15 things to "Give up..."

This is indeed a brilliant article and needs to be read again and again  Here is a list of 15 things, which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and you'll feel much, much happier.

We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering and instead of letting them all go and allowing ourselves to be stress-free and happy, we cling on to them.

Well, not anymore. Starting today, we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go!

1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can't stand the idea of being wrong wanting to always be right even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain for us and for others. It's just not worth it. Whenever you feel the 'urgent' need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question from Dr. Wayne Dyer: 'Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?' What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control.

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, co-workers, or just strangers you meet on the street just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel. 'By letting it go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.' Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame.

Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don't have, for what you feel or don't feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk.

Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don't believe everything that your mind is telling you especially if it's negative and self-defeating. You are better than that. 'The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.' Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible.

From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly! 'A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind.' Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things people, situations and events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It's not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism.

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others.

Stop trying so hard to be something that you're not just to make others like you. It doesn't work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you're not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change.

 

Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change don't resist it. 'Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.' Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels.

Stop labeling the things, people or events that you don't understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open.The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about.'

11. Give up on your fears.

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn't exist you created it. It's all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place. 'The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.' Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck and lie to ourselves, using all kind of excuses excuses that 99.9% of the time, are not even real.

13. Give up the past.

I know, I know. This one's hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening. But, you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for the past that you are now dreaming about was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all, life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us, is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too (it still is), but it's not impossible. You get better and better at it with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things (and that doesn't mean you give up your love for them because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another. Attachment comes from a place of fear, while love well, real love is pure, kind, and selfless; where there is love there can't be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot co-exist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people's expectations.

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them; they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them; to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people's expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need and eventually, they forget about themselves. You have one life this one right now you must live it, own it, and especially don't let other people's opinions distract you from your path.

Source: Unknown

Oil, gold prices bring relief, not comfort

I want to share this article in Business Standard deals about the recent  reduction in the prices of Oil and Gold and the reasons and consequences of the reduction of price are clearly explained. 

BUSINESS STANDARD
Sunday, May 5, 2013 | 10:35 PM IST

It might be tempting to believe that the fall in prices of crude oil and gold will bring down India's current account deficit. But the narrative isn't this simple

For long now, India's politicians have blamed global headwinds (Europe's sovereign crisis and weak US growth) for the country's macroeconomic stress. Economists have said the rising imports of crude oil and the insatiable appetite of Indians for gold have worsened the problem. But with the recent fall in the prices of the two commodities, global tailwinds are coming to India's rescue, the same people have begun to say. That is because since January 2013, Brent crude had come down 12 per cent to $98.3 a barrel and gold 17 per cent to $1,396 an ounce by mid-April. The fall in prices of both these commodities, it is being felt, will not only dramatically improve India's unwieldy trade deficit, but will also ease the pressure on our fiscal deficit and subsequently drive down inflation and interest rates too. If oil and gold stay at the current levels through 2013, our growth-inflation dynamics could improve for the better.

Why do these two commodities matter so much for the country's wellbeing? As much as 43 per cent of our imports comprise gold and crude oil. India's imports have outpaced exports by a long shot over the last two years, largely on higher gold and crude oil prices in the international markets. On top of that, gold imports have grown sharply along with the price of the precious metal. (Demand has grown 10 per cent year-on-year, which has caused domestic prices to rise 24 per cent per annum for the previous four years.) This has skewed our trade balance. Now, as a result of the recent softening in gold and crude oil prices, India's current account deficit may come down from 5.1 per cent of the gross domestic product in 2012-13 to less than 4 per cent by the end of 2013-14, economists have said. So, any reduction in the international prices of crude oil and gold should be good news for India. But the narrative is not so simple. Let's look at gold first.

Most experts say that a drop in gold prices encourages consumers to purchase more of the yellow metal. HSBC in a recent report said that the dip in gold prices may not help narrow the current account deficit. "Our quantitative analysis supports this. The volume of gold imports rises with higher real incomes, lower real deposit rates, and falling gold prices," says Leif Eskeseen, chief India economist, HSBC. In a research note dated April 17, rating agency CARE too said falling gold prices were unlikely to curb demand and hence would not have a positive impact on the current account deficit. "Our analysis shows that the drop in the price of gold should not have a significant impact on the import bill. This is because the decline in the price is countered by a rise in volumes as Indians take advantage of lower prices to buy more gold," CARE said. Jewellers have reported a sharp increase in sales after the fall in gold prices.

* * *

International gold prices had crashed to a 26-month low in April following speculation that Cyprus planned to sell its gold reserves to tide over its financial crisis. Subsequently, the central bank of Cyprus denied any such move. Since then gold prices have staged a smart recovery. International prices have risen 8.88 per cent from this month's low of $1,347.95 per ounce. In the domestic market, gold prices have recovered 6.58 per cent after hitting a low of Rs 25,695 per 10 grams on April 17.

The fall in crude oil prices too is a double-edged sword. If crude oil prices remain at the same level for some time, the current account deficit is likely to come down to less than 4 per cent of GDP, say some experts. "Since 79 per cent of India's crude oil demand is met by imports, the drop in Brent crude prices to around $100 per barrel would be a huge boost for the current account deficit. About one-sixth of the country's import bill is going to come down because of this," says Debashish Mishra, senior director, Deloitte. India's crude oil imports have increased dramatically over the years from a mere 74.09 million tonne in 2000-01 to 184.5 MT in 2012-13.

However, petroleum products are also the largest item in the country's export basket, accounting for 18 per cent of the total, and hence the net impact of any fall in crude oil prices on the current account deficit won't be much - the value of our exports will come down by the same degree. India's export of petroleum products has increased astronomically from just 8.36 MT in 2000-01 to 63.76 MT in 2012-13. The key exports include petrol, naphtha, aviation turbine fuel, diesel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), lube oil and bitumen.

However, the cooling down of international prices has turned out to be a big relief on the subsidy front. The under-recovery on the sale of diesel, kerosene and LPG is expected to drop to Rs 84,400 crore in 2013-14, against Rs 161,000 crore in 2012-13, if crude oil prices remain almost in the same range. However, this is still higher than the provision of Rs 65,000 crore made in the budget for 2013-14. For the true benefit of lower crude oil prices to accrue, the subsidy bill needs to fall below Rs 65,000 crore. The oil subsidy is shared equally by the state-owned oil marketing companies, the government and upstream companies, ONGC and Oil India Ltd.

* * *

From as high as $122 a barrel in December, crude oil prices have come down to $99 per barrel this month. According to the petroleum ministry, as a result, the under-recovery has come down to as low as Rs 3.8 a litre on diesel, Rs 27.93 a litre on kerosene and Rs 378.38 a cylinder on LPG. According to the latest figures by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, the revenue loss for the oil marketing companies has gone down to Rs 256 crore a day from Rs 454 crore a day on February 15. "This is due to the drastic drop in international crude oil prices in the last three months," says K V Rao, director (finance), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

The fall in crude oil prices has definitely brought relief to petrol consumers. Retail prices have dropped by 7 per cent from Rs 67.56 a litre on January 15 to Rs 63.09 (Delhi) on May 1. For the oil marketing companies, the big move has been the government's decision to decontrol diesel prices in a phased manner. With oil marketing companies allowed to raise prices by 50 paisa per month, all under-recoveries on the fuel were expected to be wiped out by early 2015. However, with the international prices dropping, the oil marketing companies expect diesel prices to be at par with market rates within nine months or at the most by mid-2014, depending on global prices. The benefit will accrue only if the government musters the political courage to charge consumers market prices as the country gets closer and closer to the 2014 general elections. "The drop in crude oil prices is good news, but that may not suffice for the differential to be bridged. Other measures like passing on costs to consumers may have to continue," says Deepak Mahurkar, the head of oil & gas practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Lower crude oil prices would bring down inflation by half a percentage point, say experts. The price rise in the fuel index has been in double digits after the government increased the fuel prices last year. But if crude continues to stay at $100/barrel through 2013, then 50-60 basis points could be shaved off headline inflation print (Wholesale Price Index). According to the Asia Economics team of Credit Suisse, a sustained 10 per cent drop in oil price will likely add 10-20 basis points to GDP growth in non-Japan Asia and subtract 50-90 basis points off headline inflation. Lower oil prices improve the growth-inflation dynamics of oil-importing countries like India.

Much will depend on how gold and crude oil prices behave in the coming months. "The outlook for gold still remains bearish, but a steep fall as seen in April is not expected to be repeated as physical demand will be supportive. I feel that the bearish trend will continue for some more time as the dollar is strengthening, inflation is down and so the tendency to purchase gold as a hedge against inflation is diminishing. Equity markets and other riskier assets are giving better returns, so investors are not interested in gold," says Naveen Mathur, associate director, commodities and currencies, Angel Broking. Crude oil prices are difficult to predict. A lot of factors are set to drive the international prices in the coming months. Supply is on the rebound after a brief setback. But prices would depend on the OPEC policies and international scenario - like the reported air strike on Syria by Israel and disruptions in Nigeria, Libya and Iraq.

Source:http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/oil-gold-prices-bring-relief-not-comfort-113050400585_1.html

What to Learn to Become a Great Manager?

Being a manager in any industry can be a fulfilling job, but it can also be a difficult one. You will need to find the right balance of friendliness and authority. You will need to create a good team atmosphere whilst achieving the bigger goals. 

In every large organization, there's a hierarchy of management that keeps the whole operation running smoothly. A good manager can motivate people, learn from previous mistakes, and gain respect from a team. Here's how to build your skills.

Delegating : Learn how to choose what to delegate, match employee and delegated assignment, and set the stage for success by both developing your employees and freeing up your time for critical managerial tasks.

Goal Setting : Learn how to set realistic goals, prioritize tasks, and track milestones to improve performance and morale.

Managing Upward : Learn insight into developing a mutually rewarding relationship, with skills for communicating and negotiating with your manager, presenting problems or opportunities to your supervisor and accepting responsibility for your proposed actions.

Meeting Management : Learn about planning and conducting meetings from start to finish; preparation, keeping the meeting on track, and follow-up and dealing with problem behaviors exhibited by meeting participants. 

New Manager Transitions : Learn what it means to be a manager, as well as how to navigate the complex and often stressful transition from individual contributor to a new manager.

Presentation Skills : Learn about preparing and delivering presentations that command attention, persuade, and inspire, rehearsal techniques, creating and using more effective visuals, understanding your objectives and your audience to create a presentation with impact.

Stress Management : Learn the difference between positive stress that enhances productivity and negative stress that breeds tension, lowers productivity, and undercuts job satisfaction, strategies for dealing with underlying causes of worry and stress, tactical coping mechanisms for immediate problem management.

Time Management : Learn how to analyze how you currently spend your time and pinpoint opportunities for improvement, set goals, prioritize tasks, plan your time efficiently using scheduling tools, control time-wasters, and evaluate your schedule once it is underway.

Writing Skills : Learn how to accomplish your business objectives and extends your influence as a manager, create clearer, more effective written communications, guidelines for preparing memos, letters, emails, and other common business documents.

Career Management : Learn how to manage your career--including how to identify your business interests, professional values, and skills in order to target your most exciting career possibilities.

Change Management : Learn how to manage change constructively and navigate the ups and downs that inevitably accompany a change effort.

Coaching : Learn how to strengthen your coaching skills to facilitate the professional growth of the employees you coach.

Developing Employees : Learn how to encourage your employees to learn and grow, while maximizing the return on the management time you invest in employee development.

Difficult Interactions : Learn how to discuss and resolve difficult interactions in the workplace--whether with employees, peers, bosses, or even suppliers and customers.

Feedback Essentials : Learn when and how to give effective positive or corrective feedback, how to offer feedback upward, and how to receive feedback.

Global Collaboration : Learn critical skills required to manage a cross-cultural collaboration, including negotiating, building trust, overcoming language barriers, and navigating the geographical and technological challenges of working across continents.

Hiring : Learn how to identify the particular skill set needed for a job, and then how to research and interview leading candidates until you find the one who best fills your need.

Leading and Motivating : Learn about the essential tasks of leadership: setting direction, aligning people, and motivating others. Learn how to recognize the skills and characteristics of effective leaders, create an inspiring vision, and energize people to support and work toward your goals.

Performance Appraisal : Learn how to prepare for, conduct, and follow up on performance evaluations--in ways that link employee performance to your company's and group's goals.

Retaining Employees : Learn strategies for attracting and keeping top performers, how to handle common obstacles to retention such as burnout and work/life imbalance, and how to develop programs that address the diverse needs and interests of your workforce.

Team Leadership : Learn how to establish a team with the right mix of skills and personalities and create a culture that promotes collaborative work, steps to leading an effective team and includes innovative, easy-to-implement self-evaluation tools.

Team Management : Learn how to diagnose and overcome common problems - such as poor communication and interpersonal conflict - that can impede team progress, learn to take corrective measures to remove team problems and improve team performance.

Virtual Teams : Learn how to create concrete suggestions for forming virtual teams, including assessing their technology and communication needs, structuring the team to build trust, and keeping the team on track

Budgeting : Learn about the budget process, different types of budgets, and common budgeting problems--so you can allocate resources wisely to meet your goals.

Business Case Development : Learn how to create an effective business case, from defining the opportunity and analyzing alternatives to presenting your final recommendations.

Business Plan Development : Learn the process of preparing an effective plan for a business proposal, applicable to launching a new internal product as well as seeking funding for a new start-up business.

Crisis Management : Learn a practical, hands-on method for looking at crises--from developing a crises audit to avoid and prepare for crises, to managing an actual crisis, to learning from past events.

Customer Focus : Learn how to target the right customers and build their long-term loyalty by developing systems for learning about--and responding to--their needs.

Decision Making : Learn how to identify underlying issues related to a decision, generate and evaluate multiple alternatives, and then communicate and implement your decision.

Diversity : Learn how to manage diversity to extract maximum value from your employees' differences -- including how to recruit diverse talent, resolve diversity-related conflicts, and communicate with employees and customers from other cultures. 

Ethics At Work : Learn how to identify and execute sound choices based on ethical standards and how building a culture of integrity and cultivating an environment of trust among employees, customers, and other stakeholders lays a foundation for sustained success.

Finance Essentials : Learn the essential concepts of finance--budgeting, forecasting, and planning, for managers who are not financial managers.

Innovation and Creativity : Learn how to manage an intellectually diverse work group and their environment to produce more--and better--ideas that encourage innovation when developing products and work processes.

Innovation Implementation : Learn how to implement an innovation--from crafting a vision statement to gaining support and managing resistance--and turn an idea into reality.

Marketing Essentials : Learn the fundamentals that will help you better understand the importance of marketing and how it relates to you, especially for non-marketing managers.

Negotiating : Learn how to become an effective negotiator, the negotiation process: assessing your interests as well as those of the other party, developing opportunities that create value, avoiding common barriers to agreement, and implementing strategies to make the negotiation process run smoothly.

Performance Measurement : Learn how to review financial and non-financial measures used in all areas of organizational performance, addresses both standalone measures (including ROI, EVA, and BET) and measurement frameworks such as dashboards, quality models, and the Balanced Scorecard, systematic processes for tracking performance of initiatives.

Persuading Others : Learn the art and science behind successful persuasion -- changing others' attitudes, beliefs, or behavior to create win-win solutions, -- accomplishing work through others -- rather than simply issue orders.

Process Improvement : Learn what business processes are; why improving them is essential; and how to carry out a business process improvement (BPI) initiative.

Project Management : Learn the nuts and bolts of project management, including project planning, budgeting, team-building, execution, and risk analysis, useful tools and techniques such as GANTT and PERT charts, Work Breakdown Structure, and variance analysis.

Strategic Thinking : Learn how to shape and execute organizational strategy, analyzing opportunities, challenges, and the potential consequences of high-level action plans, addresses identification of broad patterns and trends, creative thinking, analysis of complex information, and prioritization of actions

source: unknwon