"I can't do this, I am not smart enough, I don't know how, I can't afford it. And so on."
I don’t know how many time in our lives we heard ourselves saying these same thing. These are mental blocks. It is a state of mind, a way of thinking that keeps you feeling stuck. This is stressful because it feels like you are up against a wall with no way around or over it.
In this blog, since I got some time to write, I use my own experience as a model. Every business, large or small, goes through the cycle of having a wonderful vision of success, and then comes the development phase that includes all the creativity (tricks of the trade) and hard work to back it up. Next in line, is the process of overcoming mental blocks that get in our way. This cycle of envisioning, developing (re-investing), and overcoming unknowns goes around and around, and as our business grows, so do our responsibilities and us.
What I said above can hold truth on many thing things we do in life, let it be running a business, going to school, start a family, or working for somebody.
I left out the part about finding the right people to be our eyes and ears. It alone presents bigger problem than putting up a new building on an empty lot. Business owners out there can attest to that.
Anyway, the excitement of beginning a business provides adrenaline at first. It is like a honeymoon. Then, at some point, it feels like we've made it, and we've reach a plateau and we want to stay there where it is safe.
Safe from what? Fear. Discomfort. Unknown? The list goes on. Whatever it is, the drive for safety is a barrier between us and us fulfilling our dreams. I still have a lot to work on myself. My motto is just because you stop moving does not mean you’re staying at the same place. At least not in this world, especially in Technology (hardware or software).
Let face it. As we grow, expand, and create something new, the process will bring up all kinds of mental blocks that will give us stress. The stress comes from the tug between where we want to go and our limits, capabilities, and wills.
Enough said about this subject. Now move on to how to get over some of them. Not all metal blocks are the same (sic!). So what I am writing here shall not dictate the way to get out of any of them.
For once, we shall acknowledge what we do well and build on that instead of focusing on the things in which we feel less competent. Also, remember that our strength is at this moment. Keep improving on it one small step at a time.
In what ever we do, remember who our customers are (sic!). Keep our focus on them, not on ourselves. Even though we write checks every month, they literally pay our bills.
Last on my list of advices is to find someone we can talk to who can see more in us than we can see in ourselves. This fresh perspective is essential in helping us to see other possibilities that we otherwise couldn’t.
Well, there is one more. I keep myself physically active. Since I don’t find much pleasure in drinking or partying, I play tennis 2-3 times a week. Gone to the lake and do some fishing is very refreshing to me. It does good for me mentally, may be it’ll do for you, too. Just a suggestion.
Have a Very Happy New Year.
NearyK: if you read this, sorry it is a little bit long … lolz
Tags: Business
After a big holiday where people usually have more than what they can handle, expert always tell us to do some kind of exercise. When I was in a wellness training class to reduce stresses and how to cope with pressure, the speaker asked us to give three causes that lead people to be stressed, which will eventually, but not always, lead to heart attack and who can come up with the best answer will win a prize.
I wrote down the following: number one when the project is behind schedule; number 2 when there is a bloody hole in your budget; and number three when the boss is on your back.
To my surprise, when other peole were talking about job security, how to pay for their kid's college, retirement, and so on, my answer was chosen to be the best. I won the prize. It was a jumper cable. They say it is to symbolize a jump start for your next goal. In their term, they mean to exercise and to take care your health.
After class, I told myself I need no stinking exrecises. I got plenty of them at work - by JUMPING to conclusions, PUSH my luck, and DODGING deadlines. And after work I play tennis 2-3 times week 
Well, seriously, take good care of your own health is not rationed. You don't need the coupon. Just do it! And let's burn off your Thanksgiving's intake 
Tags: Exercise
You can make up your own ... lolz ...
What can you do when your portfolio drops more than 70%? I took my time to make up lame jokes and laugh by myself. Here are some of them:
CEO -- Chief Embezzlement Officer.
CFO -- Corporate Fraud Officer.
BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius.
BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER -- What my broker has made me.
STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected.
MARKET CORRECTION -- The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW-- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- Past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT -- An archaic word no longer in use
Tags: Stock
