Hillsong You Crown The Year

VERSE
You crown the year with Your goodness
You answer us with awesome deeds
Your hope resounds God our Saviour
To distant lands and farthest seas

O paint the fields bright and golden
Drench the harvest with Your rain
God's river filled with living water
That flows to all as You ordained

CHORUS
Praise the Name of the Lord
O my soul sing His worth
All of life join the song
Come and lift up our King

VERSE
Now let the earth join the dancing
Deck her out in showers of spring
The dusk and dawn forever relay
The call to come and worship Him

BRIDGE
Holy holy
Worthy are You Lord
All the glory
To Your Name forever

The Richest Financiers In The World

9. Petr Kellner, PPF Group

Rank On Billionaire's List: 97
Net Worth: $11.3 billion
YTD Change: +14.8%
Citizenship: Czech Republic

8. Jim Simons, Renaissance Technologies

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Rank On Billionaire's List: 92
Net Worth: $12 billion
YTD Change: No change
Citizenship: USA

7. Joseph Safra, Grupo Safra

Rank On Billionaire's List: 75
Net Worth: $13 bullion
YTD Change: +17.9%
Citizenship: USA

The Six Rules of Personal Success

Of all human abilities, one stands out, the ability to see the Big Picture, the things that are important in life, and not to be distracted by small, trivial, and irrelevant things; the intelligence to separate the message from the background noise.
‘The Big Picture’ is about the grand goals; the big dreams and aspirations people treasure in every stage and aspect of life. But how can you grasp and hold on to the Big Picture? What does it take?
Six rules that have been successfully tested in business and everyday life:

 1. Get your Priorities Right

Setting priorities right is about making intelligent choices, deciding what goals to pursue in which order, which takes vision and foresight. Intelligent people rise over the hills and valleys of the present to gaze over the hills and the valleys of the future and see the invisible and the challenges it holds. Renowned entrepreneurs like Microsoft's founder Bill Gates, Apple's  Steve Jobs, and Facebook ’s founder Mark Zuckerberg had such vision and foresight; they could see how technology could change the lives of everyday people; and came up with products and services that will turn their vision into reality.
Getting your priorities right is about choosing whether to go to school, start your own business or working for somebody else; whether to get married or stay singled; whether to have children or not; whether to stay married or get divorced; whether to remarry if widowed or divorced; and you have to choose how to spend your money.

2. Use Resources Wisely

Using resources wisely is also about making intelligent choices. It is about deriving the most value out of limited resources; shopping around for the right merchandise by asking three simple questions: Do I need this piece of merchandise? Is the price right? Is this merchandise the best use of my money?
In some cases, using resources wisely means more than shopping around for bargains for the right merchandise. It also means paying the least interest and finance charges for the things you buy on credit. Shop around for the lowest interest rates on a home mortgage; refinance when interest rates fall sufficiently; and stay away from consumer debt and finance charges that add to the price of the merchandise you buy.

3. Stay Focused

Staying focused means sticking with your priorities and goals; focusing on the message, not on the background noise; and executing. Take the right steps to reach your goals. That’s all that matters in the end.
It takes patience, persistence, and discipline to stay focused. Patience to overcome the hurdles that stand between you and your goal; persistence to overcome the failures, setbacks, and temptations that may take you off course; and discipline to play the game right, to comply with all the rules: know what you are doing, be punctual, and work out all the details.

4. Develop the Right Relations

Reaching a certain goal requires moral and psychological stamina.  It takes skills and resources no single individual possesses. This means that in pursuing personal success, people need friends and partners to overcome the many obstacles that stand between them and their personal goals. At school, friends can provide the moral and psychological support to endure and overcome the pressure that comes with class lectures, homework, exams, and term paper deadlines. Partners provide the information and expertise to go over complex concepts and to complete coursework projects, sharing of class notes, participating in discussion groups.
At work, friends provide the moral and psychological support to endure and overcome workplace-related stress, meeting project deadlines, handling customer complains, and dealing with internal politics. Partners provide skills and expertise to complete complex projects that require cooperation among several parties.

5. Don’t be Greedy

Greed is the idolization and relentless pursuit of something that lets people distinguish and set themselves apart from others—money, power, status, and so on; the feeling that they never have enough of it, and nothing can stop them from amassing and accumulating it.
Greed is an obsession that—like alcohol—numbs people’s senses, blurs their vision, and makes them lose sight of the Big Picture. Greed leads people to live a life of imbalance and disproportion, a life of reckless and dangerous behavior. People who want everything in life fail to negotiate with others and compromise, and end up losing everything. People, who want everything from personal friendships and partnerships and become selfish and arrogant, end up destroying them.

6. Don’t be Complacent

Complacency is the opposite of greed. It’s the idolization of things people have accomplished, the feeling that they have reached the telos (ultimate destination).
This may sound contradictory to what was argued earlier about staying focused, but success isn’t an entitlement. It cannot be taken for granted. Successful people cannot afford to be complacent because good times do not last forever, especially in a rapidly changing world. That’s why complacency is dangerous. People who are complacent with their accomplishments fail to catch up with the rest of the world and are left behind.  At school, students who are complacent about their performance at the beginning the semester eventually lag behind their peers and end up failing the course. At work, workers who become complacent and take their jobs for granted fail to keep up with the demands of the marketplace by upgrading their skills and are the first in line to be laid off in an economic downturn. In marriage, people who become complacent about what they have accomplished and take each other for granted, end with apathy and indifference for each other.

Forbes.com

Benjamin Franklins 13 Keys To Success

Benjamin Franklin, the man on the $100 Bill, the guy who invented the heated stove, the lighting rod and the odometer among a thousand other achievements in his life. What made Benjamin Franklin such an over achiever is that he lived a purpose driven life. At the age of 20 years old Benjamin Franklin laid out 13 key values for himself which he would go on to master and become the well known man in our history to this day.
Read on for a translated and updated version for the business world today of Benjamin Franklins 13 Key Values.

1. Stop wasting time

Then: ”Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.” Now: Life hackers and multitaskers will win the startup war every time.

 

2. Get a calendar app and use it

Then: ”Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.” Now: Your modern day business has a lot of moving parts. Devise a system for keeping it all in order.

3. Don’t screw people over

Then: ”Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.”Now: Shady business practices will come back to bite you.

 

4. Don’t bang your co-workers

Then: ”Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.“Now: To ensure a healthy atmosphere, office romance should be handled with care.

 

5. Stop blowing money on stupid things like Aeron chairs

Then:“Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.” Now: Forget the fancy office chair, save that scrap paper and remember to brown bag a lunch.

 

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Then: “Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.“ Now: When things go wrong, take a breath a relax. An occasional yoga class couldn’t hurt.

 

7. Bathe — and then dress for success

Then: ”Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.“ Now: Get it together, and dress to impress.

 

8. Don’t get drunk on the job. Or fat, for that matter

Then: “Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.” Now: You’ll work harder without a hangover. Skipping the fourth cup of coffee couldn’t hurt either.

 

9. Be straightforward with people

Then: “Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.“Now: Being straight forward is the best way to connect with customers and co-workers. Leave the slick sales talk at home.

 

10. Don’t just sit around thinking about what to do — actually do it.

Then: “Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”Now: Don’t let problems fester and follow through once you’ve set a goal.

 

11. Don’t obsess about one part of your business at the expense of others

Then: “Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.” Now: Don’t let one aspect of your business overwhelm all others. And when your competitors play dirty, don’t take it personally.

 

12. Stop wasting time gossiping with co-workers and start doing stuff

Then: “Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.”Now: Don’t Tweet every random thought. Communication works best when you have something worthwhile to say.

 

13. Be humble

Then: “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” Now: … or Warren Buffet, if you feel so inclined.

7 Ways To Be More Persuasive in Business

Have you ever had trouble closing a deal or convincing someone of your worthiness? Most people have this problem or at least have had this a few times in their life. In Business, mastering the technique of persuasion is known to be the key to major success and can be the difference between a pat on the back or a slap in the face, figuratively speaking.
Read on for a little insight into the art of persuasion in the world of business.

7 Great Persuasion Techniques To Use In Business

 

1. Give and you shall receive

When someone does you a favour, you know instinctively that you will have to do something in return in the future. Psychologists call this the reciprocity rule, and it can be very useful in persuasion.
Try it out next time a colleague or your boss needs help with something by being the first to stand up and lend a hand. Even better, think ahead and be aware of the deadlines and meetings your boss has to reach so you know to step in if they get called away. According to the reciprocity rule, they’ll be more likely to return the favour in the future.

2. Admit your weaknesses

People will never accept an idea or proposal if it sounds too good to be true, so one of the most effective ways to be persuasive is to admit a weakness.
Next time you’re trying to convince someone into giving you that job or deal, admit a small drawback before you go on to tell them that you are the best person for the job, or why your proposal will work. For example, point out that you have only two years experience instead of the required three, but then go on to explain the relevance of your past experience and how it puts you ahead of other potential candidates.

3. Emphasize potential loss

A study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior showed potential losses count far more in a manager’s decision-making than the same things presented as gains. What this means is that to be more persuasive, you should point out what they have to lose by not accepting your idea, as well as what they can gain.
So if applying for a job, or putting forward a proposal, make sure to emphasize what the company has to lose by not taking on your skills or suggestions. Just make sure you do so respectfully, and do your research on the company or your client first.

4. Highlight similarities

It is well known that people respect and listen to those who they believe to be similar to themselves. One way to influence this is by using what psychologists call mirroring. By mirroring the body language, tone of voice and interests of the person you’re speaking to, you’ll make them more likely to accept your suggestions.
Next time you meet a potential employer or client, do a brief background check on their company or personal interests. Find any similarities between them and yourself or your individual companies and bring them up in the beginning of your meeting – they’ll be more likely to say yes if they feel like you’re on common ground.

5. Appeal to their reputation

People are more likely to behave in a way that is consistent with their past decisions or beliefs, thereby upholding their reputation. This is what psychologists call labeling.
You can use this to your advantage by pointing out that someone has demonstrated a particular trait in the past, and then suggesting that their next course of action remains consistent with that label. For example, say, “Your company is cutting edge and cutting edge companies invest products like X.” This technique is tried and true and you’ll often see it used in marketing.

6. Use Social Proof

When people are unsure of which course of action to take or how to behave, they tend to assume that others around them are better informed, and will look to them for guidance. Psychologists call this Social Proof, and it is a powerful mode of persuasion.
If you’re trying to convince someone to hire you, mention that you have had interest from other potential employers. Or if you’re trying to sell an idea or product, highlight how the idea or product has been successful with other businesses. People will trust the decisions or behaviours of others and will be more likely to do the same.

7. Take it one step at a time

This is all about getting your foot in the door. If you’re pitching a proposal that’s a bit of a risk, if you throw it all on the table at once your potential employee or client is likely to say no to the whole lot. In order to build trust, you need to convince them one step at a time.
Try breaking down what you aim to achieve into small steps, and then gradually talking them into saying yes to each one – you’ll be more likely to persuade them into giving you what you want. This process can take time but remember small steps in the beginning can lead to big leaps in the future.

The Great Jim Rohn once said: “If you want more, you need to be more”. Something to think about.