Careers Killed Because of English

Laxmangarh, Sikar: A recent newspaper report said that out of every hundred candidates called for job interviews, only five were found qualified for the jobs. It is not that they were technically not sound, but that they lacked in communicative skills in English. Is English killing their careers?

A business barometer study(June 2009) done by Assccham on ‘Importance of Soft Skills: Students Perspective’ shows that 89 per cent of students feel that soft skills such as oral communication, written communication and team work needs to be enhanced to become professionally successful. Assocham Research Bureau (ARB) study says that out of 15 most effective skills necessary for professionals, oral communication was rated as the most preferred soft skill and voted by 76 per cent of the students, whereas written communication (72 per cent) and team work (67 per cent) were the second and third most preferred options among the students. Then where is the loop hole? Why the students are not able to compete in professional world in spite of realizing how necessary it is to have a good command on oral communication skills? The degree to which students develop these skills, determines how well we can communicate ourselves to their prospective employers.

Corporate India has two major concerns, first to hire good employees and secondly to train them. Many a CEO would agree that it is indeed a sorry state of affairs that young men and women who walk out of colleges and universities speak little English. For us, it has been a subject to pass, not a language to master, and moreover, the focus has always revolved around technical subjects.
If things continue this way, India may lose out on the BPO and software industries.

What's Wrong?
The pressure today on youth is to complete a B.E., M.B.B.S. or an M.B.A. and become a professional. The subjects that we have to study to obtain these degrees are many and vast. We hardly find time to complete the recommended books of their subjects - forget reading general books. Reading for pleasure is becoming a rare thing. And the text-books are not a good source material for acquiring skills in spoken English.

Demographic patterns too are changing. A lot of youth from small towns and villages are moving to cities to study or work. Only when they come to a professional environment do they feel that their communicative skills in English need a total dressing up.

TV and movies offer no help. The language they dish out is Indianised English, and sometimes downright hybrid English that you find in popular music channels and typical Indian films.
With exposure to such kind of language, what kind of English can you expect from the youth?

The Ghost of 'Raj English'
English, as it is spoken and written today in India, is not free from the British who left us six decades ago. We still find phrases and usage such as 'residence', 'government servant', 'for your kind perusal' and 'my superior' in every Indian English. Surely, these are not good examples of English as it is today.

The Mother Tongue Influence
Not just in pronunciation, the mother tongue also influences the idiom of English we use. "Why do you get angry for small small things?", "I told you that day itself", and "What are you?" are examples of how we think in our mother tongue and use English to express the thoughts. As many mother tongues, so many kinds of English - no wonder that we are divided by the very English we speak.

Careers do not even take off just because of this variety of English or non-English that we youth are exposed to in colleges, universities, and the media. This is compounded by reluctance to make reading a habit.

Schools & Colleges
Teachers and lecturers are bound by the pressures of completing the syllabus, conducting revisions and preparing the students for scoring better marks. After all, it is the top marks that define a school or college as successful. Constrained by time, pressure, and rules of the management, teachers and lecturers neither have the mind nor the occasion to work on the communicative skills of the students. In some institutions, the teachers themselves need to work on their communicative skills in English.

Fluency
Many a youth who rushes to a spoken English institute at the eleventh hour wants fluency in English overnight. It must be remembered that whatever comes easily, goes away easily too. Fluency is a matter of thinking than speaking. How many of these people are fluent in their mother tongue, let alone English? For the very first question at a job interview - Tell me about yourself - you hear replies carrying erm, hmm, matlab, I mean, and so on. It is clarity of thought that brings fluency of speech, no matter which language you speak. And which school or college teaches us to think clearly and cogently?

An Aptitude for Language
In order to master a language, we must have an aptitude for the language in the first place. Many people want the benefits of speaking fluent English, but we don't want to go through the slow and tedious path of learning it. Whether it is English or any other language, we must have a love for the language. And such an aptitude does not come to order.

If we all youth today want to catch up with a fast-moving world and catch-up with what we call global English, we have to transform from inside. As we take to changing fashions in garment and style, so should we take to speaking a language the world speaks. And this means keeping abreast with the world of information and technology. An inquisitive mind, a willingness to put in extra effort, and a constant awareness of the changing world will go a long way in making we the citizen of the world. Career then will be made as if by default.

Academies and institutes that teach communicative skills in English are good as long as we youth seek their help early in their college years. Joining an institute just before the day of the interview is not going to help. And merely enrolling for a course is not enough to get us the communicative skills. Active participation, an inquisitive mind, and persistent effort are the real ingredients of success at any course, not just the one for fluency in English.

Skills That Employers Look For

After completing MBA you must be thinking that you are completely ready for great challenges ahead. But are you really ready for it? Are you equipped with all the skills recruiters are looking for? Skills, that patronage you achieve all your goals without any major obstacles but, if missing, can prove to be big hurdles in making your dreams come true. Recruiters corroborate that you are the best choice for their organization on the basis of these skills only.

There are the skills that employers would look for when they are screening for new recruits: -

Technical Knowledge
No doubts, that, employers will expect you to be technically sound for the job you are approaching. Among all the managerial skills, technical skill stands out. If you are not equipped with technical knowledge for the job, all other skills will seem to be worthless to recruiters and even if they are impressed with your overall performance at interview, they will not be in a position to hire you because of your lack of technical knowledge.

Make sure that you are technically competent for the industry before you volunteer to join it. Technical knowledge enables you to climb the first step of organization’s ladder. It will not only help you to conquer the interview but will also help you later to perform your job competently.

Communication Skills
The power of effective communication impacts recruiter’s perception about you drastically. If you are equipped with the ability to communicate nicely, you have better chances to grab the opportunity than the person competing with you.

Good verbal communication skill helps to connect with recruiter in a better manner and good non-verbal communication skill gives a positive feedback about your habits and body language. Writing is also an effective way to communicate your thoughts efficiently. Writing skill provides you the first opportunity to impress the prospective employer in the form of resume.
Working and interacting with people across functions and departments is a key part of any management job. Employers ensure that you are capable enough to communicate well verbally, non-verbally and through writing, as generally you need to deal with people from a range of diverse countries and backgrounds at any work place.

Team Building
The skill convinces the employer that you are as good a leader as a team-worker. So, basically team building is comprised of two key skills, team work and leadership. The way your individual perfection is valuable to your employer, so is the collective performance. Recruiters look for both of the skills in candidates acutely, as a good leader may not necessarily be a good team player, and vice versa.

Business environment needs the candidates to work in team. Interacting with various people and getting the jobs done are the key elements of management, which are not possible without having genuine team player attitude. That is the reason why so many group projects are assigned to you while your management course. You learn about the assigned topic as well as how to work in a team. The best team players come up with the best projects.

On the same note, employers always like leaders. This is because every company needs "drivers", but not "passengers". They require drivers to lead changes, but not passengers who only know how to follow procedures. This is what your MBA education teaches you, to take lead, be in-charge and create transformation changes.

Languages
Language is a vital tool, which is not only a means to express your views and ideas, but it helps forming business relationships and cultural ties also. Your knowledge of language and culture of your foreign clients shows your respect towards them and their ideas. You always get a preference to execute global operations, if your employer is aware of your foreign language skills. The more languages you know, the better your prospects are.

As organizations are dealing with more cross-border clients and projects, it is in your favour to learn few languages which you think can be used as local business languages, when required. Besides English, which has become global communication tool now and is must to be fluent in, knowledge of other languages can bring added benefits for you.

Commercial Awareness
Even though candidates are able to impress recruiters with their other skills, their lack of commercial awareness works against them and they miss the opportunity. Commercial awareness refers to candidates’ updated general knowledge of business and understanding of the industry and market.

Commercial awareness is the basis of any successful professional experience. Employers generally have a very reasonable expectation from you- to make commercially viable decisions. Generally candidates are not able to meet this expectation because their education is focused mainly on technical aspects and they are not equipped enough or confident enough to take perfect decisions in a real business scenario.

You need to attain the ability to make decisions based on an understanding of how the business works financially and how economy impacts the business you are volunteering to join. A more commercial and work focused mindset is required to convince the employer of your commercial awareness.

Multitasking & Time Management
Multitasking is the ability to perform more than one task simultaneously. Employers generally expect from you to complete more tasks in a shorter time span. This is a quality which can really lead you to stand class apart. With rising competition and expenses companies are forced to limit their resources and get the best out of available sources. Here comes the quality of multitasking which leads you to deliver more in a shorter time.

Multitasking is not about performing the jobs only; it’s about doing the right job at right time and within assigned time-frame with full efficiency. It is a combination of accuracy and time management. You can be a multi-tasker only if you know the feasible short-cuts to get the job done. Before hiring you employers make sure that you are one of those multi-taskers who can think analytically and take the organization to new heights.

Realistic Expectations
As per high profile recruiters, the barriers, which hinder them to recruit very eligible and qualified candidates, are unrealistic expectations of the candidates. Such expectations prove to be big bottle necks during hiring process which end up with either delaying the process or canceling the deal altogether.

Inaccurate assumptions of candidates lead them to demand for arbitrary pay packages, unrealistic job expectations and force them to have an impractical view of advancement opportunities. Research thoroughly about the field and the organization you are interested in to avoid such pitfalls. Remember, all of your efforts can go in vain because of your ignorance about reality.

It is absolutely in your hands to increase your chances of selection during interview. You can expect yourself to be professionally successful if you really acquire these managerial skills that employers are looking for.

121 Ways to Improve Your Life and Be More Awesome

Do you want to improve your life? Do you want to be more awesome, but just don’t know how to go about peeling off the unnecessary layers and being more awesome?

You’re lucky, because I’ve put together a list of 121 ways you can improve your life.

You don’t have to settle with what you’ve got. Who told you that anyway? How awesome were they?

Most people are afraid. They wan’t to stop you from feeling the pain they feel because they never had the courage to do what they wanted in life.

Follow your heart and do what feels right for you, because that’s living. Everything else is dying.

Life

1. Care
If you want to be awesome, you have to care. Care about the people around you and even people you’ve never met. This is especially true if you’re blogging or a public figure. Care about your fans and they will care even more about you.

2. Give Value
We all have something to share. Always focus on what you can do for others. What do you love and what are you good at (or want to become good at)?

3. Be honest
Honesty feels good and is the right thing to do. But why do many choose to lie instead? Most often it’s because it makes their life easier, or does it? It usually might seem like it in the short-term, but in the long-term, honesty always wins.

4. Be honorable
Be honorable and respectable. This means doing the right things, keeping promises and in general, being someone who does the right thing. Look at our world leaders today and do the opposite.

5. Integrity
Having integrity for me means being ethical and following a moral code that is both practical and benefits all of humanity. It’s idealistic, but it is certainly worth striving for, isn’t it?

6. Follow your passion
Find your passion and follow it. Never give up. There is always a way to do what you love while supporting yourself. It may not come in the form you think, so be open-minded ;) .

7. Take responsibility
You are responsible for your life. There is no one to blame. If you’re not happy with your life or with your circumstances, you are the only one that can take responsibility and start changing it. What are you waiting for?

8. Be positive
Being just a little bit more positive can mean a lot of things. Reading a good book, checking out positive quotations or even watching a movie that you enjoy. The possibilities are endless. Even though being positive is cliché and kind of irritating, it is still useful.

9. Take action
You can dream and you can wonder, but nothing happens without taking action consistently. You don’t have to be perfect. Learn as much as you need to know the next step and take action!

10. Be radical
Sometimes it’s good to be radical, if it’s you. Radical means different things to different people, so I’ll leave it up to you to interpret it.

11. Focus on your strengths
Stop trying to fix your weaknesses. You can’t be perfect. Focus on your strength and let other people do what you’re bad at.

12. Do less
You can do less and live more. You don’t need more stuff. Release your cravings for materialism. It will lead to less debt, less work and less stress.

13. Be authentic
Whatever you do, be authentic. Be yourself. I’ve always been a bit of an introvert, so this is another one of those points that I’m constantly working on.

14. Enjoy the process
When you’re doing something you love, you will automatically enjoy the process. Goals don’t even matter at this point. Sure, they give you a direction, but you’re loving life and feeling awesome.

15. Be practical
You don’t have to quit your job to do what you love. You can slowly start phasing it out by working on your passion project after you get home from work. Be practical and realistic. Don’t just jump into your passion when you don’t have a plan.

16. Lose arguments
Why do we insist on being right all the time? Try losing arguments. It’s great fun and interrupts patterns in people. Seeing people get confused is a lot of fun.

17. Let someone pass you in line at the supermarket
Everyone’s in a rush to get home, but what if you took a deep breathe and let someone pass you? It’s unexpected and it makes people smile.

18. Quit your job
If you’re ready for it, just quit your job. There’s no need to hang onto something that you don’t need. For the rest of you, stay put.

19. Give away stuff
How much stuff do you have that you haven’t used in the last 12 months? What about giving it all away? I know a lot of people that have their houses full of stuff.

20. Focus
Be aware of where your focus is. Where focus goes, energy flows. If you’re constantly thinking about how you will fail, you will feel bad and maybe even fail. Think about how you will succeed and you might just succeed. If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

21. Tidy up
Keep your apartment or house clean. Not saying that I’m a master of cleanliness or anything, but it sure does feel good to have everything looking good, doesn’t it?

22. Embrace challenges
Most people avoid challenges, or as they like to call them: problems. What would life be without challenges? Incredibly boring. We would never grow – at least not as fast – and everything would be smooth sailing.

23. Live with power
Live with power and certainty. Power goes hand in hand with responsibility. Take action, be confident, be yourself and trust that your intuition will guide you wherever you need to be.

24. Practice courage
We all have our fears. By practicing courage and doing something even though you’re afraid, you grow. New stuff is scary. I know that. You know that. Let’s do it anyway, shall we?

25. Surround yourself with awesome people
The people you choose as friends have a big impact on how you think and act. Do not accept just anyone into your life. Choose your friends wisely.

26. Go with the flow
You know, the universe is constantly giving you hints and trying to pull you in one direction. Are you noticing those hints? From now on, think about the signs you’re getting and follow them.

27. Release expectations
Release all expectations after you’ve set your goal. You never know what the universe might deliver to your doorstep. That’s why you want to have an open-mind, because what if the universe has something better in store for you?

28. Experiment
Dare to experiment. Embrace failure, because that is how you learn and how you grow. Being awesome means looking ridiculous and making tons of mistakes. Why? Because it helps you become better and provide even more value.

29. Live within your means
Do you really need a car? Do you need cable T.V? We can live a lot cheaper when we realize that we do not need a lot of the stuff we think we need. This allows you to work less and have more free time to do what you want.

30. Slow down
Life is busy. Try to be conscious as much as possible. Breathe and slow down. Enjoy the fact that you’re alive. Be grateful for the little things. Be grateful for the big things.

31. Use money as a tool
Money doesn’t have to enslave you. How much money do you really need? How about having enough to do what you want, when you want to do it? Why would anyone need more than that?

32. Dream
Let yourself dream. All my childhood I’ve been told that things can’t be done, but I have come to realize just the opposite, so let yourself dream and ignore the people that don’t know what they’re talking about.

33. Have a kid
I don’t have a kid, yet. But I’ve heard it is a life changing event, especially if you plan it and stay conscious during the whole journey. It will be an interesting experience once I have a kid or ten of my own.

34. Learn a new language
How many times have you heard or even said “I want to learn a new language”? Stop wishing and start doing. Just 10-15 minutes a day will give you results.

35. Be ridiculous
Don’t be afraid of being ridiculous or silly. In other words, just be yourself. We keep hearing that every market is saturated nowadays. Millions of blogs are born all the time. In this day and age you have to stand out. How do you do that? By being ridiculous. By being yourself.

36. Enjoy nature
How long has it been since you took a walk in nature? What about sitting down in the forest and just listening to the wildlife? Be careful if you have bears in your area though, they can easily sneak up on you ;) .

37. Self-discipline
Having and exercising discipline comes in handy more often than you think. We all have weak moments in our lives when we are just about to give up.

38. Plan your day
Before you get out of bed, visualize how your perfect day would look like. How do you want that day to go?

39. Excuses
Have you been putting off doing what you love because you’re afraid? It’s time to throw out all the excuses and just do it. You will see that the fear and excuses fall away once you realize that they really do not hold as much power as you think.

40. Travel
When I finished school at 18, I went to Spain a few months after that. I lived there for almost a year. It enhanced my growth and I learned so much. I enjoy slow traveling, just picking one country, seeing if it’s nice and then staying there.

41. Get a pet
Get a cat, dog, duck, parrot, mouse or even a panda. They’re all awesome. I like animals. Unfortunately, I am allergic to them, but I still find ways to hangout with them without dying. There are a lot of shelter pets that need your help!

42. Clothes
Do you really buy the clothes you want? Or do you buy the clothes you think people like to see? I’m by no means a fashion expert, but I’ve noticed this pattern in myself many times.

43. Backpack
Have you ever traveled with just a backpack? I did this for a month in Thailand. It wasn’t exactly in the form I would have liked, but it was pretty interesting.

44. Couchsurf
Sleep on a couch or share a couch. It’s called couchsurfing. People all around the world are giving strangers a couch to sleep on.

45. Attend a concert
Sure, surround sound sounds awesome, but there’s nothing like attending a concert and hearing music live.

46. Recycle
Everyone is talking about how the earth is dying, but are we actually doing anything about it? Are you recycling and making sure everything ends up in the right place?

47. Re-use
Can you re-use old bottles, bags or anything in your house instead of throwing it out and buying it again?

48. Social media
If you’re not already involved in social media, get involved. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and so on. They are tools to help you connect with the right people. Use them.

49. Blog
Starting a blog doesn’t mean you have to make money. You can start a blog just to have a home on the internet. Share your thoughts and build a community. You might even discover your passion in the process.

50. Talk to a dolphin
I’ve talked to dolphins in my sleep, but never in real life. I just have this feeling. You have to talk to a dolphin at least once in your life. I’m going to do it soon enough, you can quote me on that.

51. Yoda
If yoda you have not seen, then see him you must. I’ve been in love with the whole Star Wars thing ever since I saw the first movie as a child. Granted, I do not dress up as a wookie, but I still enjoy the whole series, because somewhere out there, it actually exists.
Health

52. Relax
Stress is killing all of us slowly. Take time out of your day to relax. Meditate, be mindful, walk, hangout with your loved ones or pet. Take a hot bath or a sauna (I love saunas)!

53. Listen to your body
What is your body telling you? Are you working too hard? Not eating enough nutrient-dense foods? By keeping your body happy, you can keep your mind happy, which will allow you to unleash your creativity.

54. Eat fruits
Fruits are easily digested by the human body. They also contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids and all kinds of nutrients that help keep your body alive. It’s not about surviving, it’s about thriving!

55. Eat vegetables
I don’t like vegetables that much. But I’ve discovered that broccoli soup is quite delicious. I also juice my vegetables with oranges. That way I get my nutrition without it tasting horrible.

56. Drink pure water
The amount of chemicals in our tap water today is frightening. Choose spring water or use a high quality water filtration system to ensure the purest possible drinking water. We are made up out of mostly water, after all.

57. Sleep
Even a little bit of sleep deprivation can alter your mood and cognitive abilities. I know I have to get my 8-9 hours of sleep otherwise I’m not going to feel like myself.

58. Exercise
You and I both know that exercise rocks, it’s just that we tend not to do it that much. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins, adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin. These are chemicals that work behind the scenes to make you feel good.

59. Eat less meat
Research studies have proven that red meat is linked to increased risk of various diseases. The most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted proves that less meat increases health.

60. Eat light meals
Eat meals that satisfy you and nothing more. Eat slowly and listen to your body. I tend to gorge myself, so this is another one I’m integrating into my life. It’s funny because it’s almost as if it is happening naturally.

61. Drink green smoothies
Smoothies are great nutritional bombs that are full of flavor, but green smoothies are even better. You get energy without crashing. You give your body the nutrients it needs without even tasting the vegetables in the smoothie.

62. Stop alcohol
I don’t like alcohol and I don’t enjoy being around people who are drunk. Having a sip of wine or champagne is cool though. Studies show that moderate consumption is O.K and even beneficial.

63. Throw away processed foods
Your body has trouble with processed foods such as sugar, sodas, candy, pasta and practically anything that comes in a box. Eat whole, natural, fresh foods instead and take control of your health.

64. Ride your bike
Do you even have one? I love riding those really old bikes that are made for old people. They are super comfortable and so simple with one gear.

65. Take the stairs
Are you in love with the elevator? Skip it next time and run up the stairs. Why? Because it’s harder and therefore infinitely more awesome.

66. Grow your own food
The ideal choice would be to grow all of your own food, but for most people that just isn’t possible. You can still grow indoors if you want, but that takes resources and space. Growing your own food will give you access to fresh produce that is extremely high in enzymes and nutrients.

67. Eat sprouts
Sprouts are awesome and extremely easy to make. The only thing you need are dry seeds, water and a bag. There are a lot of resources out there that show you how to sprout seeds, so check them out.

68. Try martial arts
Martial arts aren’t for everyone, but if you can find something you like, it can uplift your spirit and give you an outlet for your creativity, while keeping you fit and looking good.

69. Try yoga
Yoga is an ancient practice that connects the mind, body and spirit. It helps with blood pressure, circulation, balance, body awareness, core strength and mood, just to throw a few benefits out there.

70. Lift weights
Many have the notion that if they lift weights, they’ll wake up the next morning looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s a nice myth. Weight lifting is beneficial, but can become boring if you don’t throw some variation in there.

71. Detoxify
The food we eat, air we breathe and water we drink is filled with pollutants, chemicals and toxins. Cleansing and going through a herbal detoxification regimen can help your body eliminate these toxins and improve your health.

72. Massage
Get a massage and give a massage. Getting a massage will help you release tension, relax and be a little bit more of who you really are. I tried shiatsu a few years ago and it was awesome.

73. Juices
Freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices are nature’s multivitamins. They are digested extremely fast and put minimal strain on your body.

74. Fast
Juice fasting and water fasting have both been proven by people all around the world to improve health and wellbeing. If you’re planning a water fast, you might want to contact someone that knows their stuff, it can get rough.

75. Take an omega-3 supplement
The benefits of fish oil have been proven over and over again. You can eat fatty fish and get your omega-3’s that way, but for those that do not like fish or can’t eat enough, supplementation might be an option.

76. Take a natural multivitamin
The nutrition in our food has been slowly declining over the decades, because of the use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals. A natural multivitamin will keep your bases covered.
Spiritual

77. Breathe
Remind yourself to breathe deeply through your nose and into your abdomen. Breathe out through your mouth, slowly. This relaxes and releases stress. Focus on your breath and notice your body and mind saying goodbye to tension.

78. Meditate
Taking time off from your busy schedule to meditate. It enhances your brain power, mood and reduces pain sensitivity. Learning how to meditate is easy, so make time for it. No, not someday. Now. Schedule 10 minutes right now and try it.

79. Release the how
We’re always trying to figure out how something is going to happen. Release the how. Our brains aren’t meant to know how things are going to happen. It causes anxiety, worry and other mental problems.

80. Volunteer
Almost every city has somewhere where you can volunteer. Go check it out and try it for one day. You might like it.

81. Be open minded
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Be open to everything, because you never know where it may lead. What if you tried an origami class today where you met someone that will help you 13 years from now? You can never know.

82. Grow
Grow as a human being, a spiritual being and a conscious soul. If you aren’t growing, you’re slowly withering away. There is no middle ground. Always push yourself. Live uncomfortably and evolve.

83. Be grateful
Write down and think about the positive things in your life. Practice gratitude every night before sleep. It may feel weird, but enjoying the little things you are grateful for will have an impact on you.

84. Make connections
One of the most important things in life is making connections. My life has significantly shifted towards making more connections and giving value, from just being someone who does something for money. This has had a huge impact on my life.

85. Accept
Do you constantly want to change they way things are? What if you had done that one thing differently in the past? Stop it. You’re putting yourself in mental hell. Accept what is. Ironically, that is the first step to change.

86. Forgive
Forgive yourself and others. It will take a huge load off your back. You don’t have to hold grudges against anyone. You are only causing anguish to yourself.

87. Patience
Nothing happens fast. I learned this the hard way. In the small amount of behind-the-scenes coaching that I’ve done I keep seeing this over and over again. People want to make it online and they want fast results, but the truth is that you have to work hard for 6-12-24 months before anything happens.

88. Create
We all like to do something. We are made to create. Whether it is writing, painting or singing doesn’t matter. Creating gives birth to serenity. When you’re in the flow of creating in a form you enjoy, you will see what I am talking about. My favorite form is writing at the moment.

89. Say hi
Just saying hi and shooting a smile at people you pass on the street can have a huge impact on their day, and in your own life. Spreading the joy feels good.

90. Hug people
What about taking it to the next level and hugging people on the street? Start your own free hugs campaign. That video is awesome.

91. Be aware of your beliefs
Your beliefs control what you see, what you believe and where you’re heading. If you don’t believe that you’re awesome, then you won’t accomplish awesome things.

92. Thank as many people as you can
Go out of your way to thank as many people as you can. If you have a blog, thank your visitors in any way you can. Give them free stuff. Send them personal e-mails. Help them out.

93. Intuition
Take chances. Don’t be afraid to trust your intuition. For me, intuition is that feeling I get in my heart. I feel drawn to something and it feels good. It’s not correct 100% of the time (because I misinterpret), but it’s fun following it and seeing what happens.

94. Learn to say no
Saying no is liberating and powerful. You do not have to accept every request that your friends or loved ones make. You control your time. If you’re afraid that your friends will un-like you for not doing stuff, then they aren’t really your friends.

95. Release labels
When we look at someone we automatically put a label on them and often we’re wrong. Think about all those times you analyzed someone and thought you were right. When you met them and talked to them you realized how wrong you were.

96. Imagine
Imagine how you would like to be. Confident, charismatic, funny and whatever else you fancy. Now think of how that version of you acts and lives their everyday life. Then imitate them.

97. Be present
There’s no need to dwell on the past or the future. Take your awareness and plant it in the now. Be aware of your body, thoughts and feelings. Just observe them and allow them to be.

98. Embrace Imperfection
We have to be perfect. Never fail. Failure was frowned upon when I was a kid, so I grew up thinking I had to be perfect. Took me a long time to realize that it wasn’t necessarily so. It’s okay to be imperfect. It’s human.

99. Ask for help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have trouble, reach out to someone and ask for their assistance. We can’t always do things on our own.

100. Respect people
Show people respect. This is a big one. I wasn’t good at showing others respect just a few years ago. I’m learning though and doing my best.

101. Trust
Trust others. There are a lot of good people out there that will help you. I’m not saying you should trust anyone blindly though. But I think you know what I mean.

102. Release negative people
You don’t have to hang around negative people, you know? They are there to teach you that. Let them go and say good bye.

103. Listen to others
Listen to what people have to say. Don’t you feel appreciated when someone has 100% of their attention on you? Do the same.

104. There is no spoon
You create your reality. Realize that you have the power to create what you want. If you don’t agree then you have a few beliefs to let go of.

105. Ego
The ego has its tasks, but it has taken the population of Earth hostage. You can free yourself by breathing and allowing it to be as it is.

106. Release negativity
There are a lot of good tools to release negative emotions, beliefs and thoughts. Two of my favorites are Emotional Freedom Technique and the Sedona Method.

107. Use NLP
Ever heard of Neuro-Linguistic Programming? It’s basically taking control of your brains operating system. It’s another tool that you might find useful.
Clarity

108. Journal
Writing down your thoughts will help you gain clarity. Since I started writing my decision-making has been sharper and more awesome. By journaling you can learn more about yourself and therefore improve your life and at the same time affect those around you in a positive way.

109. Simplify your life
Throw out superfluous goals, things and stuff in general. External purging affects your internal state. Don’t you just feel better when you give or even throw old stuff away? I know I do. You do too, you just can’t admit it, can you?

110. Have goals
Write down your goals. They don’t have to be incredibly meticulous. Just having them in writing gives them more power. You’ve heard the stories, someone writes down a goal and forgets about it, then they find it 10 years later and you know the story :D .

111. Read
Reading teaches you things. Secret things. Did you know that most people don’t read? That means you’ll know many secrets that they don’t, just by reading books. Two of my favorite books are the Power of Now and Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

112. Throw out your T.V
How much time do you spend watching T.V? I haven’t watched television regularly for a very long time. It frees up amazing amounts of time. If you watch 2 hours a day, that’s 730 hours per year, or 4.34 weeks per year. It’s time to kill your T.V.

113. Stop reading the news
How often have you felt happy after reading the news? It’s filled with propaganda, manipulated stories and bombs. Why read it? It doesn’t do you any good.

114. Don’t multitask

I’m a huge multi-tasker and addicted to it. I don’t really want to change that habit right now, but I have noticed that whenever I focus on one thing, magic happens more often than not.

115. Enjoy music

I tend to only listen to music while I do other things. One day I put on music and sat with my eyes closed. It was as if another world had opened up. Everything seemed different.

116. Turn off your phone

I’ve had my phone turned off a lot. I’ve even stopped answering the phone when it rings. I guess that’s one of the reasons why people don’t call me anymore. But on a more serious note, it’s relaxing :D .

117. Turn off your IM

Did you think I was going to let you have your Instant Messenger on? Shut it down! In fact, I’m going to shut mine off right now. There, it’s done. Try it.

118. Learn your values

What are your true values in life? Do you value integrity? Honesty? What about love? How about money? Which one is #1?

119. Prioritize

People say they don’t have time, when in reality they’re saying they lack priorities. If you don’t have time to follow your passion, you don’t really care about feeling fulfilled and awesome. Learn how to eliminate and discriminate.

120. Keep it simple
Keep things as simple as necessary, but no simpler.

121. Death

Remind yourself that you are going to die. This will melt away any obstacles that are preventing you from living your life to the fullest.