Whatever you wish to do, begin with the end in mind!
Let yourself dream big and make your end an end worth working hard.
Focus on what would make you be willing to invest your time and energy for the next years.
What end would make you smile every morning when you wake up?
How would this end make you a better person? How would your final goal give back to your community?Yes, begin with the end in mind and things will be great!

Posted in http://www.socialmediaheaven.com/business/the-one-best-tip-for-an-entrepreneur/

Once upon a time, there was a place called Paradise.

Paradise was a blessed place. Blessed with a great mild climate and a wonderful sun, blessed with superb islands, beaches and a lengthy coastline, blessed with a great variety of mountains, hills and valleys. There were plenty of natural resources and living in paradise was a great honor. Paradisians, the habitants of Paradise, were in absolute bliss, inviting people from all over the world to spend their vacations in bliss as well.

Being one of the most hard working people of the extended area of Eurapadean, a union where they entered after lots of economic tests, some Paradisians excelled and became world leaders in various fields. Other Paradisians started asking for extra money in order to do the job they were already paid for. As weird as it may sound, Paradisians were giving this extra money to the other Paradisians who asked for it in order to have their job done. The word spread and it became a common practice, sort of publicly accepted, to give large or small amounts of money that were not really earned. Then, other forms of exchanges, in order to get work done, started taking place. Apart from money, people were hired or given public territory to exploit. Almost all Paradisians knew about these illegal yet common practices.

This phenomenon, combined with other bad practices, resulted to… click here to read more

Life coach, Jill Douka MBA, ACC, gives advice on how everybody can be at her best!

August 20th, 2011

Have you ever wondered which activities you do, make you feel…at your best?

In Uniqueness Coaching, we focus on the positive points of each person. This is because your true value is wrapped through your positive points. That is the value that you have and share with others and the society. We all have a value to give, but it is essential that we invest into searching for it and unlocking it.

Here is a game we play in our workshops which will help you find a part of your value:

Your Best Doing

Your best doing is the total of the activities during which you shine. These are the activities that make you lose track of time. They make you feel exited and fulfilled. Switch off your mobile phone and isolate yourself for 20 minutes. Put on some relaxing music. Close your eyes and think: Which are the activities you do and you feel internal peace and quiet? Which are the activities you do and you feel that you are at your best doing?

Think about the fact that when you are doing these activities you are full of enthusiasm, passion and energy. Now, take a piece of paper and write down 10 occupations, things, and situations that you fill your personal and professional life.

Start each phrase with: I am at my best doing when…

If you get stuck it doesn’t matter. Think about your personal life, your work and your daily life…

As soon as you write down your 10 best doing, use a scale of 1-10 (where 1 means there is none and 10 there is as much as you would like to be) to evaluate how much of your best doing there is today in your life.

Finally write down what each best doing means to you. Describe, in many details, what you do exactly.

For example: Working out for me means that I play tennis 2 times a week and I do yoga 20 minutes a day. Discussing means that I meet with my friends 2 times a week and we spend time together.

After you write specifically what each activity means to you, think of how you could integrate it in your daily life. Make a schedule for the next month that will lead you to your goal.

You deserve to be living every day at your best doing, right?
Be Unique!

Jill Douka MBA, ACC Founder of www.uniquenessdevelopmentgroup.com

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Tips to stay in working shape when you are unemployed!

July 20th, 2011

Gives tips to women who have become unemployed in the period of crisis, towards their professional come back.

Unemployment has hit red and therefore, there is a high proportion of the population with a lot of spare time. How could you take advantage of this time and make it work in your favor?

1.  Give… back! Give back to the community. In order to receive it is crucial to give first. Think about which field interests you and what raises your awareness. Is it children? Is it the environment? Or maybe it’s animals? There are many non-profit organizations that need you. They are in need of people who care and working hands. Do your research and choose 3 Non Governmental Organizations that speak to your heart. Contact them and arrange a meeting. Even if you invest 3 hours per week you can make a difference. Also, you never know where the next opportunity that will lead you to your future job is hiding.

2.  Meetings! It is very important to be active. Don’t stay home with your pajamas all day. Arrange meetings with your acquaintances that can support you to find a job every day. Communicate your need and let them know what it is that you are looking for exactly. Make a list out of LinkedIn, or Facebook and think of who could help you. Contact them and ask to go by their job and buy them a coffee for 20 minutes. Besides the fact that you will meet old acquaintances via word of mouth, you could find your next job .

3.  Learn… yourself! What differentiates you from the rest? What is your unique selling point like they say in marketing? Do you think it is time you discover yourself a little better? Get online and download newsletters, filled with information that can help you get to know yourself better, for free. I suggest the following sites:  www.jackcanfield.com and www.jimrohn.com and www.uniquenessdevelopmentgroup.com.

Read, stay updated and become better. This way, when the next opportunity comes, you will be able to identify it in the first place and then you will possess the skills to grab it!

Be Unique!

Life coach, Jill Douka MBA, ACC founder of www.uniquenessdevelopmentgroup.com

This article was published in www.queen.gr magazine

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Breathe!

Did you know that one of the basic causes of stress; is the lack of… oxygen?

July 19th, 2011
Once upon a time, when man used to hunt and kill wild animals in order to be fed, there were many times when his life was in danger. Imagine that they were going in the wild forests for hunting and quite often would encounter lions, rhinoceros or other wild animals.

This phenomenon was named “fight or flight response”, meaning the response, when he needed to decide within milliseconds, whether to stay and fight, or give up and…fly. In order to make this decision, his body put much effort: adrenaline was being ejected and the muscles became stiff, in order to be able to respond to any decision. Breathing became shallow and sharp. A normal result, if you have a bear looking at you!

Fast forward to today. The “fight or flight response” has remained in our DNA. Today, however, we use it whenever we are stressed, meaning, for the most of us… many hours a day. When you are late for the meeting, unable to find a parking space, fight with your partner, do not get paid on time, or become irritated, your body gets in “auto mode” and you start breathing shallowly. It is the tightness you feel in your chest, stomach or shoulders.

The lack of deep breathing, causes many problems in the metabolism, digestion, skin and tissue renewal and a lot more.

During our workshops, we do the following exercise, that if you do 1 time per day for 15 days, you will notice adifference in your body and in the way you are dealing with stressful situations.
Put your mobile phone in silent mode and sit relaxed, with both of your feet on the floor,  in a room, where you can be undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Take 8 deep breaths. Breathe-in; breathe-out deeply, always from the nose, in your own time. There is no right and wrong for your body knows the time it needs. Then, starting from the top of your head, imagine that you channel positive energy inside your head, oxygen. What color is it? While breathing out you chan

nel negative energy. What color is the negative one? Keep breathing deeply and fill your throat, hands, chest, lungs with positive energy, all colored by the color you have  chosen your positive energy to be. Pelvis, thighs, calves and feet… your whole body is the same one color.

We stayed at the http://www.huisterduin.com/ a great hotel on the beach and I spent 3 days with 210 top speakers from 21 countries coming from all over the world.  The summit’s title was «The Power of Possibilities».
During the dinner, I am sitting next to an athletic gentleman of around 60.  His eyes are shining and he seems filled with positive energy.  We start talking about the summit, our impressions of it and he is telling me he is Dutch and that he currently works on projects that have to do with solar energy.  Our discussion is interrupted by some friends of mine who invite me to dance.

«It was nice meeting you», I said to him, «Sorry, what is your name»? «Wubbo», he said.  «We will catch up later on», I replied.

Next day, I read the name of Mr. Wubbo Ockels is in the speakers list.  He starts talking on stage and in few minutes I am totally absorbed from his speech. He was an astronaut; he had gone to space during 1985.  While being an astronaut he had concluded that space is not unique. Earth is Unique!  Watching our planet from his spaceship (we were shown a few pictures taken from that spaceship!) one realizes that the atmosphere protects the “spaceship earth” from the dangers that exist in space.

We, as guests on earth, says Wubbo, should protect earth the same way that astronauts protect their spaceship.  Earth is our spaceship, the place where we live.  Unfortunately, as it is proved by recent studies and facts, very soon the harm we have done to earth will be irreversible.

He proposes that our first priority must be to preserve our planet’s atmosphere so as it to be viable.  Then, he says, we must concentrate our efforts on leading a healthy life and refraining from littering our environment.  Such a life-style will result in our wellbeing, since we will get closer to ourselves and to our real needs.  Wubbo believes that the only way to make our planet viable again is to use extensively solar energy.

For this reason, he has devoted his life in spreading the word for the benefits of solar energy.  He manufactures cars, buses and speed-boats powered by solar energy.  He is a professor of solar energy at Delft University and he has organized car races for the students so that they use cars that are powered by solar power!  Wubbo is the person behind the movement «Happy Energy, Movement for a Happy World»

I was impressed by two facts:

Wubbo is such a humble and down-to-earth person. There was no arrogance or vanity there.  He was not trying to prove himself out of his glorious past. No showing off. How rare is such an attitude, nowadays? How humbly do we interact and communicate with each other?

I was also impressed by his vision.  One would state that going to space, as Wubbo has gone, is such a huge goal to be achieved in a man’s life.  For Wubbo however that great achievement led him to the next great challenge, to his next great goal: to work on raising environmental consciousness.

Being humble, having a vision! What is your vision? What gives you such an energy everyday so that you want to bring out the best out of yourself? How would our world be if we all run our lives being humble and having a vision?  What do you think?

Be Unique!

Jill Douka MBA, CPC

I went to India last month. It was a trip I always wanted to do and I am very happy and proud that I made it. Have read many books about the culture of India and I also have coaching clients there. I was prepared for a very different environment compared to the other places I have travelled.

Yes, we finally arrive in Delhi (after spending a day in beautiful Istanbul where I visited my favorite hammam http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/)

Whoh! The smell as soon as you arrive in Delhi is…. different. We travel to Agra: 240 klm in 8 hours! The sound of the horns is constant. On the back of the cars you can read: Please Horn!

Streets are very dirty and people, animals and cars are one mass. Cows are walking slowly stopping the cars. Pigs are all over. Thousands of homeless people. They sleep on the pavements and night, the one next to the other. Pavements are full of people who sleep during the night. There are lots of houses out of mud, small cities, filled with people and many children run around. There are the areas where the wealthy people live as well and our bus is left behind by a Lexus RX from time to time.

Poverty is all around us. Smiling people are also all around us. It is amazing: all the people on the streets are smiling. All the time. I was waiting to see sadness, poverty in their faces. No. Even the children who fight between them for food or chewing gum, smile. I could see their eyes shining. Constantly. Smiling people who fight to survive. They fight by offering amazing customer service (the best I have ever experienced) and via technology. 1.2 millions of people live in the world’s biggest democracy. 1/3 lives in poverty. One of worlds fast growing economies.

Defeat is often the first step to success, is written on Aainas book.
People in India smile constantly and their eyes are shining!
Be Unique!
Jill Douka

Would you like to have fun and live in positivity? Join us http://www.uniquenessdevelopmentgroup.com/workshops/now/

Feeling another’s person skin is vital for our mental and physical health.  The results of a research conducted by the University of Arkansas show that hugs increase the levels of a protein that circulates in our blood called haemoglobin, which results in our feeling euphoria whereas it also helps us dealing with our fears.  A few more beneficial effects that hugs have on us are the following: they help us relax, relieve us from tension and help us sleep better.

Through hugs we are supported to perceive and comprehend our feelings while also we have the sense of belonging.  They are much safer than drugs, nicotine and alcohol and they require no special equipment!

In some cases a hug can save a life. On September, the news about a couple who brought back into life their newborn child was spread around the world. The infant was diagnosed clinically dead, after their doctors had tried to keep it alive for more than 20 minutes. The parents took him on their hands, hug him and for two hours they were talking to him about how much they loved him and how many exciting things they would do together in the future.  The parents’ body worked as an incubator for the infant and he was soon brought back to life.  This event overthrew any previous medical facts.  It is regarded as a miracle that the now six-month old Jamie from Australia is alive.

Another popular hug is the one given by Brielle to her twin sister Kyrie at Massachusetts, USA, in 1995. They were both born weighted less than a kilo but especially Kyrie was very frail.  She was crying all the time and could not calm down.  A nurse, ignoring the hospital’s protocol placed both twin sisters in the same incubator and after that Kyrie’s heart pulse was normal and she stopped crying.  During the next few days her overall health also improved. Their photo known as the «rescuing hug» is among the top touching photos in the world.

Yes. A hug is good for our health and our soul. How can you make it part of your everyday life?  The first step is to inform your family, friends and colleagues about the beneficial effects of a hug. You can even give them this article to read. Then you just ask for it: «Can I hug you?»  It is better when you hug the other person to place your left cheek on the right cheek of the person you hug.  This way your heart also «touches» the other person’s heart!  There is no reason to clinch the other; Just take two deep breaths while hugging and take advantage of your between silence for exchanging positive energy.  Then, relax, smile and look into the other person’s eyes.

In the end, just enjoy the feeling!  Have many pleasant huggings!

Be Unique!
JD

There is a GPS inside of us but we have it turned off….Without a plan we are reactive to the circumstances, not proactive. And no by all means, I do not believe that we can control the circumstances (and imagine if we could, where would be the fun in living!). On the other side who can  react better to unforeseen sudden changes? Someone with a plan or someone without one?
Where would you like to go? Where would you like to be in 1-5 or 10 years? And very important: which kind of strategies will you use to go there, what kind of tools? Are you willing to turn on your GPS?
Would you like to have fun while you plan your future? Learn super strategies and tools to achieve your dreams? Join us http://www.ait.gr/ait_web_site/life_workshop.jsp

Be Unique my Unique friend,
JD

Now, as I was folding them (by the way it started raining I started thinking what I could have changed in order to avoid all this fuss.
a) Find another place to have them while they dry (in front of the tv? Someone will be really upset!)
b) Use the washing machine dryer ( against my eco mind)
c) Do not wash the clothes
d) Walk one floor down where there is plenty of space

When it comes to relationships, how many times do you wash your clothes?
How many times do you face the same challenges, the same kind of frustration, and act in the same way?

Seeking for a solution usually takes us out of our comfort zone, in the doing zone.
We break the pattern. And this is uncomfortable. Sometimes we experience pain there. So, we prefer to stay in the comfort zone.
We prefer to talk over and over the same challenges, and the same kind of frustration.

Change involves risk. Almost always! Risk can lead to something positive or negative.
For sure different. Different in one or many ways.
In case the outcome is worst than the one we intended, the only thing to do is to take the learning’s and really learn from them. Commit that this is something we learn and will not repeat the same mistake. Blaming ourselves or others (very popular reaction) helps no one.
And then you try something else. Until you reach your goal. Then you truly win.

So what do you think? Would you like to commit to washing your clothes once, then wear them and then wash again or keep having the clothes wet again and again by the rain?

Be Unique!
JD