OS X: Animated GIFs get your point across visually without using a video. You can make animated gifs from an existing video, but if you just want to capture your screen, GifGrabber will do the trick.
Carrots sticks are a great snack, but aren’t the best shape for dipping. They don’t have enough surface area to prevent the dreaded double-dip. Cutting them into rounds solves that problem.
While defining a motivational speaker, it will be unfair to state that ‘they are the one who offer speeches intended to encourage or inspire their listeners’. The reason being, they are much more than this…
Even the history is full of such motivational speakers, who have been a reason of affective changes. Ranulph Fiennes, climbed Mount Everest despite an impending heart ailment and suffering vertigo at age 65, is an inspiration for many one. Similarly, Winston Churchill, the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century inspired millions of his countrymen.
It makes the picture clearer; the words have their meaning but, when these words are put together in the most meaningful way, a powerful change can be made. They may be part of the change or not, but these motivational speakers act as a catalyst for sure and that’s why inspirational speakers get booked. Find out some more reasons here:
#1 Cause an Action: While a speaker starts with a speech, his/her ability to capture the audience focus on several aspects or on a particular topic aims toward an action. They are skilled to take a subject in its conceptual nature, relate it with the present set of circumstances and make it look real. Also it includes their ability to inspire the audience to take an action, explaining them the reasons and importance in their own way.
#2 Get Straight to the Point: While delivering their speech; they make the audience believe in them. As the whole world is watching them, a lie is never acceptable. It is their capability to make things clear, concise and positive. A straightforward approach is always loved by the audience.
#3 Make it Interesting: A motivational speaker understands well, that just standing in front of the audience and babbling is never liked. They make the environment interesting in their own ways. They dig out the interest of the people sitting around and add something more exciting to their speech. It may include their personal stories or relate their experiences or anything else.
#4 Positive Environment: Speakers are known to boost their audience morale. They have gone through the leaps and bounds of life. Thus, are well aware of handling challenging circumstances. Moreover, they are full of positive energy and pass on the same to their audience through their words. Capable of developing a positive environment, the motivational speakers leads to positive results.
#5 A Well- Sketched Presentation: Motivational speakers are well-aware, how to perform their work. They are always ready with a blueprint of their presentation, which serve as a framework to their speech. They are well-aware of making best use of technology. People can grasp and learn things in a better way from visual media, and thus a professional speaker never hesitates to add something which is more appealing and effective.
Motivational & Inspirational Speaker Colonel Tim Collins Inspirational Speech
In all, the motivational speakers are responsible for positive results or changes. And, this is the reason why their influence is felt! A great inspirational speech can greatly impact the performance, insight and commitment of your personnel and it can have a long lasting positive impact.
The post How Motivational Speakers Act as a Catalyst for Change? appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
The average household spends about 2% of their budget—around $1,600 every year—on clothes. While it’s not the biggest thing we spend our money on , it’s still over a hundred bucks a month that maybe we could trim back. Here are at least ten ways to save money and still have great clothes.
Chrome: If you’re a regular Google Keep user, you might have missed a new feature in the app. If you paste an image into a note, Google lets you convert the image into editable text.
‘No matter what you decide to do or where you decide to go, the main thing is that you are happy doing so.’
My mother Patricia used to regularly relay this message to me and my brothers from a young age, and still does from time to time if she feels we need reminding of it. It has stuck with me, and it’s something I try to keep in mind
I have found myself exploring the idea of happiness having always being interested in personal development and growth- what exactly does it mean to be happy, and how do we arrive there.
I believe that happiness is a choice- a state of mind- and we are faced with a decision at the beginning of each new day.
‘How do I feel?’
For some it may not be so straightforward, for a number of possible reasons.
Maybe you are not entirely content with the direction in which you are going, or you may find that you are on the wrong path. I always try to look at certain aspects of my life in which I have control over such as my health, my relationships, and my profession.
Health
‘Mens sana in corpore sano’
‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’
We all know of that endorphin rush that we get after a workout- exercise makes us feel good! Get active, and embrace healthy habits.
Relationships
In each of our relationships- family, friends and romantic interests- the people with whom we spend the most time have a huge impact on our mindset and attitude. Choose wisely the people with whom you invest your time in.
Profession
How you view your profession is crucial. Is it merely a job you endure just to pay the bills, or is it something more- a calling, a passion.
Are you happy in your profession? Do you have a dream or a passion that you are hesitating to pursue? Don’t be afraid to take that first step.
There are certainly things that you can do in order to bring yourself closer to happiness and fulfillment, and it involves having to be a little selfish in your thoughts and actions. This involves looking inward, and asking yourself what it is that makes you happy; what are you passionate about, what do you want to do with your life and where do you want to be.
Perhaps some steps can be taken towards eliminating sources of negative energy. If something makes you unhappy, then it makes perfect sense to stop doing that thing, right?
Well it’s not that straightforward a lot of the time; maybe we feel pressure to live up to other people’s expectations, or we find ourselves trying to please other people. It takes courage to look within and take action- that being said- know that you do have the capability within to change your situation, if you want to.
You become a product of your atmosphere and the people in which you keep company with. If you feel that something or someone is holding you back, cut loose! You should take action to put yourself in an environment where you can flourish and develop, and you have the power to do just that! It’s in your hands.
You simply have to be selfish; think about yourself first and foremost, that is the most important thing. Once you take care of your own happiness and well-being, you will attract all the right people and the right opportunities will present themselves.
There undoubtedly exists such a thing as a necessary selfishness; thinking about yourself in this way not only contributes towards your own happiness but it also affects the happiness of those closest to you.
Focusing on yourself and your own happiness- this is a truly selfless act.
You can check out Patrick’s self-development website The Irish Introvert, and you can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
The post Why Selfishness Is A MUST For Happiness appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
We hear so many things about how to live a healthy life. Invariably, the same key words come up; yoga, meditation, pilates, healthy diet. And it’s all true. It can all be highly beneficial in sustaining a structured, calm, mindful, mentally and physically healthy life. It can all help to banish that pesky voice in the back of your mind that says ‘yes but I’m still so nervous about this’, or’ I can’t seem not to feel angry about that’.
Something I’ve begun to learn through mindful meditation is that I will still feel many of the not so fun feelings that I’ve always felt, from time to time – and that’s OK. The trick is to accept that this will happen and learn to stay with those bad feelings, and to move through them. Once you’ve mastered the routines of all these ways to live your life more healthily, you can truly start to grow, I think.
For me, my writing is an important part of that growth too. I hit blocks where I just can’t write, though. Being in a good place physically and mentally is imperative to getting through those blocked times, but to really get back into my creative flow, it takes just a little bit more. No matter that my ideas aren’t flowing yet, I have to write – and I have to write anything.
As Jane Yolen says: ‘Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.’ (See http://janeyolen.com/ for further inspiration)
So; I journal, I carry my notepad and pen in my bag and note down the beauty of the day around me as I go about my business, and, often, I write a gratitude list. I find the gratitude list to be incredibly good for the soul and it helps with being mindful. Just think of all you have to be grateful for every day when you wake – the fact that you are awake is a big one! All those things you take for granted, even the most simple of your daily pleasures – write them down – they count!
One of the best ways to really get the creative juices flowing again for me, however, is to practice Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages. Friends of mine who studied creative writing mentioned this to me, and now I find myself really gaining something by doing them (see http://ift.tt/TkyYR4). When I write morning pages, I find that I’m ready for the day. I’m up bright and early (for me) in the morning and moving toward my chosen comfortable meditation spot and then – off I go; meditation, a little yoga or pilates, some fuel to start the day right, morning pages or journaling, gratitude list…by which time I’m usually restless to get creative.
Suddenly, I’m praying for my lunch break, opening up word in the corner of my screen, scribbling across post its…my imagination’s going wild. Evenings and weekends, any chance I get, I’m writing. The beginnings of a novel with all the fun of characterisation and plot build-up.. The notepad in my bag gets bent up and used and stained from the countless coffee cups I’ve rested on it in everywhere from Starbucks to the bus shelter. My pen runs out of ink and I’m having to remember to pack a few for such eventualities when out. And I feel good. I feel so good. Inspired and bursting with ideas!
Yes – I still have bad days. I still get down and I still get angry. But I don’t stay down there too long. All of us will have our troubles and our struggles in life. We just need to find our way through them.
Samantha is a writer and blogger with eclectic tastes, not only in her own writing, but in the form and genre of the writing of others. She has a strong interest in human relationships and mental health, a love for the innocence of young children and the life and hope they instill in tired-out grown-ups, and likes to get lost in the fantastical in fiction. She is currently writing her second novel and working on a series of children’s books for illustrator Ella Parry. She regularly writes fiction pieces both for her own website, and to be entered into various competitions. If you would like to contact Samantha please check out her website: http://ift.tt/1EANcne
The post Why You Should ‘Write Through Your Mind’ appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
Hi Johnny. Or was it James? Or Hector? Maybe your name was Samantha.
How many times does this happen to you? You meet someone for the first time, shake hands, exchange names, and a few minutes later, you have completely forgotten what their name was. How embarrassing right?
How would you like for this to never happen again and how to remember names very easily?
In Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Mr. Carnegie talks about how someone’s name is the sweetest sound to their name.
I was recently doing my memory improvement presentation at a high school in Orange County, California, where I taught the entire teaching staff and administrators how to remember their student’s names. To set up this training, I started off by meeting as many people as time permitted before my presentation. We exchanged names and I had to quickly store the name into my long term memory because two seconds later I was exchanging names with someone else. I was able to meet a quarter of the staff and after an introduction from Michael, the gentleman who brought me to the school, it was Show Time. I rattled off name after name. Gabe, Jennifer, Clay, Rebecca, Aimee, Ms. Lee, Elizabeth, Saul, so on and so forth.
After this names memory feat was done, all of the teachers and admin were astonished at my ability to be able to do this. I then asked, “Are you guys ready to learn how to memorize anyone’s name quickly? How powerful would having this skill be in your everyday life? How much bigger of an impact would you have on the lives of your students if you were able to remember them by name?” They all nod their heads in agreement. So how did I do this?
It’s actually quite simple.
You see, my name is Luis Angel. I am a memory coach and a memory athlete who teaches students, professionals, other memory athletes, and just about anyone how to improve their memory. I also compete in memory competitions where we have to memorize a lot of information in a short period of time. We sit down and memorize things such as, hundreds of numbers, randomized playing cards, vocabulary words, and my favorite, names & faces.
‘When I teach others about the key to memorizing anything, I tell them that all they have to do is become Creative Story Tellers.
What do I mean by that?
The Key to Memorization is Visualization!
If you want to memorize anything quickly, you have to create a mental image or story and place it onto a location.
Let’s apply this right now to memorizing names and faces.
Let’s say that you meet someone for the first time. You’re walking up to them. The first thing that you want to do is ask yourself, “What stands out about this person?” If her eyebrows stood out to you, then we’re going to use that as a location.
You then shake hands, you give her your name, and she gives you her name. She says that her name is Jackie. What you want to do next, is turn that name into a picture.
Jackie for me is always a Jack, like a car jack.
You then visualize the image doing something with the location. In this case we’re going to see the car jack lifting up one of her eyebrows.
The most critical step in this process is Review. You want to review the image to make sure that you’re telling your brain that this image is important.
That’s It!
The three step process for memorizing names is:
Start doing this with everyone that you meet, and you will see how much easier that it is going to be for you to remember people’s names.
Have fun with the creative process and teach this to others so that no one ever has to go through that painful situation of forgetting names. Let’s turn everyone into a Names Memorizing Expert!
If you want to get all of the names that I have converted into pictures and see a video to learn more about memorizing names, go to the: AE Mind Memory Training site
-Luis Angel Echeverria
Your Memory Coach with AE Mind | Accelerated Empowered Mind. He coached the AE Mind Memory team to a Gold Medal in an event at the USA Memory Championship. Author of “How To Remember Names: The Practical Guide to Always Remembering Names and Faces” (Releases on Amazon in April, 2015)
The post How to Remember Names in 3 Simple Steps appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
You’re frazzled. Exhausted.
You feel like life is out of your control.
You have so many obligations to meet. So many people expecting things of you. So many decisions to make. So many distractions.
You watch as your personal goals just fall to the wayside.
You’re caught up in the chaos of life, never sure which direction you’re heading in. You feel lost and paralyzed.
I used to feel this way. It led me to feel off-balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
But I learned how to take control of my life — and so can you.
Whenever you feel lost and overwhelmed by life, use the following strategies to regain balance and clarity:
1. Write a personal mission statement
GPS devices have become ubiquitous in our contemporary society. If you found yourself physically lost or knew that you were traveling to a place you did not know, you probably wouldn’t think twice about using your GPS for directions.
Having a personal mission statement is like owning a spiritual GPS device. In his bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey succinctly describes the personal mission statement as a declaration of “what you want to be (character) and do (contributions or achievements)” based on the “values or principles upon which being and doing are based.”
A personal mission statement can truly be a lifeline when you’re feeling lost. It can help you get back on track by reminding you of the values and principles that matter most to you. If your goals are producing anything other than the vision set forth by you mission statement, tweak or replace them with new goals to help bring your vision to life. Commit to focusing your efforts on your revised plan of action.
If you don’t currently have a mission statement, write yours today. Review it often. Feel free to revise it from time to time too.
2. Create more margin
Do you habitually start your workday immediately after waking up? You may have thought that you can increase your productivity this way. But instead, you feel less focused, tired, and possibly hungry because you skipped breakfast.
Try waking up fifteen minutes earlier each day in order to pause and mindfully begin your day. During this time, you might pray, journal, review your mission statement and goals, or simply sit in silence.
Doing this daily will help you create more margin in your life. Your sense of well-being will increase – so will your sense of direction and your productivity. Soon you’ll be seeking ways to build even more margin into your busy schedule.
3. Reduce your options
We live in a culture that is constantly telling us we can be anything, do it all, and have it all. It is hard to take issue with this message because it’s hopeful and inspiring.
But it’s not reality.
Once you have committed to a path or task, you have simultaneously said no to other available options.
Are you keeping all your options open because you are afraid of missing out on an opportunity? You’re probably also indecisive, anxious, and feeling stuck.
Go back to where it all begins: your personal mission statement. Which of the opportunities you’re pondering resonates most with your mission statement. If you have five options on the list, use this process to get it down to two or one.
Focus your energies on these fewer options. Trust that even though you have reduced your options, you have not reduced your opportunities. Napoleon Hill once said, “Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.”
4. Serve
When we’re lost and overwhelmed, it’s often a sign the we are too focused on ourselves.
An effective way to combat this is by serving. Do this by volunteering for a mission or cause that is larger than yourself. It can be as simple as checking in on an elderly neighbor or volunteering at your local food pantry.
You will be refreshed on a spiritual level and energized with a new perspective when you turn your attention back to your own challenges.
5. Manage your energy instead of your time
One of the frequent complaints of the overworked is not having enough hours in a day to get everything done.
Maybe the problem has nothing to do with time and is really all about how you’re managing (or mismanaging) your energy.
In other words, are you incorporating health tips and techniques to conserve and boost your energy? Do you take advantage of your natural energy cycles by scheduling your most important tasks when you have the most energy?
For instance instead of taking the elevator, try walking up a flight of stairs. Or commit to taking a 10-minute break for every hour of sedentary work. During this time, you might meditate, visit a co-worker, or take a brisk walk around the office.
Here are some other energy-saving strategies.
6. Take control over your email
It’s no secret how stressful email can be. Many of us habitually check throughout the day with no real system for managing our email.
Chances are high that you own multiple email addresses and spend a large portion of your days checking and answering messages from your various accounts.
The time you spend on your email represents the time you spend on other people’s priorities. Put your priorities first by confining your email to a limited schedule and sticking to it.
7. Do nothing
Try doing nothing for two minutes. Let me guess, this exercise was harder than you thought it would be, right?
Our culture tells us we need to be doers in order to achieve. We are taught that the answer to every situation is to do something or do more. Instead, our “always on” lives are making us more stressed and confused than ever.
Try this instead:
When you feel lost and overwhelmed, do nothing for two minutes, and watch as your anxiety fades away and clarity comes rushing in.
Take Back Control of Your Life
Do you desire the ability to know what you want in life and the confidence to pursue it wholeheartedly?
Are you yearning for the courage to say no to all the distractions that sap your energy and keep you from your path?
Do you daydream about balancing your pursuits with the joy of simply being?
The key to these outcomes is already within you. Make the decision today to follow these steps intentionally.
Why?
Because you deserve better.
You deserve to be free of a life that has you constantly running around in circles, with no clear direction or balance.
You deserve to be in the driver’s seat of your own life.
Now you know the way, so get going.
Cylon is a spiritual chaplain, musician, devoted husband, and busy dad of six. He blogs about practical spiritual tips for living well at Spiritual Living For Busy People – sign up and get his free guide 20 Little Tricks To Instantly Improve Your Mood Even If You Feel Like Punching Something (or Someone).
The post 7 Ways to Find Balance When You’re Feeling Lost and Overwhelmed appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
Nobody believes that companies open every email they get. In fact there is little hope at all that the majority of the emails your send will get read – even with an interesting subject line. The truth is it’s harder and harder with the sheer volume of emails being sent out, to stand out. So how do you do it?
The answer is simple. According to a study done by Unbounce there are some specific words and symbols that will get your email noticed but more importantly read. The most interesting find is that the words themselves are not as important as the feelings they create in the recipient of your email.
The word “introducing” is in itself an “attention grabber”. It is statistically proven to increase the email open rate by a quite nice 7.36%. The reader will get excited that by reading an email introducing him to a new experience, product or a service. It stokes curiosity, hopefully enough so that they will want to know more and read further.
Example taken from Campaign Monitor:
Introducing Canvas: A better way to send emails
“You” together with its equivalents is getting your email up close and personal with your reader. Using this word in a subject line will get you a solid opening rate percentage too, 4.07% to be exact. It will happen many times that you won’t know the name of the person you are sending the email too but you can still make it more personal by using just the word “you”.
People are creatures of habit and will usually pay way more attention if the email subject line reads something related directly to them.
Example taken from: HubSpot
What can you afford?
“Invite” with its staggering open rate percentage of 9.45% this is one of THE words to use if you wanna get your email not just opened but more importantly read.
People reading a subject line with “Invitation or Invite” feel exclusive, excited, curious and included and have a sense of being wanted as a part of something or improve something.
This word is often used by survey companies and data centres.
Example taken from: Support2
We would like to invite you, as a tenured employee, to participate in this employee benefits satisfaction survey.
Of course don’t forget to include the link or the invite with your email before you send it.
A good, short and fast example of an invite to try a product is here: http://ift.tt/1AFJ5T2
“Hurry” right in the email subject is definitely heightening the chances of getting it read.
Especially if the body of your email requires an immediate action from the recipient.
People will feel they have only limited amount of time to get something done otherwise they can miss out. And people generally don’t like to miss out.
Be careful though! Only use it, if the truth is reflected further in the body of your email. If you start using “hurry” with every email you send, it loses its strength and meaning and your emails will start to become ignored.
Example taken from: Campaign Monitor
Hurry! Only three consultation spots left.
“We” in all its forms is another gem with an open rate stats of 5.87%. It creates a sense of ”togetherness”. Using the word “we” or its equivalent creates a feeling that you are including the person in your event or decision making process and showing them that their opinion matters. It also drives the chances of getting a response much higher.
And besides it is way more personal than writing “To whom it may concern” or “ Dear XY”.
Example taken from: Windsor Circle
(customer name) We could use your feedback
People tend to either overdo the subject line or keep it overly simple or boring.
A subject line is however often more important than body of the email itself. It is the only thing your reader can see as your email hits their inbox. Based on what words and how stronger words you choose to use and the feeling the reader will feel when reading, it can be a decider between opening or sending straight to the trash folder.
Here are more examples incorporating some of the words we have discussed into one subject line:
Your print order is being processed
Three ways to improve your pins on Pinterest
Subscribe to our magazine
To finish off, some golden rules of an unmissable, irresistible email subject line: Keep it short, make it catchy, give a deadline, be personal and stay on point. And of course create a positive feeling.
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A little bit about me: I work as a business development manager and a copywriter @ Clevork.
I enjoy writing of articles, especially in English and on any given topic and love to communicate with people in any shape or form.
The post 5 Feelings You Want To Create To Get Your Emails Read appeared first on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement.
Sig Nordal 