Did you know that the majority of U.S. employees are satisfied with their jobs? According to a Society for Human Resource Management survey, 81% of U.S. employees reported overall satisfaction with their current jobs. Satisfaction is nice but hardly exciting. Let’s look at the signs love work!

1. You don’t dread the work week; You look forward to Monday morning.

When you love your work, you look forward to Monday morning. Even the most successful people have difficult weeks but if you love your work, those weeks are the exception rather than the rule.

2. You don’t arrive late, but you do arrive early.

Arriving on time (or early!) shows your interest in your work. While everyone is late from time to time due to traffic or personal challenges, happy professionals are known for their punctual habits.

After all, how often are you late for something you’re looking forward to? If you work from home, getting an early start is an even greater sign that you enjoy your work.

3. You don’t complain about work; You speak about your work with enthusiasm.

Many happy professionals take pride in sharing their passion for their work with others. For example, you may be an active contributor to a LinkedIn Group dedicated to your profession.

Or you may simply enjoying answering the question “What do you do for a living?” If you are delighted,

4. You focus on winning instead of just getting by.

Winning is a quality that sets happy professionals apart from their unhappy peers who aim to “get through” each day. Adopting a winning attitude at work gives you momentum to work on challenging goals in the rest of your life.

– Learn how to Keep winning by reading 7 Things Your Boss Expects You Know About Winning At Work.

5. You’re not a clock watcher, but you do lose track of time.

When you are deeply involved in enjoyable work, you lose track of time. Minutes and hours fly by like seconds. It’s a wonderful feeling!

Flow, a concept discovered by researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a state of very deep focus on a task. It helps you break through challenging problems and represents a new level of productivity.

– Tip: Getting into flow doesn’t have to be rocket science – Achieve Flow by Hacking Your Tasks.

6. You ask for more responsibility instead of worrying about work load.

When you love your workplace and profession, you are hungry for more work. Over time, many people become more productive at their work tasks. Instead of heading home at 4 pm, you ask for more work to do to remain productive.

7. You don’t complain about your company; Instead, you laugh with your colleagues.

The people you work with make a big difference on how much joy you feel at your workplace. When you laugh with people at the office, it’s much easier to relax and have an effectively perspective on problems.

In contrast, unhappy workers tend to work with people with a negative attitude.

Nobody denies that problems exist at work but there’s little to be gained by obsessing over problems.

8. You are proud of your work accomplishments instead of complaining about shortcomings.

Preparing for your annual review is a joy when you love your work. Why? Because you’re proud of everything that you achieved. Your email archives are full of positive comments from management and customers.

You exceeded your sales quota. You may even be winning awards for your performance.

– Tip: Take pride in your accomplishments on a regular basis by writing a short monthly summary of your work accomplishments. You may be pleasantly surprised at your results!

9. You don’t avoid requests for help; Instead, you help the people around you.

Helping a coworker out is a sign that you are a leader who understands the importance of teamwork. Helping out at work takes a variety of forms.

For example, you may offer to cover a coworker’s responsibilities when she covers on vacation. Or you may buy a treat for someone who is having a tough day. When you love your work, you are proactive in helping the people around you reach their goals.

10. You don’t run away from conflict, but you manage it effectively.

Even when you love your work, conflict is bound to happen. Whether you have different personalities or different understandings of a contract, conflict happens at the office. Effective professionals face conflict head on and resolve problems.

Once conflicts are solved, they can get back to winning and helping their coworkers.

11. You don’t get bored at work; Instead, you realize there is always something new to discover.

Having a sense of wonder is a key element of happiness. At the office, discovering something new each week keeps work interesting. You might, for example, discover some Microsoft Excel hacks from the department’s resident Excel ninja.

Or you might learn how to get funding for your MBA! The potential discoveries are limitless. Seek out those discoveries and you will ultimately become happier at work.

Featured photo credit: Happiness/geralt via pixabay.com

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When your home life is stable, happy, and supportive, you are tremendously more effective at work. A stellar example is the marriage of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck. Since their relationship began in 2004, they’ve enjoyed tremendous personal and career success. Ben has directed and played in several movies, and Jennifer has starred and played in many of her own. They’ve done all this while having and raising their three children. How are they so unstoppable? They clearly have a wonderful relationship. In every photo of them I’ve seen, they’re smiling and affectionate.

What’s at the core of their happy marriage?

1. They are both conscientious.

They keep things organized in a way that’s respectful and effective. According to SheKnows.com, “Garner has her life together and acts as the head of the household in a way that merely keeps things organized, rather than emasculating her man.” This kind of conscientiousness is a huge factor in the kinds of relationships that set people up for success. According to Inc. Magazine, “Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that people with relatively prudent and reliable partners tend to perform better at work, earning more promotions, making more money, and feeling more satisfied with their jobs.”

2. Jennifer and Ben appreciate each other as individuals, rather than trying fit any certain mold.

They’ve found a working harmony in the household that not only leverages, but even celebrates, each others’ strengths. In an interview with E, Jennifer says, “For better or worse, I tend to be the one who says, ‘This is what needs to happen.’ I know who wants what lunch, and I’ve done all the school paperwork and filled out the emergency cards. Ben doesn’t even know that stuff exists. He is in charge of laughter. No matter how much I tickle them or toss them or chase them around, it’s not the same. If I’m the slow, steady drumbeat, he’s the jazz.” Jennifer doesn’t expect Ben to do exactly what she’s doing; that would be ineffective because they’d be stepping all over each other. Instead, she thrives in her own chosen role, and Ben shines in his. Together, they create a beautiful, loving environment for themselves, each other, and their children. In addition to being conscientious and appreciating each other’s unique strengths and dispositions, Ben and Jennifer have another strength:

3. They find solace in trusting and confiding in each other when the going gets tough.

This trifecta creates a cocoon of harmony, which does wonders for each of their careers. For example, when Ben and Jennifer were first dating, he had a few ill-received films in a row, which got him a lot of negative public attention from critics and fans alike. He shares with US Weekly, “I sunk into a morass. My wife was definitely around then. Getting to know her, falling in love with her and being connected with her gave me a foundation to reach out and say, Okay, I’m going to do Hollywoodland; I’m going to direct Gone Baby Gone. Those were the steps forward I needed to put positive stuff on the board. She is by leaps and bounds the most important person to me in that respect. Over the past 10 years, she has allowed me to have a stable home life while accomplishing my professional goals.”

So how do you choose the right partner who will help set you up for success?

1. Choose someone who’s stable, conscientious, and has their life together.

Jennifer and Ben are both stable people who know what they want and who they are. This kind of stability is a bedrock of support in a relationship. So many couples are chronically putting out fires that would have been completely avoided if they’d given proper attention toward the right things first. True stability comes from taking personal responsibility for one’s wellbeing and life.

2. Choose someone who appreciates uniqueness in his/herself and others.

The best relationships are beacons of love and celebration. People are so fun and unique, and when we are celebrated that way inside a relationship, we are inspired to show up even more that way. Imagine if Jennifer was always nagging Ben about the kids’ school paperwork. He wouldn’t have the buoyancy and joy to “be the jazz” as she calls it, which doesn’t get the paperwork done but does add happiness and play to everyone in the family, including Jennifer. She’s happy to take care of the papers when he’s making everyone laugh.

3. Choose someone who you feel comfortable with and can confide in and trust.

When Ben was having a hard time in his career, he went to Jennifer for non-judgmental love and support, which she freely gave. When each partner in a relationship does this for the other, they become a united front and take on life’s challenges together. This is a huge advantage when it comes to building success, not only on a practical level but an emotionally soothing one as well. We are social creatures, and to have another creature at home who we’re partnering with, who we can trust and enjoy life with, helps us become successful with a special sense of ease.

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There’s a reason why two people stay together. They give each other something nobody else can.

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Anyone in the professional world knows and understand the importance of a manager in business, managers bring organisation and order amongst diverse crowds, another overlooked role of management skills is how it can help in your personal life and how you engage with others.

The list below outlines management skills (not taught in business school) that can help both your professional and private life

1. Have great people skills

People skills as defined by the business dictionary are “a set of skills enabling a person to get along with others, to communicate ideas effectively to achieve personal or business goals”. Most of our events around in life are centered on interacting with people. Effective leaders who get things done possess such abilities, they interact with different kinds of subordinates, from lazy ones to hardworking ones and even their least favorite person but they have mastered how to manage people for more effective results. This is a great ability to own in life as it creates a more pleasant environment not just for you but the people around you.

2. Increase your Emotional Quotient

EQ, also known as emotional intelligence. Being in a leadership position, people often look up to you in the midst of crisis. Being able to empathize with others is what true leaders are made of. Emotional intelligence is being able to take others feeling into consideration yet still making rational decisions that benefits all parties involved. One such leader is Nelson Mandela. A freedom fighter who brought democracy to South Africa during the apartheid era. None of this would’ve been achieved had he not chosen to get rid of negative and toxic emotions and the anger that fed the black South Africans

3. Have good motivational skills

Any manager who wishes to be better than ordinary knows that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Being able to motivate employees and get them as amped about the project as you are, is a rare gift. Great management is not about throwing your weight around trying to show whose boss, buts it’s about being of service. One such man is Martin Luther King Jr, an activist of the civil right movement in the USA and it all started with a dream, a dream where everyone would be treated equally despite their race and that motivated thousands to join in the movement and fight for racial equality. Moral of the story, majority of people appreciate being around those who have a positive outlook in life and that is what sets leaders apart.

4. Be a game changers

Good management work well on the system, great management changes the system. It’s that word again, innovation. It’s not about being a rebel and fighting the system, but it’s about asking the why question. You don’t always have to follow the latest trends, sometimes even the little changes bring about revolutions to human civilization If that is too dramatic for you, just look at the iPad, Disney and many other greats who started with a single step.

5. Have a vision

AMC broadcasts a TV series called The Walking Dead, this may need no introduction for most but for those who do not know the show, the lead character is a man named Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln. The character is fictitious but still has a skill that every great manager should possess, having a vision, communicating that vision and seeing it through to the end. The plot is centered on the Zombie apocalypse and in season 3 of the series, his team of survivors see a prison, and while the rest are content to be on their merry way, Rick convinces the team to stay, he then persuades them of ridding the prison from the zombies and after that, just like he envisaged, they were able to turn the prison into a habitable and safe haven. Whether you believe in Zombies or not, you cannot doubt that having a vision and getting your team to not only see it but believe in it being a reality is the kind of cloth true leadership is cut from

6. Have great public speaking skills

Every manager is a communicator. Effective communication is crucial to those you manage to understand instructions given. More than that you should be able to speak publicly in an irreproachable manner. This point ties up with motivation, people skills and sharing visions. Speaking to big crowds to get your point across is also a good self-esteem booster, you will find yourself mentally stimulated and it forces you to become a person with valuable insights and opinions to share with others.

7. Listening skills

This is most important especially for managers who deal with big teams. Listening skills may sound obvious but it’s one many lack. The ability to; hear someone, understand them, sympathize with them, be on the lookout for ideas, watch out for body language, be attentive to the tone used, wait patiently for the person speaking to finish without interrupting – no matter how valid your point-, remove all other distractions and still put the person at ease all in a matter of minutes, is indeed something worth accomplishing. When you listen you become more objective, people feel respected when they know you’ve heard them out and can give rational reasons as to why or why not. Listening also makes you appear smarter.

8. Great intra-personal skills

Intra-personal skills is basically being self-aware. Knowing oneself, understanding self and appreciating your innermost feelings. Yes, this is all about YOU! Do you know what your shortcomings are? Do you know where your limitations are, are you aware of your strengths, do you know what angers you most, have you mastered how to control it? These are typical questions intra-personal skills answer amongst many others. When you know who you are and what you want, not only will you find it easier to understand and tolerate others but you become less judgmental of peoples flaws, this also gives you willingness to help others and their short comings

9. Be decisive

This skill matters most in the midst of crisis where the only option is the right option. Great managers are able to make decisions quickly and effectively when the occasion calls for it Mark Zuckerberg says he wears the same outfit everyday so as to not waste time making decisions on futile matters. Your values do not have to be the same as Zuckerberg’s but the underlying principle is worth taking note. Decisiveness saves you more time than anything and it also helps with fast thinking skills, something we need every day.

10.  Have conceptual skills

This is not just a skill required by CEO’s and executive directors. Conceptual skills as defined by education-portal.com are; the ability to think creatively and understand complicated or abstract ideas. Managers usually have to formulate ideas, plan, organize and strategize on execution. This skill helps with thinking and problem solving ability. When your mind is wired to always find solutions, you will find yourself solving even those matters that you thought were impossible to overcome. This makes your life much easier and more enjoyable.

11. Be disciplined

The success of the Japanese economy is largely attributed to their uncanny ability to be self- disciplined. When mangers put down goals and targets that need to be accomplished, they lead by example and one such example is showing discipline. Not quitting and giving up until goals have been met. Doing what is required, when required without excuses. Discipline will help you achieve your personal goals, even something as big as starting your own business, because with discipline, whatever you put to mind you accomplish.

12. Be technologically savvy

This dos not require you to program software or code but knowing your computer is a survival skill in the 21^st century. Managers in organisations are confronted by new in-house systems or applications and even basic databases, having Intel on new technology keeps you abreast and gives you competitive advantage. There is just no excuse to not knowing simple MS office. The web is full of information and online courses bridge any digital gap.

13. Learn how to delegate

Most people in position of authority don’t delegate out of fear that no one can do the job like they can, and that is the wrong approach to it. In fact having someone do something completely different to how you get it done is sometimes the source of innovation in the organisation. Delegation gives others the opportunity to show their strengths as well, it allows for fair game and saves you time to focus on your priority list.

14. Be a team builder

There is nothing better than a manager who build a sense of unity in an organisation. People work better in teams and even more so, can be very productive when they feel they belong. Great managers build good team spirit and always look out for their teams. People trust you more when they believe you have their best interest at heart.

15. Brush up on your skills

This is not just for managers but for everyone in general. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you’re done with school after a degree or writing board exam. The learning never stops. You can learn new skills as well or get the update on what’s new in your industry. The worse position to be in is irrelevant.

Becoming a better you is something worth striving for and what’s even more rewarding is not so much reaching your goals but who you become in pursuit of them.

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Failure occurs everyday, in school, jobs, housework, and within families. It is unavoidable, irritating and causes pessimism. While the thought of flinging your hands in the air and walking away is all too appealing, take a second to connect with the people who have been there and survived.

Here are a few successful failures who all failures around the world should consider.

1. J.K. Rowling

During a Harvard commencement speech, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling outlined the importance and value of failure. Why? Simply because she was once a failure too. A few short years after her graduation from college, her worst nightmares were realized. In her words, “I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.” Coming out of this failure stronger and more determined was the key to her success.

2. Steve Jobs

The now revolutionary Apple started off with two men in a garage. Years later we all know it as a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. Yet, almost unbelievably, Steve Jobs was fired from the very company he began. The dismissal made him realize that his passion for his work exceeded the disappointment of failure. Further ventures such as NeXT and Pixar eventually led Jobs back to the CEO position at Apple.

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Jobs said in 2005.

Lost your job today? Keep kicking and you could be just like this guy!

3. Bill Gates

Bill Gates was a Harvard dropout. He co-owned a business called Traf-O-Data, which was a true failure.

However, skill and a passion for computer programming turned this failure into the pioneer of famous software company Microsoft ,and the then 31-year-old into the world’s youngest self-made billionaire.

In his own words: “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

This isn’t to say that dropping out of Harvard will make you into a billionaire, but maybe that shiny degree isn’t worth as much as the drive and passion to succeed.

4. Albert Einstein

The word ‘Einstein’ is associated with intelligence and synonymous with genius. Yet it is a famous fact that the pioneer of the theory of general relativity, Albert Einstein himself, could not speak fluently until the age of nine. His rebellious nature led to expulsion from school, and he was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.

His earlier setbacks did not stop him from winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. After all, he believed that “success is failure in progress.” To this day, his research has influenced various aspects of life including culture, religion, art, and even late night TV.

Just because you haven’t achieved anything great yet, doesn’t mean you can’t be an Einstein yourself.

5. Abraham Lincoln

Failing in business in 1831, suffering a nervous breakdown in 1836, defeated in his run for president in 1856, Abraham Lincoln was no stranger to rejection and failure. Rather than taking these signs as a motivation for surrender, he refused to stop trying his best.

In this great man’s words: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”

Lincoln was elected in 1861 as the 16th President of the United States of America.

The amount of rejection you receive is not a defining factor. Success is still within your reach.

6. Michael Jordan

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” This quote by retired basketball legend Michael Jordan in a Nike advertisement speaks for itself.

It would be an easy misconception that Jordan’s basketball skills revolve around natural talent. In fact, in his earlier years,  basketball coaches had trouble looking past the fact that Jordan didn’t reach the minimum height. It was years of effort, practice, and failure that made the star we know today.

7. Steven Spielberg

Regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Steven Spielberg is a familiar household name. It is surprising to realize therefore that the genius behind Jaws and E.T. had poor grades in high school, getting him rejected from the University of Southern California three times.

While he was in college, he caught the eye of executives at Universal, who signed him as a television director in 1969. This meant that he would not finish his college degree for another 33 years.

Perseverance and acceptance of failure is the key to success, after all. “Even though I get older, what I do never gets old, and that’s what I think keeps me hungry.” Bad grades in high school aside, there is no questioning the genius involved.

To date, Spielberg has directed 51 films and has been awarded three Oscars.

8. Walt Disney

Mickey Mouse creator Walt Disney dropped out of school at a young age in a failed attempt at joining the army. One of his earlier ventures, Laugh-o-Gram Studios, went bankrupt due to his lack of ability to run a successful business. He was once fired from a Missouri newspaper for “not being creative enough.”

Yet today, The genius behind Disney studios is responsible for generations of childhood memories and dreams. From Snow White to Frozen, Disney will continue to entertain the world for generations to come.

The logic behind this is simple: “… we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

9. Vincent Van Gogh

During his lifetime Vincent Van Gogh suffered mental illness, failed relationships, and committed suicide at the age of 37.

He only ever sold one painting in his life, pinning him a failure as an artist. However that did not put a damper on his enthusiasm and passion for art.

He would never know that years and years after his death he would become known as a key figure in the world of post-impressionism, and ultimately, one of the greatest artist that ever lived. He would never know that he became a hot topic in art classes and his image was going to be used in TV, books and other forms of popular culture.

In the words of this great, but tragic man, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

10. Stephen King

As a paranoid, troubled child, tormented by nightmares and raised in poverty, it is no surprise that Stephen King grew up to the title: “Master of Horror”.

An addiction to drugs and alcohol were his mechanisms to cope with the unhappiness he felt with his life. The frustration he felt towards multiple rejections by publishers in combination with illicit substances caused him to mentally contemplate violence towards his own children.

These intense emotions were those that he focused onto his writing. This became his new coping mechanism, and this is how the master author we know today grew to success.

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Most people know that yoga is a great form of exercise for your body, but have you ever wondered what your bones look like as they move through the positions?

Luckily enough, artists from Hybrid Mechanical Animation have created a stunning animation of the human body doing yoga in an X-ray machine.The video is as scientifically accurate as possible, combining yoga positions with animation to show the beauty of the human skeleton. Who knew our bones were so graceful?

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No great love ever came without great struggle.

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Although you may not be as comfortable with new technologies as others, in this generation of technology reliance it is important to be able to keep up. You don’t have to be a geek to utilize a computer. You can take advantage of the technology and learn some really great shortcuts to make your life little bit easier. Hopefully this list of essential keyboard shortcuts for Windows can help you do just that. Note: These keyboard shortcuts are specifically for computers with the Windows operating system.

The basics

These are the essential keyboard shortcuts for Windows you definitely can’t live without.

1. Copy selected item: Ctrl+C

Copy any line of text or photos to your clipboard, while keeping a copy of the text in its original location.

2. Cut selected item: Ctrl+X

Cut a selected line of text or photos. Caution: If done incorrectly, you can lose the item since you no longer have a copy of it in the original location.

3. Paste selected item: Ctrl+V

Paste a selected cut or copied item into a new location. Note: If you need the item pasted in different formats (e.g. text only), you might still need to paste it from the right-click of the mouse.

4. Undo action: Ctrl+Z

Reverses an action. For example, if you accidentally delete a line of text, this keyboard shortcut should bring it back.

5. Redo action: Ctrl+Y

This is the opposite to the ‘undo’ shortcut. Did you accidentally undo something you shouldn’t have? Don’t worry, this keyboard shortcut should redo it.

6. Select everything: Ctrl+A

Selects every item on the page. Useful for when you need to copy whole webpages into Word documents.

7. Print page(s): Ctrl+P

The quickest way to bring up the print options. Printing takes long enough as it is, why not save some time?

8. Take screenshot of current screen: PrntSc

Takes a screenshot of whatever you can see on your screen to the clipboard. You can then paste the image anywhere from Paint to Word documents.

9. Save file*: Ctrl+S

Using this keyboard shortcut every few minutes or so ensures a lowered chance of losing precious work progress.

10. Create new file*: Ctrl+N

Immediately brings up a new, blank page for you to start working on. It is definitely easier that going through the normal tedious process of creating a new blank document.

11. Open file*: Ctrl+O

Brings up a window where you can choose to open a previous saved file, image, video, etc. *Use for programs such as Microsoft Office, Paint, Adobe, etc. Does not work for everything, especially over the internet.

Changing Format of Selected Text

Especially useful in Word documents or notepads

12. Underline text: Ctrl+U

13. Bold text: Ctrl+B

14. Italic text: Ctrl+I

Highlight a selection of text and use any of these shortcuts to change the text format. It is much easier than having to look for the appropriate button on the toolbar. Note: These shortcuts don’t work in situations where you are unable to manipulate text (e.g. social networking)

15. Switch between open windows: Alt+Tab

Brings up all open windows onto the screen, including Internet Explorer, Word documents, media player, etc. Hold Alt and continue pressing Tab until you have reached the desired window.

16. Refresh the page: F5

You will often be required to reload/refresh your browser, and you can do so quite easily with the push of a single button.

17. Rename a file: F2

Select the file or files and press this key to rename. Note: To rename all files in a folder, use the shortcut Ctrl+A then press F2

18. Power down: Ctrl+Alt+Delete

This famous keyboard shortcut brings you to a page where you are able to select whether you want to put the computer on sleep, shut down, log out, lock the device, etc.

19. Move through tabs: Ctrl+Tab

In a browser, this shortcut will allow you to move through tabs which you can see at the very top of the page.

20. Close current window: Ctrl+W

If you are working with a lot of unnecessary windows open, this keyboard shortcut should close the window you are currently on.

21. Move to bottom of current page: End

There is often important information displayed at the bottom of a webpage. This key will bring you straight there.

22. Visit browser home page: Alt+Home

This keyboard shortcut brings you back to the default home page of your browser.

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Confucius is a wise Chinese philosopher, teacher, and political leader during 500-400 BC. His thoughts and teachings have influenced many people in the past, still inspire many people in present times, and will continue to contribute to many people’s thinking in the future.

Below are the top 50 quotes by Confucius in areas related to Life Lessons, Work, Inspiration, Communication, and Self-Reflection.

Life Lessons

1. “As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, a wise man should adapt himself to circumstances.”

2. “When it is obvious that goals cannot be reached, do not adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

3. “Give a man a fish, feed [his] home for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed [him] for a lifetime.”

4. “All good things are difficult to achieve, and all bad things are very easy to get.”

5. “A man who does not think and plan ahead will find trouble right at his door.”

6. “A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.”

7. “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

8. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

9. “Return good for good; return evil with justice.”

10. “Time flows away like the water in a river.”

Work

11. “Not to discuss with a man worthy of conversation is to waste the man. To discuss with a man not worthy of conversation is to waste words. The wise waste neither men nor words.”

12. “The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.”

13. “Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.”

14. “Learning without thought is labor lost. Thought without learning is perilous.”

15. “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect [his] work must first sharpen [his] tools.”

16. “The essence of knowledge is, [if] having it, to apply it; [if] not having it, confess your ignorance.”

17. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

18. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

19. “Do not worry about holding high position, worry about playing your proper role.”

20. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”

Inspiration

21. “The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.”

22. “The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them, they change and everyone looks up to them.”

23. “We have two lives, and the second [life] begins when we realize we only have one.”

24. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

25. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

26. “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.”

27. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

28. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

29. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

30.  “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

Communication

31. “Consideration for others is the basis of a good life.”

32. “Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.”

33. “Humankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.”

34. “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.”

35. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”

36. “Things that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that are past, it is needless to blame.”

37. “If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent.”

38. “The man who asks may be a fool for one day, but the man who never asks will be a fool for life.”

39. “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

40. “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.”

Self Reflection

41. “We take greater pains to persuade others we are happy than in trying to think so ourselves.”

42. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”

43. “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”

44. “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.”

45. “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.”

46. “What the superior man seeks is in himself, what the small man seeks is in others.”

47. “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”

48. “To go too far is as bad as to fall short.”

49. “To see what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.”

50. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

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Why do you need to save earlier?

Each one of you must have had different thoughts after reading the title of this article. Also, each of you must be at a different stage of life; some are old, some are in their middle age and some are quite young. Saving is one aspect of our finances that is really important for each one of us, no matter what our stage of life is. The stage of life when we start saving, however, is absolutely important!

The earlier you start, the better it is. It is as simple as that. Time is such a great helper that if you start saving early then your money can even exceed those who save a lot more than you, but start later in life. This is all possible because of one major phenomenon that is called compounding! Compound interest can do wonders for your money.

Let’s look at a hypothetical example, person A and person B. Both invest the same amount of money but for a different tenure. But A started saving at a very young age. Thus her money had a very long time to multiply and exceeded that of B. A quick look at this chart from JP Morgan Asset Management would explain things better.

Now after a quick scan of this chart, I am sure you would be interested in knowing what compound interest is and what you should do with your own savings to get the most out of them.

“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world” ~ Albert Einstein

What it simply means is that you receive interest not only on your original investments, but also on any interest, dividends, and capital gains that accumulate so your money can grow faster and faster as the years roll on. Of course, the sooner you start saving and investing, the more time they will have to grow.

A very good example has been given by Robert T. Thompson regarding starting saving early. He says, “The simple truth is that the compounding of earnings in a retirement account creates the potential for an exponential increase in your retirement savings. And to harness the power of compounding to its full extent requires savings discipline, which is no different than exercise: It’s always better to do a little bit on a regular basis, rather than to postpone, hoping that a longer, more intense workout later on will get you back into shape.”

If you aren’t 25 right now, you might be regretting the lost time after reading this but don’t lose heart. No matter what your age is, the key to financial success is to act NOW rather than to delay things.  If you haven’t thought in this direction previously, you can remedy that situation by following our suggestions. Here, we have compiled some ways for you to make the most out of your savings.

• Start investing today. Now that you know what a powerful tool time is, you should not waste even a single day. Each day counts!
• Always put your money in an investment channel that offers the benefit of compounding. No matter how good the rater of return is, compound interest will always outweigh the benefits yielded by simple interest.
• Try to look for those investments where the frequency of compounding is more. For example, opt for those investments where compounding is done quarterly rather than half yearly or yearly. The more the frequency of compounding is, the more your money will grow!
• Save the maximum portion of your earnings. If you start early, you might be well within your targets by saving only a small percentage of your income. However, the later you start, the more you should be saving.
• Set a savings target and stick to it. Although goals don’t harm anyone at all, but the need to stick to your targets increases with age. If you start saving money later in life, you need to practice a lot of discipline with regard to your savings and financial goals. Tracking your income, savings and targets might be a good option for you.

The value of time and compounding cannot be stressed enough. So start saving today and be well on your way of becoming a millionaire by the age you retire!!

Featured photo credit: 401(K) 2012 by 401kcalculator.org via flickr.com

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