Crucial language questions: Do you want better English?
THE TWO Es TO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYr
Primary topic: Communication Skills and Training
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THE TWO Es TO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCYr
Founder and CTO of Pringit.com, Muhammad Nasrullah shares how he has kept his high tech start-up afloat and booming. Good ideas might seem to be the most challenging aspect of start-up success but getting it up and running and revving up to booming depends on attracting and building up the right talent. Muhammad Nasrullah has identified 7 challenges which he has an uphill task to overcome. 1. Talent Scout
THE GREATEST LOVE/HATE STORY The most wonderful love story is the story of Scheherazade. The king had been betrayed by his first wife and he proceeded to take his anger out on a new bride who after the first night would always be beheaded. Some 1,000 women suffered the same fate until a feisty young lady came along, despite protests by her father, and thought she could avoid this grizzly fate. PERFECT PLANNINGr
SUCCESS BLESSING B: Beginnings are the source and our source is the beginning of something great if we nurture it, letting it flow and develop. L: Live in the thoughts that will lift you up and watch your life be more meaningful, worthwhile and satisfactory. E: Everything has a source and the source of your good is within you. Empowering thoughts work wonders so seek those thoughts from within. S: See other people’s thoughts as great tributaries to your flowing source. See their thoughts as adding and benefiting your thoughts and flow.r
HEALTH B: Blessing your health and the health of your loved ones and all humanity is one of the best things you can do. Blessing yourself and others will make you feel better, and you will make a positive contribution to your well-being and those around you. L: Living it up or lazing away the weekend is well-deserved downtime to rejuvenate for the week ahead.r
Criticism is not nice. In fact, whenever we are criticized we feel it most deeply and more so if we think that criticism is unjustified. Muslims feel a personal insult whenever their beloved Prophet is insulted but Mike Ghouse says we should use such instances to learn more about our faith. Personification of Tolerance “Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) (PBUH) lived through criticism and Muslims can learn from his example,” says Mike Ghouse. Firmness of Faithr
BOOK KNOWLEDGE I once read a book about Islam that said God would have wanted people to pray more than five times a day. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upo Him), Jesus (Peace be upo Him) also prayed. Every religious tradition prays and we are supposed to pray to God or remember God when we pray. MERE MANr
1. Insurance man logic Rejection is a fact of life but the more people you ask the more likely you will get a yes. This is the approach of top insurance salespeople. Look for the yeses in life and accept that nos, also known as rejection is just the right of another to say no. Their no is because a yes is not consistent with what they think is good for them at this point of time. Is rejection realy so bad? You can’t get anyone to say yes unless you are willing to take the risk that they will say no. When you don’t ask, the answer is always no. 2. It’s Nothing Personal
BEACONS OF BEAUTY BLESSING B: Beautiful life, beautiful love – we can express it all. L: Lap up the beauty and love all around and say thanks and give thanks for all you see, feel and what touches you. E: Exceptional beauty abounds – etch the bounty of beauty upon your mind and soul and let it stain you with goodness. S: Stains of beauty upon the soul are the best stains to have – stain it so much that your soul of beauty is recognized by all. S: See the beauty in all situations because in 99 per cent of situations there is some beauty.
1. Fear is natural It is natural to have some fears, so face your fears and consider whether your fear has a good source or is actually irrational (a fear that we should dismiss or conquer). How to be fearless is one of the hardest things for most people to do. Recognizing and facing the fear is the first step you should take. Many people are fearful about wearing the hijab. Here are some thoughts about fear in general and about the hijab (head covering) and conservative clothes in particular. The points here will help you to be fearless and more successful. 2. The Fear that Killsr
SUCCESS WAITING TO HAPPEN There is a proverb that gives a warning: This is an accident waiting to happen. A dangerous situation has been created and it is inevitable that an accident will happen, sooner or later. Let’s reverse this idea and let us do all the things that will lead on to success. In other words, this is success waiting to happen. Very soon you will be successful or more successful.
POT OF GOLD A most glorious rainbow brightened up the Singapore skyline as the sunset. Students I was teaching wanted to stop and enjoy the rare sighting of the beautiful hues cascading between the skyscrapers. Exclamations of this is so lucky and rainbows mean good luck delighted the class and it took a good 10 minutes before we resumed again. NO PIE IN THE SKYr
Make marriage a paradise – here’s how. MARITAL UNIVERSE When you marry you get more than a spouse – you actually get a whole world. THE BLESSINGS OF MARRIAGE Partner, companion and best friend are the three top blessings you get when you marry. SHARING YOUR LIFE Joys and sorrows, successes and failures, dreams and fears – all moments big and small are there for sharing. Joys, successes and dreams will be sweeter for the share. Failure, fear and sorrow are soothed and solved when shared. CARINGr
REAL REALITY I like teaching IELTS (International English Language Testing System) because we deal with current events and practical issues. I also like it because it is a test of English where every aspect of life is analyzed from the point of view of past, present and future. This is a wonderful opportunity to think about how far we have come as a civilization and how far we may progress. WHAT IS YOUR FUTURE?
Early Environmentr It is the dream of many Pakistanis to be doctors, engineers and accountants, a similar dream of legions across the Indian Subcontinent. Faizan Largari was no different – he dreamed of accountancy, but Muhammad Nasrullah was fascinated by the idea that you could create something out of nothing and dreamed of being a great inventor. Lego sets and science books purchased by his father fueled make-believe into reality.
LOVE OF LEARNINGrnB: Blessed with the love of learning is to be blessed with the a life-force that is the essence of life. L: Learning to love learning is the secret for a fulfilled and blessed life. Life-long learning is essential to keep up with inevitable changes and is the way to keep ahead of the competition. E: Engender Enthusiasm, Enjoyment and Excitement for learning, which will transform even the dullest task into something that is engaging and energizing.
HIGH DIVORCE RATE In some countries the divorce rate has gone beyond the 50 per cent mark. What has happened? What should have been living happily ever after has turned into a complete disaster. PEOPLE ARE RUNNING SCARED Droves of people are now too scared to marry and adultery and fornication have become widespread and socially normal. IS MARRIAGE THAT COMPLICATED? THAT DIFFICULT? Is marriage as complicated as modern society makes it seem? CONCEPTION OF MARRIAGEr
THE BLESSING OF FRIENDSHIP B: Blessed beyond compare are we when we have beautiful friends. Beside me, I feel so blessed, loved and cared for. Friends certainly bless our lives and are a blessing. L: Loving thoughts are all I feel for my friends. Loving ways are the hallmarks of great friendships. Loyal friends are worth more than apples of gold and silver. E: Endearing qualities are produced when two friends express their friendship and love for each other. S: Super blessed are we when we find our friend soulmates.r
1. Words and attitudes define us. “Challenges, challenges, challenges. Difficulties, difficulties, difficulties … Avoid repeating such words; otherwise they will become the part of your life,” says Hammad Siddiqui, Deputy Country Director of the Center of International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Successful entrepreneurs utilize positive words to propel them further and higher. They uplift themselves to the higher realms – the realm of spirit. Entrepreneurs are the most spiritually connected people
FAQ How do I improve my English is a questio I regularly get and I would like to share with you the secret of improving your English. Boring Secretr It is a boring secret which a lot of people don’t like when I give them that advice. It is to read every day. Practice Propels you Towards Perfectionr
Today I answered these 100 questions. I think it is important to answer these questions if you are thinking of marrying, or remarrying. If you would like to see my answers drop me an email at susanmckenzie2003@yahoo.co.uk. MARRIAGE 1. What is your concept of marriage? 2. Have you been married before? 3. Are you married now? 4. What are your expectations of marriage? 5. Why have you chosen me/other person as a potential spouse? 6. What are your goals in life? (long and short term) 7. Identify three things that you want to accomplish in the near future.
Achieving the Highest Career Heights "Career Development is a continuous process. At every stage of your career, you need a bit of extra push to go further," says Hammad Siddiqui in his latest book Bootstrapping Your Career. Here is how to take your career higher. Are you getting the most out of your life? Get more out of your job, business and life by bootstrapping your career. Developing all you have got to the max and navigating social media for business growth, personal and professional success, enlightenment and satisfaction lie at the heart of Bootstrapping Your Career.r
The Best Place in the Worldr Imagine the most idyllic place your imagination can savor and luxuriate in? Creating Utopiar Imagine this place where people are always so fair, honest, kind, nice, helpful, sweet and generous. This is what Utopia is. A Man For All Seasons Have you heard of Sir Thomas More? If not, I would like to introduce you to him. LONG LIVE UTOPIA Sir Thomas More, a lawyer by profession, made a contribution to the English language by coining the word Utopia when he wrote the book of the same name. WHAT IS UTOPIA?
WHEN IN A TIGHT CORNER PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP! BAD FAITH Queen Shahrazad, exciting storyteller of the epic One Thousand and One Nights, related a series of stories about faith, trust and true friendship and our how our doubts can sour all relations. When lack of trust is stronger than faith then we make all manner of regretful actions. FISHY SURPRISE A poor fisherman had a bad fishing day. All he caught was a bottle. When the fisherman opened the brass bottle out came a genie. BOTTLED UP ANGERr
LOVE CREATES MIRACLES Where there is great love, there are always miracles, penned Willa Cather. LOVE IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS This is certainly true of Adeline Yeo who decided that to follow her true love she would paint from the heart – the core of our loving nature and of love. Adeline follows her true love and puts to work love in action. LOVE AND SKILL CREATE MASTERPIECES John Ruskin said – when love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. JOU EY TO LOVEr
Princess Partyr Every weekend I teach more than 10 classes at different levels. One of my classes is an all-girls class at Primary 2 level (they are 8 years of age going on 9). They love princesses and wanted to have a princess party. After getting the parents permission we finally had our party. What is a Princess Party? This is my first time to attend a princess party and this is the format: Pure Privacyr As this is a private party, there were no cameras because royalty don’t like to be photographed when they are off duty. So there are no pics. Wallflowerr
SWITCH TO A POSITIVE VEIN B: Being positive all the time is easier said that done, but there are ways to be more positive. For example, the first step is to say you will be a positive blessing to yourself and the world and that you are determined to reap the benefits of making positivity your way of life. L: Life grows richer as you focus on ways to be more positive. E: Expedite your energy to work in a more positive way. Energy can be expedited and revved up if you add a dose of positivity.
Startups can fast track their brand by leveraging on net news outlets and by blogging. Indeed, all startups need to develop blogging expertise too - to generate a buzz of their own and to make it easier for bloggers to post news items, soundbites and articles. In other words, ensure your startup has in place dynamic social media management, the best brand and product awareness strategies, all feeding business development. Q: How do startups build brand and product awareness?
The Tsunami of Appreciation Blessing - kick start great blessings in your life with a wave of appreciation that blesses, waters and nurtures you and your surroundings. B: Begin with your surroundings and find one thing you can appreciate and put your appreciative focus upon it: a painting, a flower, something you really like and really focus upon it, increasing your feelings of appreciation for it. L: Life is best played as a Kim’s Game – where you remember every detail of beauty – the jewels in our environment that we can find, remember and appreciate.r
See the Lightr Rights and Wrongs We grow up as vulnerable kids in this world, not knowing any better, thinking our families, our society will teach us everything we need to know about what is right and what is wrong. Not Knowing Right from Wrong! We think they will teach us everything we need to know about life. They are the ones who we first rely on for guidance, but as we get older, and we start going through so many mistakes, we start to realize that our society, our families, are clearly CONFUSED about what is right and what is wrong! Seeing the Light
Cool Passionr There is a case for arranged marriages says Rehana Matri. “Arranged marriages, even if the couples get engaged and get to know each other, are not marriages of the heart but of the brain. And so they are missing that fire that love marriages bring with them from day one. Some fires that were really huge burn out very quickly after marriage. Arranged marriages often remain cool and without passion, but remain in good working order and without complication,” believes German-bo Rehana Matri.
MODERN MINDSET Do you have a questioning mind? Most people have heard of the adage that curiosity killed the cat. This means if you question too much it could lead to bad results. WHEN CURIOSITY IS GOOD However, it is good to have a reasonable level of curiosity because one of the meanings of this word is eager to learn and we need to be eager to learn if we want to develop more. NEW DEFINITION Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb that has been around for over 500 years, but in the IT and Information age needs to be modified to suit the contemporary world. OUT WITH THE OLDr
UP YOUR OPTIMISM QUOTIENT B: Benefit from being an optimist. Benefits and blessings are yours when you see the benefits and blessings that flow from a particular situation. Better outcomes are yours when you choose to look for all the benefits and blessings in each situation. L: Look on the bright side, the sunny side, the feeling that the future is rosy and you can make it rosy. May you reflect upon how you can up your levels of optimism. Language is powerful. Practice making it a positive force in your life by using the most optimistic language you can muser.
Self-preservation or the greatest respect for othersr I live by the words of Shakespeare – that nothing is good or bad except thinking makes it so. I also believe we need to assess a situation from all angles and not jump to conclusions, or if we do take the time to reflect upon those conclusions. We need to let anger subside before we come to a conclusion. MANY MOTIVATIONS We may act for self-preservation and we may act out of fear or we may act out of respect. THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLDr
Pillars of Successr Action, right direction and creation are the drivers underpinning many of the entrepreneurial success stories. For Rehan Allahwalla and Muhammad Nasurallah, vision, passion, garnering experience and service have been the main supports of their entrepreneurial adventures. Hitting the markr
What does it take to change the world or your world? Have you thought about this awesome concept. Or do you shrug your shoulders and give up? What do you have to do? Well firstly you have to tackle your thoughts. Only if you change your thoughts can you begin to change your world and then on to changing the world. Simple, but let us dissect the actual thought processes and actions needed to really make a difference. WILL A WAYr
Lament of Loss “The time we had spent with someone. The time we know, we are never going to get back.” (Muhammad Mohsan Zaki) May the Blessings Ber Oh this is sad and so true - I wonder why we spend so much time hoping when the other has made it so clear that they don't want you. And yet we do. A very sad aspect of life, or perhaps it is to our credit if we have good thoughts and wish the best for them. If only if should become may the blessings be. Stages of Lossr In a relationship break down – there are a number of stages. Stage Oner
SHAKESPEAREAN WISDOM IN THE RIVER THAMES The Blessings in every situation – be blessed always. PRIVATE START Life started for me in a private road a stone’s throw away from the tidal wash of the great River Thames. PRIVATE ROADS IN ENGLAND Private roads usually have gates that are tightly closed, but at the entrance of this private oasis was Pitsea Methodist Church and everyone was invited. INHABITANTS
FIT FOR A KING Fit for an Emperor, Fit for a King, Fit for a Queen, Fit for a Princess, Fit for a Prince are all expressions that mean that you are making something so good that a member of the royal family would appreciate. Emperors and Kings are associated with the richest, most opulent living and the highest,wisest thinking as they think for a land, nation and people. We can think of the wisdom of King Solomon, the persistence of King Robert the Bruce, the quick-thinking of King Charles II and the never-say-die daring of Queen Scheherazade. Charles, Robert and Scheherazader
Great Ideasr The greatest challenge to the greatest ideas is how to take your brainchild and make it real. An idea is just a thought – a figment of the imagination. How do we get it out there? We need someone to talk to. Asian Culturer In Asia, gurus are revered teachers and masters and life often resolves around the coffee shop. Thus in a friendly place, people with good ideas can get help from social media experts – entrepreneurs who have been there and done that! This is the aim of www.CoffeeShopGurus.com On the Drawing Boardr
NOTHING IS TOTALLY BLACK AND WHITE Lies in the virtual world and lies in the real world are a fact of life. The seriousness of such lies and how we react to them depends on our values and how serious we view the lie. Lying is never good and for some people totally undermines a budding friendship. MISREPRESENATIONr
MARVELOUS MYSTERY OF LOVE For a long time I have been dwelled in understanding this mystery. FAHM O SHAOOR Really love is beyond all the so-called fahm o shaoor. Fahm o shaoor means the realizing of wiseness in Urdu. It means the realization of wiseness or in this case a greater realization about love. Fahm o Shaoor means the way of understanding. LOVE IS … Love is so indescribable. It's a feeling that you've come home. It's this thing called love! LOVING LARGE It's bigger than us, isn't it? TWO BECOME ONE – I BECOMES YOUr
What do Helen Keller, a blind boy and you have in common? In common – means things that are the same or similar – things we share. We share this great universe and we are all human beings. If you are able to read this you have your physical sight, while the blind boy and Helen Keller did not have theirs. We may have physical sight but do we have the eyes that really see? That is the question to consider. If you change what you say, people will change what they see!r
Into the Futurer Have you ever been asked the question: Where do you see yourself in five years time? Whenever I have asked myself that questio I have not really had a good answer. Actually my first consideration is money. I hope I will be earning more money. I also hope I will be with the same company. What do you feel when asked that question? Will you be able to look back with satisfaction and contentment about your achievements? If five years is too much, how about one year in the future? Rarity
Call to Successr The caller from the Mosque calls people to come for prayer, to come to success. Source of Success A great number of people, however, do not come because they want to come to success in their work, thinking that it is their presence in their business that provides them with success. Fools’ Paradiser How foolish if they think that success comes to them other than by the blessings of God! The Right Pathr If they were to leave their business and listen to the call of God via the caller from the Mosque their success in business would not suffer but would increase.
Improve your personal and business life with the right lists - 9 ways CONNECT WITH POSITIVE POSSIBILITIES 1. 10 IMPROVEMENTS. Make a list of at least ten improvements you could make. Consider health and fitness, career, home, business, family, hobbies, education and training. Come up with at least 10 or more –things that would improve your life in some way. Putting them in writing makes them more real. Treat this as blueprint of your plans. When you need extra oomph – get your list out and count positive possibilities. GET IT WRITTEN DOWN
Here are five good reasons to put more care into your English expression. 1. Positive Care If you could not speak, you might still be able to communicate through sign language and written language. We often take for granted our ability to communicate, but we should care more about how we communicate because it impacts upon personal and professional success. Care is a feeling, an attitude and an action. The other reasons point to how we can care in action. 2. Change Your Worldr
Nothing to Something Muhammad Nasrullah has done something that not many people have done – take his startup from nothing to something, being recognized as a Global 100 company by Red Herring in 2012. There were over 5,000 nominees, so how did he do it? Here are 9 insights from the founder of Pring. 1. What does it take to start a company? A need to solve a problem, to change your fate. 2. What does it take to keep a company going?
1. Entrepreneurial Excellencer In The Craft of Selling Yourself, Ashraf Chaudhry says we are all entrepreneurs. Everyone - yes you - will benefit if you develop this business-orientated mindset. Labels have a great impact on our mindset. In fact they determine our mindset, action and life. 2. Brand Positioningr
Pursuing Love A chance meeting can be a turning point in life: This is the story of entrepreneur Abid Beli from Karachi in Pakistan when he met a pretty girl in a park. Smitten, to him she was marriage material but his parents did not quite share the same level of enthusiasm. He was left with the impossible choice that no one likes to make – remain with family and its benefits, or carve out a new financially independent life enabling him to defy tradition. Choosing the latter and the entrepreneurial route, he has never looked back. Launch Pad of Marriager