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How to be Lucky in Life

I fell in love with this anonymous quote that says “you are not a write-off yet until opportunities cease to exist” the very day I stumbled on it. Ever since, I have made it my guiding philosophy in life. Opportunities beckon daily, but whether we are able to recognise them or not is a different ball game altogether. Opportunities are dressed in different robes and they come in different sizes and shapes. The question then is: How prepared are we when they appear?

I have heard many people say that some people are lucky in life. What is luck? Luck simply means opportunities that meet with adequate preparation. Many wander through life without preparing adequately for their opportunities when they come. Nothing happens by accident. Every occurrence in life has its significance. It leaves us with one lesson or the other. Perhaps this why John Maxwell said in his book Failing Forward that there are no mistakes made, only lessons learnt. Do you learn from your daily occurrences? Or do you just see them as just happenstances? Whatever happens to man (positively or negatively) has one lesson or the other for the future. Continue reading “How to be Lucky in Life”

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You Can Only Be Young Once

Isaac Oluyi, Author and public speaker

No one will live forever. We are all here for a short while. It is actually not how long we live that matters but how well we live. To live well and live a life of meaningful impact we need to discover purpose on time. Nobody will be celebrated for what he/she would have done, only for what he/she did. There is no better time to start living one’s dreams than yesterday. After all, you can only be young once.

Methuselah lived for 969 years on the surface of the earth! That was the only record we read of him in the Bible. No record of what he did nor what he would have done. Each time I read this portion of the Bible, the question is: What did this man do with his youthful years? As I write I am still at sea over living for such a long period of time without any record of meaningful impact. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lived for 33 eventful years of impact. At 12 He knew His purpose and wrought his first miracle at 30 – he turned water to wine. He actually fulfilled His mission on earth within 3 years! He set forth at dawn knowing full well that he could only be young once. His impact still reverberates throughout the world more than 2000 years after His death. Methuselah lived for 969 years of no impact and Christ lived for 33 years of indelible impacts. What a contrast! What are you still waiting for? Remember, you can only be young once. Continue reading “You Can Only Be Young Once”

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What You Should Never Compromise On While Building Your Career

Kathy Caprino

As a career coach to mid- and senior-level professionals, and in my former work as a therapist, I’ve come into contact with thousands of questions, concerns, mistakes and crossroads that emerge in people’s personal and professional lives.  Observing the long arc of many careers, I’ve noticed that the worst missteps – the ones that make us feel deep pain, regret, sorrow and remorse – are mistakes reflecting what people have chosen to compromise on or to give up in order to be “successful.”  These compromises don’t feel like “choices” at the time, but they are, and they lead to common crises and challenges that are disastrous for the individual.

Below are the top five things you should never compromise on while building your career (or you’ll regret it deeply):

Your Standards of Integrity

I view “standards of integrity” as core principles and values that guide our behavior.  Integrity is a choice, and while it is influenced by a myriad of factors (your culture, upbringing, peer influences, etc.), it can’t be forced.  (If it is, you have played a part in that.)  One who has strong and well-defined standards of integrity behaves with wholeness, integration, honesty, and does right by himself/herself and by others.  Standards of integrity involve values and virtues such as honesty, kindness, trust, wisdom, loyalty, transparency, objectivity, acceptance, openness, empathy, and graciousness. Continue reading “What You Should Never Compromise On While Building Your Career”

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Look Under the Radar, Make Smart Choices

The key point in this essay is that in making tough choices in life, sometimes it’s best to look under the radar, because the best things, in most cases, are not found in the hype.

If you live in the US or follow US sports news, you will know that period leading to the NFL (National Football League) draft is one of the most exciting times for sports fans in the US. As sports analyst and experts present personal attributes (height, weight, reach, etc) of players and playing statistics, the general public is invited into a passionate debate  around who should make the first round pick and who should wait until the third or 6th.

Pick Like a GM

Make decisions like a GM a football team at draft night. A Good General Manager of a football team does not make a pick based on the recommendation by pundit on TV, hearsay, print media or rudimentary evidence of a player’s ability. He does his homework because he knows that at the end of the day, it’s not only the height and weight, 40-yard dash and yards-per-carry that matter.  He knows there are intangibles that determine the success of a team. Continue reading “Look Under the Radar, Make Smart Choices”

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Interviewing: Have you set the stage?

Interviewing is a process, during which you and your potential new employer are getting to know each other. First, the company is interested in your skills (can you do the job?).  During later stages, they will be more interested in your motivations (will you love the job?) and personality (will we enjoy working with you?).  You want to learn about the job, and the corporate culture.  At each step, thorough preparation is your key to success.

Do Your Due Diligence

Before any interview, learn as much about the organization as possible.  Read their web site, know their products, learn about the industry and their competitors, read recent press releases and current stockholder information (if a public company).  Learn what sets them apart from their competitors (low-cost?, high quality?, personal service?).  Read their web site, and explore other information sources including recent news reports, financial industry reports (Standard and Poor’s, Hoovers, Google Finance), and recent patent filings. Continue reading “Interviewing: Have you set the stage?”

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