

Alot of people have tried and failed all different kinds of affiliate programs, and alot of people have said that most of them lack the support needed to actually make a profit!

On the other hand alot of people have succeeded with their affiliate marketing and made loads of money, it's easy, yes, EASY. All you have to do is lookin the right places to source the correct information you need.

A good way to succeed by using affiliate programs is to look for an affiliate program

With a well structured training plan and a good support pannel, some of these will offer the best of the best advise which will surley change your mind about trying out yet another affiliate program.

Another thing you would like to do is gather training from all over the internet there is TONS of good material all over the WWW for you to read and study.

It's not an overnight business, and you wont get rich quick, it takes time, but with time comes rewards. Good Luck!

Luke Assad

Why Do Nearly 90% of New Small Businesses Fail?

2008-06-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone has dreamed about starting a business and being their own boss. Most who pursue that dream find only frustration and failure.

Everyone has dreamed about starting a business and being their own boss. Most who pursue that dream find only frustration and failure.
Since 1986, as many as nine out of ten new businesses have closed in their first year. According to a recent survey of failed business owners, “lack of planning” was the number one reason listed for new business failure. Other reasons included were: lack of experience, money, and low sales.

It may be that most people just get tired of feeling used and unappreciated at their jobs. They get their inspiration for entrepreneurship out of frustration. They see a company that they feel could be operated better, and they make the decision to go out and try it themselves. They are sometimes shocked at the overwhelming task of operating and growing a successful business. From lack of planning, and out of total frustration, they close their business and return to their employee status.

It’s really a shame; there are numerous talented people out there who could possibly build a better company. But their lack of planning from the start closes the door on their odds of success, sometimes before they even open the doors of their new business.

One of the most important calculations when planning a new business, which most new entrepreneurs grossly underestimate, is their personal cost of living. They list all the expenses their new business will have, but they neglect to recognize the total of their everyday personal expenses. The household bills still show up in the mail box, even though the chance of showing a profit in new business might take up to three years.

The number one reason people listed for wanting to be self-employed was, “I want to work my own hours.” The time needed to get a new business up and running is a main planning issue also underestimated. New business owners most often need to invest many more hours than they did while working for someone else. Most new entrepreneurs quickly come to realize they have committed to more than the normal forty-hour work schedule. Business owners work an average of sixty hours a week.

Studies show that businesses who do survive longer had more cash up front to invest. Other survival factors included higher education and ten years or more previous experience in their field. Age is also a factor for success. According to a 2002 United States Census Bureau report, most successful business owners are over the age of thirty-five.

If you are considering starting up a business of your own, do the proper planning. Research the industry you’re interested in, and see where the closest competition is. Get yourself educated about your new business. Avoid taking large loans to fund your new venture. Instead, keep your business idea in proportion to the amount of money you have to invest. There’s always a way to work out your idea without exceeding your means.

With as many as nine out of ten new businesses closing in their first year, knowing the reasons for those statistics is crucial to starting a successful business. Being self-employed can be gratifying and rewarding. With the right planning, success is achievable.

Carol Denbow

How to write essays

2008-05-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Strategize, strategize and strategize. This is the key to success and stable continuity. We would teach you how to write essay so that you do not fall out of place when given to handle one.

Strategize, strategize and strategize. This is the key to success and stable continuity. We would teach you how to write essay so that you do not fall out of place when given to handle one.

The foremost thing is to plan the entire flow. This step is very important and provides a full fledged plan of procedure. It marks the information flow path and decides the breakdown of the essay so that it establishes enough cohesion among the modules and final amalgamation of the conclusion.

Sources need to be researched well so that it creates an impression of in-depth research for the topic and referenced too to avoid plagiarism. Searching for sources acts as key in writing a good essay.

Breaking the essay into modules and further into sub modules would depict the art of professionalism. The merge and sort process of handling an essay would further enhance the feature of comprehensively exploring the topic to get a clear picture of pros and cons of the essay.

Providing a rich content in the body section is essential for the success of the essay and also puts stress on the beauty of writing and proper usage of words. Sentence construction is quite vital for efficiently handling the essay.

Linking the various modules and sub modules is very important, things are often logical and such approach is quite seen in practice where linking is the last differentiator between essays. The flow must be well tracked and is responsible for making a great essay.

Providing charts and diagrams with explanations included into the essay act as support for running text and is a fine tool for greater understanding of analysis. The reader gets to feel that the writer has good grip on the topic and knows how to promote it.

Case studies as examples can be provided so that the reader gets to feel the proper context of usage of the essay and its real implication to the changing variables in the atmosphere it functions. It clearly mentions how a particular strategy has worked out for a being or enterprise so that their process can be considered for further process improvement.

Writing style is very important in the entire process and marks its quality.

The following are the points which must be taken care for writing an essay:
1. It must always accompany an abstract, which speaks in short about the entire essay
2. Introduction is very important, it marks the beginning of the essay
3. Statement and word count must be mentioned,
4. Contents page is very crucial to any essay and marks the modular breakdown and definitely the flow of the essay,
5. Body of the essay
6. References list which includes the list of sources consulted and used in the essay
7. Appendix, it may include diagrams, charts and other relevant illustrations which need to be referenced well.

The key to successfully writing of an essay demands the above discussed points and adherence to them can result in great essays that can fetch academic excellence and achieve success in the concerned field.

Gabriel Rise

Dream Interpretation – Wisdom, Science and Religion

2008-05-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

The knowledge we have when we exactly translate the dream messages is more than pure knowledge: it is real wisdom, because the unconscious mind that produces our dreams is wise and saintly. It is responsible for the existence of religiosity in our psyche.

The superiority of the scientific method is evident when we compare the usual interpretations we find everywhere. Usually they are free interpretations, because they are based on personal opinions, with some knowledge about some aspects of the dreams.

These subjective interpretations only analyse the dream, they don’t exactly translate its meaning, as the scientific method does. The scientific method of dream interpretation is an accurate translation of the dream messages. The interpreter has to translate symbols in words.

This is a specific professional translation and it has tremendous value. The knowledge we have when we exactly translate the dream messages is more than pure knowledge: it is real wisdom, because the unconscious mind that produces our dreams is wise and saintly.

It is responsible for the existence of religiosity in our psyche. In fact, it created the various existing religions, so that the human being could learn the truth from different sources, because the entire truth about our existence and the meaning of our lives is too complex.

If I delayed almost 20 years to present my work to the public, it was because I had to simplify a very complicated and time-consuming translation that only intellectuals could learn, into a very simple method that anyone could understand and use everyday.

The truth though is that this part was not so difficult. The real reason for my delay was the discovery of the wild side of the human conscience, which came after continuing the research Jung abandoned, into the unknown region of the human psyche.

This discovery was so important that it completely changed my life. I had to discover the cure for schizophrenia, after having to face it myself. I won the battle against this worst kind of craziness only because I obeyed the directions I was receiving from the wise unconscious mind.

Today my enemies attack me and tell me that I cannot prove that my interpretation is really correct, because their subjective interpretations seem to be correct too…

They attack me when I dare to tell them that I, the humble and insignificant writer, continued the work of the famed psychiatrist Carl Jung, and in doing so, discovered the wild anti-conscience through dream interpretation.

And when I tell them that the unconscious mind is directed by God and that what I discovered also proves the existence and the sanctity of God, then the attacks are even worse.

However, the truth is that I have discovered many scientific proofs of His existence, not only by interpreting dreams but also thanks to several scientific discoveries made at the end of the last century.

These discoveries undoubtedly prove the need of a superior brain to organize the existence of life in our world and to create the various existing species, with so much diversity; besides creating the behavioural programs that allow the survival of all these species in a dangerous environment, since all animals are enemies and our planet is hostile to life in many aspects.

The wild world is dangerous and cruel, because it reflects our own cruelty, since we are wild animals too.

If we want to be free and live happily, we must, first of all, eliminate the dangerous influence of the anti-conscience in our lives.

If all of my enemies would stay silent and listen to me, instead of giving me lessons and trying to show me what is really right according to their opinion, they would understand that I am really too insignificant and I would really never be able to continue the dangerous research that a psychiatrist abandoned because he was afraid of craziness, if I was alone. However, I was guided by the unconscious mind.

The real hero is the wise and saintly unconscious mind that simply chose me, out of all human beings, the insignificant writer, that had only started learning something about psychology, in order to give to the world an example of how anyone can be cured of any mental illness and become geniuses, if they precisely follow the guidance of the unconscious mind in their dreams like I did.

Christina Sponias

How Fit Is Your Programme?

2008-05-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Developing a web site without a written business plan is asking for failure.

Whether you are considering a web site for reselling other peoples products, starting a work at home business, selling your own products, or any other business for that matter you need a written business plan before you spend your first dollar on a web site.

There are over 162 million web sites on the Internet. Getting recognized, building an opt-in email list you can sell to, gaining customer confidence and then building a business on the Internet is not as easy or as inexpensive as some try to make you think it is. Typically you don't find this out until you leap into it, find out it isn't easy, it does cost money, your' re not getting ranked on search engines, and you have few, if any, visitors to your site and no sales.

You then start going in a circle trying to figure out what your doing wrong. You spend money buying products that are supposed to help you make it happen, hiring consultants that tell you "I can save you; just hire me or but my products," signing up for pay per click programs, doing keyword analysis and writing articles all to still find out it's just not working. After spending months and hundreds of dollars most people get frustrated and quit. There are literally millions of dead web sites out there, representing lost dreams of people just like you.

How can you avoid losing your dream? Just like any brick and mortar business, in order to have any chance of succeeding on the Internet you first must develop a well thought out, written business plan. To put a business plan together you have to research your market, your competition and where your sales opportunities might be (your niche in a market), evaluate your strength and weaknesses, and get a better understanding of what you are getting yourself into.

A business plan will help you determine the potential for success, how long it's going to take to make money and how much it's going to cost you. If your' re not willing to take the time to research the business you want to pursue and write a business plan, the odds are greater than 1,000 to 1 you will not make it. You'll get better odds in the stock market or while having fun in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo.

Trust me most people cannot develop and run an Internet business all by themselves. You have strengths and weaknesses, but no one, not even you, can learn everything needed to build a successful business on the Internet. It's not as easy as putting up a web site and presto, your' re in business. It's the ongoing care and feeding of the web site that's going to make you successful.

Your plan does not have to be in a lot of detail unless you also look to using it for your business funding requirements or setting up a strategic alliance of some kind. Typically a good 8-10 page business operating plan will suffice. For this article we will stick with a simple business operating plan.

An operating plan deals with:

- How much it's going to cost you
- What your revenue goals are
- Defining your market niche
- Your strategies and tactics
- How you're going to operate on a day to day basis.

This plan should be written then reviewed regularly (weekly at a minimum to start.)

An outline for developing a typical business operating plan is:

- Define your current status and what you personally want to accomplish.
- Define yours and the business' Vision, Mission, Values
- Put together a SWOT Analysis, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
- Marketing plan. This should include at a minimum:

- Product or service offering
- Market Niche
- Competition
- Keyword definition and analysis

- Strategies and Tactics
- Revenue goals
- Budget

Once the operation plan is in place you are ready to develop your web site with a higher probability of success.

Andrew C. Nester

Finding Your Business Management Style

2008-04-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Business management combines an interesting mix of theory and practice, and it is a particularly relevant area for management and entrepreneurial types to take on board.

Business management combines an interesting mix of theory and practice, and it is a particularly relevant area for management and entrepreneurial types to take on board. Finding a business management style that suits your personality and the nature of your business is both important and worthy of time investment, as being self-aware and being able to identify strengths and weaknesses of various approaches will enable more effective personal development and ultimately more effective management. While many have their own individual business management styles, these are traditionally broadly categorized into three main classes of business management approaches.

Firstly, there is what has come to be known as the autocratic approach to management, which installs more trust in the leadership as opposed to the individual staff. This involves pulling rank and leaves employees in no doubt as to who the management is or what decisions are being made. Rather than engaging employees within the decision making process, this business management style typically concerns businesses that require direct, effective leadership to produce results, often under pressure of working in a tough environment. Upon hearing the term autocratic, many tend to visualise a dictatorial approach to management. While that is perhaps the case, it is seldom as strict as this and it is often a necessary management style, for example in the armed forces or in a high-paced trading environment, where there is no margin for deliberation and group consideration.

Alternatively, there is a business management style known as the democratic style, where employees are effectively engaged in consultation before decisions are made. While some consider this to be more motivating and more enjoyable to work under, it does nevertheless have its own disadvantages. Giving employees a say may undermine the authority of the management, and may ultimately cause inefficiencies in the decision making process. It is also time intensive, and perhaps not as effective in larger organizations with thousands of employees. While of course at a board room level this kind of decision making goes on everyday, it’s one that works most effectively in slower paced business where decisions can be fully deliberated and considered.

An alternative to those two business management styles, and the third main category is what’s known as the laissez fair management style. This is by definition a more hands-off approach to management, which puts the trust of running the business within the hands of employees themselves, and allows a greater degree of autonomy than would otherwise be the case. While this is strong in creative industries, some business people find that this style of management can lead to a fragmented approach to doing business that is less organized and ultimately less professional.

Whichever business management style you liken yourself to, there are advantages and disadvantages of that approach. What’s important is not that you recognize which of these categories you fall under, but rather that you’re aware of the improvements that can be made to make your management more effective and efficient while also improving the relationships you share with employees at all levels of the organization.

Naz Daud

The Distance of Your Move

2008-04-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

here are many expenses associated with moving, especially long distances. Learn how the distance of your move effects pricing.

The moving process has many different costs and handling fees associated with it, however, any move that is considered a long distance move may have some factors in common.

The expense for moving can vary based on the travel distance of your items. If you move ten miles from one part of town to the other, your move could be priced at a flat fee. While the moving fee would be charged for the weight of your items, other specialty charges would involve packing and loading your household items. If, however, you were moving from New York to California, there would be additional charges based on the distance of the move. Today, when gas prices are so high, there might be a special per mile cost for fuel.

The packing, handling, and loading of your items for a long distance move are the same as a short distance move. The movers will load the vans so that heavy items are on the bottom and positioned so that it will ride well. The same care must be taken with a ten mile move just as it would with a cross county move. When the van starts moving, items can shift and get damaged if not properly packed and placed.

One reason you may find damaged items at the end of your move is when your items need to be loaded from one truck to another. This extra handling gives more chances for things to get misplaced or broken. To avoid having your items moved from truck to truck talk to your movers about specifying in the contract that no such moves will take place. If movers cannot agree to this stipulation, be sure that you have plenty of insurance to cover any damage that may occur.

Movers can do a great job of transporting your household goods from your old home to your new one. If you are moving cross-country, do all you can to protect your belongings from damage, and be prepared to pay more for moves of longer distances. If the company does their job right, you will be glad to pay the extra fee.

Josh Allen

Time Management: Need of the Hour

2008-04-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to improve your time management skills? Or do you intend to improve your overall personal effectiveness?

Are you trying to improve your time management skills? Or do you intend to improve your overall personal effectiveness? Do you miss some key details into your personality? In this article, we’ll talk about time management skills and how it can be increased in our day-to-day life.

In today’s competitive world, having good time management skills are really important to achieve maximum success and productivity in the work place it is essential that we understand how we use our time at work. Like many things in life, we take time for granted and give little thought to it until we no longer have enough of it.

Usually, we all have the same amount of time each day but we all implement it differently in our lives and make the effective use of them. It is very true that maintaining an efficient work schedule plays a vital role in formulation of the effective time saving habits that we can use to dramatically increase the productivity.

Time management skills are those skills and abilities that help you to recognize and solve personal time management problems. The purpose of time management activity is to put out the true potential that you can do to improve those skills.

When you learn to manage your time and skill, probably is that you’ll be able to control of your time and life. In addition, a person can learn to improve energy levels and minimizing the stress level. It further helps in registering the progress and better co-ordination & concentration in the activities. With good time management skill, a person will be in position to maintain equilibrium between the work, personal, and family lives. You have enough flexibility to respond to surprises or new opportunities.

There are so many ways through which time management skills can be improved to a great extent. Pick up the right way which can help you to manage your time well.

Synapse India

Create Change in Your Life - Realize Your Vision

2008-03-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

Vision is a big part of that and there is a big difference in vision and sight. Let me make a distinction here. Sight is seeing with the eyes. Vision is seeing through the eyes.

Let’s talk about vision. That’s a big, big piece of being able to create to create what you choose to create in your life. Be able to create magic, literally. I define magic as the ability to create willful change in a fabric of your universe, both spiritually and materially. Vision is a big part of that and there is a big difference in vision and sight. Let me make a distinction here. Sight is seeing with the eyes. Vision is seeing through the eyes. I guarantee you this, when the vision on the inside becomes more compelling and powerful than what you observe on the outside, and then the universe is at your command. It really is.

Most people live their life as sight. A dog can do that. Animals can live by their sensory factors. You are more than that. What we must do is rise above our sensory factors and create that vision internally that modern science now tells us is then projected outward in the world. That is just not medical/physical foo foo anymore. That is reality. We literally project our world outside of us from the vision we have internally.

The ability to create willful change is what vision is all about. My friend James Ray calls that magic. Magic isn’t rabbits being pulled out of hats. It is ability to create willful change in the fabric of your universe, both spiritually and materially. Vision is a big part of that magic. Unless you have a strong imagination, and just look at the word imagination, image is a big part of that word.

If you don’t have the ability to image internally and to envision internally what you choose to create, then you are not going to be able to create that willful change. If you do, the universe is at your command. You are going to have to be able to turn away from sight or the sensory factors, which is seeing with the eyes vs. seeing through the eyes.

I experience it as something that a visionary feeling you have inside you. You can see it, you can feel it. You kind of immerse yourself in the concept of what you want to be.

If you look at the word motion, 99% of that work is motion. If you look at the work motivation, 2/3 of the word motivation is motion. Motion and emotion create vibrations within our body which are the feelings and vibrational universe that is the message you are sending out to the universe and going to attract the law of attraction. Being the law of attracting, those feelings of visual vibrations are going to attract into your life what you are in alignment with. You are never, ever, ever going to attract diamonds into your life if you are resonating with rocks.

Scott Martineau

Quick Short Term Cash Loan – Easy Money for All Your Needs

2008-03-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Quick short term cash loans are ideal for everyone. It can be availed by both tenants and homeowners. It can be used for vacation; wedding, paying debts etc. quick cash short term loans are available both through online market and thorough physical lenders.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to generate extra cash for fulfilling urgent needs. Quick short term cash loan is the best way to do so. Short term cash loans are meant for people in urgent need of monetary assistance.

Information

Short term cash loans are available in the market in both secured and unsecured forms. Secured cash loans can be availed by placing a property as collateral with the lender. This can be any personal property like home, car, bank balance etc. on the other hand unsecured short term loans can be availed without placing any such security against the loan amount. Short term cash loans are open to both good credit borrowers and bad credit borrowers. People suffering from arrears, defaults, CCJ’s, IVA etc are eligible to avail cash loans. Bad creditors can increase their chances of loan approval by opting for secured quick cash loans.

Amount and Interest

Amount that can be borrowed varies from lender to lender. In general the amount that can be availed with short term cash loans ranges from £ 1000 - £ 25000. The loan amount depends upon the credit status, repayment ability and bank details of the borrower. Repayment duration of quick short term cash loan is quite flexible that ranges from 1- 10 years. Quick short term cash loan carries higher interest rate compared to other loans because it is short term in nature but there are many through it can be brought down. The best way to lower the interest rate is applying for secured quick short term cash loan. Deep search of the financial market is advisable in order to lower the interest rate if you don’t have any personal property or if you don’t want to risk your property.

Usage

You can use short term loans for any of your needs. You can use it to renovate your home, vacation, wedding and so on. Also, you can use it to pay urgent bills, loan instalments, debts etc.

Application

Applying for short term loans is very easy. To apply all you need to do is fill up an application form providing information like your address, phone number, employer etc either by visiting a lender or through online method.

Shain Johnson

Essential Elements Of Quality Management System

2008-03-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Essential elements of a good quality management system are described in this article for pharmaceutical industry.

A good quality management system in a pharmaceutical company can significantly improve the net profit status, high quality medicines for patients, less rework and recall which save more money, good work environment and compliance with local and international regulations.

Quality management is a philosophy. It takes management understanding, commitment and responsibility before introducing and implementing the concept. Once practiced a good quality management system slowly develop or reshape a sustainable organization culture that pays off rapidly.

The initial step of introducing a good quality management into a system is to know the essential elements of the quality system and clear study from where to start. Company objectives should be clearly understood. Policies should be prepared. Then comes the design of the process flow, validating the process, material flow and organization chart. When a good integration between people, process and material is achieved the next step is to putting the integrated system in a state of control. Any deviation from the controlled system must be analyzed and corrected.

Some basic but essential elements of Quality Assurance as depicted in GMP guidelines and ISO 9001 guideline for pharmaceutical industry can be listed as: the Preparation of standard operating procedures of a complete system maintaining cGMP principles; Preparation and maintenance of effective change control of quality and master file documentation; Recording and management of manufacturing change control; Recording and reporting procedure of Deviations of your systems; Quality concern investigation process; Customer complaint investigation procedure; Quality audit procedures; Vendor assessment, evaluation and certification procedure; Quality control laboratory procedure, Rework procedures for the defective manufactured products; Procedures on training for manufacturing staffs and recall procedure.

Standard operating procedures and manuals should be written in details and referenced to relevant other documents, so a new starter within the organization should be trained easily and expected to perform as per procedure. The result will be a common standard of activities across the organization, good tractability of work flow, deviations and ease of corrective actions as necessary.

Standard Operating Procedure

You should prepare SOPs, forms, templates and manuals, which can be used immediately as the system runs. Forms and templates should be used for record keeping which your people can follow routinely.

Documentations - Classification, Definition and Approval

Quality and Technical/Master file documents to be created to build up a good quality management system for your manufacturing sites. Definition of documents, their classification, approval requirements and retention requirements should be understood.

Quality Documentation Management and Change Control

Procedures to be created on how to generate new quality documents or change control of existing documents, review of quality documents, satellite file management, role of document author, approver, document control officer and satellite file administrator. In this procedures you will also define the numbering systems of different quality documents like audit files, SOPs, forms, templates, manuals, training files, QA agreements, project files etc and their effective archiving system.

Preparation, Maintenance and Change Control of Master Documents

Procedures to be created which will particularly focus on the management of master file documents like specifications, control methods, raw materials, finished goods and packaging specification and test reports, formulation, stability files etc required to generate during the product registration in the market.

Deviation Report System

It is a regulatory requirement to capture all sorts of deviations evolves in your systems in order to maintain the continuous improvement of your processes and systems. Procedures should be created that describes how to categorize the deviations between production, audit, quality improvements, technical deviations, customer complaints and environmental, health and safety deviations. It should also describes the management responsibilities of initiating deviation, capturing data, analysis, investigation, determination of assignable cause/s, generation of management report and initiatives to be taken on corrective and preventative actions.

Vendor Selection and Evaluation

Procedures to be followed during the vendor assessment and vendor evaluation for purchasing of raw materials, critical and non critical packaging components, laboratory supplies, engineering supplies and imported finished goods from the vendor. These instructions are essential for approving prospective vendor.

Vendor Certification

This procedure aims to describe the process by which a vendor may be certified to supply materials or services. This procedure applies to vendors that supply a material or service to be used at any stage of manufacture by operations. Here you will describe the roles of each department in the process to certify an approved vendor.

Product Complaint Procedure

You should have strong procedure to cover the receipt, logging, evaluation, investigation and reporting system of all complaints received from customers for the marketed products. This procedure should contain step by step instruction to be followed during the customer complaint management like numbering of complaint, registering the complaint, evaluation, determination of assignable cause for the complaint deviation, implementation of corrective and preventative actions, trending of complaints and handling of counterfeit products.

Annual Product Review

Some countries require reports as Annual Product Review to sell your products into their market. So you have to create instructions on how to do annual product review, to evaluate data, trends and to identify any preventative or corrective action that would lead to product quality improvements and report them to management.

Rework Procedure

Procedure should contain the step by step instructions to be followed when the rework of an in-process or completed finished good is required.

Product Identification and Traceability

The purpose of this procedure is to define the method used for the identification of all contributing materials that could affect product quality and to ensure their full traceability.

GMP Audits

Procedure should be created to describe the process of planning, performing, reporting and follow-up of different audits for your systems like Internal Quality audit, Vendor audit, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) audit, EHS workplace inspection, Housekeeping audit.

Evaluation of Batch Documentation and Release for Sale

This procedure should describe the process of collection, evaluation and record of batch related document generated during the production of a batch before an authorized person can release the batch for sale.

GMP Training

Effective GMP related training modules to be created for your manufacturing staffs. Training records and reports have to produce on each employee as justified.

Management and Control of Contract Work

There should have procedure to describe the management and control of contract work provided by the contractors for packaging and finished products for your company as well as control of contract works done by your company on behalf of others.

Quality Concern Investigation Process

Procedure should be made that contains instructions to follow when conducting Investigations collection of data and information, analysis, assigning root cause, determine corrective and preventive actions.

Sami

Turning on your Heart Light

2008-02-11T08:16:00.000-08:00

You do not need to know the when, the where, the how of your meeting . . . just rest in the YES that your soul mate is indeed coming to you.

As you sink into your space remember a time when you experienced love or appreciation . . . it can be something as simple as when you looked into the eyes of a baby, or a pet or a cherished friend . . . allow yourself, in this moment, to re-experience those feelings of love or appreciation. . . as you do this notice the area around your heart . . . breathe these feelings of remembered love and appreciation into the area in and around your heart. . . And I want you to imagine that this experience of love and appreciation allows you NOW to locate your own personal heart light . . . however it appears to you… know that you have an internal heart light. . . see it now and switch it to the ON position . . . Good, take a breath into your heart as you continue remembering the feelings of love and appreciation . . . And as you allow yourself to breathe in these feelings, surrender any doubt or thoughts that you are imaging this. . .

Strongly connected to your internal heart light, imagine now that you can broadcast these feelings of love and appreciation out into the world . . . out to every other heart in the world . . . out to every man, woman, child, dolphin, bird, every sentient being . . . practice now broadcasting your purest love to the world and as you do this, knowing that your inner heart light is now in the ON position . . . know that you are beaming a signal to the heart of your soul mate that you are ready and willing to magnetize them into your life see this light emanating from your heart, this light filled with trust and knowingness, see it filling the spaces around your body and beaming out to the world around you . . . breathe into this light, into this loving feeling and continue to broadcast it out around you.

Sink into the deep knowingness that your soul mate has been touched, just now, by the energy of your heart. Breathe into the deep knowingness that he or she IS on the way. Rest assured that every cell of your being now knows that your soul mate is on the way.

You do not need to know the when, the where, the how of your meeting . . . just rest in the YES that they are indeed coming to you. And allow that thought to bring a smile across your lips. Tell yourself now that it is safe to keep your heart-light on . . . know that you are loved and protected and ready . . . remember that you have much love to give and much love to receive. Know that as you savor the waiting for your soul mate to appear, you can give your love to all around you and as you do this, your heart-light beams stronger and brighter with each loving thought you have. And when you are ready open your eyes remembering to keep your heart open as you do.

Arielle Ford

Venture Capital Negotiating Issues

2008-02-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues. Valuation. Valuation is the most prominent negotiating issues. Valuation is the price of the company in which the venture cap

When companies enter into negotiations with venture capital firms, there are several issues which need to be defined and agreed upon. This article describes the key issues.

Valuation. Valuation is the most prominent negotiating issues. Valuation is the price of the company in which the venture capitalist invests. Valuation determines what percent of the company the investor is buying for their capital.

Timing of the Investment. Many investors will commit a large amount of capital, but will contribute that capital to the companies in installments. Often, these installments are only made when pre-designated milestones are met.

Vesting of Founders' Stock. Like capital, investors often prefer that stock is given to company founders and key employees in installments. This is known as vesting.

Modifying the Management Team. Some investors insist that additional or substitute management employees be hired subsequent to their investment. This gives investors additional security that the company will execute on its business model. An important issue to negotiate with regards to modifying the management team is the amount of stock or options that will be issued to new management team members, as this will dilute the holdings of the founders.

Employment Agreements with Key Founders. Venture capitalists typically do not want companies to have employment agreements that limit the circumstances under which employees can be fired and/or set compensation and benefits levels that are too high. Other key employment agreement issues to be negotiated with venture capitalists include restrictions on post-employment activities and employee severance payments on termination.

Company Proprietary Rights. If the company has an important product with intellectual property (IP), investors will want to ensure that the company, and not a company employee, owns the IP. In addition, investors will want to ensure that new inventions be assigned to the company. To this end, investors may negotiate that all employees must sign Confidentiality and Inventions Assignment Agreements.

Exit Strategy. Investors are very focused on how they will “cash out” of their investment. In this regard, they will negotiate regarding registration rights (both demand and piggyback); rights to participate in any sale of stock by the founders (co-sale rights); and possibly a right to force the company to redeem their stock under certain conditions.

Lock-Up Rights. Venture capitalists may require a lock-up period at the term sheet stage. The “lock-up period” is typically a 30-60 day period where the investors have the exclusive right, but not the obligation, to make the investment. Investors typically conduct due diligence during this time without fear that other investors will pre-empt their opportunity to invest in the company.

Each of these issues is critical when raising venture capital, since the outcome can significantly impact the success of the venture and the wealth potential of the company founders and management team. Because venture capitalists are very knowledgeable regarding these issues, and have great skill in negotiating on them, companies who are raising venture capital should seek advisors who also have this experience and expertise.

Jaswalbhisham

Your Leadership IS Required

2008-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

The author explains that even though you may be looking at or involved in an automated online wealth generating system, you're not off the hook for demonstrating leadership regardless of how good the training might be that is provided by your system team.

Like many people out there, I’ve recently started my own business from home using an automated online system to make my sales for me and really free up a lot of time. However, there is a misunderstanding that I see out there about these systems that I want to make sure gets cleared up. These systems DO create a ton of freedom for you and for your family once you get them up and running, but I want you to understand some things about what it is you’re doing.

First of all, this is a business you’ve started. It is NO DIFFERENT than if you went out and bought a McDonald’s franchise or opened your own travel agency or anything else. You have to treat it that way. I see so many people get started in online businesses with a hobby mentality. Hobbies are expensive, and if you treat this business like a hobby, that’s exactly what it’s going to be. You need to intend it to be a business. If you treat it like a business, it’ll pay you like a business. If you don’t, then it won’t.

Second, people that get into online businesses because they don’t want to talk to other people are going to find some success, but they’re going to eventually hit a wall. Business is a people-centric undertaking regardless of how you might want it to be. You are eventually going to have to help people or you’re going to find your business crumbling very quickly beneath you. These online automated systems are awesome because you don’t have to cold call people or sell, but they are not a person-less business. Your leadership is still going to be required to help your new people get started, even if it’s just as simple as sending them an e-mail reminding them of a training call.

Just as an example, I work from home and I’m accustomed to a certain lifestyle. I wake up at about 8 AM every day to get moving and get on the morning call for my business, whether to listen or participate. I do this because I’ve chosen to do it. That’s as simple as it is. I decided I wanted to make an income and build the things I want from home, so I went out to find out how to do that. Simple stuff. But I had a new member that needed my help, and he happens to live someplace displaced about three time zones east of me.

Did I tell him I couldn’t help because his availability conflicted with my sleeping schedule? Some people might have, I don’t know, all I know is I sure couldn’t do that.

Why?

Because I value him as a team member. I want to make sure he gets the help he needs when he’s able to get it. He was very appreciate for the time we spent on the phone and I know he’s going to go out now and make something happen. If you can’t be bothered with that, if you can’t see how helping someone else makes a positive change in your life as well, then there’s nothing that can be done until you change you frame of mind. Be the example and realize that your leadership is required.

Jeremy Heesch

There Is Always Room At The Top!

2008-01-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

"Good chances for the young no longer exist as formerly, "complained a youthful law student to Daniel Webster. "You are mistaken, "replied the great statesman and jurist, "there is always room at the top."

"Good chances for the young no longer exist as formerly, "complained a youthful law student to Daniel Webster. "You are mistaken, "replied the great statesman and jurist, "there is always room at the top."

Yes! I believed that until now there is always room at the top if we will be ready for the opportunity to come. Always work hard on our self and be higher than our calling. The world will make a path to our door!

Below are few suggested guidelines that can help to bring you to the room at the top. I suggest that you try to follow the precepts daily and surely, you will not be disappointed!

1. Think for a change. Think for the innovation of your being. Do not waste your time for something which you think not worthy, not valuable and could not help to harness your will power to think and grow rich!

2. Read a good book. For these are the vitamins and nutrients for your mind and soul that can help to awaken your giant within.

3. Apply what you have learned from your reading. Remember knowledge will be became power if only you will apply them and put them in the right application.

4. Study the lives of highly successful people. Read their biographies, their writings and copy their formula of success and apply it to yourself. Surely, two to five years from now, you will be at the top of your dreams.

5. Be true to yourself. Always follow the dreams and desire of your heart. Remember, you are the architect of your destiny and you are the architect of your fate. Avoid looking back instead move forward and follow your calling.

6. Keep on moving. Remember this secret formula that can guide and help you to avoid to much disappointment, failures and headaches as you travel in the games of life: work slowly but surely.

7. Never give up. Remember all the greatest men in history were a product of courage and courage you know is born in the cradle of adversity! So hold on! Be strong! Don't ever give up! You can if you think you can! Remember that the only person who can stop you of what God intend you to become is you!

Finally remember my friend, that the best investment you can give to yourself is you! You can make a lot of money by investing in you than any other investment. Therefore always work hard on yourself and you will earn a fortune!

Remember, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM AT THE TOP!

Good luck to your journey in life and God bless!

Moises P. Reconalla

Retaining Employees in a Down Economy

2008-01-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Retaining employees in a down economy is simple but not easy. This article will show you three quick but sure-fire strategies that will help you to keep your employees happy and motivated.

Recently a business owner complained to me about the economic downturn and the effect that it was having on his business generally and his staff particularly. One key area in which a bad economy rears its ugly head is the restlessness of employees and key staff. It made me recall another story I heard about an employee who jumped ship after nearly twenty years in one place! While business owners and managers may not be able (or want!) to keep every staff member from exiting their employ, there are a few strategies that you can enact that will tip the odds of keeping them in your favor.

First, communicate. One of the biggest complaints among employees is lack of communication by their superiors to them. It is astonishing that, with all the communication tools at our disposal, we seem to be communicating less and less. Keeping open lines of communication with your key staff members is imperative. Conduct regular (but brief!) staff meetings, as well as, schedule individual meetings. Make sure you have face time with them and not just contact via email, the web or telephone. Nothing replaces sitting in front of another person to really understand what they are saying. Since communication is only 7% verbal, it’s imperative that you have regular, person to person, human interaction with them. When you ask them how they are doing, listen, really listen to them. They will know that you care and that goes a long way in building loyalty.

Don’t ever make assumptions either. Don’t assume that your employee’s know what you expect, know what you think or know how you want a specific task completed. Tell them, in precise detail what you want from them. Don’t leave anything to chance. You might be surprised how well they perform when you are clear about your desired outcomes.

The second strategy is educate. It seems that many companies are opting for distance or computer training rather than putting the employees in a room with a professional facilitator. I know that it keeps the price down but what is it costing in terms of team building and experiential learning? Companies that regularly choose webinars or teleconferences over actual training are doing a disservice to themselves and to their employees. Create an environment of learning and personal growth for your employees. Regularly scheduled trainings show that you are investing in them and that you want them to grow and develop. What happens if you invest in training them and then they leave? There’s no simple answer. However, don’t let that be the reason to stop you from investing in education for your employees. When you do, they will be better and thus so will your company for whatever time they are with you.

The third strategy while under utilized should not be underestimated. It is appreciate. When I get to this strategy in seminars there is usually one boss or manager in the audience that will sarcastically retort, “I show them I appreciate them every time I give them a paycheck!” Normally I respond by saying, “You’re right. But would you rather be right or look for a new employee?” Touché. That is music to a business persons ears since it usually costs 10X more to recruit, train and hire a new employee than it does to invest in retaining the ones you already have. That is a staggering number. So showing some appreciation to your employees is vital in a down economy.

How do you show them you appreciate them? The simplest and most cost effective way is to have an employee of the month program. Every month have a meeting where one employee who has shown improvement, gone above and beyond or had the best attitude is rewarded with a gift (minimum $50.00 value) publically in front of their coworkers. There are programs available that make this process simple and easy while allowing you to have maximum impact (see www.recognizeandreward.com). You want to “wow” the employee of the month so that he or she talks up what you gave them which in turn motivates others. You can also institute incentives for safety, sales or customer service. But make no mistake a pat on the back along with a gift in their pocket ensures motivation and helps to maintain employee loyalty.

Retaining employees in a down economy is no easy task, but if you begin to communicate, educate and appreciate the value of working with you and your company will increase exponentially!

Bob Sands

Corporate Training: E-learning and Skill Development

2008-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

Training is imparted to the employees to ensure that they stay competent and resourceful for an organization.

Training is imparted to the employees to ensure that they stay competent and resourceful for an organization. The purpose of providing corporate training is to ensure the development of employees and to see that they are skilled and competent to take up any challenge.

Online training provides better results in skill enhancement as compared to traditional methods of training. It is convenient, easy to take; self paced, and can be easily assessed and measured. It helps to improve productivity and ensures development.

Most of the employees of an organization come from diverse backgrounds and hence possess different skill sets. They need to be trained in order to bring all of them at par with one another. They need to be trained on the skills that would be required in order to perform the job and to deliver solutions to clients. Some might possess such skills right from the beginning while some others don't. Challenges of imparting training to such people with diverse backgrounds can be addressed by e-learning tools and techniques.

E-learning helps one to take up the required learning. For those who have already have the knowledge of advanced learning, there are less chances of getting bored, as they might not be required to undergo the online training modules. By doing so, the learners who require the training will be able to make most out of it and achieve greater learning outcomes.

Online training solves this problem. It avoids the trainers directly to take an intermediate level, as they start giving training neither from beginning nor at the advanced level. This hurts the entry level beginners. Online training programs are designed in a step by step manner.

Beginner can start right through the first step whereas the advanced level learners can directly skip the initial few steps and take up the advanced level courses.

Trainees can spend their time want learning a particular module. This helps them to have a very strong fundamental background before they proceed with their job.

E-learning helps in skill development by controlling the kind of training that learners would require. It monitors the applications for corporate training and allows training managers to supervise the overall learning pace and development in their organization. Hence, the result is goal development and achievement for all.

Employees appreciate the management’s efforts whereas the management is also seen as supportive of employees.

Online learning can hence be seen as the most efficient tool for employee skill development. It should be thoroughly explored and put to use in a growing and developing organization.

Shiva Purohith

Make Room for True Love – Clear Your Space and Your Mind

2007-12-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

As you begin to put your attention on manifesting your soul mate, you will want to do a space clearing throughout your home to release negative or obstructive energies left over from previous relationships.

As you begin to put your attention on manifesting your soul mate, you will want to do a space clearing throughout your home to release negative or obstructive energies left over from previous relationships. Even if you are in a new home or apartment, there can be residual negative energies from your past, or even the previous occupants or just from the environment. By intentionally clearing your energetic space you can begin with a clean slate.

Simple Energy Clearing Techniques:
The Native American practice of “smudging” is the practice of cleansing away negative energy with smoke from various herbs or resins including sage, cedar, sweetgrass and lavender. The tradition of smudging is becoming more commonplace and is one of the most popular clearing techniques.

Your local metaphysical bookstore will have a variety of products available including smudge sticks, smudge wands, and smudge bundles. Select one that feels most comfortable to you. I prefer to use California sage and I like to smudge during the day. I begin by opening all the doors and windows and letting in as much sunshine as possible. I like to begin at the front door and systematically go through the entire home. You want to reach every corner, closet and room of your entire home. As you do this be mindful of your intention and your thoughts. In the Native American tradition it is common to pray throughout the entire process. You can use the prayers that feel most comfortable to you and something as simple as “I am grateful for the purification of this space” will also work. Your purpose is to clear all negative energy from your personal space and to welcome in new, fresh, positive energy that is supportive and loving.

If you don’t like the smell of sage, or live in a small place or a home with less-than-excellent ventilation, here are some other space clearing techniques:

Use your favorite incense. Move around your home in the same way as described above with three lit incense sticks.

Pour a glass of clean water, add in a bit of your favorite perfume, then walk around the house dabbing the tip of a hankerchief in the cup and then generously “spritzing” the perfumed waters all about with the flick of a wrist.

Another way to clear energy is to fill shot glasses with salt and put them in the corners of each room for several days.

Place crystals with different properties in strategic areas to draw out and fend off negative energies.

Arielle Ford

Do Guardian Angels Exist?

2007-11-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Guardian angels are a controversial topic, and opinion on whether or not they exist is very much divided.

Do Guardian Angels Exist?
Author: Bob Miller

Guardian angels are a controversial topic, and opinion on whether or not they exist is very much divided.

Guardian angels are a controversial topic, and opinion on whether or not they exist is very much divided. On one hand, there are those that reject the claims of anything spiritual and suggest that there is no logical possibility of some divine body protecting and guarding individuals from harm, while the opposing side swear from personal experience and anecdotal evidence that there is without a doubt some third party protector who has intervened in their lives or altered their path dramatically. Either way, establishing the presence of guardian angels is no easy task.

Proving categorically whether or not guardian angels exist is impossible, because proving faith at any level is impossible; it isn’t called ‘faith’ for nothing. However, by working with arguments from both sides of the fence, it may be possible to hypothesize more accurately the status of the guardian angel and whether it is feasible that angels may exist and have the ability to impact our lives.

The anti-spiritual camp tends to approach guardian angels and the concept of faith generally with the same disdain. They suggest that the concept of the guardian angel seems anomalous with other aspects of the Christian faith, such as that all men are created equal – why then should only some be able to avail themselves of this divine protection? Another common suggestion is that the concept of guardian angels derives from the Bible, which it says is a less than authoritative text on a logic and facts-based point of view, with only the written word to prove or disprove their existence.

The account of things on the spiritual side is less conclusive and coherent than their non-believing counterparts. But that’s not without good reason. The experience of a guardian angel is one that is truly personal; so it is more important to gather evidence and accounts from those claiming to have had such experiences. Interestingly those who do claim to have come into contact with guardian angels seem to come from a broad cross-section of society, and they tend to have very little in common with their contemporaries other than their spiritual experience. In fact, some of those having experienced guardian angels were themselves previously sceptical about their existence and disputed the role of spirituality and religion.

For either side of the guardian angel debate, the other’s reasoning is hard to follow and abhorrent to their respective belief systems. Whether or not guardian angels exist, it seems the only way to join the believers’ side is to experience it first hand, through the testimony of someone close to you who experienced a guardian angel, or the intervention of some holy body in the way you live you life.

What is apparent is that whether or not you believe in guardian angels, there will never and can never be any definitive proof on either side as to their existence and their role in faith and our day-to-day lives.

Bob Miller

You Can Eliminate Scarcity Thinking

2007-10-07T08:11:00.000-07:00

Do you think the Law of Attraction doesn't work for you? It's working - it's bringing you exactly what you think about - all the time.

Is the Law of Attraction not working for you? Maybe it's because you think that there is not enough to go around or that you're not good enough or that others always seem to get what you want.

Honestly, I've thought these same things myself. And it's beliefs and it's thoughts like these that work against us and help to sabotage whatever positive work we're doing. The Law of Attraction works whether you believe it can or not. And it's powered by your most prevalent thoughts.

For most of us, our most prevalent thoughts occur without us ever being aware of them. They come from our subconscious where all of our beliefs have been stored, waiting to be called upon, and used as needed.

Our belief systems are formed by the personal world in which we live; the country in which we are born, the social groups we belong to, the spiritual doctrines to which we adhere, the science we subscribe to, our experiences and relationships with parents, lovers, family, friends and sometimes even strangers, and the level to which we interact with that which is unseen, or the mysteries of the unknown realms - the Source.

All of our experiences get locked away in our subconscious along with our reptilian brain and strung together in a convoluted mass that comes out when needed, most especially when we feel threatened in some way, perceived or real. Ever heard the term pushing my buttons? Those buttons are connected to long-term held beliefs and belief systems. The old method of dealing with this was to remove the buttons. While that may work for some, it is much better to remove the beliefs behind the buttons.

Once you remove your limited beliefs you can replace them with unlimited beliefs that align with your dreams and desires. Some examples of unlimited beliefs are:

oI'm not lucky
oI won't get that job
oNo-one will ever read what I've written
oMary won't go out with me
oBill won't go out with me
oI'm not good enough
oI don't make enough money
oI always get sick at this time of the year

Start listening to your own speech, you will find your limiting beliefs begin with such statements as I can't, I'm not, I have to, it's impossible to. You'll be surprised how much of your conversation stems from your limiting beliefs. And you wonder why the Law of Attraction isn't working in your life?

It is - it's bringing to you what you primarily focus on whether you're aware of it or not. Now that's a fine howdy-do I bet you're asking - well if I don't know what these beliefs are and they're popping up whether I'm aware of it or not, how am I to ever know what's going on? Your first clue is to listen to your feelings. How do you feel? Do you feel crappy? That's a clue.

One way to attune to your desires is to notice how you feel and change so that you're happy, watch a movie, a comedy, listen to a song you like, call your friend, do something that makes you feel good.

All of these things will work - but it will only change your feelings - not your subconscious beliefs. Changing your subconscious beliefs take work from you. Work and commitment. Some ways to do that are:

oUse positive affirmations
oDevelop a daily gratitude list
oQuit listening to things that create negative thinking in your life
oMeditate
oFind a Life Coach
oUse Neural Linguistic Programming (NLP)
oUse the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
oLearn to Let Go and Let God

What works for you may not work for someone else. But finding what works for you and then practicing it can free up your subconscious from limiting beliefs that once served you, but now no longer do.

The truth of the matter is - it's your journey and you can do what you want. But wouldn't life be so much better if you were free of the beliefs that keep you from really succeeding at what you want in life?

Laurie J. Brenner

Asset - Thinking About the Needs of Others

2007-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

We can be selfish people can’t we? We can get so focused and consumed with “me” that we do not pay any attention to the people around us.

We can be selfish people can’t we? We can get so focused and consumed with “me” that we do not pay any attention to the people around us.
We can be selfish people can’t we? We can get so focused and consumed with “me” that we do not pay any attention to the people around us. I think of a husband who is so wrapped up in his job or business. He works 60 plus hours trying to climb to the top or works hard to make his business successful. If you ask that husband if he loves his family, you will get an emphatic yes with a response like, “That’s why I am working so much” or “I am doing this for them”. The reality is he is not working long hours for his wife and children. The opposite actually is true; he is working long days for himself. I think of times when I saw someone pulled off to the side of the road and did not stop to see if they needed a hand or to make a phone call. I just wanted to get home and shave, get a shower, and relax. I think of the retail salesperson who is more interested in me walking out with a 50” plasma TV for $2,500 than he is about actually spending time to answer questions and give honest answers. I think of the car salesman who just wants to sell his next car that he’ll say anything.

On ABC’s Primetime segment “What Would You Do?” we watch as many men and women walk by individuals in their time of need. We rationalize in our minds that we should not get involved in other people’s business. We allow fear to grip and paralyze us from taking some type of action. No matter what the situation we must use wisdom in dealing with it. However, we can do something can’t we? It is pure selfishness on our part if we see someone being abused in some way or hurting and not do anything about it. We can at least do something.

We can really be selfish. In fact, it is built within us. We have a selfish nature. We do not have to work at it; we are selfish by nature. Like a lion, bear, or shark are killers by nature; we are selfish by nature. If we just act normal, we will usually act selfish. Remember when we were kids? Everything was mine. We would throw some of the worse tantrums if we didn’t get our way. Maybe you have children or grandchildren right now who do these very things. Granted a baby should be selfish, but as we grow up that selfishness does not leave us. So really it is abnormal to be selfless. In other words, it is something that does not come natural. If we desire to do it more, then we must work at it.

How do we become less selfish and become more selfless? The simple answer to that is we think about the needs of others more. We pay more attention to what is going on in the lives of those around us and in our community. People by and large want to do the right thing and are generally good. I believe if more people were selfless it would change the face of our community, state, nation, and the world. Look at it this way, if you were in a desperate situation and needed another person’s assistance, how would it make you feel that somebody came to your rescue? If we want to be treated with respect and dignity, we should treat others the same. If we would like to be helped and cared for in the time of need, we should help and care for others in their time of need. Simply reminding ourselves to do to others what we want done to ourselves is a good start.

We must also rid ourselves of present “selfish” habits and start new ones. If I have the habit of not assisting my wife with the children, laundry, or the dishes then I can start building a new habit today by helping her with those things. If I have never taken the time to sit in the stands and watch my son play football or my daughter’s basketball game then I can change that and begin today to do so. How easy is it to change present habits? It is as easy as doing the opposite of what I have been doing. However, that is the challenge. It is easy to think about doing the opposite of what I have been doing, but actually doing it is the challenge. It is also easy to change a present habit for one day, but can you change it for 30 consecutive days? This is how present habits become a thing of the past.

Believe me, I am not saying that we should not accomplish and fulfill things for ourselves. Although, I am saying there should be a balance. I am also saying there is a better way to have that sense of fulfillment and accomplishment and that is through helping others. How awesome is it to put a smile on someone’s face that just a few moments ago were terribly sad? It makes you feel good inside to give a couple bucks to someone who could use a meal. It feels good to help an elderly person with their groceries. It’s fulfilling to help someone on the side of the road put a spare tire on. I have had the great privilege of visiting third world countries and while the poverty grabs your attention immediately it is so fulfilling to help them with food, medicines, clothes, construction, etc. I personally believe it is more rewarding to be selfless than selfish.

What are some other practical things we can do to meet the needs of others? We can volunteer in many places. We can volunteer at a church. We can volunteer at Habitat for Humanity and help build a home for a needy family. We can serve at the local soup kitchen and help feed the hungry. We can visit neighbors and see if there is something around their house they can use a hand with. We can volunteer at an abused women’s shelter or homeless shelter. We can get involved in charitable events that help the less fortunate. We can financially support organizations that are making a good difference in our community. With minimal thought we can think of many ways to help others.

What opportunities to help and serve others have you missed? How can you change that and take full advantage of those opportunities? What new habits do you desire to start? Write them down and begin practicing them today. Start with your family. How can you show your spouse and children you love them? Write down ways you can show love through action to your family. What volunteer opportunities are available in your community? Research and write down places where you can volunteer. Make plans to visit those places this week. Who can you lend a helping hand to in your neighborhood or at work? A true asset in this world is the individual who cares for the needs of others more than they do their own. It is very fulfilling and gives a great sense of accomplishment. It truly is better to give than to receive.

Josh Perez

Dream Interpretation – Wisdom, Science and Religion

2007-08-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

The knowledge we have when we exactly translate the dream messages is more than pure knowledge: it is real wisdom, because the unconscious mind that produces our dreams is wise and saintly. It is responsible for the existence of religiosity in our psyche.

he superiority of the scientific method is evident when we compare the usual interpretations we find everywhere. Usually they are free interpretations, because they are based on personal opinions, with some knowledge about some aspects of the dreams.

These subjective interpretations only analyse the dream, they don’t exactly translate its meaning, as the scientific method does. The scientific method of dream interpretation is an accurate translation of the dream messages. The interpreter has to translate symbols in words.

This is a specific professional translation and it has tremendous value. The knowledge we have when we exactly translate the dream messages is more than pure knowledge: it is real wisdom, because the unconscious mind that produces our dreams is wise and saintly.

It is responsible for the existence of religiosity in our psyche. In fact, it created the various existing religions, so that the human being could learn the truth from different sources, because the entire truth about our existence and the meaning of our lives is too complex.

If I delayed almost 20 years to present my work to the public, it was because I had to simplify a very complicated and time-consuming translation that only intellectuals could learn, into a very simple method that anyone could understand and use everyday.

The truth though is that this part was not so difficult. The real reason for my delay was the discovery of the wild side of the human conscience, which came after continuing the research Jung abandoned, into the unknown region of the human psyche.

This discovery was so important that it completely changed my life. I had to discover the cure for schizophrenia, after having to face it myself. I won the battle against this worst kind of craziness only because I obeyed the directions I was receiving from the wise unconscious mind.

Today my enemies attack me and tell me that I cannot prove that my interpretation is really correct, because their subjective interpretations seem to be correct too…

They attack me when I dare to tell them that I, the humble and insignificant writer, continued the work of the famed psychiatrist Carl Jung, and in doing so, discovered the wild anti-conscience through dream interpretation.

And when I tell them that the unconscious mind is directed by God and that what I discovered also proves the existence and the sanctity of God, then the attacks are even worse.

However, the truth is that I have discovered many scientific proofs of His existence, not only by interpreting dreams but also thanks to several scientific discoveries made at the end of the last century.

These discoveries undoubtedly prove the need of a superior brain to organize the existence of life in our world and to create the various existing species, with so much diversity; besides creating the behavioural programs that allow the survival of all these species in a dangerous environment, since all animals are enemies and our planet is hostile to life in many aspects.

The wild world is dangerous and cruel, because it reflects our own cruelty, since we are wild animals too.

If we want to be free and live happily, we must, first of all, eliminate the dangerous influence of the anti-conscience in our lives.

If all of my enemies would stay silent and listen to me, instead of giving me lessons and trying to show me what is really right according to their opinion, they would understand that I am really too insignificant and I would really never be able to continue the dangerous research that a psychiatrist abandoned because he was afraid of craziness, if I was alone. However, I was guided by the unconscious mind.

The real hero is the wise and saintly unconscious mind that simply chose me, out of all human beings, the insignificant writer, that had only started learning something about psychology, in order to give to the world an example of how anyone can be cured of any mental illness and become geniuses, if they precisely follow the guidance of the unconscious mind in their dreams like I did.

Christina Sponias

Your Journey toward Personal Growth

2007-07-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Personal Growth encourages proactive learning. Here’s a metaphor to describe it: you can water a plant or wait for it to rain. When you water a plant, you are proactively providing the resource required for its growth.

Everyone defines Personal Growth in his or her own terms. It is amazing how many people refer to it as a journey, while others look at it as an evolution.

I believe Personal Growth encourages proactive learning. Here’s a metaphor to describe it: you can water a plant or wait for it to rain. Each action or reaction has a very different outcome. When you water a plant, you are proactively providing the resource required for its growth. The same concept applies to your life. You can either create the life of your dreams or settle for what you get.

Personal Growth is a personal journey about becoming aware, obtaining knowledge, and learning from every situation in life. It is about being grateful, optimistic, and going after what you want.

There are many ways to experience Personal Growth, such as: attending seminars, reading books, listening to audio programs, watching inspirational movies, having a mentor or coach, spending time with supportive friends, meditating, journaling and especially finding lessons in everyday experiences.

Personal Growth speeds up the process of taking in and absorbing wisdom fully so you don’t have to learn through repeated trial and error. One of the quickest methods to accelerating your Personal Growth is to consider the company you keep: Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will hold you accountable to fulfilling your full potential and living your dreams.

But that’s just my opinion. Here’s what Lew Bronstein, business professional, considers Personal Growth:

“Learning something new and applying it each and every day gives meaning and purpose to our lives. Growth is the ability to learn how to take any situation either good or bad and get the most out of it, and then share what you’ve learned from the experience. Making progress in life is about taking responsibility for ourselves and being responsible to others. It is about using past pains as a motivator to embrace future pleasures. In summary it is about our stepping up to the plate of being all we can be and then striving for more!”

How do you define your personal growth? How do you define your personal journey?

Manny Goldman

Solusi Kreatif Terkadang Sangat Sederhana

2007-06-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

“One Day can change your life. Yes, even one moment can change your life. You just never know when that day or moment will come.” Mike Fry

Ini kisah perjuangan mewujudkan mimpi yang berlangsung 14 tahun. Mike Fry masih ingat ketika dia menuliskan banyak sekali mimpinya, maka Goal #118 selalu membuatnya bersemangat. Ia ingin mewujudkan mimpi no 118 itu : mempunyai paten atas suatu temuan.
Perjuangan Mike Fry selama 14 tahun merupakan perjalanan yang penuh derita dengan kebangkrutan dan skeptisme.

Namun dia berhasil melewati itu semua dengan kegigihan mempertahankan mimpinya. Keberhasilan dia mulai nampak setelah mengikuti anjuran untuk mendatangi suatu pameran. Suatu kejadian kebetulan (yang mungkin bukan kebetulan) mempertemukan dia dengan orang yang tepat, seorang ahli mainan yang memberi kunci bertemu dengan desainer mainan. Ide bertahun-tahun yang gagal mendadak berhasil dengan solusi sangat sederhana : mengubah bentuk bantal menjadi beruang Teddy.

Kisah nyata penemu boneka Always Together Bear ini menarik untuk dikaji dalam dua hal : 1. aspirasi yang kuat membantu kita menemukan kesempatan yang tepat (perhatikan kisah dia mengahrapkan teman duduk di bis) 2. solusi kreatif terkadang sangat sederhana, yaitu “plussing” - menambah sedikit dari yang sudah ada (perhatikan bagaimana bantal ‘dimasukkan’ ke boneka beruang)

How Inspiring!

Hidup Mengalir Dengan Multi Skenario

2007-06-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

”Aku sih hidup mengalir saja… ,” demikian celetuk seorang teman.
“Ya.. kalau mengalir tanpa terkendali itu namanya HANYUT…,” tukas saya menimpali teman tersebut

Kebanyakan orang hidup mengalir mengikuti irama jaman. Kebanyakan orang pula bertanya-tanya kenapa hidupnya tak juga maju?

Suatu ketika, dalam sebuah pelatihan tentang analisis kompetitor di PT Telkom, trainer membahas tentang pentingnya Scenario Planning bagi sebuah perusahaan. Diskusi tersebut sangat seru dan intens, mengingat selama ini seringkali hanya ada satu perencanaan tunggal yang menjadi target perusahaan di awal tahun.

“Scenario Planning bukan ditujukan untuk meramalkan masa depan. Tujuan sesungguhnya adalah untuk mengantisipasi berbagai keadaan yang mungkin terjadi…,” demikian kami jelaskan kepada peserta, mengutip pendapat Michael Porter dalam bukunya Competitive Advantage, mengenai kegunaan scenario planning.

Mengantisipasi, itu adalah sikap yang lebih tepat daripada sekedar ‘meramalkan’ masa depan. Bila meramalkan, maka kita membuat perkiraan hal apa yang paling mungkin terjadi. Sedangkan mengantisipasi berarti membuat berbagai gambaran kemungkinan yang bisa terjadi, kemudian mengambil strategi untuk bersiap terhadap semua yang mungkin terjadi tersebut. Dan itulah tujuan utama scenario planning.

Scenario Planning sendiri mulai populer di tahu 70-an ketika terjadi krisis harga minyak dunia yang tiba-tiba melambung tinggi. Saat itu bukan tidak ada minyak, tapi harga minyak melambung karena krisis politik di Timur Tengah. Shell, adalah perusahaan minyak yang telah menerapkan scenario planning. Di awal tahun 70-an, Shell membuat berbagai skenario yang mungkin terjadi, salah satunya adalah melambungnya harga minyak dunia, suatu kondisi yang jauh dari ramalan kebanyakan para ahli ekonomi saat itu. Dan ternyata kejadiannya adalah sesuatu yang berbeda dari kebanyakan ramalan, harga minyak melambung menyebabkan kelesuan ekonomi dunia. Shell, yang sudah menyiapkan diri dengan berbagai skenario tersebut mampu memanfaatkan keadaan, sehingga melejit menjadi 3 besar dunia. Perusahaan lain yang beruntung dalam kondisi krisis minyak saat itu adalah perusahaan-perusahaan mobil Jepang yang sukses memasarkan mobil ukuran kecil bagi pasar Amerika (salah satunya adalah Honda Civic berukuran kecil, yang tadinya dipandang skeptis akan dibeli orang Amerika).

Hidup mengalir? Itulah yang terjadi pada sebagian besar orang (dan sering berakhir menyedihkan). Sebenarnya mereka bukan tanpa rencana, namun rencana mereka tak sesuai dengan kenyataan. Jadilah mereka terhanyut oleh kehidupan. Misalnya seorang mahasiswa, biasanya dia sudah membayangkan (punya cita-cita/mimpi) bahwa nanti setelah lulus dia akan bekerja di suatu tempat dengan gaji besar, menikah dengan idamannya dan punya anak, dan begini, dan begitu seterusnya. Apa yang terjadi? Kebanyakan mimpinya tak juga terwujud. Setiap hari masih naik angkutan yang sama, pergi dan pulang pada jadwal yang sama, dan merasakan hidupnya yang sama, tak juga maju-maju. Lebih celaka lagi sering kondisi berubah mendadak menyebabkan semua rencana kacau balau dan akhirnya hanya bisa pasrah menjalani hidup. Itulah contoh kebanyakan hidup yang mengalir.

“Ya kalau mengalirnya ke laut, kalau mengalirnya ke comberan… ?” gurau saya kepada teman. Maksudnya adalah, ya kalau dalam hidup ini –yang kita mengalir di dalamnya- ternyata betul membawa kita ke kondisi yang sesuai harapan dan mimpi kita (kerja keras, naik jabatan dan naik gaji, anak-anak tumbuh cerdas, keluarga bahagia, bisa haji dan keliling eropa, dll) tentu kita senang. Bagaimana kalau sebaliknya? Sikut-sikutan di kantor, krisis ekonomi lagi, sekolah makin mahal, PHK, dll. Tentu hidup yang mengalir itu akan berakhir di comberan. Ini namanya tragedi.

Yang betul adalah hidup mengalir dengan terkendali. Ibaratnya kita sedang main arung jeram menyusuri sungai, maka kalau kita menggunakan perahu karet yang baik, dengan dayung untuk kendali, bahkan dengan helm dan jaket pelampung, tentunya jauh lebih terkendali dibandingkan kita terjun ke sungai tanpa perahu karet, tanpa dayung, tanpa jaket pelampung. Menyiapkan diri dengan rakit, dayung, dan jaket pelampung itulah sikap seorang yang hidup dengan kendali. Kita tidak mampu mengendalikan arus sungai, namun kita selalu mampu mampu untuk mengambil sikap mengendalikan perahu kita.

Nah, kembali ke pelatihan analisa kompetitor di Telkom tadi, kesimpulan kami adalah sangat penting bagi perusahaan untuk menyiapkan multi skenario, bukan sekedar skenario tunggal. Dengan adanya multi skenario itu dapat dirancang strategi yang adaptif dan mampu mengatasi apapun skenario yang akhirnya terjadi. Berpegang hanya pada skenario tunggal menjadi sangat riskan mengingat perubahan politik, ekonomi, maupun teknologi di masa global ini bisa terjadi dengan sangat cepat.

Tiba-tiba terpikir dalam benak saya, bagaimana dengan skenario untuk diri kita sendiri? Apakah kita sudah punya multi skenario untuk masa depan? Bagaimana kalau karir kita tak berjalan mulus seperti yang kita bayangkan? Bagaimana kalau kondisi berkembang ke arah yang berlawanan dengan apa yang kita harapkan? Apakah kita sudah siap?
Bagaimana dengan tahun 2007 ini dan 2008 mendatang ? Apakah ramalan mereka yang optimis itu benar terjadi (bahwa ekonomi Indonesia akan membaik, karena kondisi makro 2006 katanya sih baik)? Atau justru ramalan mereka yang pesimis lah yang terjadi (banyak bencana ditandai jatuhnya pesawat terbang, krisis ekonomi global, ekonomi riil yang stagnan, banyak PHK)? Ah, mudah saja. Kita ambil saja semua ramalan itu menjadi multi skenario. Ada skenario positif optimis, dan ada yang negatif pesimis. Kemudian ambil beberapa strategi yang bisa mengantisipasi semua kemungkinan itu.

Jadi apa multi skenario Anda? Apa yang Anda rencanakan andai ekonomi membaik dan bisnis Anda juga ikut melejit? Bagaimana pula kalau ekonomi membaik, sayangnya bisnis Anda tidak termasuk yang beruntung menikmatinya, apa strategi Anda? Bagaimana pula kalau kondisi memburuk, peluang apa yang akan muncul dan bisa Anda manfaatkan? Bagaimana kalau kondisi memburuk dan bisnis Anda pun memburuk, apa persiapan (jaga-jaga/tabungan) yang sudah Anda lakukan? Bagaimana pula skenario hidup masa depan Anda, apakah sudah punya beberapa pandangan (atau hanya skenario tunggal yang –maunya- bagus-bagus dan sukses saja)? Bagaimana kalau karir melejit, dan bagaimana pula kalau karir ternyata anjlok? Bagaimana kalau kesehatan selalu bagus, bagaimana pula bila terjadi musibah? (Bahkan bagaimana kalau semua mimpi indah itu kandas karena ternyata kita mati muda, misalnya, sudahkah kita siap?)

Skenario planning tampaknya layak kita terapkan buat kita sendiri, bukan hanya untuk perusahaan kita. Tentunya biar kita menjadi lebih bijak dan penuh kendali saat ikut mengalir dalam kehidupan ini.

= = =
What is scenario planning?
‘‘An internally consistent view of what the future might turn out to be—not a forecast, but one possible future outcome.’’ Porter, M. Competitive Advantage
Scenarios provide alternative views of the future. They identify some significant events, main actors and their motivations, and they convey how the world functions. Building and using scenarios can help us explore what the future might look like and the likely changes of living in it. www.Shell.com

Situs menarik : www.ScenarioThinking.org

Menulis Sebagai Terapi Emosi

2007-06-07T02:31:00.000-07:00

Berkisahlah kemudian Pennebaker tentang veteran perang Vietnam bernama John Mulligan. “Saya dulu seperti kerang kosong yang berjalan-jalan di jalanan. Menulis telah membuatku merasa punya jiwa,” ujar Pak Pennebaker mengutip pernyataan John Mulligan ketika menyampaikan pengalaman pada WebMD.

Menurut tuturan Pennebaker, John Mulligan menjadi punya jiwa setelah dia mengikuti workshop menulis untuk para veteran perang Vietnam yang dipandu pengarang terkenal Amerika Serikat, Maxine Hong Kingston. Maxine menganjurkan kepada para veteran perang tersebut untuk mengungkapkan semua pengalaman traumatis dalam bentuk tulisan. Apa yang diperoleh John Mulligan kemudian? Mulligan, yang berusia 49 tahun ketika menyampaikan pengalamannya kepada WebMD, dapat melahirkan novel berjudul Shopping Cart Soldiers! Dan tak cuma itu, setelah mengikuti workshop menulis setahun kemudian dapat berdamai dengan dirinya. Dia dapat memindahkan pengalaman buruknya di medan perang ke dalam kata-kata. Pikirannya pun menjadi jernih dan - sebagaimana disampaikannya sendiri- “jiwanya menjadi eksis”.

“Lusinan penelitian telah membuktikan bahwa kebanyakan orang yang pernah memiliki trauma buruk di masa lalunya akan menjadi lebih baik dan lebih sehat setelah menulis,” demikian ujar Pennebaker.

Journal of the American Medical Association, edisi 14 April 1999, melaporkan bahwa menulis secara ekspresif dapat menurunkan simptom asma dan rheumatoid arthritis. Joshue Smith, Ph.D., asisten profesor psikologi dari North Dakota State University dan koleganya, melakukan penelitian dengan meminta sebanyak 70 penderita asma dan rheumatoid arthritis untuk menulis tentang peristiwa paling menekan dalam kehidupannya.

Partisipan dari penelitian tersebut dianjurkan untuk menulis tentang luka masa lalunya selama 20 menit dalam 3 hari. Kelompok lain yang terdiri dari 37 pasien diminta untuk menulis tentang rencana mereka pada hari itu. Empat bulan kemudian, 47 persen dari kelompok yang menulis tentang trauma masa lalunya menunjukkan perbaikan signifikan. Mereka rata-rata merasakan berkurangnya rasa sakit berkaitan dengan rheumatoid arthritis yang mereka derita. Kapasitas paru-paru pun dikabarkan meningkat bagi para penderita asma. Sementara itu hanya 24 persen yang menunjukkan kemajuan seperti itu bagi mereka yang hanya menulis kehidupan sehari-harinya.

Para peneliti tak tahu mengapa menulis tentang peristiwa yang menyakitkan dapat memperbaiki kesehatan. Bisa jadi, menyalurkan emosi secara bebas dan juga mengalirkan luka masa lalu secara ekspresif dalam bentuk tertulis telah membantu seseorang untuk membangun jalan untuk berdamai dengan masa lalunya. “Pada pokoknya,” pesan Pennebaker, “bagi yang mengalami keguncangan jiwa atau mengalami depresi, bergegaslah menulis. Menulislah secara sangat bebas tanpa memperdulikan struktur kalimat dan tata bahasa. Niscaya Anda akan terbebaskan dari segala deraan batin.”

Percaya atau tidak, saya sendiri telah merasakan manfaat menulis bagi perkembangan emosiku. Pada umumnya orang yang gemar menulis bisa menuangkan unek-unek kedalam tulisan. Bagi anda yang terbiasa menulis buku harian, coba bacalah. Saya beberapa hari kemarin ketawa-ketiwi sendiri membaca buku harian ketika masih SMP. Kata orang, kalau ada masalah tidak baik disimpan sendiri dan harus dikeluarkan. Menulis bisa jadi salah satu media distribusi yang baik untuk mengeluarkan masalah dari benak.

* Dikutip dari buku Bu Slim & Pak Bil : Menggagas Kembali Pendidikan Berbasis Buku, karya Hernowo, Penerbit MLC 2004.

Kecerdasan + Kesuksesan = Kebahagiaan?

2007-06-07T02:28:00.000-07:00

Suatu kebahagiaan dan kesuksesan dapat diprediksi!.

Bahagia dan sukses adalah buah dari perilaku. Karena itu bila kita mempunyai perilaku orang yang bahagia dan sukses, pasti suatu saat menjadi bahagia dan sukses pula.. Perilaku adalah buah dari kebiasan. Kebiasaan dimulai dari sikap. Sikap dipengaruhi oleh paradigma. Paradigma dipengaruhi oleh pengetahuan. Jadi, awalnya adalah pengetahuan. Setiap hari, pengetahuan beredar secara berlimpah ruah di sekeliling kita. Kemampuan menangkap pengetahuan, mengolahnya, menghayatinya, dan menjadikannya sebagai aksi untuk meraih tujuan, sangat dipengaruhi oleh kecerdasan.

Dr. Stanley dalam karyanya The Millionaire Next Door yang berisi penelitiannya terhadap para milyuner di Amerika menunjukkan bahwa para orang sukses memiliki kecerdasan yang cukup baik. Para milyuner yang diteliti berasal dari berbagai kalangan seperti kontraktor las, penjual barang bekas, petani, pembasmi hama, hingga penjual koin. Yang jelas, mereka mempunyai satu kesamaan yaitu sangat merdeka secara finansial. Kebanyakan mereka hidup relatif sederhana dibandingkan dengan jumlah kekayaannya. Mobil mereka seperti rata-rata milik orang kebanyakan, rumah mereka berada di perumahan orang kebanyakan. Mereka juga bergaul dengan orang kebanyakan. Sebagian besar dari mereka tidak suka tampil di depan publik. Mereka rata-rata bersekolah dengan baik. Kalaupun putus sekolah, itu dikarenakan kondisi ekonomi keluarga, bukan karena mereka tidak cerdas. Jadi para milyuner ini memiliki kecerdasan intelektual, IQ, yang baik.

Para milyuner juga adalah orang-orang yang tangguh, ulet, sabar, mampu mengendalikan diri, bermasyarakat dengan baik, memiliki keluarga harmonis, dan berbagai hal lain yang menjadi bukti bahwa mereka memiliki kecerdasan emosional, EQ, yang baik. Semua dari mereka juga setuju bahwa kehidupan spiritual, pelayanan, dan sedekah adalah hal yang sangat penting. Kebanyakan dari mereka menyumbangkan penghasilan 10 persen atau lebih dari pendapatan kotor.

Mereka meyakini Tuhan sebagai sumber pemberi rizki, sebagai pendamping yang tidak kelihatan, atau sering disebut sebagai "silent partner". Ini menunjukkan bahwa mereka memiliki kecerdasan spiritual, SQ yang sangat baik.

Ramalan, Fengshui, Takdir dan Efek Forer

2007-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

MamMama Lauren sedang naik daun. Kata orang, ramalannya jitu. Pada awal tahun 2007 ketika terjadi musibah hilangnya Adam Air dan tenggelamnya kapal Senopati, Mama lauren muncul di sebuah acara TV dan ditanya mengenai ramalannya untuk tahun 2007. Tentu saja saya yang kebetulan nonton acara itu (lupa acaranya) ikut curious dengan ramalan dia.aKatanya, kalau tidak salah, akan ada lagi musibah kecelakaan pesawat. Kalau tidak salah lagi, inisialnya ”A”. Selain itu ada ramalan artis yang akan bercerai (yang ini sih, standar). Beberapa waktu kemudian terjadi musibah pendaratan tak mulus pesawat Adam Air di Surabaya. Pesawatnya rusak, namun semua penumpang selamat. Kemudian terjadi lagi musibah kecelakaan pesawat Garuda di Yogyakarta. Musibah ini cukup fatal dan terdapat korban jiwa.

Nah, kalau ramalan mama Lauren jitu, mengapa inisial yang disebutkan ”A”, bukan ”G”? Apakah ramalan tersebut sekedar kebetulan? Atau suatu kemestian umum (seperti halnya ramalan bahwa harga BBM akan naik)?
Ramalan dan seni meramal sudah populer sejak jaman purba. Manusia selalu punya rasa ingin tahu tentang nasibnya di masa depan. Apakah kita boleh percaya dengan ramalan?
Fengshui

”Bapak percaya fengshui?” begitu kira-kira pertanyaan saya suatu ketika kepada Pak Dimitri.
”Alam ini adalah simbol Pak…,” jawab Pak Dim tidak langsung, yang seterusnya menyampaikan dasar pemikiran tentang keteraturan alam, dan betapa mungkinnya bahwa semua simbol-simbol di alam semesta itu bisa ditafsirkan. Singkatnya, kita memang harus percaya bahwa peramalan itu memungkinkan.
Sebagai muslim, saya percaya akan adanya ramalan. Sebentar, bukankah ada hadits yang melarang kita mempercayai peramal?
“Barangsiapa yang mendatangi tukang ramal lalu bertanya kepadanya tentang sesuatu, maka tidak diterima sholatnya selama 40 hari”. (HR Muslim dari sebagian Istri-istri Rasulullah Saw)
sumber : http://paranormalsakti.freehomepage.com/about.html

Saya percaya akan adanya ramalan BUKAN berarti saya percaya sembarang peramal. Bukti-bukti tentang ilmu mengetahui masa depan dicontohkan pada kisah para nabi, diantaranya adalah Nabi Yusuf ketika menerjemahkan mimpi dua orang yang dipenjara. Seorang ditafsirkan mimpinya bahwa dia akan bebas, dan seorang lagi akan dihukum mati. Ramalannya benar. Setelah itu beliau menafsirkan mimpi raja bahwa akan terjadi masa makmur selama 7 tahun dan masa paceklik selama 7 tahun. ’Ramalan’nya benar. Dalam hadits, juga terdapat beberapa ’ramalan’ Nabi Muhammad tentang masa depan. Yang menyampaikan adalah Nabi. Akankah Anda tak percaya? Ini adalah bukti nyata bahwa ramalan itu ada.

Kalau Nabi kita percaya, bagaimana kalau Mama Lauren? Apalagi ramalan bintang di koran lokal yang tampaknya diambil dari sembarang kumpulan database ramalan zodiak, apakah Anda juga percaya? Bagaimana dengan Fengshui, percaya juga?
Saya sendiri memilih, kadang percaya, kadang tidak. Sikap tersebut didasarkan bahwa keteraturan di alam ini memang sebenarnya bisa diramalkan, namun tetap saja sulit dilakukan.
Fengshui sebenarnya adalah kumpulan pengamatan manusia atas fenomena alam. Fenomenanya sendiri teratur, pengamatnya sangat mungkin bias. Bila orang Cina pakai istilah Naga Hijau dan Macan Putih, itu adalah cara mereka membuat penjelasan atas fenomena alam itu sendiri. Simbolisasi ini (yang bisa juga disebut ’rumus’) jelas sangat mungkin salah. Kalau mereka membuat ’rumus’ itu berdasarkan pengamatan di belahan bumi utara (negeri Cina), apakah masih berlaku untuk belahan bumi selatan (misalnya di Jawa)? Kalau dulu belum ada listrik, telepon seluler, perubahan iklim global, bergesernya kutub magnet bumi, dll, apakah ’rumus’ kuno itu masih akan manjur seperti saat pengamatan dulu dilakukan? Logikanya sih, tidak.

Namun tentu ada pengamatan yang masih berlaku. Misalnya Anda bekerja membelakangi pintu masuk (secara Fengshui ini posisi buruk), tentu masih akan berlaku hingga saat ini. Secara psikologis tetap saja seseorang merasa tidak nyaman bila setiap saat bisa terjadi seseorang mengintainya dari sebelah belakang. Yang ini saya percaya.
Bagaimana dengan instrumen pendukung Fengshui seperti perhitungan bintang, shio, dll. Yang ini menurut saya sangat mungkin ’rumus’nya sudah tidak jitu lagi. Posisi bintang terus berubah (galaksi ini terus berputar kawan, bukan di atas seekor kura-kura seperti anggapan orang kuno dulu). Secara pemodelan sederhana sudah jelas rumusnya tak akurat lagi. Saat ini pun sudah resmi dirumuskan zodiak ke-13 (OPHIUCHUS 30 Nov - 17 Des), rumus peramal bintang sudah pasti jadi meleset.

Jadi saya mempercayai ramalan sekedar sebagai ’rumus’ perkiraan dengan keakuratan rendah. Ibaratnya ramalan cuaca. Kita harus percaya bahwa peramalan itu mungkin. Sekaligus juga percaya bahwa secara statistik ramalan itu cuma sebuah peluang belaka. Ramalan cuaca saat ini yang didukung pengamatan satelit, jelas lebih akurat dibandingkan ramalan nasib. Saya percaya dengan Fengshui, sebatas sebuah ’model rumus’ dengan keakuratan bervariasi. Sebagian mungkin akurat 60 persen. Lainnya mungkin akurat 20 persen saja.
Bagaimana dengan keakuratan ramalan Mama Lauren? Saya percaya… bahwa itu juga hanya peluang.

Saya percaya bahwa sebagian orang diberi karunia tertentu, yah bisa kita katakan kecerdasan supranatural. Tak perlu diragukan lagi, memang faktanya jelas. Masalahnya adalah, apakah kita percaya Mama Lauren punya karunia kelebihan seperti itu? Ya, terserah Anda mau percaya atau tidak. Sulitnya hal semacam ini karena metode pembuktian ilmiah sulit dilakukan. Instrumen pengukurannya apa? Siapa yang bisa dijadikan kalibrasi/referensi?
Anggap Mama Lauren punya kemampuan supranatural itu (dan hal tersebut sah-sah saja dimiliki seseorang). Yang penting adalah, bagaimana sikap kita terhadap sebuah ramalan?
Saya pernah diramal menjadi orang sukses, sepertinya Anda juga pernah. Saya pernah diramal akan gagal pada umur sekian dan sukses pada umur sekian. Pernah diramal bisnis tertentu akan oke, dan lain sebagainya. Menurut pengamatan saya, semua ramalan itu tidak jelas keakuratannya. Saat ini saya (merasa) sukses pada sebagian hal, dan gagal pada sebagian yang lain. Jadi bagaimana kita bisa katakan ramalan tersebut akurat bila semua kondisi peramalan itu terjadi?

Penjelasan tentang ’keakuratan’ ramalan Mama Lauren dan semacamnya ini bisa dikaitkan dengan adanya Qadla’ (ketetapan Allah atas suatu kejadian) dan Qadar (terjadinya suatu kejadian) dalam ilmu Islam. Semua hal di dunia ini sudah ada ketetapannya (disebut Qadla’), sehingga sering kita diberitahu tentang lahir, rizki, mati, daripada seseorang sebenarnya sudah ditentukan. Nah, yang sering salah diartikan oleh kebanyakan orang adalah, bahwa Qadla’ seseorang itu tunggal, padahal sesungguhnya bisa BANYAK!

Sesuatu yang pasti itu belum tentu tunggal. Sebuah persamaan kuadrat atau polinomial dalam matematika bisa mempunyai jawaban benar dua, tiga, bahkan sangat banyak. Jawabannya bisa banyak tapi pasti! Artinya himpunan jawabannya itu sudah tertentu, walaupun jumlahnya banyak. Di luar himpunan jawaban tersebut adalah kemustahilan. Sebagai ilustrasi, bahwa peluang Anda menikah dengan salah satu teman Anda sekarang pastilah ada, walau mungkin kecil sekali. Tapi peluang Anda menikah dengan Cleopatra misalnya jelas suatu kemustahilan karena hidup di masa yang berbeda.

Nah, dari jutaan ketentuan qadla’ tersebut, bisa saja sebagian kecil tertangkap oleh indera keenam (supranatural) seseorang. Misalnya Mama Lauren meramal tentang suatu kejadian, maka saya berpandangan bisa saja memang dia menangkap isyarat satu dari jutaan pilihan masa depan. Berapa peluang kejadian tersebut akan terjadi? Ya, variatif, bisa sangat kecil (karena qadla’ sesungguhnya jutaan), bisa cukup besar (karena qadla’ sesungguhnya hanya beberapa puluh). Jadi bagaimana kita bisa yakin ramalan itu benar? Ya, sulit.
Yang bisa kita lakukan adalah menganggapnya sebagai input mentah. Itu ibarat seorang guru yang melihat muridnya malas belajar, lalu meramalkan bahwa si murid akan gagal ujian. Bisa saja ramalannya meleset karena si murid tiba-tiba rajin belajar, atau dapat contekan saat ujian, atau soal ujian yang keluar kebetulan saja dia bisa. Prediksi si guru (yang muncul dari akumulasi pengetahuan yang menjadi intuisi) bisa kita anggap sebagai peringatan awal. Tapi jelas sangat jauh dari mutlak.

Jadi kalau ada ramalan (atau saya diramal tanpa diminta), saya anggap itu sebagai input mentah. Mungkin berguna, mungkin tidak. Pengalaman selama ini sih, minta diramal (dulu waktu kecil terpikat oleh tawaran peramal pinggir jalan, hehe) ternyata tidak akurat, atau tepatnya tidak bisa dibuktikan keakuratannya.

Kesimpulan sekarang : semua ramalan itu hakikatnya cuma ilmu statistik saja. Ketepatannya tidak pernah mutlak. Kadang tepat, sering juga meleset. Dalam statistik itu disebut model dengan reliabilitas (keandalan) rendah. Misalnya, kalaupun sinyal-sinyal masa depan yang ditangkap Mama lauren itu benar, penafsiran atas sinyal itu secara akurat sangat sulit (data valid, penafsiran Mama Lauren lah yang bias). Hanya orang-orang tertentu seperti misalnya Nabi Yusuf dan Nabi Khaidir saja yang tingkat keakuratannya tinggi.
Efek Forer

Kenapa sih, walaupun keakuratannya rendah banyak orang masih juga senang dengan ramalan bintang (juga ramalan para peramal)? Ternyata karena ’persepsi bahwa ramalan tersebut jitu’ ternyata cukup tinggi.

Seorang dosen psikologi bernama Bertram R. Forer membuat percobaan terhadap para mahasiswanya. Mereka diberi kuesioner yang harus diisi untuk evaluasi terhadap kepribadian para mahasiswa. Beberapa lama kemudian setiap mahasiswa mendapat hasil masing-masing. Selanjutnya mereka diminta memberikan penilaian atas keakuratan tes tersebut dengan skor 0 untuk tidak tepat (poor) dan 5 untuk sangat tepat (excellent). Hasilnya adalah 4,26 yang artinya tingkat keakuratan tes tersebut sangat tinggi. Yang tidak diketahui oleh para mahasiswa tersebut adalah bahwa semua analisis yang diberikan adalah sama, dan diambil dari cuplikan ramalan bintang! Analisis tersebut berisi keterangan yang ambigu (Anda extrovert, tapi terkadang introvert, Anda terlihat disiplin di luar, padahal ceroboh di dalam, dsb). Dan karena ambiguitas analisis itu, maka setiap mahasiswa melihat kecocokan dalam dirinya!
Inilah yang disebut Efek Forer. Efek ini terjadi karena 3 hal :
subyek meyakini bahwa hasil tersebut unik buat dia
subyek percaya akan kredibilitas evaluator untuk memberikan evaluasi
kebanyakan isi analisis adalah hal yang bagus-bagus (positive traits)

Nah itulah yang terjadi ketika seseorang takjub dengan keakuratan seorang peramal. Dia sebenarnya terkena Efek Forer!

Niat Baik Saja Tidak Cukup

2007-06-03T02:32:00.000-07:00

Sering sekali dengan berbekal keyakinan bahwa setiap niat baik akan mendapatkan pertolongan dari Tuhan, maka seseorang mengabaikan kenyataan pentingnya strategi. Memang kita yakin Tuhan akan menolong, namun hukum alam (sunatullah) secara umum juga berlaku. Banyak bukti sejarah menunjukkan bahwa orang-orang yang baik dikalahkan dengan mudah oleh orang-orang jahat.

Allah tidak akan mengubah nasib suatu kaum sebelum kaum itu sendiri berusaha mengubah nasibnya. Bahkan ikhtiar yang sungguh-sungguh pun belum tentu berhasil kalau tidak dengan strategi yang baik. Kisah perang Uhud di jaman rasulullah Muhammad saw menunjukkan bahwa kaum yang beriman pun akan kalah oleh kaum kafir bila salah dalam strategi perang. Waktu itu umat Islam yang berperang melawan kaum berhala jahiliyah dikalahkan karena pertahanan barisan belakang yang lemah sehingga dapat dihantam oleh pasukan kavaleri kaum kafir.

Niat baik belum cukup. Sering terjadi karena seseorang sangat baik hati untuk menolong maka dia menjadi bulan-bulanan penipuan. Niatnya menolong, eh akhirnya dirampok. Walaupun niat baik akan mendapat pahala, namun bukan berarti serta-merta akan mendapatkan hasil yang diinginkan. Niat baik harus dibarengi strategi. Kecerdasan spiritual (SQ) harus dibarengi kecerdasan power (PQ).

Yang sering terjadi pula adalah usaha bisnis bersama yang dijalankan oleh orang-orang saleh hanya berbekal niat baik. Tidak ada ketrampilan manajemen. Tidak ada strategi pemasaran. Bahkan tidak ada kemampuan pengelolaan uang. Cukup doa dan kerja keras. Akibatnya usaha yang dilandasi niat baik saja tersebut karam dengan kerugian waktu, uang, tenaga, dan pikiran. Niat baik saja belum cukup. Mengandalkan IQ, EQ, dan SQ saja belum cukup. Apalagi hanya mengandalkan niat baik (SQ), pastilah jauh dari cukup.

Itulah mengapa dalam pengembangan diri kita perlu senantiasa menyeimbangkan karakter dan kompetensi. Kesalehan spiritual (SQ) perlu diimbangi kecerdikan power (PQ). Kepasrahan seorang hamba yang selalu munajat kepada Allah perlu dibarengi kecerdikan siasat dalam peperangan, seperti yang dicontohkan Khalid bin Walid, Salman al Farisi, Shalahuddin al Ayyubi, dan Thoriq bin Ziyad, sama halnya dengan kecerdikan dagang Muhammad saw, Abu Bakar ash Shiddiq, Utsman bin Affan, dan Abdurrahman bin Auf, ratusan tahun yang lalu.
Kalau segala sesuatu bisa dirubah cuma dengan berniat, mengapa rosul harus rela dimaki, difitnah dan berperang dengan orang ?.

Orang No 1 dimata Allah SWT saja mengajarkan kita untuk bergerak dan berjuang untuk membuat perubahan, masak kita yang dosanya gak karuan Cuma modal niat untuk mencapai cita-cita.

OPSIMIS = Optimis + Pesimis

2007-06-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Beberapa tahun yang lalu sewaktu masih aktif di kegiatan kemahasiswaan, saya sering memplesetkan kata optimis dan pesimis menjadi opsimis. Maksud saya adalah untuk selalu optimis dalam kepesimisan.Tentu saja itu hanya kata-kata sambil main-main untuk menghibur teman-teman yang stres saat menghadapi deadline suatu kegiatan Kini, setelah membaca beberapa buku yang bagus, kata ‘opsimis’ ini ternyata mempunyai filosofi yang mendalam.

Buku pertama berjudul “Manusia Mencari Makna” (Man’s search for meaning) karya Victor E. Frankl. Tokoh psikologi pendiri aliran Logoterapi (terapi makna) yang mengalami penahanan di kamp Nazi selama PD II, dari September 1942 hingga April 1945. Dia menemukan bahwa rekan-rekannya yang terlalu optimis merasa akan bebas dalam jangka dekat ternyata justru meninggal dalam frustasi. Seorang rekannya dia ceritakan punya firasat bahwa perang akan berakhir dan mereka akan bebas pada awal musim semi. Ternyata hingga musim semi kondisi tawanan makin memburuk dan tidak ada tanda-tanda mereka bebas. Orang tersebut tiba-tiba meninggal dalam kerisauan karena tak mampu menanggung kenyataan bahwa mereka masih menderita.

Frankl sendiri mampu bertahan dengan satu keinginan membara dalam dirinya untuk kembali bertemu dengan keluarga dan kembali mengajar psikologi kepada mahasiswanya. Optimisme ini diimbangi kemampuan menerima kenyataan sehari-hari bahwa dia disiksa, ditelanjangi, dirampas kepemilikannya, dan diberi nama baru dengan hanya sebuah nomor angka. Pengalaman di kamp konsentrasi ini membawa Frankl kepada kesimpulan penting : manusia tetap merdeka untuk memilih respon terhadap kenyataan yang dia terima. Dia menyebut hal itu sebagai ‘kemerdekaan terakhir yang tidak dapat dirampas dari diri seseorang’. Konsep Frankl ini dirumuskan kembali oleh Sephen Covey, penulis 7 habits, dengan istilah ProActive yang kemudian menjadi populer dalam manajemen.

Buku kedua adalah “Good to Great” karya Jim Collins dalam salah satu bagiannya yang diberi sub-judul The Stockdale Paradox. Ini adalah cerita tentang Admiral Jim Stockdale seorang perwira penerbang AL Amerika yang ditawan di perang Vietnam selama 8 tahun dari tahun 1965 hingga 1973. Dia disiksa lebih dari 20 kali dan menjadi eksperimen untuk perang psikologis. Pengalaman Stockdale ditulis menjadi buku ‘In Love and War’. Waktu Jim Collins mewawancarai veteran perang ini dia menemukan pernyataan yang mengejutkan, bahwa menurut Stockdale tawanan yang paling cepat mati adalah mereka yang optimis!

“Si optimis? Saya tidak paham,” kata Jim. “Si optimis. Itu mereka yang mengatakan, “Kita akan bebas nanti saat Natal.” lalu Natal datang, dan pergi. Kemudian mereka berkata, “Kita akan bebas saat Easter (Paskah),” lalu Easter datang, dan pergi. Dan kemudian Thanksgiving, dan kemudian Natal lagi. Dan akhirnya mereka mati dengan patah hati.” demikian jawaban Stockdale. “Ini adalah pelajaran penting. Kamu tidak boleh bingung antara keyakinan bahwa kamu suatu saat akan menang di akhirnya - dengan disiplin untuk menerima fakta paling brutal dari relalitas yang sedang terjadi, apapun bentuknya.” Artinya : “Kita tidak akan bebas Natal kali ini. Terima saja kenyataan.”

Optimisme ternyata juga berbahaya, dia dapat membuat orang mati frustasi!
Merenungi kisah Frankl dan Stockdale ini saya jadi teringat berbagai pengalaman bisnis yang gagal. Saya orang optimis, namun kenyataannya optimisme tidak mampu secara ajaib mengubah kegagalan menjadi keberhasilan.

Sekarang saya mempunyai pemahaman baru : Opsimisme!
Kata main-main itu kini punya makna lebih mendalam. Opsimisme : kita optimis dalam jangka panjang bahwa situasi akan membaik, sekaligus kita pesimis dalam jangka pendek bahwa kondisi saat ini sesuai dengan yang kita inginkan.

Selalu yakin dalam hati bahwa sesuatu akan membaik, sekaligus mampu menerima kenyataan bahwa kondisi realitas saat ini sedang buruk. Ini memberi konsekuensi untuk terus berjuang mengubah keadaan, dan menghindarkan diri dari angan-angan kosong. Orang-orang yang mati frustasi dalam kedua cerita di atas adalah orang yang menggunakan optimisme untuk berangan-angan kosong! Ini sering terjadi pada orang yang rajin berdoa lalu berharap pertolongan dari langit akan turun sesuai yang dia inginkan. Seperti tidak punya duit, lalu berdoa serius, duduk-duduk, berharap sore hari akan turun duit dari langit. Angan-angan kosong. Terima kondisi apa adanya, tidak punya duit, pesimis duit akan datang sore ini, lalu bergeraklah untuk mengubah keadaan. Menerima kenyataan secara pesimis akan menggerakkan naluri purba kita untuk berjuang agar survive! Sebaliknya berangan-angan kosong yang serba optimis terhadap realita akan membuat kenyamanan semu yang menumpulkan kemampuan survive.

Optimis untuk keadaan jangka panjang, pesimis untuk realita saat ini.
Sekarang saya bisa lebih paham dengan apa yang dimaksud Al Ghozali, seorang pemikir muslim, dalam bukunya Rahasia Shalat. Dia menulis pentingnya beribadah secara khouf (takut) sekaligus roja (harap). Artinya ketika seseorang sedang shalat maka dia harus takut shalatnya ditolak, sekaligus berharap shalatnya diterima. Ini ibarat kita yakin bahwa kita berpeluang besar kelak akan masuk surga (optimis), sekaligus menerima kenyataan bahwa kondisi saat ini sangat belum layak untuk diterima masuk surga (pesimis). Jadi, perbaiki shalatmu terus-menerus, demikian saya kira maksud Al Ghazali. Menganggap dirimu saat ini sudah layak masuk surga adalah suatu angan-angan kosong!

Sikap dari nabi Muhammad saw adalah contoh terbaik dari opsimisme. Beliau yakin suatu ketika akan menang (optimis), namun di saat bersamaan selalu sadar kondisi buruk yang dihadapi (pesimis). Itulah mengapa saat akan hijrah beliau menyusun strategi agar bisa lolos dari kepungan para pemuda yang akan berniat membunuhnya (saat itu Ali disuruh tidur pura-pura menggantikannya). Muhammad tidak berangan-angan kosong bahwa akan ada malaikat yang membawanya menghilang dengan ajaib. Itu pula kenapa beliau selalu berusaha sungguh-sungguh dalam tiap pertempuran, yakin akan pertolongan Allah, sekaligus realistis dengan kondisi yang ada. Beliau menang saat Badar dengan menutup sumur musuh, kalah saat Uhud karena bobolnya pertahanan belakang, menang saat Khondaq dengan pertahanan jurang parit. Karena optimis beliau selalu yakin dengan perjuangannya. Karena pesimis beliau selalu berusaha menyusun strategi dan berjuang keras untuk kondisi yang dihadapi. Betul-betul sikap yang memadukan optimisme dan pesimisme layaknya Yin dan Yang. Sikap Opsimisme.

Blog ini juga harus saya pandang secara ‘opsimis’, artinya :
1. optimis : saya optimis suatu saat situs ini akan memberikan banyak manfaat kepada banyak orang (hal ini membuat saya tetap mau mengisinya)
dan sekaligus
2. pesimis : saya pesimis dalam waktu dekat ini sudah banyak yang memanfaatkannya (karena itu situs ini harus terus disempurnakan dan disosialisasikan)

Bagi anda yang tabu dengan kata Pesimis seperti yang diajarkan oleh para trainer pengembangan SDM, anda bisa menggantinya. Kita bisa menggunakan semboyan lain. Anda ganti saja Pesimis menjadi Realistis. Kita mesti realistis dengan kenyataan bahwa kemampuan kita serba terbatas. Jadi, Optimis dan Realistis = Opsimis.

Jadi mari kita serukan : tetap optimis! Eh, salah. Tetap Opsimis!™

Pilih Sukses atau Bahagia ?

2007-06-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Suatu kesuksesan tidak menjamin akan diikuti oleh kebahagiaan, kata banyak orang. Apalagi tidak sukses, lebih tidak menjamin bahagia, kata sebagian yang lain. Benarkah penting bagi kita untuk meraih sukses?

Mari kita sejenak merenungi arti sukses. Bila seseorang menginginkan sesuatu lalu dia mendapatkannya, maka dia disebut sukses. Bila orang tersebut sebelumnya tidak menginginkan sesuatu, lalu tiba-tiba mendapatkannya, apakah juga disebut sukses? Tidak, dia tidak disebut sukses. Jadi sukses adalah sebutan untuk pencapaian sesuatu yang diinginkan.

Kini mari kita renungi apa itu bahagia. Ada nyaman, ada senang, ada gembira, ada bahagia. Seseorang sedang tiduran di tepi pantai. Badannya terasa nyaman menikmati siliran angin sepoi-sepoi dan bunyi deburan ombak yang menghempas ke pasir. Rasa hangat dan santai mengaliri sekujur tubuhnya, hatinya pun senang dan tenteram. Apakah dia bahagia? Seseorang yang lain sedang melakukan olahraga arung jeram, berjuang keras mengatasi guncangan arus ke kanan dan ke kiri. Berjuang sungguh-sungguh di tepi intaian maut. Energi terkuras, badan terasa sangat letih. Anehnya hati merasa riang dan gembira. Apakah dia bahagia?

Kisah yang lain lagi. Ini untuk kesekian kalinya ia merasakan getaran hati yang sama. Sesuatu yang indah tak terjelaskan. Sesuatu yang begitu mengharukan hati. Di hadapannya tersenyum lebar seorang anak dengan kaki kecil dan bengkok, kaki yang tiada kuasa menopang tubuh mungil itu. Anak ini terserang polio di usia nya yang ke 3 tahun. Dan sejak itu, telah lima tahun dia terbaring hanya di ranjangnya. Hari ini, dengan pemberian kursi roda bekas yang agak reyot, anak itu mendapatkan kesempatannya kembali untuk menjelajahi dunia. Oh Tuhan, terimakasih telah Engkau beri aku kesempatan untuk memberi sedikit harapan kepada makhlukmu yang lain… bisiknya di dalam hati. Bahagiakah orang ini?
Berbeda dengan sukses, bahagia lebih sulit dinilai. Bila sukses diukur dari seberapa jauh pencapaian seseorang terhadap apa yang dia inginkan, maka bahagia muncul dengan cara yang ajaib. Dia subyektif, dia dirasakan. Dengan demikian dia sulit diukur, kecuali oleh yang mengalaminya.

Seseorang yang bahagia dapat dikatakan sukses, bila memang perasaan bahagia itulah yang ia idamkan, dan kemudian ia meraihnya. Orang lain dapat pula sukses, tapi tidak bahagia, karena memang bukan bahagia itu idamannya. Mungkin dia mengidamkan kekayaan, dan meraihnya. Mungkin mengidamkan ketenaran, dan juga meraihnya. Karena itulah terdapat ungkapan, sukses meraih kebahagiaan. Jadi, sukses adalah status pencapaian, sedangkan bahagia adalah salah satu obyek yang bisa dijadikan tujuan.
Kalau bahagia adalah obyek, maka pertanyaannya adalah: seperti apakah rasa bahagia itu? Ada banyak usulan tentang hal ini, mulai dari yang berciri fisik seperti munculnya zat tertentu di otak, hingga yang sangat filosofis seperti munculnya rasa dicintai Tuhan. Mari kita ambil contoh salah satu definisi, yaitu ciri-ciri yang diusulkan oleh Rick Foster dalam buku How we Choose to be Happy.

Bahagia sejati adalah suatu perasaan yang kuat dan langgeng berupa rasa tenang, puas, mampu, dan kendali penuh atas diri sendiri. Bahagia juga berarti mengetahui kondisi dan keinginan diri, lebih merespon kebutuhan yang nyata daripada tuntutan orang lain, sadar merasakan hidup saat ini, dan mampu menikmati buah kehidupan.
Kriteria pilihan Rick Foster tersebut ternyata merupakan ciri-ciri emosi dan mental. Merujuk kriteria tadi cukup jelas bahwa kita dapat meraih kebahagiaan melalui sukses dengan cara selalu menetapkan tujuan yang dapat menimbulkan bahagia tersebut. Dengan demikian saat tujuan tercapai, maka tercapai pula bahagia. Selain itu, karena bahagia bersifat subyektif, maka kita bahkan dapat menciptakan rasa bahagia sepanjang perjalanan menuju sukses.

Dapatkah kita bahagia tanpa sukses? Tentu dapat, terutama bila itu hanya ditujukan unt
uk diri sendiri. Seseorang yang miskin, namun mampu mensyukuri keadaannya, tentu dia dapat merasakan kebahagiaan. Masalah muncul bila kita bicara tentang kebahagiaan yang diraih dengan berkontribusi ke sesuatu di luar kita, maka tidak sukses boleh jadi akan menghambat tercapainya sebagian kebahagiaan. Andaikan seseorang yang bahagia tapi miskin tersebut adalah seorang ayah dari 3 orang anak. Suatu ketika anaknya sakit dan dia tidak mampu membiayai untuk berobat, maka boleh jadi saat itu sangat sulit untuk berbahagia. Demikian juga saat tidak punya makanan, tidak mampu menyekolahkan, tidak mampu meluangkan waktu bersama, dan sebagainya. Karena itu sebuah kesuksesan merupakan hal penting. Semakin kita sukses, semakin besar peluang untuk berbahagia dengan memberikan kontribusi ke sesuatu di luar diri kita.

Karena sukses dan bahagia dua hal terpisah, dapatkan bahagia mengantarkan kita ke sukses? Anda sudah tahu jawabannya, tentu saja dapat. Bila bahagia adalah tujuan yang kita pilih, maka mampu merasa bahagia saja sudah disebut sukses. Banyak orang mengalami, keputusan untuk menjadi bahagia akhirnya mengantar mereka untuk mencapai sukses yang lebih tinggi dan lebih banyak.

Jadi, anda ingin sukses atau bahagia?. Saya yakin anda menginginkan kedua-duanya.

Toyoda : Setiap Orang Perlu Mengambil Proyek Besar Dalam Hidup

2007-05-29T16:43:00.001-07:00

Sebagai seorang bocah, Sakichi Toyoda belajar ilmu pertukangan kayu dari ayahnya. Toyoda kecil adalah seorang anak yang cerdas dan kreatif. Saat itu industri tenun adalah industri yang paling berkembang di tanah kelahirannya, wilayah pertanian di pinggiran Nagoya, Jepang. Toyoda muda dengan ilmu pertukangan kayu yang diwarisi dari ayahnya, pada tahun 1894 membuat sebuah mesin tenun yang lebih murah namun bekerja lebih baik daripada mesin yang sudah ada.

Toyoda sangat puas dengan mesin tenunnya. Namun dia melihat neneknya, ibunya, juga wanita-wanita lain masih harus bekerja keras untuk memintal dan menenun. Toyoda ingin membuat mereka terbebas dari kerja keras itu. Maka dia kemudian menciptakan mesin tenun yang ditenagai mesin. Saat itu adalah jaman dimana seorang pencipta harus mengerjakan semuanya sendiri. Karena kurangnya sumber tenaga untuk penggerak mesin, maka Toyoda belajar lebih dahulu tentang mesin uap, membeli mesin uap bekas, dan mencoba berkali-kali secara trial error hingga berhasil. Toyoda kemudian mendirikan Toyoda Automatic Loom Works pada tahun 1926, yang kemudian menjadi cikal bakal konglomerasi Toyoda.

Toyoda sangat terinspirasi oleh buku Self Help karya penulis Inggris Samuel Smiles yang terbit 1859. Buku itu menjelaskan bahwa revolusi industri tumbuh karena kerja keras, disiplin, dan penyempurnaan diri. Buku itu dilengkapi dengan kisah James Watt dan mesin uapnya. Buku itu juga menjelaskan bahwa seorang pemimpin harus mengetahui sendiri fakta-fakta di lapangan, yang kemudian diadopsi Toyoda menjadi filosofi Genchi Genbutsu (lihat sendiri untuk memahami situasi - go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation). Karena sangat terinspirasi oleh buku itu, maka Sakichi Toyoda menyimpan buku itu dalam koleksinya yang hingga kini masih dapat dilihat di museumnya.

Sakichi punya anak lelaki bernama Kiichiro Toyoda, seorang anak yang kerempeng dan sakit-sakitan. Banyak orang menganggap bahwa Kiichiro Toyoda tidak punya fisik yang mendukung untuk menjadi pemimpin yang baik. Tapi sang ayah tidak setuju dengan pandangan itu. Ia memberi tugas anaknya untuk belajar membuat mobil. Awal tujuannya bukan untuk mengembangkan bisnis. Tujuannya adalah memberi kesempatan anaknya itu untuk melakukan sesuatu yang besar dalam hidupnya! Dia ingin anaknya mempunyai kesempatan membuat kontribusi kepada umat manusia, sama halnya dengan kesempatan istimewa yang dia alami dalam memberi kontribusi melalui mesin tenun. Toyoda berkata kepada anaknya:
Setiap orang perlu mengambil proyek besar paling tidak sekali dalam hidupnya. Saya mendedikasikan hampir seluruh hidup saya untuk menciptakan jenis mesin tenun yang baru. Sekarang saatnya giliranmu. Kamu harus berusaha sungguh-sungguh untuk menyelesaikan sesuatu yang akan memberi manfaat bagi masyarakat.

Kiichiro kemudian dikirim untuk sekolah di Tokyo Imperial University, mengambil jurusan teknik mesin dengan fokus pada teknologi mesin. Mengikuti jejak ayahnya, Kiichiro juga selalu melakukan belajar melalui praktek (learning by doing). Dalam membuat mesin bagian tersulit adalah mengecor blok mesin. Kiichiro melakukannya sendiri dengan membuat mesin kecil, terus menerus hingga berhasil. Usaha Kiichiro akhirnya menjadi Toyota Automotive Company, salah satu perusahaan mobil terbaik di dunia.

Setiap orang perlu mengambil minimal satu proyek besar dalam hidupnya, demikian pesan Sakichi Toyoda, bapak pendiri dari perusahaan Toyota. Pesan ini sangat inspiratif, saya sangat setuju. Kadang-kadang hal ini saya sampaikan secara bergurau kepada mahasiswa saya, “Kalau hidup ini hanya dijalani dengan biasa-biasa saja, maka kita ini ibarat cuma dimanfaatkan oleh DNA buat numpang lewat. Maksudnya, kita hidup, berkeluarga, punya anak, lalu mati. Berarti hidup kita kan cuma buat meneruskan DNA kita kepada generasi berikutnya? Karena itu kita perlu punya mimpi yang besar dan membuat kontribusi yang positif dalam hidup ini.”
Demikian pula setiap kita perlu mengambil minimal satu proyek besar dalam hidup kita untuk diselesaikan. Proyek itu ditujukan untuk membuat kontribusi bagi masyarakat. Entah itu menemukan sesuatu, menciptakan produk, atau membuat sistem dan organisasi. Apa saja yang menjadi bakat terbaik Anda, bisa Anda wujudkan menjadi sumbangan yang bermanfaat bagi umat manusia.

Setiap saya merasa lemah dan merasa ingin berhenti melangkah, saya membalik-balik halaman cerita-cerita inspiratif. Cerita dibalik toyota membangkitkan gelora api semangat. Saya pun ingin memberi sesuatu pada Indonesia tercinta. Karena masih mahasiswa, saya ingin memberikan sesuatu kepada yang terdekat yaitu kampus. Kesempatan itu berupa amanah untuk menyusun buku dan kisi praktikum serta menjadi asisten yang tidak saya lewatkan. Anda tentu juga sudah punya ‘ a lifetime project‘, bukan?

Kisah ini diambil dari buku The Toyota Way karya Jeffrey K. Liker.

Menanam Batu

2007-05-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Para ahli arkeologi sedang bekerja di Pulau Easter yang misterius di Samudera Pasifik. Mereka bingung karena yang sebelumnya tampak sebagai tanah pertanian purba ternyata bertaburan bebatuan. Keberadaan batu-batu tersebut seperti memungkiri penjelasan bahwa area tersebut pernah menjadi sebuah perkebunan yang memberi makan ribuan orang. Jared Diamond dalam bukunya yang berjudul Collapse memberikan jawaban atas teka-teki itu.

Orang masa kini mengetahui bahwa tanah yang baik adalah tanah yang bebas dari batu dan kerikil. Dengan kondisi itu tanah menjadi mudah dibajak dan diolah. Namun mengapa perkebunan -perkebunan kuno di Pulau Easter dipenuhi dengan bebatuan yang mudah dipindahkan?

Penelitian yang dilakukan para ilmuwan di dunia telah memperlihatkan betapa perkebunan-perkebunan yang berhasil di Peru, Cina, Selandia Baru,dan Israel, ternyata diolah dengan cara yang sama yaitu ditanami bebatuan. Menanam bebatuan di area yang jarang mendapatkan hujan ternyata dapat mengubah gurun pasir atau tanah kering menjadi perkebunan yang produktif. Bebatuan itu mengumpulkan embun dan menciptakan kantung-kantung kelembaban di bawahnya. Bebatuan itu juga mencegah debu humus terkikis dengan cepat, dan bahkan bebatuan tersebut juga menambahkan sedikit kesuburan bagi tanah.

Penelitian terhadap teknik pertanian yang pernah digunakan oleh bangsa Indian Anasazi membuktikan bahwa menanam bebatuan telah meningkatkan produktifitas enam belas jenis tanaman mereka hingga 400 persen! Bebatuan sama sekali bukan halangan, bahkan ia bisa menjadi penyebab utama keberhasilan panen beberapa jenis tanaman.

Artikel menarik di atas merupakan salah satu tulisan dalam buku The Big Moo yang merupakan kumpulan artikel dari 33 penulis. Saya kutip karena cerita tersebut sangat unik. Kita menjadi tahu bahwa bebatuan yang di tempat lain berusaha keras untuk dihilangkan, ternyata terbukti sangat bermanfaat di kondisi yang miskin hujan. Mungkin saja di lahan pertanian lain yang banyak hujan sebenarnya bebatuan itu juga berguna, sayangnya ilmu kita ini masih sangat kerdil untuk mengetahui manfaatnya.Nah, karena saat ini pertanian yang banyak hujan tersebut berhasil, maka dianggap bahwa cara bertani di tanah yang bebas batu itu memang benar. Padahal, siapa tahu sebenarnya tidak demikian.
Artikel tentang menanam bebatuan itu ditutup dengan pertanyaan menarik yang saya kutipkan sebagai berikut.

Sepanjang hari, perusahaan-perusahaan sibuk berusaha menjadi lebih efisien, dengan membuang setiap penghalang dan orang-orang yang tidak mampu memberikan sumbangannya. Tampaknya tujuannya adalah membentuk sebuah padang yang bersih, mudah dibajak dan diolah secara optimal. Mungkin, mungkin saja, itu bukan gagasan yang baik.

Dimana bebatuan yang telah Anda singkirkan itu? Apa yang akan terjadi jika Anda mengembalikannya beberapa saja ke tempatnya semula?

Pesan dari Air : Kekuatan Kehendak

2007-05-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

“Masak sih cuman ditempeli tulisan”, tanya saya hampir tak percaya.
“Ya memang begitu info di bukunya”, jawab Adit, rekan saya.
“Kalau doa, musik, ucapan, sih saya percaya… karena ada frekuensi gelombang yang bisa mempengaruhi benda. Tapi kalau cuman tulisan, masak bisa, emangnya airnya bisa baca…”, kata saya masih tak percaya.

Tapi begitulah hasil penelitian Masaru Emoto. Beberapa buah air dalam tabung suling dijadikan percobaan ditempeli tulisan. Tabung pertama dijadikan tabung kontrol, artinya tidak ditempeli tulisan apapun. Tabung kedua diberi tulisan Love and Appreciation (cinta dan penghargaan), dan tabung nomor tiga ditempel tulisan Thank You (terimakasih), tabung berikutnya ditempeli umpatan You Make Me Sick, I Will Kill You (kamu bikin saya muak, saya akan membunuhmu), lalu tabung berikutnya ditempeli nama Adolph Hitler, dan Mother Theresa.

Semua tabung tersebut dibiarkan semalaman, kemudian keesokan harinya diambil setetes air, didinginkan, lalu kristal airnya di foto melalui mikroskop. Hasilnya luar biasa! Air yang yang diberi tulisan baik-baik ternyata tumbuh kristalnya dengan indah. Sedangkan air yang ditempeli tulisan buruk mengalami kekacauan pada kristalnya.

Benarkah si air bisa membaca tulisan yang ditempel di tabung tersebut? Tentu saja tidak. Emoto meyakini bahwa energi pikiran kitalah yang mempengaruhi air tersebut. Ketika kita menuliskan sesuatu, maka tulisan itupun menggerakkan energi pikiran, energi kehendak, atau mungkin energi batin kita. Energi inilah yang mempengaruhi air.

Eksperimen tersebut semakin meyakinkan saya bahwa doa-doa yang kita ucapkan, amal-amal yang kita lakukan sehingga membuat hati kita tentram, dan semua petunjuk untuk berbuat baik yang dianjurkan agama, mempunyai efek maha dahsyat bagi kesehatan kita. Kita tahu bahwa otak kita berisi air hingga 75%, jantung 75%, paru-paru 86%, darah kita hingga 83% air, dan secara keseluruhan tubuh kita mengandung air sebanyak 55% untuk bobot wanita dewasa, dan 60% untuk bobot pria dewasa. Jelas, apapun yang kita lakukan akan mempengaruhi energi kehendak kita, dan secara langsung akan berakibat pada fisik kita. Subhanallah….

Itulah kenapa saya berusaha menghindari sinetron yang isinya orang-orang saling marah. Demikian pula menghindari lagu dengan syair yang sedih-sedih dan frustasi. Sebaliknya saya menjadi kian mantap untuk sering-sering menyatakan kepada istriku, “I love you, dik… so much.”

Contoh dari situs www.wellnessgoods.com (menyusul)

Takdir laksana Kalkulator

2007-05-07T04:45:00.000-07:00

Demikianlah analogi yang disampaikan Agus Mustofa dalam bukunya Mengubah Takdir. Artinya keberhasilan kita di dunia ini bergantung pada potensi yang sduah diberikan Allah, dan usaha kita dalam bentuk memijit-mijit tobol kalkulator itu.

Saya rangkum kembali apa yang disampaikan Agus dalam bahasa saya. Kira-kira kurang lebih begini. Setiap diri kita ini sudah diprogram sebelumnya oleh Allah seperti halnya setiap kalkulator sudah diberi program di dalamnya oleh pabrik pembuatnya. Program dasar inilah yang kita sebut potensi diri, atau hukum Allah (sunnatullah). Setiap manusia mempunyai program dasar yang sama dengan variasi ada yang dilebihkan dikit ada yang dikurangi dikit. Ibaratnya semua kalkulator pasti punya program dasar penjumlahan, pengurangan, perkalian, dan pembagian. Kalau tidak ada program dasar itu ya tidak layak disebut kalkulator normal. Demikian pula setiap manusia telah diberi program dasar ‘kemanusiaan’ yang membuatnya layak disebut manusia.

Nah, seperti halnya kalkulator, ternyata selain punya program dasar yang sama, atribut tambahannya bias berbeda-beda. Ada kalkulator yang cukup dengan tombol-tombol sederhana, ada yang dirancang khusus dengan tombol-tombol istimewa misalnya tombol kuadrat, akar, sin cos, dan lainnya. Nah dengan adanya perbedaan ini maka kecepatan kalkulator untuk mengerjakan sesuatu berbeda-beda. Misalnya bagi kalkulator sederhana untuk menghitung 3x3 perlu empat langkah yaitu pijit angka 3, pijit ‘x’, pijit 3 lagi, dan pijit ‘=’. Untuk kalkulator yang punya tombol kuadrat cukup dua langkah, yaitu pijit 3, lalu tombol kuadrat. Hasilnya sama, tapi kecepatannya beda.

Demikian halnya dengan keunikan kita masing-masing, untuk mencapai prestasi yang sama bagi setiap orang mungkin dibutuhkan ikhtiar yang beda jalannya dan beda kesulitannya. Ada yang pintar olahraga, akan mudah untuk main basket tapi belum tentu mudah mengerjakan matematika. Kita menyebutnya kecerdasan atau bakat yang berbeda. Namun kalau mau terus berusaha, yang tidak jago matematika tetap bisa mengerjakan soal matematika walaupun perlu usaha lebih keras, jalan lebih berliku, dan ketekunan. Bagi yang jago matematika, dia bisa mengerjakannya dalam sekejap, laksana pijit tombol kuadrat di kalkulator.

Selain keunikan yang sudah diberikan Allah kepada masing-masing diri kita, masih diperlukan ilmu untuk melakukan usaha dengan benar. Ini ibarat memijit tombol kalkulator dengan tombol yang benar dan urutan yang benar. Andai kita punya kemampuan laksana kalkulator yang canggih, tapi tidak pernah memijit tombol atau keliru memijit tombol, hasilnya juga akan salah. Lebih saying lagi bila punya kemampuan tapi tidak tahu bahwa punya kemampuan, ibarat kalkulator punya tombol kuadrat tapi tidak tahu kalau ada, atau tidak tahu cara pakainya.
Yang lebih ironis lagi ada orang yang salah pijit tombol ‘off’ alias mengakhiri hidupnya dengan bunuh diri atau melakukan hal yang mencelakakan dirinya. Itulah mengapa orang yang bunuh diri itu berdosa, karena kematian jenis seperti itu adalah kematian yang mengandung ‘ikhtiar’ dari pelaku. Sebenarnya, seperti kalkulator juga, tanpa pijit tombol ‘off’ pun kelak si kalkulator akan mati sendiri, yaitu karena kehabisan batere!

Analogi pak Agus ini menurut saya cukup bagus untuk menjelaskan konsep takdir secara sederhana. Hasil kita di dunia ini adalah kombinasi antara potensi yang diberikan Allah (disebut qadla), kemudian berinteraksi dengan usaha kita (laksana memilih tombol yang dipijit, ini terserah pengguna dan bergantung ilmunya), maka hasilnya tak pernah akan keluar dari ketetapan Allah, laksana himpunan hasil yang mungkin dikeluarkan kalkulator pasti sudah diketahui oleh pembuatnya.

Demikianlah ketetapan tentang takdir. Allah sudah menetapkan takdir bagi kita dalam bentuk potensi, hukum sunnatullah, dan Allah pun memberikan kepada manusia kebebasan untuk memilih akan diapakan ‘kalkulator’ yang telah dikaruniakan kepada kita dalam hidup ini.