Words : Bob Parsons 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General

1.	Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
	I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2.	Never give up.
	Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3.	When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.
	There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4.	With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.
	Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5.	Focus on what you want to have happen.
	Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6.	Take things a day at a time.
	No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7.	Always be moving forward.
	Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8.	Be quick to decide.
	Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9.	Measure everything of significance.
	I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.
10.	Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.
	If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11.	Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.
	When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12.	Never let anybody push you around.
	In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13.	Never expect life to be fair.
	Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14.	Solve your own problems.
	You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15.	Don't take yourself too seriously.
	Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16.	There's always a reason to smile.
	Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!" -------------------------------------------------------- Terms of Reproduction of Bob Parsons® 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General Thank you for your interest in sharing/reproducing Bob Parsons' 16 Rules. You may reproduce these rules under the following terms and conditions: You must reproduce the Rules in their entirety, with no changes or alterations. You may not reproduce the Rules for profit or other commercial gain. You may not reproduce the Rules in connection with any illegal activity. You must include the following language in connection with the Rules: "Copyright © 2004 Bob Parsons. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission." http://www.bobparsons.me/bp_16_rules.php?ci=21428

Short Story : In One Moment [Page 9]

IN ONE MOMENT [Page 9] by Tobin Cheung

Occasionally the scent of sausages grilling on the barbeque wafts across the venue to stir everyone’s appetite.

The sound of a quadruple tap and double thump, pumps into our chests. The monotonous drone of mindless chattering dissipates to silence. The beat continues unaccompanied. Soon our head and feet unconsciously move to its syncopated rhythm. Once everyone’s ears have been tempted, the bass player inlays a melody to produce a haunting prelude. Together with the drummer, they set the mood for the audience. I am certain the crisp tinny tsk, tsk, tssssk of the cymbals can be heard echoing throughout the city as it ricochets off windows lining all the skyscrapers. When the guitarist shuffles in with his chords, the ambience becomes complete. A dark eerie vibe is established through minor keys while the timing of each note asserts an inherent groove. It’s as though we were in a back alley club of a shady foreign city. I feel of both excitement and nervousness.

A gust blows in from across the lake foretelling an arrival. The band continues with their groove. Goose bumps form on my arm and magically the soloist appears center stage as if she had always been there. She stands erect, cool and confident.

In one blow, she commences by spurting out an electric sequence of notes, catching the attention of many. She seems young, not young and pretty, but young to be an accomplished trumpet player.
The chorus is gently executed, allowing us the pleasure of savoring the tune. With each pass, she makes slight variations to the melody giving it an added touch. It is also an indication that she is ready to break free, itching to unveil a monologue. The band members can sense her restlessness and the tempo is taken to the next notch. All eyes are on her.

Drawn by curiosity, flocks of people continue to gather along the perimeter. They are captivated with anticipation, anxious to see what a female trumpet player can do. I hold my breath hoping she would meet the expectations of true jazz aficionados. She does not. The fact is, great trumpet players have always been men. Everyone has heard of Miles, Dizzy and Faddis, but very few people can give name to a female player. The trumpet is an instrument that is gender bias. Subsequently, the young lady on stage will not be judged in accordance with the standards applied to men. Jazz critics already have a bell curve in mind and the audience is ready to cheer her on regardless of the technical elements in her performance.

This girl of mid thirties does not perform to our projected level. She is here to put the best of the best to shame. Once she was set free of the chorus, her talents took flight. Within the first three bars she was immediately recognized as a soloist and not a smooth jazz player. A gasp is heard from the people around me, not from being surprised but from being shocked. Jazz enthusiasts straighten in their seats. I am caught in mid-motion, forgetting why I extended my arm. Whatever the reason, it no longer matters. After a moments pause, my arm lowers on its’ own.

Her arpeggios flow undetectable and work together with her phrasing in harmony. She is a fluid player achieving an unrehearsed and impromptu feel. What she plays tells a story, what she does not play makes a statement. Musicians graced at birth with natural ability do not play notes. They make noises, a screech, a wail, a squawk that become notes. She has that magic and I am under her spell. Caught up in her performance, I relish in every sound, until the girls seated to my left broke out in a loud and opinionated conversation. Hoping to ignore them I pretend not to hear. 

[To be continued...]

Travel Feature : Santorini, Greece

Everywhere you turn is euphoric, absolutely picture perfect. Santorini (Greece) is so beautiful, that there is no such thing as a bad photograph. Put the camera on burst mode and spin, do a 360 degree, three pictures per second rotation. Walk one block and repeat, that way you can be certain that this is not all a dream.

But before we talk about the island itself, let’s talk about getting there. If you are traveling to Santorini from another Greek island, chances are, you will be riding the Flying Cat 4, a high speed ferry that looks like something right out of a James Bond movie. It is huge, bright red and when it pulls into dock, you know James Bond's arch nemesis has arrived. It just sounds evil, emanating a high pitched whine from its dual turbine engines it can be heard miles away, as you stroll along the cliffs of the island.

 The day we boarded the Flying Cat 4 it was cold with high winds and rough waters, so much so that the passengers departing looked sickly and rather ghostly white. The skies were gray and the huge cowl mouth of the ship was bobbing up and down against the water. The crew was rushing the four hundred passengers into the ship, almost yelling at them, ordering them to go to the right, go to the left, grabbing their luggage and piling them up onto the back of the ship. The wind whipped by like a harsh Canadian winter as you climbed the stairs onto the ship. Meanwhile the smell of diesel fuel hung stagnant in the air as the turbines wailed its high pitched whine. It felt adventurous with the rough waters, the overcast skies and the ultra cool James Bond style ship.

The town of Fira is where many famous photos of Santorini are taken. The sculptured white huts along the cliffs overlooking the ocean below and the orange and red sunset sky above, never seem real from the photographs. Once you are there, walking within the maze of fine restaurants, high fashion stores, art galleries and luxury villas, it appears even more fictional. Imagine awakening from a satisfying slumber in an ultra plush bed surrounded by exquisite décor and then stepping out into a quaint private pool that reaches out to the horizon.

There are so many stores, so much fashion and jewelry that it is dizzying. After a few hours of shopping, pick the highest roof top lounge available and have an exuberantly expensive drink. The view will be worth every penny. In fact you may walk half a block and have another exuberantly expensive drink just for the view. In the evenings, picking a restaurant is just as baffling, between the décor, the food and the perfect view.

 Another thing to do in the city is to take the cable car that runs down the cliff and ride a donkey back up. After a couple days of bopping around town and your senses are on overload, rent a car and head out to the beaches. If you are a fan of white sand there is a beach with beautiful powder white grain, if you want something more exotic there is also a beach with red sand. A drive along the countryside is refreshingly scenic, the windy roads and the ocean air is a wonderful change from suburban or city ambience.

While on your exploration be sure to drop by a winery, test some dessert wines and go for a tour. Art Space is a winery dating back to 1861 that is now a museum, modern winery and an art gallery. The old wine cellars are now caves to display contemporary art making it an amazingly unique gallery.

The perfect ending to a wonderful day is in the village of Oia, 11 km away from Fira. It is the most picturesque village with the most breathtaking sunsets in the world. Walking through this town is like being in a dream state of serenity, tranquility and beauty. Simply let time stall and absorb the surroundings.

Photos + Words : Tobin Cheung

Event : Botany Floral Workshop

Hey all, just wanted to share with you my adventures of the Botany Floral Workshop that I attended!  They hold different workshops throughout the year ie. European Hand-Tied, Wedding Bouquets, DIY, Etc !  It looked interesting, so thought I’d try it out and learn something new!  The class sizes are small and intimate : anywhere from 2-5 people.  The workshop is hands-on, where the designer/instructor does a demo first and then you get to pick and choose the flowers you want in your bouquet and you walk home with your own creation!  I know NOTHING about floral arrangement and this is what came out of the class :

Photography Credits : M Studio Life

I really loved the selection of flowers that were made available to us, they have some really unique choices.  Some of the ones I ended up using were : tulips, antique roses, cymbidium orchids, kale, wax flower, hydrangeas, pom poms, etc.  Rachelle was our instructor, and she’s been doing this for over 12 years, so she really knows her craft!  If you’d like to know more about floral arrangements or perhaps are getting married soon, here’s their contact info:

Botany Floral Studio
626 College Street, Toronto, ON M6G 1B4
P : 647 341 6646
E : botanyflowers@live.ca
W : www.botanyflowers.ca

Cheers from your Creative Blogger,
Maggie Ng

Skin Care Event : Chella Skin Care

Chella Skin Care [www.chella.com] will be launching a wonderful new brow, eye and lash product.  *Featuring in part a lash growing serum that offers results.

You’re invited to attend a special event at the Bay on Bloor Street [44 Bloor Street East] on January 17, 2012:

10:30am – 12pm – Segment filming with ET Canada – feat Host Cheryl Hickey & Celebrity Makeup Artist and Chella Spokesperson DeeDee Marcelli

12:30pm – 6:30pm – Complimentary brow makeovers and application of Chella Anti-Fatigue Eye Mask by appointment on the Main Floor in our Cosmetics department.

Please call 416.972.3365 or visit any cosmetic/fragrance counter at The Bay on Bloor Street to book your appointment.

From your Beauty Expert,
Maggie Ng