Bring innovation to your life

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. The power of innovation. If you've ever marvelled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of crayons in kindergarten was not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, everybody has potential.

You know how long it took to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same with innovation. It takes a  bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily  when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure you have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

All the best
Eddie Lago

Blogging

A Great Idea For a Blogging Web Site is No Longer
Enough

 Because there are so many blogs and web sites about
blogs on the internet, it can be tough to distinguish your
blogging web site from all of the others. Whether you
are starting up a new web site aimed at bloggers or
whether you are looking to make your existing blogging
site more distinctive, the key to building and
maintaining a site that will capture the interest and
attention of the blogging community is finding your
niche. If you can fill a unique need in a way that no
other web site does, you'll be able to build a lasting
readership among web surfers. Once you have
discovered a niche, you will still have a lot to do, but
finding your place in the blogosphere is the place to
begin.

Every great blogging web site starts with a great idea,
and you can't build a successful site that will last
without one. There are many great sites aimed at
today's bloggers, and competition for the attention of
this growing demographic is fierce. To make your
blogging web site stand out from the pack, you will
need to offer something that no other site is currently
offering, or you will need to do the same thing that an
already popular site does but in a more impressive or
valuable way.

One way to discover an ideal model for your blogging
web site is to look at the sites that have successfully
captured a blogging audience already to determine if
you can appropriate some of their strategies to help
realize your vision. Of course, you will also need to add
a unique flair to your project in order to stand apart
from your competition. Many people agree that the web
sites that do the best in today's market are the sites that
have the most personality. The fiercely individual
surfers who are bloggers are a demographic that
responds especially strongly to personality, so consider
how you can give your site a unique and attractive
feeling by lending your own voice and sensibility to
your site's design and content.

Once you have a great idea for your site, have
pinpointed a special niche that you are well equipped to
fill, and have infused the site with personality, the next
step is figuring out how to get the word out to bloggers.
In the long run, a great idea just isn't enough to propel
your blogging web site to success. You will need to
draft a smart and realistic marketing plan in order to
draw readers to your site. Once you hook a blogger,
your great content will keep them coming back, but it is
vital to get that first glance or your site won't have a
chance to shine.

All the Best
Eddie Lago

Life Coaching

Life Coaching is not Giving Advice

A lot of people give themselves good advice and not following these very advices which may help save themselves from problems. Another problem we have is giving unsolicited advices without even knowing the true facts of the situation.

A Low Down On Advices

All roads are paved with good intentions. A lot of people want to help, we want to aid people by shielding them and deflective bad things, and especially to those people we love. An advice can turn something good into somewhat of an overture towards a person’s sense of self. One comment can become a potentially uncomfortable situation.

Some people are sensitive. You may see them cry, they might tell you they are hurt, and they could say something as to the why; however, the fact remains that you do not have enough idea of the situation that person is experiencing. More often than not, people who love dishing out advice end up putting their foot into their mouths.

Empathy and Sympathy

Taking your cue from a life coach, you will see that a life coach never sympathizes with their client. Sympathizing is taking another persons experience and making them your own. That is a selfish act. Empathizing on the other hand is putting yourself in that individual’s shoes. In short being him/ her for the time being.

Visualize and Categorize

Advices are useless because they can be one sided. Every person’s experiences are different. You may have the same problem, but the process you had to go through before reaching that problem always varies.

Letting the client visualize the goal is the first step towards healing and finding the solution. For example: If the problem is an argument with the boss. Making the client visualize his desired out come, let say making up with the boss and getting a promotion will point the client to the path in which he or she wants to take without dictating to him or her what to do. You see, sometimes advices can be dictatory in a sense that the other person will follow the advice simply because they do not want to hurt your feelings.

If Not Advice Then What?

Time is the essence of life coaching. A coach can spend months and some even years working with a client to achieve his or her goals and the things he or she want in life. Time is valuable so make the most of it by connecting with the client mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Achieving a degree of trust is usually the first step. Next is listening intently, and then identifying critical situation in a client’s life which you could catalyze on how to make though provoking activities for your client.

The thing about being a life coach is that although you do relate to the client from a time to time basis, you give the client room to expand and be who he or she really is without having to worry of what your thinking. An advice is not how a life coach makes the client see things. Instead the coach praises the client for his or her current success and asks him or her if there is anything in his or her life they want to change. By asking a question the coach throws the ball to the client’s court and makes him or her ponder on his own. The process of life coaching is not an easy one. There are trainings and seminars, but there is no formal education. You have to possess insight to be an effective life coach.

Many times if not all the time a life coach is able to lead the thought process of the client in a way to where the client answers all of the questions and come up with a solution them selves. So the life coach asks the right questions, and the client answers the questions and solve the problem. With this method the client for the most part feel very happy to have a solution to the problem and thank the coach for being the hero. The coach will always tell the client that the real hero is not the coach, but that the client was able to find the answer his or her self with a little guidance from the coach.

All the Best
Eddie Lago

Dream Your Life

Impossible is Just a Word

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.

The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking "I can't do this", "It's too hard", "It's impossible", "No one can do this".

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym person who works out hard and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

All the Best

Eddie Lago

Be Happy

Happy as You Want to Be

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have the power to make the necessary changes if we want. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness

People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also healthier.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull will be their outlook. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time

Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday

Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for so you can feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

All the Best

Eddie Lago

Recession proof business

Top 5 Recession-Proof Businesses

In a recent poll involving 1,000 residents of the U.S., 65% said that they think that economic conditions in the country are worsening. Nearly half have already cut back on their spending and almost 20% are apprehensive about the stability of their jobs. Now that recession has finally landed, is there hope for businesses to thrive, much less survive? If starting a business in these tough times is still an option for you, here are the top 5 recession-proof businesses you might want to consider:

Health care

Regardless of the times, someone somewhere will always be in need of good, professional health service. This is an industry that has experienced some significant growth over the last few years. And it doesn't show any signs of slowing down any time soon.

If you have the resources – training, manpower and capital – becoming involved in a business that offers health services will assure you of a comfortable market. Consider businesses that focus on offering affordable preventive solutions to people, alternative health care and home health.

Food and beverages

We're not talking about pooling your hard-earned money and starting a restaurant – although if that seems like a feasible thing to do, it just might work. However, going into the restaurant business still has its risk – and a very high one at that.

Instead, you might consider going into a food and beverage business by focusing on offering healthier fare. These days, going into a recession is even a better excuse to eat healthy because it encourages people to cut down on their consumption and to avoid unnecessary purchases.

Consider alternative menus that are tasty and creative or specialized cafes and diners or even vegetarian eateries. Concept plus good taste are usually the best ingredients to a successful recession-proof business.

Funeral services

Yes, this is a recession-proof business, morbid as it may sound. It deals with an inevitability, which means you'll never run out of customers. You could either get involved in selling services or offering related products. Cremation, which has increased in popularity in the last few years, is also a good option.

Repair services

Repair services are also recession-proof businesses. There will always be people whose kitchen sinks clog, whose airconditioning breaks down, whose roof starts leaking or whose car suffers from overheating. What these mean is pure business opportunity, even when economic times seem shaky. And even if potential clients try to delay much-needed repair, they will still come to you for help eventually.

A caveat: many, if not all, of these businesses require specialized training, skills and equipment. However, once you have these resources, you'll have access to a recession-proof business that does not only offer a potential for high margins, it's also a venture that won't require you to wait too long for a return on your investment. Provided your services are tops, it's likely that you could be in business for a very long time.

Personals

It may seem surprising but starting a business involving dating and matchmaking could help you tide the recession over. Recession or no, people will always be looking for someone special either for dating or marriage. Already, this business has hit over $650 million in sales.

As a recession-proof business, starting a personals venture could mean good profits and steady work. And no one even has to leave home. Some of the most popular companies today are those that offer online dating (Internet speed dating included) to their clients. With sufficient support, attractive and secure platforms and savvy, targeted marketing, this type of business is set to fly.

All the Best

Eddie Lago

Recession family entertainment tips

Recession-Proof Your Family’s Entertainment: Low Cost Ways to Have Fun

Recession does not mean boredom for your family. You do not have to slump down at home trying to sleep the recession away when you can still have fun without having to spend too much. Here are some ways to keep your family entertained without putting a big dent to your budget.

Grow a Green Thumb – Low Cost Way to Have Fun and Have Food

Gardening is one of the most productive and yet less-costly ways to entertain oneself. If you have the kids helping, you can double the fun. Just as long as you do not use high-maintenance, which are also usually expensive plants, you can have a ball growing vegetables and fruits that you can also use to make your own meals. This means more savings for your family!

Watch your Local Sports Team – Inexpensive Way to Support your Local Team

Kids enjoy watching sports. Support your local sports team by adding yourself and your kid as part of its seated cheering squad.

Go to community events – Low Cost Activity to Enjoy your Neighborhood’s Events

Your local local colleges, city bulletin boards, newspaper listings, and libraries usually post special entertainment events that you can attend for free.

Host a Garage Sale – Fun and Inexpensive Way to Earn Extra Income

It’s high time to get rid of your old bags that only gather dust in your closet. And what better way to get rid of it than to sell it in a garage sale. A garage sale is not just a way to earn you extra money, it can be highly entertaining, too. Getting the whole family to participate, from gathering the items, pricing and selling them can be a whole bunch of fun.

Backyard Camping – Go Cheap, Local and Fun

You do not need to travel miles to be able to enjoy camping. Your backyard can be one cheaper and less-stressful place to have camping with your family or friends. Just make sure to make the ambience conducive to camping. If you want, you can even invite your nosy neighbors to join you.

Purchase annual passes – Low Cost Amusement

Amusement and water parks usually offer annual tickets that do not cost much. Take advantage of these offers if your family is into this type of entertainment.

Enjoy YouTube – Free Techie Fun

The Internet technology now offers free entertainment via online videos. YouTube is the most popular source of these videos. You can also watch movies through other free movie sites.

Belt it out – Enjoy and Learn while Saving Money

If you do not have a karaoke microphone, you can borrow from your friends. There is also an online version of karaoke that you can also use as a form of free entertainment.

Play Online Games – Not Just for Kids but for Your Wallet’s Health, too

There are millions of free online games that you can enjoy with your kids. Whether you want to play word games or puzzle games, the variety of online games is endless.

Set a Family Day – Regular Way to Save Money and Have Fun

Whether you play scrabble, go camping in your backyard, or watch online videos, setting a regular family day doing these simple and yet fun activities will condition your family to look forward to less-expensive ways of having fun. It’s a great way to bond with your family members, as well.

Are you wasting or investing your time?

ARE YOU WASTING OR INVESTING YOUR TIME?

Time is the most precious value we have. Time is the greatest equalizer of human beings. If we don’t want to admit this and to treat time with respect then we will only have to lose. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, you will only have 24 hours a day either way, and you should try to use them wisely.

Most of the time we waste our time and energy worrying and thinking about things like how to make more money and how to leave a better life. Well, when we do this we usually forget about the most important thing – the time to live our life is now. A wise man will always tell you: “You can always make more money, but you can never buy more time”.

How many times are we aware of the ways we invest our time? And the word “investment” is the most accurate because the way we choose to spend our time is a true investment in ourselves and our own lives. And you will never find the true value of time in the way people around you act and talk.

People usually spend time in front of the TV, or they sped a lot of time browsing the net with no purpose whatsoever. Some of us even try to steal more time with the cost of many healthy sleep hours. If you wake up earlier in the morning just to smoke a few cigarettes and to fill your self up with coffee so you won’t feel sleepy it doesn’t mean you won quality time. Also, inefficient work or spending more hours at work that you have to is equal to lending your life to someone else.

Some people always say things like: “I’m just counting the hours to go home” or “I wish it were Friday” on a Monday and so on. These are just signs that those persons usually waste their time. If you organize our time efficiently and if you choose to do only activities that motivate us somehow, then we will find ourselves able to work everyday without feeling tired or sleepy.

At any moment that you just let time pass by you think about what Romans said:”Carpe Diem” – it has a great meaning for our everyday life, it means “Live the day” or better said “Organize your day”. Make more time to analyze the way you invest or waste your time. And never forget that you can’t tell anything about tomorrow so “Carpe Diem!”

Invest your time, make the best of what you have right now, and be grateful for what you have. Enjoy your present and learn to appreciate what you have. If you have a job that pays you minimum wage, then you need to know that you are worth more then that. However, you can only get payed minimum wage for that job class. In order to get more money you need to train in new categories with in your company, or start a new career. Ether way, you need to invest some time in learning new things. Find something that works for you and do it again, and keep repeating what works for you.