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Browse published articles attributed to Eugene Yiga, with full-archive search.
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius They say the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Well, I think there’s a third…STUDYING! This inescapable fact applies to all of us at some point or another. And even after that final bell has rung or we’ve been awarded a degree, the need to keep learning throughout our lives is a reality we cannot elude.
“I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” – Vincent van Gogh Meeting people is easy. In addition to the traditional ways like friends, societies, and other social groups, we now have the internet too. And provided we’re prepared to get out of our comfort zones, it shouldn’t be too hard. But getting along with the people we meet is another matter. It’s something a lot of us struggle with. Ultimately, it all comes down to developing social intelligence. That requires three things: 1. Relax
“Wars teach us not to love our enemies, but to hate our allies.”- W.L. George With so many interactions with so many different people, we’re bound to butt heads every now and then. And if we’re not careful, those conflicts could ruin a great relationship. (We’ve all seen that happen!) But we don’t have to be afraid of these battles because they can be overcome. That’s the message in The Art of War. Sun Tzu’s wisdom is timeless for a reason. “Fury always finds weapons.” – Virgil
“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” – Confucius There are a lot of ways to get what you want, some of which are simple and others a little more complex. In this day and age, the principles of persuasion are crucial. We’re often called upon to make arguments and win other people over. And it seems empty charm can only get you so far.
“We live in a moment of history where change is so speeded up that we begin to see the present only when it is already disappearing.” – R.D. Laing Life is short. Seize the moment. Live each day as if it were your last. We’ve all heard advice like this before but most of us struggle to take it. This post outlines three keys of embracing the present. 1. Learn from yesterday. “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Working is meant to be fun. We spend most of our lives working. What a shame it would be if you’re spending that time doing something you hate.” – Sir Richard Branson The concept of diversification seems pretty clear (and pretty important) when it comes to investments. What about careers? Having a portfolio of careers definitely makes sense considering what the world is going through right now. Instead of having one job and dealing with the potential complications it could bring, you have a host of little ones that add up to the same fulltime thing.
“No one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes deserves to be called a scholar.” – Donald Foster The recent economic downtu has highlighted the importance of education. Developing the right skills has become crucial. And yet how we go about developing those skills is quite complex. There’s been a definite trend towards studying abroad and even online. Nevertheless, there are some principles we can all take to make our studies a success: 1. Make friends
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” – Douglas Adams We all make mistakes. What matters most is how we respond to them. But what often stands in the way of this is our not knowing when what we say or do is a problem. That’s why it’s important to have people around us who can help us become more aware of our flaws, ultimately helping us improve.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu The biggest part about dealing with stress is about dealing with our emotions. Most of us are so afraid of what we feel even though that shouldn’t be the case. There’s no such thing as a “bad” emotion. All emotions are simply signals telling us something needs to change. And we need to listen to these signals before the problems we have get worse. It all comes down to three things: 1. Breathe
“If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.” – Epicurus I’m sure you’ve heard how important it is to pay yourself first. But do you? Are you making provision for the future in order to achieve your personal goals? If not, it’s probably time you started. Paying yourself first means automatically having a certain amount deducted from your income. That needs to happen before you even see it so you’re not tempted to spend.
“Life is too short for traffic.” – Dan Bellack Isn’t it amazing how inspiration can find you anywhere? My latest bout came while I was walking to the gym. It made me wonder this: what road sign are you? No Stopping
“In learning something new, a man improves himself. He either acquires a new skill or becomes more proficient at an old one. In studying, a man acquires new knowledge but this new knowledge need not make any difference to him as a practical man.” – D.C. Lau
“Not to mend one’s ways when one has erred is to err indeed.” – Confucius We all make mistakes. What separates us is how we respond. Either we pull up our sleeves and do what we can to make things right or we throw away something beautiful and potentially lose it forever. Please don’t do the latter! Instead, take Dale Carnegie’s advice by apologising quickly and emphatically when you’re wrong or simply could be wrong. Explain why you did what you did and ask for forgiveness. “There is no remedy for love but to love more.” – Henry David Thoreau
“Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for – in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it.” – Ellen Goodman Starting a new job can be tough. There’s the whole process of meeting people and getting settled in, not to mention figuring out how the copier works. But with six simple ideas, the transition can be a pleasant and rewarding one: 1. Learn about the company
“The problem’s plain to seer Too much technologyr Machines to save our livesr Machines, de-humanise” – Styx, Mr Roboto I love technology as much as the next guy but sometimes it feels like we’ve gone too far. Nowadays, instead of only eating in front of the TV like generations of yesteryear, we drext (drive and text), ralk (read and walk), and have conversations with our earphones still plugged in. (We also kill language by making up stupid words.) It’s a miracle we don’t bump into each other all the time!
“Find a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.” – Confucius The idea of living a passionate life makes sense to most people. Unfortunately, putting that idea into practice isn’t as easy. There’s too much uncertainty and too much risk. What if I don’t know what I’m passionate about? And even if I do know, what if I’m not very good at it or nobody pays because nobody cares? Doubts like these can kill our dreams in a heartbeat.
“If you understand something in only one way, then you don’t really understand it at all. The secret of what anything means to us depends on how we’ve connected it to all other things we know. Well-connected representations let you turn ideas around in your mind, to envision things from many perspectives until you find one that works for you. And that’s what we mean by thinking!” – Marvin Minsky Undeserved Talent?
“To find your mission in life is to discover the intersection between your heart’s deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger.” – Frederick Buechner
“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” – Pablo Picasso In case you haven’t noticed, the global workplace is highly competitive and highly complex. It’s the reason increasing emphasis is placed on education and skills. Here are some suggestions on what the job market values together with ways to help you develop in those areas. “There is nothing new under the sun but there are lots of old things we don’t know.” – Ambrose Bierce
“I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.” – Lucile Ball It’s been said that most people fear public speaking more than death. I always found that a little strange but it’s starting to make sense. That’s because it’s also been said the number one fear we all have is the fear of rejection. We’re afraid the world will somehow look down on us as inadequate.
“When a man tells you that he got rich through hard work, ask him: ‘Whose?’”- Don Marquis Isn’t the property market absolutely amazing right now? No, I’m not being sarcastic nor was this written years ago. With so many bargains around (and interest rates finally coming down), now is the perfect time to take advantage. Obviously you have to be smart about what you do, but fortunately there are great resources like Rich Dad’s Success Stories by Robert Kiyosaki and Making Money out of Property in South Africa by Jason Lee. They suggest the following: 1. Get prepared
“A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don’t have a J.O.B.” – Fats Domino With the world in the midst of what some are calling an economic meltdown, it’s no wonder many are reconsidering their careers. Even if your job seems secure, it’s probably a good idea to take stock. Is this what I really want to be doing or are there better opportunities out there? Is there a way I could bring together my passions and talents? Can I do what I love and make some money doing it too?
The Power of Persuasion People are everywhere. That’s why being persuasive determines how effective we are. Where we live, what we do, and even who we love involves influence on one level or another. And by learning the art of “dealing with and convincing people to do what you want them to do”, we can instantly improve our lives. Emotion vs. Logic
“Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a two-hour vocabulary.” – Evan Esar At some or other point in our lives, we’re likely to be called upon to make a speech, be it for a family wedding or a presentation at work. While maintaining a degree of spontaneity is crucial, winging the whole thing probably isn’t the best idea. Instead, taking the time to prepare something solid can leave a memorable impression for a long time after you’re done. Dale Carnegie suggests the following: 1. Research the audience.
“Success happens not by chance, but because you were given a chance and took advantage of it.” – Kevin Geary Knowing where and how to apply for a job is just as important as whether or not you’re qualified. Campus career centres are the best, even after you graduate. They’ve got connections with companies that recruit graduates and often have all the information you need. It’s advisable to speak to some of your professors and their colleagues who tend to be quite clued up. Of course, newspapers, websites, and recruitment agencies can be a great help too.
“You can resist an invading army; you cannot resist an idea whose time has come.” – Victor Hugo 4. Generating Ideas So, now that you’ve decided to get into the entrepreneurship game, how do you come up with that great idea? Well, there is no magic formula when it comes to that but a few things do help. Another suggestion from Robert Kiyosaki is to keep your eyes open and always stay alert for key pieces of information. Carry around a notebook wherever you go in order to jot down ideas on problems to solve or needs to fill.
The world is a busy place. Our obsession with having, doing, and being all things all the time is the reason we feel so burdened. It’s the reason supermoms and their wunderkinds spend days filled with activities here, there, and everywhere. It’s a lot like my life in high school, which involved music lessons (I played two instruments), orchestra rehearsals, choir practices, composition classes, and aural training (in addition to the hours at home practising all of the above and making time for normal schoolwork too). Oh, and I had to just be a kid as well!
It’s the start of another day. You sit down at your desk and get to work. Except you can’t. Every few minutes, you’re distracted by another popup notifying you of an incoming email. So you decide to take a break online. Except you can’t. There are just too many choices. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Skype, blogs, shopping, movies, and games. Even getting outside doesn’t make it stop considering smartphones, in addition to the already annoying interruptions from calls and texts, can now do all that and more.
“I told my children when they were leaving education that they would be well advised to look for customers not bosses.” – Charles Handy Following the successes of visionary thinkers like Apple’s Steve Jobs and Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the entrepreneurial spirit has taken the world by storm. But what exactly is entrepreneurship and who exactly qualifies as an entrepreneur? In this introductory article, we’ll answer those questions: 1. Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneur
“Success demands singleness of purpose.”– Vince Lombardi
“The field of consciousness is tiny. It accepts only one problem at a time.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“The highly developed, spiritual man, as he retires into the interior world during sleep, realises a state of spiritual bliss that is far beyond the stage of ordinary mortals.” The Dreamer Everyone dreams. Considering we spend a third of our lives asleep, that probably isn’t surprising. But while it’s understood that sleep rests our bodies (enabling us to “undergo the strenuous daily toil of physical life”) and recharges our minds (enabling us to subconsciously solve problems from our waking life), dreaming is more complex. What exactly are dreams for?
“Happiness is the product of wisdom. To attain perfect wisdom, to comprehend fully the purpose of life, to realise completely the relationship of human beings to each other, is to put an end to all suffering, to escape every ill and evil that afflicts us. Perfect wisdom is unshadowed joy.” Ignorance is not bliss
“The time will come with each human being when he will step out of the great throng that drifts with the tide and enter upon the course of conscious evolution, assisting nature instead of ignoring her beneficent plan; and since it is but a question of time, the sooner a beginning is made the better, for the sooner will suffering cease.”
“To send the common people to war untrained is to throw them away.” – Confucius With the economy in such a state, it’s hard to know who to listen to, especially when it comes to something as important as managing your money. And yet now seems like the perfect time to take advantage of so many opportunities. A great place to start would be Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing by Robert Kiyosaki. In it, he suggests suggest the following: 1. Build a team.