Didin Baharudin Sholeh: Kenapa mesti susah kalau bisa gampang?

Pada suatu hari Sherlock Holmes dan Dr. Watson pergi berkemah. Selagi berbaring di kantung tidur, sambil memperhatikan bintang-bintang di angkasa, Holmes berkata pada Watson. "Watson, sahabatku. Ketika kau melihat bintang di angkasa, apa yang ia ceritakan padamu?"

Watson memandang langit, sambil berpikir sesaat, akhirnya ia menjawab, "Begini, dari sudut pandang meteorologi, berarti langit cerah, tidak berawan, menandakan kita bisa melewati malam ini tanpa gangguan hujan. Tidak terdapat kabut disekitar kita, berarti esok hari akan cerah juga. Memang tiupan angin cukup kuat, namun langit tidak menunjukkan akan
adanya cuaca buruk esok hari."

"Dari sudut pandang kelautan, bintang-bintang ini membentuk formasi yang dapat membantu navigasi. Membantu para penjelajah untuk menaklukan sisi yang paling gelap dan menakutkan yang belum pernah di kunjungi."

"Dari sudut pandang astronomi, bintang-bintang bercerita tentang jutaan triliun dunia di luar sana yang tak akan pernah kita kenal. Galaksi demi galaksi terbentang ribuan bahkan jutaan tahun cahaya jauhnya."

"Secara spiritual, langit berbintang memberitahuku, bahwa ada pencipta agung diluar sana. Dengan memandangi bintang, mengangkat semangat spiritual ku."

"Dari sudut pandang pribadi, mereka membuatku menjadi merasa kecil dan kurang penting. Aku merasa seperti bintik kecil di tengah luasnya alam semesta. Aku menjadi merasa rendah hati dan menghilangkan pikiran-pikiran sombong"

Untuk beberapa saat Watson terus berbicara. Akhirnya, di ujung monolognya itu, sambil memiringkan badannya mengalihkan pandangannya dari bintang pada Sherlock, ia bertanya, "Lalu, ketika kau menatap bintang, apa yang dikatakannya padamu, holmes?"

Holmes menyedot pipanya dalam-dalam, berhenti sejenak untuk mengepulkan bulatan asap, dan menjawab, "Mudah saja, Watson sahabatku. Saat aku memandangi bintang di langit, aku tahu bahwa seseorang telah mencuri tenda kita."

Kadang kali kita menjadi Watson, terlalu banyak menganalisa, terlalu filosofis, membuat kehilangan sisi praktis dalam kehidupan kita. Terlalu berbelit-belit, hingga point penting tidak tersampaikan.

Cerita diatas juga mengingatkan kita, agar dapat melihat titik permasalahan (root cause) dalam setiap problema. Dengan melihat titik permasalah yang tepat, akan mudah atau lebih mudah dalam kita menyelesaikan permasalahan.

So, pembaca yang budiman. Hidup ini sudah cukup rumit dengan segala permasalahannya yang ada. Janganlah tambah kerumitan tersebut..

Sukses Selalu.

Copy from: http://motivationalstory.blogspot.com/2008/10/kenapa-mesti-susah-kalau-bisa-gampang.html

This is BOTRAM!'s blog:
http://botramminicafe.wordpress.com/
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Pest and Disease Identifier

What's wrong with your plant?

Use the gardening Pest and Disease Identifier to diagnose the problem with your plants and find out how to treat them. The identifier provides both organic and chemical treatments as well as advice to help you prevent problems in the future.

How to use

The identifier will initially ask you to select the plant part affected by the problem and because many pests and diseases cause multiple effects on different plant parts, it will then ask you a series of questions relating to the whole plant and its growing conditions, before identifying the most likely cause of your problem.

Launch Pest and Disease Identifier
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Simple Mistakes First Time Cat Owners Make

When you first get a cat there are some basic tips that you want to know to avoid making common mistakes that most first-time cat owners make. If this is your first time owning a cat you want to learn what the proper etiquette is so that your cat can be happy. The first thing is you want to learn how to fill their litter box so that they have enough room to use the bathroom. Many people make the common mistake of overfilling and this can create a difficult situation for your new kitten. It is important that they are able to get into the litter box and be able to maneuver around.

Next you want to make sure that your cat has its own place to sleep and finding it a cat bed is your best option. You may have a cat that likes to sleep with you in your bed but they need to also have an alternative place to rest. You can go out and purchase a cat bed for them or take a towel and place it in their favorite spot works well also.

You also want to make sure that your cat has some form of identification around their neck because you never know when they may get lost from their home. there are tags that you can get may that will have your name and phone number on them so that somebody can get in touch with you if your cat becomes dis-orientated.

Remember that there are some simple chat tips that you can learn if you are a first-time cat owner. It will make your life simpler and your cats as well.

by: Bryan Burbank Selengkapnya...

Auto Insurance Discounts - 3 Places to Find Auto Insurance Discounts

Automobile insurance is expensive, but you can lessen the monthly premium by looking in a few places you may not have thought of. These tips are helpful to anyone interested in saving money on their car insurance, but they are especially useful if you are shopping for a new policy.

The time that you can save the most money on your auto insurance is when you are initially shopping for a policy. You may be able to qualify for some discounts or special programs under your existing policy, but there are many more options when shopping for a new policy. This is the time to compare rates, ask for a lower rate, and generally just to look for the lowest priced car insurance policy you can find.

If you are already insured then you may still find that you qualify for discounts on your car insurance. You may qualify for a discount if you drive less than a certain number of miles per year for instance. Many insurance companies will also offer you a discount if you have an alarm on your car, have automatic restraint systems, or have a GPS enabled anti-theft device installed.

Most insurance companies will also offer you a discount if you are willing to do your business online. In an effort to become more environmentally friendly many car insurance companies will also offer you a discount if you elect to stop receiving paper bills.

There are also discounts available from auto insurance companies for members of certain groups. These groups can include social clubs, professional organizations, or alumni associations. Remember to explore every option when it comes to saving money on your automobile insurance.

As you can see the potential to save money on your auto insurance premiums exists in many places. The only thing standing between you and a few extra dollars is your willingness to inquire about which automobile insurance discounts you qualify for.

by: David Ackland
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Ackland

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Learn a Magic Trick!

I've never considered myself particularly clever. I'm not very good at figuring out how things work, but I have always been curious. Something that never failed to catch my attention was magicians, and how they perform their amazing tricks. After a lot of wondering, I finally took action and did something about it. Surprisingly, it was a lot easier to learn a magic trick than I would have thought.

Believe me, if I can do it, anyone can.

It turns out there are only two main things to remember. The first is to remind yourself that what you are doing is really just acting. You have to be aware that you are a showman on a stage, so the way you comport yourself is very important. You've got everyone's attention, you should show your confidence and prowess with a loud voice and grand, sweeping gestures.

The next thing to remember is what trick you are doing. This is actually the easy part, if you've taken a little time to learn a magic trick already. You should have the trick practiced enough that you can do it almost without thinking. As I said, most of your energy will be spent on how you act, so it's important to have an illusion that you are very comfortable with.

The best way to be sure that you can perform under pressure is to learn it well. Sometimes this takes a lot of practice, but in other cases you can expect to learn a magic trick in only a few attempts. Some of the most convincing illusions fall into this category. A good teacher helps, too. Study from Bryan Dean, the author Learn Easy Magic. He teaches some of the most convincing tricks around. Spend a few fun minutes and learn a magic trick!

About Author:
Bob Senton can make anything (except your dating history and credit record) disappear! He runs the popular website CoolMagicTricksOnline.Com as an online resource for magicians and would-be magicians who want to learn a magic trick or two. Check out the site now!
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Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use

by Lee Hopkin

What IS assertive communication?

Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions without judging or blaming other people. And it allows us to constructively confront and find a mutually satisfying solution where conflict exists.

So why use assertive communication?

All of us use assertive behaviour at times... quite often when we feel vulnerable or unsure of ourselves we may resort to submissive, manipulative or aggressive behaviour.

Yet being trained in assertive communication actually increases the appropriate use of this sort of behaviour. It enables us to swap old behaviour patterns for a more positive approach to life. I've found that changing my response to others (be they work colleagues, clients or even my own family) can be exciting and stimulating.

The advantages of assertive communication

There are many advantages of assertive communication, most notably these:

* It helps us feel good about ourselves and others
* It leads to the development of mutual respect with others
* It increases our self-esteem
* It helps us achieve our goals
* It minimises hurting and alienating other people
* It reduces anxiety
* It protects us from being taken advantage of by others
* It enables us to make decisions and free choices in life
* It enables us to express, both verbally and non-verbally, a wide range of feelings and thoughts, both positive and negative

There are, of course, disadvantages...

Disadvantages of assertive communication

Others may not approve of this style of communication, or may not approve of the views you express. Also, having a healthy regard for another person's rights means that you won't always get what YOU want. You may also find out that you were wrong about a viewpoint that you held. But most importantly, as mentioned earlier, it involves the risk that others may not understand and therefore not accept this style of communication.

What assertive communication is not...

Assertive communication is definately NOT a lifestyle! It's NOT a guarantee that you will get what you want. It's definately NOT an acceptable style of communication with everyone, but at least it's NOT being aggressive.

But it IS about choice

Four behavioural choices

There are, as I see it, four choices you can make about which style of communication you can employ. These types are:

direct aggression: bossy, arrogant, bulldozing, intolerant, opinionated, and overbearing

indirect aggression: sarcastic, deceiving, ambiguous, insinuating, manipulative, and guilt-inducing

submissive: wailing, moaning, helpless, passive, indecisive, and apologetic

assertive: direct, honest, accepting, responsible, and spontaneous

Characteristics of assertive communication

There are six main characteristics of assertive communication. These are:

* eye contact: demonstrates interest, shows sincerity
* body posture: congruent body language will improve the significance of the message
* gestures: appropriate gestures help to add emphasis
* voice: a level, well modulated tone is more convincing and acceptable, and is not intimidating
* timing: use your judgement to maximise receptivity and impact
* content: how, where and when you choose to comment is probably more important than WHAT you say

The importance of "I" statements

Part of being assertive involves the ability to appropriately express your needs and feelings. You can accomplish this by using "I" statements. These indicate ownership, do not attribute blame, focuses on behaviour, identifies the effect of behaviour, is direcdt and honest, and contributes to the growth of your relationship with each other.

Strong "I" statements have three specific elements:

* Behaviour
* Feeling
* Tangible effect (consequence to you)

Example: "I feel frustrated when you are late for meetings. I don't like having to repeat information."

Six techniques for assertive communication

There are six assertive techniques - let's look at each of them in turn.

1.
Behaviour Rehearsal: which is literally practising how you want to look and sound. It is a very useful technique when you first want to use "I" statements, as it helps dissipate any emotion associated with an experience and allows you to accurately identify the behaviour you wish to confront.

2.
Repeated Assertion (the 'broken record'): this technique allows you to feel comfortable by ignoring manipulative verbal side traps, argumentative baiting and irrelevant logic while sticking to your point. To most effectively use this technique use calm repetition, and say what you want and stay focused on the issue. You'll find that there is no need to rehearse this technique, and no need to 'hype yourself up' to deal with others.

Example:

"I would like to show you some of our products"
"No thank you, I'm not interested"
"I really have a great range to offer you"
"That may be true, but I'm not interested at the moment"
"Is there someone else here who would be interested?"
"I don't want any of these products"
"Okay, would you take this brochure and think about it?"
"Yes, I will take a brochure"
"Thank you"
"You're welcome"

3.
Fogging: this technique allows you to receive criticism comfortably, without getting anxious or defensive, and without rewarding manipulative criticism. To do this you need to acknowledge the criticism, agree that there may be some truth to what they say, but remain the judge of your choice of action. An example of this could be, "I agree that there are probably times when I don't give you answers to your questions.

4.
Negative enquiry: this technique seeks out criticism about yourself in close relationships by prompting the expression of honest, negative feelings to improve communication. To use if effectively you need to listen for critical comments, clarify your understanding of those criticisms, use the information if it will be helpful or ignore the information if it is manipulative. An example of this technique would be, "So you think/believe that I am not interested?"

5.
Negative assertion: this technique lets you look more comfortably at negatives in your own behaviour or personality without feeling defensive or anxious, this also reduces your critics' hostility. You should accept your errors or faults, but not apologise. Instead, tentatively and sympathetically agree with hostile criticism of your negative qualities. An example would be, "Yes, you're right. I don't always listen closely to what you have to say."

6.
Workable compromise: when you feel that your self-respect is not in question, consider a workable compromise with the other person. You can always bargain for your material goals unless the compromise affects your personal feelings of self-respect. However, if the end goal involves a matter of your self-worth and self-respect, THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE. An example of this technique would be, "I understand that you have a need to talk and I need to finish what I'm doing. So what about meeting in half an hour?"

Conclusion

Assertiveness is a useful communication tool. It's application is contextual and it's not appropriate to be assertive in all situations. Remember, your sudden use of assertiveness may be perceived as an act of aggression by others.

There's also no guarantee of success, even when you use assertive communication styles appropriately.

"Nothing on earth can stop the individual with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the individual with the wrong mental attitude" W.W. Ziege

When you match consumer psychology with effective communication styles you get a powerful combination. Lee Hopkins can show you how to communicate better for better business results.

| Sources: ezinearticles dot com |
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Top 10 Tips For Buying Cheap Textbooks Online

Short of money? (Dumb question, I know). Trying to figure out how are you going to afford all the textbooks for your next term? Are you creating new economic theories to balance your scarce budget?

Then you are probably not taking advantage of the very best, more efficient way to get your textbooks cheap, and I mean really cheap.

Search and buy online. That's it. That's the secret. And to make sure you get the best value out of it, I'm giving you below the Top 10 Tips for buying textbooks online.

1.
Buy early. Don't wait for the first day of classes to go and find the books you need. That's the moment when demand increases and, inevitably, prices increase with it. Textbooks sell fast and furiously over that short period of time and the effort required to get the best offers then is far greater than the effort necessary just a couple of weeks before.

If your college or university doesn't supply the textbook lists in advance, don't despair, contact former students from the course you want to take, or even the professors themselves, and ask them for the books you should buy. That little extra effort will certainly be worth your while.

2.
Buy used. Secondhand textbooks are cheaper. That's an undeniable fact. It is not unusual to find savings in excess of $50 against list prices.

3.
Consider older editions. Often times, books on classical physics, chemistry or biology remain virtually the same for years. If you are willing to use older editions you could find books for as little as $1. Not sure if the International Edition will cut it? Contact your course tutor and ask. Chances are he'll even recommend an older book.

4.
International Editions. An International Edition is a textbook that has been published outside the US and Canada and is meant to be purchased and used outside the US and Canada. International Editions are generally drastically cheaper than their American/Canadian counterparts. Here's the catch, the publishers of International Editions generally do not authorize the sale and distribution of International Editions in the United States and Canada and such sale or distribution may violate copyrights and trademarks of the publishers of such works.

5.
Use the ISBN number to boost the effectiveness of your searches. Every book published since 1970 has a unique ISBN, using it instead of the author and/or title will make your searches faster and 100% accurate.

6.
Free shipping. Look for free shipping sellers when you are shopping around. Even though shipping within the US is generally under $4, or perhaps because of it, more and more sellers are keen to offer free shipping to potential customers in order to convert them into customers. This translates approximately as an addtional 10% discount off a $40 book or 5% discount off an $80 one.

7.
Shop around. I know you know that already, anyway, let me say it again, just in case you just landed on Earth from another planet 10 minutes ago. Compare prices from, at least, three different sellers before you make up your mind. If you want to compare online booksellers, you can go to Bookfinder.com. In order to compare thousands of booksellers around the world you can go to Abebooks.com the world's largest marketplace for books.

8.
Buy local. Check where the bookseller you are buying from is located before closing the deal. The nearer the better as shipping cost goes down, the planet is happier and greener and your community will certainly appreciate the extra business.

9.
Sell back your old textbooks after you are finished with them. Chances are the same online bookseller that you bought your books from is willing to buy them back, just go to their site and look for their buyback program. Generally, shipping the books is free and payment is immediate upon reception. This one sells itself, doesn't it?

10.
Treat your textbooks well. Don't use them as umbrellas or to kill that gigantic spider that appeared from nowhere inside the bathtub. Don't write the name of your love interest all over it alongside little hearts and don't use it as a canvas when you feel that artistic urge. Remember, you might want to sell them later and the better the condition of the book the more money you receive for it.

Follow these tips and I guarantee you will find more money in your pockets, more time in your hands and, of course, the satisfaction of having joined the 21st century, at last.

Buy online, you'll never go back.

| Author: Fernando Bessega |

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