Gibran K. Gibran: The Garden of the Prophet - The End

And now it was eventide.
And he had reached the hills. His steps had led him to the mist, and he stood among the rocks and the white cypress-trees hidden from all things, and he spoke and said:

"O Mist, my sister, white breath not yet held in a mould,
I return to you, a breath white and voiceless,
A word not yet uttered.

"O Mist, my winged sister mist, we are together now,
And together we shall be till life's second day,
Whose dawn shall lay you, dewdrops in a garden,
And me a babe upon the breast of a woman,
And we shall remember.

"O Mist, my sister, I come back, a heart listening in its depths,
Even as your heart,
A desire throbbing and aimless even as your desire,
A thought not yet gathered, even as your thought.

"O Mist, my sister, first-born of my mother,
My hands still hold the green seeds you bade me scatter,
And my lips are sealed upon the song you bade me sing;
And I bring you no fruit, and I bring you no echoes
For my hands were blind, and my lips unyielding.

"O Mist, my sister, much did I love the world, and the world loved me,
For all my smiles were upon her lips, and all her tears were in my eyes.
Yet there was between us a gulf of silence which she would not abridge
And I could not overstep.

"O Mist, my sister, my deathless sister Mist,
I sang the ancient songs unto my little children,
And they listened, and there was wondering upon their face;
But tomorrow perchance they will forget the song,
And I know not to whom the sins will carry the song.
And though it was not mine own, yet it came to my heart
And dwelt for a moment upon my lips.

"O Mist, my sister, though all this came to pass,
I am at peace.
It was enough to sing to those already born.
And though the singing is indeed not mine,
Yet it is of my heart's deepest desire.

"O Mist, my sister, my sister Mist,
I am one with you now.
No longer am I a self.
The walls have fallen,
And the chains have broken;
I rise to you, a mist,
And together we shall float upon the sea until life's second day,
When dawn shall lay you, dewdrops in a garden,
And me a babe upon the breast of a woman."

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Gibran K. Gibran: The Garden of the Prophet - Part X

Now, for seven days and seven nights no man came nigh the Garden, and he was alone with is memories and his pain; for even those who had heard his words with love and patience had turned away to the pursuits of other days.
Only Karima came, with silence upon her face like a veil; and with cup and plate within her hand, drink and meat for his aloneness and his hunger. And after setting these before him, she walked her way.

And Almustafa came again to the company of the white poplars within the gate, and he sat looking upon the road. And after a while he beheld as it were a cloud of dust blown above the road and coming toward him. And from out the cloud came the nine, and before them Karima guiding them.
And Almustafa advanced and met them upon the road, and they passed through the gate, and all was well, as though they had gone their path but an hour ago.
They came in and supped with him at his frugal board, after that Karima had laid upon it the bread and the fish and poured the last of the wine into the cups. And as she poured, she besought the Master saying: "Give me leave that I go into the city and fetch wine to replenish your cups, for this is spent."
And he looked upon her, and in his eyes were a journey and a far country, and he said: "Nay, for it is sufficient unto the hour."
And they ate and drank and were satisfied. And when it was finished, Almustafa spoke in a vast voice, deep as the sea and full as a great tide under the moon, and he said: "My comradess and my road-fellows, we must needs part this day. Long have we climbed the steepest mountains and we have wrestled with the storms. We have known hunger, but we have also sat at wedding-feasts. Oftentimes have we been naked, but we have also worn kingly raiment. We have indeed travelled far, but now we part. Together you shall go your way, and alone must I go mine.
"And though the seas and the vast lands shall separate us, still we shall be companions upon our journey to the Holy Mountain.
"But before we go our severed roads, I would give unto you the harvest and the gleaning of my heart:
"Go you upon your way with singing, but let each song be brief, for only the songs that die young upon your lips shall live in human hearts.
"Tell a lovely truth in little words, but never an ugly truth in any words. Tell the maiden whose hair shines in the sun that she is the daughter of the morning. But if you shall behold the sightless, say not to him that he is one with night.
"Listen to the flute-player as it were listening to April, but if you shall hear the critic and the fault-finder speak, be deaf as your own bones and as distant as your fancy.
"My comrades and my beloved, upon your way you shall meet men with hoofs; give them your wings. And men with horns; give them wreaths of laurel. And men with claws; give them petals for fingers. And men with forked tongues; give them honey words.
"Ay, you shall meet all these and more; you shall meet the lame selling crutches; and the blind, mirrors. And you shall meet the rich men begging at the gate of the Temple.
"To the lame give your swiftness, to the blind of your vision; and see that you give of yourself to the rich beggars; they are the most needy of all, for surely no man would stretch a hand for alms unless he be poor indeed, though of great possessions.
"My comrades and my friends, I charge you by our love that you be countless paths which cross one another in the desert, where the lions and the rabbits walk, and also the wolves and the sheep.
"And remember this of me: I teach you not giving, but receiving; not denial, but fulfilment; and not yielding, but understanding, with the smile upon the lips.
"I teach you not silence, but rather a song not over-loud.
"I teach you your larger self, which contains all men."
And he rose from the board and went out straightway into the Garden and walked under the shadow of the cypress-trees as the day waned. And they followed him, at a little distance, for their heart was heavy, and their tongue clave to the roof of their mouth.
Only Karima, after she had put by the fragments, came unto him and said: "Master, I would that you suffer me to prepare food against the morrow and your journey."
And he looked upon her with eyes that saw other worlds that this, and he said: "My sister, and my beloved, it is done, even from the beginning of time. The food and the drink is ready, for the morrow, even as for our yesterday and our today.
"I go, but if I go with a truth not yet voiced, that very truth will again seek me and gather me, though my elements be scattered throughout the silences of eternity, and again shall I come before you that I may speak with a voice born anew out of the heart of those boundless silences.
"And if there be aught of beauty that I have declared not unto you, then once again shall I be called, ay, even by mine own name, Almustafa, and I shall give you a sign, that you may know I have come back to speak all that is lacking, for God will not suffer Himself to be hidden from man, nor His word to lie covered in the abyss of the heart of man.

"I shall live beyond death, and I shall sing in your ears
Even after the vast sea-wave carries me back
To the vast sea-depth.
I shall sit at your board though without a body,
And I shall go with you to your fields, a spirit invisible.
I shall come to you at your fireside, a guest unseen.
Death changes nothing but the masks that cover our faces.
The woodsman shall be still a woodsman,
The ploughman, a ploughman,
And he who sang his song to the wind shall sing it also to the moving spheres."

And the disciples were as still as stones, and grieved in their heart for that he had said: "I go." But no man put out his hand to stay the Master, nor did any follow after his footsteps.
And Almustafa went out from the Garden of his mother, and his feet were swift and they were soundless; and in a moment, like a blown leaf in a strong wind, he was far gone from them, and they saw, as it were, a pale light moving up to the heights.
And the nine walked their ways down the road. But the woman still stood in the gathering night, and she beheld how the light and the twilight were become one; and she comforted her desolation and her aloneness with his words: "I go, but if I go with a truth not yet voiced, that very truth will seek me and gather me, and again shall I come."

From Lebanon to the North Pole

Maxime Chaya to Take Up a New Challenge: Skiing Unassisted, All the Way to the North Pole

In May 2006, while completing his “Seven Summits” quest to climb the highest mountain on every continent, Maxime Chaya became a national hero by raising his country’s flag for the first time in history on the rooftop of the world: Mount Everest. Then, in December 2008, he proudly planted Lebanon’s flag at the South Pole after 47 days of unassisted, unsupported skiing from the Antarctic coast, a challenge achieved by only very few people. Today, Maxime is about to undertake a new journey.

In a press conference held on February 18, Maxime confirmed his intention to once again test his commitment, determination and endurance by skiing over 800 km to the North Pole from the northern tip of Canada, thus completing his “Three Poles” odyssey which has also included Everest and the South Pole.

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Staying Power

Occasionally, someone will ask, "Is there a single characteristic that unites all the successful people you've met? Do you know the secret to their success?"

"I've noticed two things," I answer, "The first is that every successful person carries a yardstick for measuring progress; they always have a way to measure their success."

"Why is that important?"

"You cannot improve what you do not measure."

"Okay, so what's the second characteristic?"



It's at this point in the interview that I'd love to say "curiosity," or "loyalty," because these are the traits that I admire the most. But the truth is that I've known a lot of successful people who weren't curious in the slightest or loyal in the least. Likewise, it's not "intelligence" because I've also known some extremely successful dolts. (I'll bet you have, too.) Neither is it "education" or "planning" or "timing" or "sincerity" or "creativity" or "attention to detail" or anything else like that.



So how does a not-curious, disloyal, uneducated, insincere, uncreative dolt achieve success? "Staying power." Experience is a marvelous teacher. Any fool can be successful when he has the staying power to survive all his mistakes. Sometimes the staying power that's needed is financial. More often though, it's emotional.



Immediately after inventing the light bulb, Thomas Edison was asked, "How does it feel to finally succeed after having failed 1,000 times in a row?" "Failed?" replied the obviously confused inventor, "But I never failed. I just completed the final step in a 1,000-step process." Thomas Edison wasn't trying to be coy or witty. In his mind, there was never any doubt about whether he would succeed; the only thing that Edison couldn't tell you was how long it was going to take.



A young man fails in business at age 22. At 23, he runs for the state legislature...and loses. Then he fails in business again. Finally, he is elected to the legislature. Then his sweetheart dies and he has a nervous breakdown. Then he runs for Speaker. Defeated. He runs for Elector. Defeated. He runs for Congress. Defeated. He runs for Congress again. Gets elected! Runs for the Senate. Defeated. Runs for Vice-President. Defeated. But the skinny boy has staying power! Today you'll find his face on the most plentiful coin ever minted; the penny. He also snagged the five-dollar bill and the fourth position on Mount Rushmore.



A man writes a book. The first publisher rejects it. So does the second. So do the next 26 publishers. How many rejections is 28 rejections? This many: (Read them out loud for full effect.) Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Rejected. Finally, publisher number 29 gives the author a chance. So far, that publisher has sold more than 200 million copies of his books.



The ones who succeed are those who have the ability to survive their mistakes. "Staying power." Thomas Edison had it. Abraham Lincoln had it. Dr. Seuss had it. You can have it!

Here are 8 steps to do it:
0- Don't think it, ink it!
1- Be proactive, Think innovative
2- Begin with an end in mind
3- Priorities things
4- Think win-win
5- Understand then be understood
6- Synergize (make allies)
7- Sharpen the saw (the quote)

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"Because the earth has no religion. Join!"

Could Working Less Land You a Promotion?

One of the greatest career-killing mistakes people make is believing that if they work hard enough, reward and recognition will follow. The problem is that hard work is usually rewarded with more hard work, not necessarily a promotion.

We can't promote you. You're too valuable
After six years as a company's top salesperson, a software sales account manager was disappointed when a younger peer was promoted and became his manager. The newcomer had been with the company six months and had never met his sales quota, but he was popular with the young staff on the team. The sales account manager suspected the executive team did not promote him because they could not afford to lose his significant contribution to the company's revenue. Meanwhile, a person who performed poorly moved up the ladder because his superiors could visualize him as a leader.

You can be passed over for promotion if you are seen as irreplaceable. A director of IT asked his boss for a promotion, a raise and more challenging work. The boss agreed that he was capable, but he thought it would be too hard to find someone to replace him. The promotion was given to a colleague who had less experience, but who competed aggressively for the promotion.

Position yourself on the radar for promotion
What are the factors that can help you attract more responsibility, and not more hard slog?
In 1987, Jomills Henry Braddock II and James M. McPartland published a report on minorities, equal employment opportunities and institutional barriers. Their paper provides valuable insight into how you can position yourself for career advancement that is still relevant today.
Braddock and McPartland wrote that the three types of information considered being most important by decision makers when identifying candidates for promotion are:
- Performance ratings.
- Internal recommendation.
- Production or sales record.

When deciding who to promote, decision makers look at your workplace results, work output and sales and production records. They also look at qualitative information such as your performance evaluations. But the significant difference can come from subjective information such as word-of-mouth recommendations from other leaders and stakeholders.

Credentials give way to visibility
A great pedigree and hard work may get you recognized initially, but it won't guarantee advancement.

Early in your career, you will be evaluated largely on credentials. Decision makers will look at factors such as your education or successful performance in your current job. As you move up through the organization, decision makers overlook results and credentials in favor of more subtle interpersonal signals such as trust and working with people they are familiar with. To be considered for promotion, you need to be visible. Show your superiors that you are on their team and that they can count on you.

Hard work alone will not get you on the slate for promotion. In fact, if you are burying yourself under an immense workload, you may be neglecting to transmit those other vital signals.

Action you can take now!
In their 1999 paper, Roslin Growe and Paula Montgomery emphasize the fact that work performance makes up only part of the recipe for promotion. Four techniques that you need to be aware of are:
- Be able.
- Be seen as able.
- Know what you want.
- Help others to help you.

To get promoted, show that you understand what your job entails, and be dedicated to those tasks. Visibly display the competencies that you know will be valued and rewarded. Set career goals, then plan and strategize how you will get there. Let them know you are ready, and expect to move up the ladder. Use mentoring and networking to engage others who can help you.

Hard work alone will not get you promoted. Good work plus visibility will.

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Gibran K. Gibran: The Garden of the Prophet - Part IX

And when the night was fully come, he took his steps to the grave-side of his mother and sat beneath the cedar-tree which grew above the place. And there came the shadow of a great light upon the sky, and the Garden shone like a fair jewel upon the breast of earth.
And Almustafa cried out in the aloneness of his spirit, and he said:
"Heavy-laden is my soul with her own ripe fruit. Who is there would come and take and be satisfied? Is there not one who has fasted and who is kindly and generous in heart, to come and break his fast upon my first yieldings to the sun and thus ease me of the weight of mine own abundance?
"My soul is running over with the wine of the ages. Is there no thirsty one to come and drink?
"Behold, there was a man standing at the cross-roads with hands stretched forth unto the passers-by, and his hands were filled with jewels. And he called upon the passers-by, saying: 'Pity me, and take from me. In God's name, take out of my hands and console me.'
"But the passers-by only looked upon him, and none took out of his hand.
"Would rather that he were a beggar stretching forth his hand to receive -- ay, a shivering hand, and brought back empty to his bosom -- than to stretch it forth full of rich gifts and find none to receive.
"And behold, there was also the gracious prince who raised up his silken tents between the mountain and the desert and bade his servants to burn fire, a sign to the stranger and the wanderer; and who sent forth his slaves to watch the road that they might fetch a guest. But the roads and the paths of the desert were unyielding, and they found no one.
"Would rather that prince were a man of nowhere and nowhen, seeking food and shelter. Would that he were the wanderer with naught but his staff and an earthen vessel. For then at nightfall would he meet with his kind, and with the poets of nowhere and nowhen, and share their beggary and their remembrances and their dreaming.
"And behold, the daughter of the great king rose from sleep and put upon her her silken raiment and her pearls and rubies, and she scattered musk upon her hair and dipped her fingers in amber. Then she descended from her tower to her garden, where the dew of night found her golden sandals.
"In the stillness of the night the daughter of a ploughman, tending his sheep in a field, and returning to her father's house at eventide with the dust of the curving roads upon her feet, and the fragrance of the vineyards in the folds of her garment.
And when the night is come, and the angel of the night is upon the world, she would steal her steps to the river-valley where her lover awaits.
"Would that she were a nun in a cloister burning her heart for incense, that her heart may rise to the wind, and exhausting her spirit, a candle, for a light arising toward the greater light, together with all those who worship and those who love and are beloved.
"Would rather that she were a woman ancient of years, sitting in the sun and remembering who had shared her youth."

And the night waxed deep, and Almustafa was dark with the night, and his spirit was as a cloud unspent. And he cried again:

"Heavy-laden is my soul with her own ripe fruit;
Heavy-laden is my soul with her fruit.
Who now will come and eat and be fulfilled?
My soul is overflowing with her wine.
Who now will pour and drink and be cooled of the desert heat?

"Would that I were a tree flowerless and fruitless,
For the pain of abundance is more bitter than barrenness,
And the sorrow of the rich from whom no one will take
Is greater than the grief of the beggar to whom none would give.

"Would that I were a well, dry and parched , and men throwing stones into me;
For this were better and easier to be borne than to be a source of living water
When men pass by and will not drink.

"Would that I were a reed trodden under foot,
For that were better than to be a lyre of silvery strings
In a house whose lord has no fingers
And whose children are deaf."

Nine Nightmare Bosses

Whenever I think of bad bosses, two people come to mind: the callous and insensitive PR director who made my life hell for a year and the bird-brained supervisor in the movie Office Space. I wouldn't wish either boss on anyone except maybe my worst enemy.

Although two-thirds of workers are satisfied with who they report to, the remaining third is dissatisfied with their bosses. Today's workers are voicing concerns with their supervisor's ability to lead, with 42 percent stating they can do their supervisor's job better. Part of their criticism is attributed to the amount of individual attention given to employees, as well as perceptions of character. Twenty-four percent say their supervisor does not take time to review job concerns, and 22 percent say their supervisor is not trustworthy.

Chances are, you've encountered a supervisor who has made your life miserable or made work days unbearable. Like the supervisor who made an employee write her papers for her MBA classes, then turned around and wrote the employee up for doing it on company time. Or the executive vice president who addressed an employee's weight rather than performance in an annual review.

Just as there is a myriad of nightmare bosses, there are many ways to deal with their workplace terrors. In The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Work (Chronicle Books), Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht describe some of these bosses and how to deal with them.

The Control Freak micromanages every move you make.
How to Deal: Bombard this person with emails, reports and meetings. This might overwhelm him and throw off his controlling behavior.

The Buddy tries to solicit personal information and seeks inclusion as though you are best of friends.
How to Deal: Include this person but keep your distance. Invent a fictional hobby, extend invitations you know she can't accept, and avoid hugs.

The Workaholic has sacrificed his life for his job and expects the same from you.
How to Deal: Let this person know there is life outside of work. Discuss family, friends and hobbies at every opportunity.

The Teller of Bad Jokes always has one for you and it's always bad.
How to Deal: Be prepared for the painful punchline and feign amusement. Then change the subject.

The Supreme Delegator takes all of the credit and none of the blame and essentially is setting up others to take the fall.
How to Deal: In writing, advise on all key decisions and plans, but be prepared for a denial of knowledge if anything goes wrong.

The Yes/No Manager could care less about useful information or discussions and simply wants every decision boiled down to "yes" or "no."
How to Deal: Present summaries with several alternatives for action. If asked for a recommendation, give it orally.

The Passive-Aggressive Boss procrastinates, complains about not enough time, and then blames others for the bad job.
How to Deal: Involve others in projects as much as necessary so that you have witnesses.

The Indecision Maker needs info from many different sources before making any sort of "independent" decision.
How to Deal: Present any question as if you've taken an informational survey of any key employees who might have a stake in the problem.

The All-Business-is-Personal Manager can't separate business and personal life.
How to Deal: Make your work time enjoyable, one bad incident could ruin your work relationship.

In the long run, though, your nightmare could turn into a sweet dream. That toxic supervisor could be the motivating factor for you to make a change for the better.

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Top 7 Ways To Design Your USP

(The Unique Selling Proposition)
by Christopher M. Knight

1- Your USP must be one sentence.

2- Every person on your team needs to be able to articulate it easily.

3- Your USP is either Pain (-) or Pleasure (+) oriented. Since most people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure, you might want to model your USP around the pain that your product or service removes.

4- Make sure your marketing theme, campaigns, and business plans evolve around your USP. Did you ever see a business who’s marketing pushes had nothing to do with their USP, and it made it look like that company had a values conflict?

5- From a mentor, Barney Zick, gave me this formula for designing USP’s: “Do you know how [state the pain or problem the prospect has]”, “What I do is [state the solution your product/service solves]”

6- Your USP should address a void in the marketplace, with a promise your firm can honestly fill.

7- The true test of whether you’ve designed a good USP or not, is if it sells for you in the marketplace. Does it define your edge and is or does the marketplace value it with their pocketbook.

Saint Valentine

Saint Valentine (in Latin, Valentinus) is the name of several martyred saints of ancient Rome. The name "Valentine", derived from valens (worthy), was popular in Late Antiquity. Of the Saint Valentine whose feast is on February 14, nothing is known except his name and that he was buried at the Via Flaminia north of Rome on February 14. It is even uncertain whether the feast of that day celebrates only one saint or more saints of the same name. For this reason this liturgical commemoration was not kept in the Catholic calendar of Saints for universal liturgical veneration as revised in 1969. But "Martyr Valentinus the Presbyter and those with him at Rome" remains in the list of saints proposed for veneration by all Catholics.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Valentine the Presbyter, is celebrated on July 6, and Hieromartyr Saint Valentine (Bishop of Interamna, Terni in Italy) is celebrated on July 3.

The name "Valentine" does not occur in the earliest list of Roman martyrs, compiled by the Chronographer of 354. The feast of St. Valentine was first established in 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who included Valentine among those "... whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God." As Gelasius implied, nothing was known, even then, about the lives of any of these martyrs. The Saint Valentine that appears in various martyrologies in connection with February 14 is described either as:

* A priest in Rome
* A bishop of Interamna (modern Terni)
* A martyr in the Roman province of Africa

The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle, (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273.

The official Roman Martyrology for February 14 mentions only one Saint Valentine.

English eighteenth-century antiquarians Alban Butler and Francis Douce, noting the obscurity of Saint Valentine's identity, suggested that Valentine's Day was created as an attempt to supersede the pagan holiday of Lupercalia. This idea has lately been contested by Professor Jack Oruch of the University of Kansas. Many of the current legends that characterize Saint Valentine were invented in the fourteenth century in England, notably by Geoffrey Chaucer and his circle, when the feast day of February 14 first became associated with romantic love.
While a website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia and other sources give different lists of Saint Valentines, the Catholic Church's official list of recognized saints, the Roman Martyrology lists seven: a martyr (Roman priest or Terni bishop?) buried on the Via Flaminia (February 14); a priest from Viterbo (November 3); a bishop from Raetia who died in about 450 (January 7); a fifth-century priest and hermit (July 4); a Spanish hermit who died in about 715 (October 25); Valentine Berrio Ochoa, martyred in 1861 (November 24); and Valentine Jaunzars Gmez, martyred in 1936 (September 18).

Gibran K. Gibran: The Garden of the Prophet - Part VIII

And one who had served in the Temple besought him saying: "Teach us, Master, that our words may be even as your words, a chant and an incense unto the people."
And Almustafa answered and said: "You shall rise beyond your words, but your path shall remain, a rhythm and a fragrance; a rhythm for lovers and for all who are beloved, and a fragrance for those who would live life in a garden.
"But you shall rise beyond your words to a summit whereon the star-dust falls, and you shall open your hands until they are filled; then you shall lie down and sleep like a white fledgling in a white nest, and you shall dream of your tomorrow as white violets dream of spring.
"And you shall go down deeper than your words. You shall seek the lost fountain-heads of the streams, and you shall be a hidden cave echoing the faint voices of the depths which now you do not even hear.
"You shall go down deeper than your words, deeper than all sounds, to the very heart of the earth, and there you shall be alone with Him who walks also upon the Milky Way."
And after a space one of the disciples asked him saying: "Master, speak to us of being. What is it to be?"
And Almustafa looked long upon him and loved him. And he stood up and walked a distance away from them; then returning, he said: "In this Garden my father and my mother lie, buried by the hands of the living; and in this Garden lie buried the seeds of yesteryear, bought hither upon the wings of the wind. A thousand times shall my mother and my father be buried here, and a thousand times shall the wind bury the seed; and a thousand years hence shall you and I and these flowers come together in this Garden even as now, and we shall be, loving life, and we shall be, dreaming of space, and we shall be, rising towards the sun.
"But now today to be is to be wise, though not a stranger to the foolish; it is to be strong, but not to the undoing of the weak; to play with young children, not as fathers, but rather as playmates who would learn their games;
"To be simple and guileless with old men and women, and to sit with them in the shade of the ancient oak-trees, though you are still walking with Spring;
"To seek a poet though he may live beyond the seven rivers, and to be at peace in his presence, nothing wanting, nothing doubting, and with no question upon your lips;
"To know that the saint and the sinner are twin brothers, whose father is our Gracious King, and that one was born but the moment before the other, wherefore we regard his as the Crowned Prince;
"To follow Beauty even when she shall lead you to the verge of the precipice; and though she is winged and you are wingless, and though she shall pass beyond the verge, follow her, for where Beauty is not, there is nothing;
"To be a garden without walls, a vineyard without a guardian, a treasure-house for ever open to passers-by;
"To be robbed, cheated, deceived, misled and trapped and then mocked, yet with it all to look down from the height of your larger self and smile, knowing that there is spring that will come to your garden to dance in your leaves, and an autumn to ripen your grapes; knowing that if but one of your windows is open to the East, you shall never be empty; knowing that all those deemed wrongdoers and robbers, cheaters and deceivers are your brothers in need, and that you are perchance all of these in the eyes of the blessed inhabitants of that City Invisible, above this city.
"And now, to you also whose hands fashion and find all things that are needful for the comfort of our days and our nights--
"To be is to be a weaver with seeing fingers, a builder mindful of light and space; to be a ploughman and feel that you are hiding a treasure with every seed you sow; to be a fisherman and a hunter with a pity for the fish and for the beast, yet a still greater pity for the hunger and need of man.
"And, above all, I say this: I would have you each and every one partners to the purpose of every man, for only so shall you hope to obtain your own good purpose.
"My comrades and my beloved, be bold and not meek; be spacious and not confined; and until my final hour and yours be indeed your greater self."
And he ceased speaking and there fell a deep gloom upon the nine, and their heart was turned away from him, for they understood not his words.
And behold, the three men who were mariners longed for the sea; and they who had served in the Temple yearned for the consolation of her sanctuary; and they who had been his playfellows desired the market-place. They all were deaf to his words, so that the sound of them returned unto him like weary and homeless birds seeking refuge.
And Almustafa walked a distance from them in the Garden, saying nothing, nor looking upon them.
And they began to reason among themselves and to seek excuse for their longing to be gone.
And behold, they turned and went every man to his own place, so that Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, was left alone.

Go Outside for a Longer Life Expectancy

Life expectancy can be increased simply by going outside. See, what happens when you go outside is that your skin gets exposed to sunlight. That exposure triggers cells in your skin to produce Vitamin D. This vitamin is essential for bone health and is turning out to be important in depression, heart disease, diabetes and just about everything.

Some estimate that 50% of adults have low levels of vitamin D, because we simply don't get outside that much (sitting by a window doesn't count, the glass filters too much of the sunlight). This is a shame, because maintaining vitamin D levels has to be the easiest and cheapest way to improve your health and increase your life expectancy. Getting outside for just 15 minutes a day and exposing your hands and face to sunlight is enough to maintain vitamin D levels in most cases.

If you are concerned about your vitamin D levels, your doctor can order a simple blood test that will tell you if your levels are low. If for some reason you can't get outside enough, there are vitamin D supplements that you can take (but getting outside is a better option, if you can).

Elderly people need to pay special attention to their vitamin D levels. If you are a caregiver, be sure to assist your loved one in getting outside just a little bit every day. Not only will with improve vitamin D levels, but it could also improve sleep because sunlight also regulates another hormone in the body called melatonin that controls your sleep cycle.

Flying Car

An insane German managed to embed his Skoda into a church roof couple of weeks back. Emergency services claim the car leapt over 35 meters to reach the roof 7 meters above the ground. The driver suffered serious injuries. God is not very happy about his roof though.

On Vision & Mission Statement

For the vast majority of companies, having well-defined Visions and Mission Statements changes nothing. The exercise of crafting them is a complete waste of time and talent, if Visions and Mission Statements are used for nothing but being published in the annual report and displayed in a reception area. "One of the main reasons for the failure of missions and visions to achieve the desired objective is the naivete of most company managers and executives. Nothing happens by magic". To be able to energize employees to work towards corporate objectives, visions and missions should be more than a sign on the wall. Executives and managers should live them, be seen living them, and constantly communicate them to their employees.

Vision
Vision is a short, succinct, and inspiring statement of what the organization intends to become and to achieve at some point in the future, often stated in competitive terms. Vision refers to the category of intentions that are broad, all-intrusive and forward-thinking. It is the image that a business must have of its goals before it sets out to reach them. It describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means that will be used to achieve those desired ends.

The corporate success depends on the vision articulated by the chief executive or the top management. For a vision to have any impact of the employees of an organization it has to be conveyed in a dramatic and enduring way. The most effective visions are those that inspire, usually asking employees for the best, the most or the greatest. Make sure you keep stretch in your vision, communicate it constantly, and keep linking the events of today to your vision, underscoring the relationship between the two.

Warren Bennis, a noted writer on leadership says: "To choose a direction, an executive must have developed a mental image of the possible and desirable future state of the organization. This image, which we call a vision, may be as vague as a dream or as precise as a goal or a Mission Statement."

At General Electric the vision is 'We bring good things to life'.

The Ford Motor Company vision is 'to become the world's leading consumer company for automotive products and services'.

Mission Statement
A Mission Statement is an organization's vision translated into written form. It makes concrete the leader's view of the direction and purpose of the organization. For many corporate leaders it is a vital element in any attempt to motivate employees and to give them a sense of priorities.

A Mission Statement should be a short and concise statement of goals and priorities. In turn, goals are specific objectives that relate to specific time periods and are stated in terms of facts. The primary goal of any business is to increase stakeholder value. The most important stakeholders are shareholders who own the business, employees who work for the business, and clients or customers who purchase products and/or services from the business.

A Mission Statement defines the core purpose of the organization - why it exists. The mission examines the "raison d'etre" for the organization beyond simply increasing shareholder wealth, and reflects employees' motivations for engaging in the company's work. Effective missions are inspiring, long-term in nature, and easily understood and communicated.

Setting Goals
The major outcome of strategic road-mapping and strategic planning, after gathering all necessary information, is the setting of goals for the organization based on its vision and mission statement. A goal is a long-range aim for a specific period. It must be specific and realistic. Long-range goals set through strategic planning are translated into activities that will ensure reaching the goal through operational planning.

Setting Objectives
Setting Objectives involves a continuous process of research and decision-making. Knowledge of yourself and your unit is a vital starting point in setting objectives.

Strategic Planning takes place at the highest levels; other managers are involved with operational planning. The first step in operational planning is defining objectives - the result expected by the end of the budget (or other designated) cycle.

The objectives must be:
- be focused on a result, not an activity
- be consistent
- be specific
- be measurable
- be related to time
- be attainable

Corporate Strategy
Strategy is a very broad term which commonly describes any thinking that looks at the bigger picture. Successful companies are those that focus their efforts strategically. To meet and exceed customer satisfaction, the business team needs to follow an overall organizational strategy. A successful strategy adds value for the targeted customers over the long run by consistently meeting their needs better than the competition does.

Strategy is the way in which a company orients itself towards the market in which it operates and towards the other companies in the marketplace against which it competes. It is a plan an organization formulates to gain a sustainable advantage over the competition.

Strategic Intent
A strategic intent is a company's vision of what it wants to achieve in the long term. It must convey a significant stretch for your company, a sense of direction, discovery, and opportunity that can communicated as worthwhile to all employees. It should not focus so much on today's problems, which are normally dealt with by company visions and missions, but rather on tomorrow's opportunities.

"To achieve great things, you need ambitious visions. And it does not matter that vision cannot be laid out in details. It is the direction that counts."

Example of Quality Statement
Company X is committed to enhancing its customers' success worldwide with products, services and responsiveness that set industry standards for quality and value. We relentlessly strive to be the best in every aspect of our business, by fostering a culture of trust, teamwork, responsibility, high expectations and open communications with employees, customers and suppliers.

Company X understands the value of continual improvement – Setting goals and objectives throughout the organization to ensure that we are meeting out customer (internal and external) expectations.

Company X ensures that the Quality Policy and associated procedures are understood by Company X employees through the introduction of the Quality Policy during the employee hiring and orientation processes and through the ongoing review of the goals, objectives and requirements that have been established.