BUSINESS CLASS

BUSINESS CLASS

Business class is a travel class available on many commercial airlines and rail lines, known by brand names which vary by airline or rail company. In the airline industry, it was originally intended as an intermediate level of service between economy class and first class, but many airlines now offer business class as the highest level of service, having eliminated first class seating. Business class is distinguished from other travel classes by the quality of seating, food, drinks, ground service and other amenities. In commercial aviation, full business class is usually denoted 'J' or 'C' with schedule flexibility, but can be many other letters depending on circumstances.

Welcome to Beacon Of Elegance Latest Edition, We'll give you a little clue of how to get into this elegant world

Write Your Own Success Story

Write Your Own Success Story Many people want to achieve success in life, but it's easier said than done. There are so many distractions that it can be challenging to discipline oneself to accomplish a monumental goal. By keeping the following advice in mind, however, you can dramatically increase your chances of becoming successful in whatever you choose to pursue. Method One of Three: Planning for Success. 1- Imagine becoming successful. Einstein said that "Imagination is more important than knowledge". The more vividly and accurately you imagine your success, the easier it will be for the rest of yourself to follow through. The same way engineers first imagine a bridge and then build it, you can be the engineer of your success, too. Dedicate a few minutes every day to imagining your success. Imagine yourself in a movie in which you are successful. What are you doing in the movie? What is your success like? Savor the feeling of your success, and use it as motivation to stoke your fire. Cultivate a healthy motivation when imagining your success. Successful people all believe in themselves and their missions. At the same time, you do not want to alienate other people with extreme narcissism. Understand that other people want to be just as successful as you do; your goal should not be to trample over them to get what you want. 2- Find the purpose or goal of your life. Identify the things you love to do, the things that give you satisfaction. Once you identify what you love to do, use this information to find the purpose of your life or the objective of your life. Finding what you love to do will give you motivation along the way. Imagine being forced to do a triathlon when your true passion is chess. Pretty difficult, huh? Now imagine the opportunity to participate in a chess tournament. It's much, much easier to persistently chip away at your goal if your goal is something you enjoy doing. (Write what your motivations and goals for yourself How do you figure out a purpose or goal in life? It's different for everyone, and for some it's difficult, but there are several ways you can try to figure it out: Talk with a career coach or visit a good psychologist. Try out several different careers, remembering that even a less-than-fulfilling job can help you learn. Try making a career out of something you love. Whether it's brewing beer or advising on art, you're more likely to be successful doing something you know you love. 3- Define the meaning of success as you see it. You cannot have success if you do not know what it means for you. Everyone views success differently and using someone else standard for success is like eating another person's lunch and expecting to love it. Set clear goals and be realistic. How will you know when you have achieved your goals? Your standards should be quantifiable, or else you could spend your entire life chasing after a vague goal. For example, let's say you want to be good at your job. You get a promotion, you get a raise, but you still haven't reached your goal because you could always do better, right? You could always get promoted even further, or make even more money. Whatever you have will never be enough. Instead, create benchmarks: "My goal is to increase my productivity by 30% and only be late for work five times per year, at the most." These are quantifiable goals that when achieved, give you a sense of satisfaction and completion, making you feel successful and confident. 4- Selectively lower your confidence. You read it right: lower your confidence. It's a truism in business that you need to have high self-confidence to get things done. But some people think, and for good reason, that lower self-confidence makes people more successful, for these reasons: Lower self-confidence makes you pay attention to critical feedback and helps you be more self-critical. If you're convinced you're God's gift to engineering, you probably won't be receptive to feedback. Nor will you be able to criticize yourself effectively. Successful people do exactly that. Lower self-confidence makes you work harder and prepare more. If you're not convinced you're going to nail your presentation next Monday, you're likely to spend more time practicing and going over your numbers. This is a great habit. Lower self-confidence makes you less narcissistic. Less narcissistic people are respected more by co-workers, and happy co-workers make a more successful team. It's no secret that respect will make you successful. 5- Set a timeline for when you want to achieve your objective. If you don't know when you will achieve your objective by, then it's hard to know whether you have failed. Give yourself a timeline that is difficult but doable. Winning a Tour de France from scratch in two years is not reasonable, but booking a comedy gig in front of at least 20 paying customers probably is. 6- Identify the things/skills/material needed to achieve your objectives. If you want to be a famous speaker, for example, you need a broad vocabulary, subject knowledge, speech writing, voice clarity, and presentation skills. This is identifying short term objectives to achieve long term goals. 7- Be curious about life. Many successful people have an insatiable curiosity. If they don't understand how something works or don't know the answer to a question, they find out. Often, this takes them on a quest of self-discovery, one in which the journey is just as important as the destination. 8- Identify the skills you need to sharpen and the skills you can outsource. Outsourcing is all about time-management. You may think of yourself as a superman or superwoman, but there are limits to your powers. Outsourcing certain less essential tasks gives you more time to focus on the things that are absolutely essential to your craft. Use the last example as a template; to become a great speaker, you need to improve voice and presentation skills as these are the basic skills needed for a speaker. But if you are lacking speech writing or subject knowledge skills, you can try to outsource them to an expert. This is called working smart. Many great leaders don't write their own speeches; they focus on delivering it right.

Method Two of Three: Execution: 1- Execute your small objectives, focusing on your main objective. Don't find reasons to procrastinate. Jump headfirst into the challenge and start chipping away. You never know what problems will present themselves before you step into the arena. Break your goal into small steps. Does the goal of starting a technology company seem impossibly unattainable? Break it down into smaller goals. Focus on streamlining your idea; then focus on getting funding; then move onto building a prototype, etc. If you have the vision to attack your goal piece by piece, it's easier and less daunting to execute. 2- Stay away from distractions as much as possible. Distractions are either the spice of life or the forbidden fruit, depending on your perspective. But let's be clear: it's almost impossible to be 100% focused on your task 100% of the time. Distractions are okay in low doses. But when your goals start taking a backseat to petty distractions, it's time to banish them. 3- Surround yourself with other people who are successful. When you're surrounded with people who are highly-driven, it's encouraging. You can bounce ideas off people, and they can even connect you with other people. Surrounding yourself with driven, successful people is a way to create a culture of success. Study successful people. Look around — who has the success that you envision for yourself? What are they doing? How do they approach life? Ask them for advice. Model some of your approaches around theirs, if possible. Knowledge is as free as it is powerful. 4- Trust other people to do their job. It's hard to be successful if you don't trust the people around you. You're constantly micro-managing everything, leaving yourself spread thin and the others miffed about you not giving them a chance. Being successful is partly about assembling an able team around you. If you can't trust others enough to let them do their job, you probably won't succeed at that. Trust in people because trust can be an incredibly motivating factor. If you trust in someone, they'll want to do well because they want to reward your trust in them. This is a powerful motivator. Trust in people because you need to. As John Donne once wrote, "No man is an island." What he meant by this is that no man works alone, entirely independently, however much he thinks he does. We depend on other people, whether we like it or not. Placing trust in other people is a necessity, not an option. 5- Find a mentor. A mentor is someone, usually with a bit more experience than you, who knows the trade, offers advice, and helps you in your pursuit. Behind many successful people are mentors. Mentors get satisfaction out of knowing that their guidance has literally bred success. A mentor will help you: Network. Networking is making connections with people who have connections. Contrary to popular belief, networking is mutually beneficial. You offer expertise, opinion, or opportunity to someone in exchange for something back. Troubleshoot. Troubleshooting is learning about how to make ideas or applications even better. Your mentor can help you figure out what you need to change in order to make your idea(s) even better. Strategize. A mentor will probably have more vision than you because s/he's been in the game longer, with more successes and failures. You can draw on their legacy of experience to strategize about the future. 6- Gather as much information as you can. Listen. Study. Understand. Learn. Repeat. Humans are amazing creatures because we can look at the world, make intellectual connections, and use those connections to make our lives better (or potentially worse). This is what information allows us to do. Never turn your "learning switch" off. You never know when your flash of insight will come! 7- Look at what the numbers are telling you. Did you ever have an idea about something but were afraid that the numbers (i.e. metrics) wouldn't back it up? That fear is normal, but it's a good idea to let the numbers give you guidance. Better to be wrong and adapt than to stubbornly insist you're doing it right when the numbers don't back that up. For example, in 2011, the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings, tried to convert the successful DVD-renting business into a streaming-only enterprise, provisionally called Qwikster. Hordes of Netflix devotees ended their subscription. Netflix's stock price dropped nearly 80% at one point. Instead of blindly continuing his vision for the company, Hastings reconsidered. He apologized for his actions, redoubled his efforts to focus on content, and temporarily shelved Qwikster. Hastings let the numbers — and the people — tell him what to do. 8- Take calculated risks. Step out of your comfort zone. Successful people think big and act big. Don't wait for opportunities to fall in your lap. Sniff them out. Successful people make big investments (in their careers, in their businesses, in their education) and all investments involve risk. Study your risks, make sure the odds are in your favour, and take a leap. Be bold. Three calculated risks to consider: Partner with a competitor. Whether you're a long distance runner or rolling out back-end solutions to technology giants, partnering with the competition may help you pool your resources, motivate you to work harder, and build new relationships. Lead, don't follow. Leading the way can be dangerous. You're taking on the headwinds literally, perhaps, or you're banking on an idea — like Facebook or Google — that someone has already tried before. Summon up the courage to do something different. Hit singles and doubles, not home runs. Of course, hitting a home run isn't a bad thing at all! It's just that you can't rely on them to win the game every single time. Try letting singles and doubles add up to the same value as home runs. 9- Solve problems. People who are successful encourage progress by solving problems and answering questions. No matter where you are or what you're doing, look around and try to think of ways you can contribute. What are people struggling with or complaining about? How can you make life easier for them in an effective way? Can you re-design or re-organize some aspect of the situation so things run more smoothly? Can you create a product or provide a service that fills a critical gap? Which problems are you motivated to solve? Social problems. Facebook reinvented the way we interact with one another. Can you think of a similar social problem that needs reinventing? Technology problems. Companies like Dell design smaller and more powerful computer processors that help our user experience line up with our expectations. Can you help people do with technology what they already want to do? Strategic problems. Consultants like IBM help other companies and individuals become more productive, profitable, and prudent. Can you help someone else solve a strategic problem? Interpersonal problems. Psychologists and marriage counselors help other people navigate the complex web of personal relationships that make up our lives. Can you help people better get along with one another? 10- Use technology, don't let it use you. Technology can be incredibly powerful; it connects us with people around the world in the blink of an eye; it computes algorithms accurately and quickly; it makes mundane tasks, like data entry, easier and less painful. But technology can be a burden if you let it. It can sap your energy and productivity, leading to wasted opportunity. The beauty and the bane of the internet, specifically, is that TED Talks can turn into watching Ted the movie quicker than you can say "ADD." Method Three of Three: Redoing 1- Be persistent. You're going to fail — that much is a given. What will define you is how you pick yourself up after you've fallen. Don't give up. If your first attempt didn't work, don't quit. Don't let failure define you. When asked about his 10,000 failed attempts to develop a storage battery, the prolific American inventor Thomas Edison responded: "I have not failed, I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Don't make excuses. Don't rationalize your failure by placing the blame on someone or something else. Accept when something is your fault. This will help you identify what you need to change to get better. An excuse after failure is a refusal to make the situation better. Learn from your failures. Each failure is an opportunity to learn. If you make a mistake and refuse to learn, odds are you'll make that same mistake sometime down the line. If you make a mistake and learn from it, you won't waste your time making the same mistake again. 2- Accept that life is unfair. It's a fact. You can moan about it and wish that it were different, or you can go out there and do something about it. So stop wasting time about the unfairness of it all and think how to use the situation for your benefit. Newton could have complained about the apple falling from the tree and hitting his head. Instead, he identified the law of gravity and is now known as the father of physics. 3- Remember that success does not guarantee happiness. Success is equated with achieving a goal, but don't assume it will always bring happiness. Many people make the mistake that if they accomplish this or that, they'll be happier. Fulfilment and satisfaction have a lot more to do with how you approach life than with what you do in life. Keep that in perspective. Don't burn bridges along the way. A lot of life is about personal relationships, so don't forsake them. If you've invented a cheap, efficient way to make nuclear fission, but everyone dislikes you, you have no spouse, and no friends, will it be worth it? Value experiences over objects. Humans can be extraordinarily obsessed with money. It's strange, too, because scientists think that our memories of our experiences make us happier than objects we can buy with money. Focus on making great memories with great people along the way, and you should be happy. 4- Remove fear and doubt from your way of thinking. Focus on staying positive in every situation. You will be surprised how effective you can be when your thoughts are guiding your actions, not the other way around. If you fail, don't be fearful about starting over; be happy that you've been given a chance to be even more successful.

How to Dress Business Casual

Three Methods: Business Casual for Men Business, Casual for Women Learning Your Company’s Policy

Business casual is a term used to describe a type of office dress code or clothing style that is a little more casual than traditional business wear. Many employers adopt this dress code in an effort to allow employees to feel more comfortable on the job and to have more freedom of expression through their choice of attire. Although business casual is casual, it also doesn't mean that anything goes. Method 1 of 3: Business Casual for Men Dress Business Casual Step 01. Choose shirts that have collars, such as long-sleeve button down shirts. Always tuck the shirt in and pair the shirt with an appropriate belt. For business casual, tie is optional. White button-down shirts are the most formal and therefore the safest. Unlike pants, all manner of shirt colours are acceptable: Purple, pink, yellow, blue, and red. Choose shirts (and pants) in "formal" fabric: Cotton is king, and comes in many different flavours. Wool is acceptable, if itchy. Silk, rayon, and linen are frowned upon. Choose shirts in "formal patterns: Oxford, plaid, and poplin are a little less formal, but perfectly acceptable. Twill, herringbone, and broadcloth patterns are more formal and nice to use if sprucing up. Hawaiian and other irregular patterns are considered too casual. Dress Business Casual Step 02. Wear pants styles such as khakis, dress pants, trousers and corduroy pants. Jeans are not considered business casual. Pleated pants and dark colours are more formal, conservative choices. If you want to be on the safe side, overdressing is less frowned upon than underdressing. Pants should extend to the top of your shoe, or slightly longer. Pants that don't reach down to your shoe are considered high-water pants; pants that fold and bunch up near the feet are considered too baggy. Avoid pants in loud colours such as red, yellow, and purple. Camouflage is not allowed; neither are white pants — they feel a little too informal for even business casual. Stick with black, brown, grey, khaki, dark blue and dark green pants. Dress Business Casual Step 03. Consider pairing your shirt with a sweater or sweater vest. V-neck sweaters work best if wearing a collar. Turtlenecks can be worn in combination with a blazer for a sleek look and a little bit of novelty. If you want to wear a suit coat and still look business casual, dress it down with khakis instead of suit pants. Dress Business Casual Step 04. Select formal leather shoes, and don’t forget the dress socks. Stick to black, brown, or grey shoes. Oxfords, lace-ups, and loafers are all standards. Dress Business Casual Step 05. Study the list of don'ts. Avoid the following items, which, fortunately or unfortunately, don't fall under the category of business casual: Sneakers, sandals, flip-flops or other open-toed shoes. Sports shirts, sweatshirts, sport team jackets, and athletic socks. Shorts and capris. Jeans. Very tight, and hence revealing, cuts of pants. No skinny-trousers allowed, even for Europeans.

Method 2 of 3: Business Casual for Women Dress Business Casual Step 06. Remember that skirts and dresses are acceptable as long as the hem falls just above the knees. As with men, black and grey are more formal, making for a safer bet. Avoid low-cut dresses or those with high slits. Avoid dresses (especially) and skirts that are more skin-tight. No sundresses. Dress Business Casual Step 07. Opt for pants such as khakis, corduroy pants, linen pants or dress pants. No jeans, unless otherwise noted. If jeans are allowed by your employer, distressed jeans, jeans with holes, and "boyfriend" jeans are not desirable choices. Neutral colours are best. Dress Business Casual Step 08. Choose from a variety of shirts. Women have a few more options in this department than the men. Opt for conservative and not too revealing. Blouses, plain shirts, cotton shirts, sweaters, turtlenecks, vests, and sleeveless shirts are all acceptable. Tucked-in or untucked can both go, depending on the shirt. Unusual patterns are acceptable, as long as they are not wild. The standard, however, is a monotone shirt. Use a collar for a more formal look, and collarless shirts for a less formal look. Dress Business Casual Step 09. Try footwear such as leather shoes, flat trouser shoes, high heels; no open toed shoes. Avoid flip flops, sandals and sneakers. Heels are okay, so long as they aren't too conspicuous. Dress Business Casual Step 10. Complete the business casual look. Remember dress socks or pantyhose (with skirts or dresses) and tastefully accessorize with light jewellery and a simple purse. Dress Business Casual Step 11. Check the list., Ask yourself the following set of questions if you're still not sure whether your outfit is acceptable. Would I wear this clubbing? The answer should be 'no.' Would I wear this to sleep? The answer should be 'no.' Would I wear this to do yard work? The answer should be 'no.' Would I wear this to a costume party? The answer should be 'no.' Method 3 of 3: Learning Your Company’s Policy Dress Business Casual Step 12. Ask for specific expectations. If you're not sure what your company's policy is, ask the HR rep. Dress more conservatively on the first day if you have no other co-workers’ to benchmark your attire against. Business casual is often thrown out there to describe how your employer thinks you should dress at work. The problem is that the expectations of individual companies often differ. For example, one company might want you to dress in business attire, minus a suit coat and tie, while another company may encourage you to wear khakis or jeans. When you are told to dress business casual, it is best to ask for details. Ask if your employer has an employee handbook that more clearly delineates the company's business casual policy. Dress Business Casual Step 13. Observe other employees. Look around and see what the other employees are wearing; this is a good gauge of what your employer expects when they say business casual. Dress Business Casual Step 14. Dress formally for interviews. If you're going on an interview and you don't know what your interviewer expects you to wear, the standard is business formal. Remember, it's better to be overdressed than underdressed. Those who are interviewing for a job in business, banking and wealth management, politics, academia, or health sectors should dress business formal unless otherwise instructed. If no clothing type is specified, and the company you're interviewing for is outside the sectors listed above, stick with business casual. Tips Abstain from wearing clothes that are too tight and clothes that are overall too revealing. While business casual by any standard is less dressy than business formal, it is still important to remember that you are dressing for work. This means that you should still look well put together by making sure your clothes are ironed, clean, and free of holes. Remember that business casual still means business and you should look presentable enough to deal with your boss, clients and your fellow employees. If you have a tattoo, try your best to cover it up. That doesn't mean to wear long sleeved shirts every single day to cover up a tiny symbol on your forearm. Depending on the size and what it is, deem if it is appropriate or not. If so, still cover it up, but you don't need to stress about it too much. If people see it, it won't be the end of the world. If it isn't appropriate, do your best to cover it as you see fit.

IDEAS TO START A BUSINESS WITH NO MONEY

“I’ve got a great idea for a business. But I don’t have any money to start it up.” This phrase is something I’ve heard again and again . . . and again—from students, friends, and sometimes even colleagues. While it’s true that a generous credit line, a team of investors, or an uncle with deep pockets can make starting a company easier, not having money is no excuse. If you are confident that you have a product or service people want, don’t allow the lack of capital to deter you from your business goals. By pivoting, grinding it out, getting creative, and differentiating yourself, you can bootstrap your way to a successful business. 1. Pivot. Use services to generate cash flow and fund a product-based business. Starting a service-oriented business is easy: First, you provide services, and then you collect funds. But a product-based business often requires significant up-front capital to get it up and running. If you’re in this situation, consider selling services to generate cash flow and to build up funds for a product-based business. All the trials and triumphs of building a business – delivered to your inbox. My current company, Outbox Systems, began this way. We wanted to connect two software applications, but we didn’t have the capital to build the integration. Knowing we needed to generate money to fund our product development, I approached the partner channel at AtTask and asked if I could build a software integration for them. Fortuitously, an enterprise AtTask customer needed to integrate AtTask and Salesforce and was willing to pay us $125 per hour to build the integration. Then we turned around and resold the product to others. A typical tech entrepreneur thinks, “Raise money, build software.” But we turned the model on its head and essentially got the company to help us develop intellectual property for our business. How Gravity Can Help Your Business Move Faster In The Cognitive Era Of Computing 2. Grind it out. There’s no substitute for sweat equity. Sometimes you have to get into the trenches and make it happen. During the first two years of business at my prior company, PC Care Support, I knocked on doors, worked my own booth, and closed my own deals. I set up a table at the local college’s business school, hired five college students to work solely on commission, and knocked on people’s doors 7-8 hours per day looking for business. For those two years I didn’t receive a paycheck. But I believed in my service, and I believed we could be successful. I was, as billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk said, “hell bent on making it work.” The hard work eventually paid off. 3. Get creative. Funding sources are everywhere. Traditional entrepreneurship philosophy dictates that, to be successful, you should stick with one thing and not deviate from it. But desperate times call for desperate measures. If you are having trouble finding access to funds, there are a number of creative things you can do, such as the following: Use current resources in new ways. Like most young companies, we encountered a cash flow crunch at PC Care Support. We had about 50 employees, and we wanted to protect everyone’s jobs. We looked at all of our departments and all of our employees’ skill sets to see where we could generate revenue. A few employees in the tech support department stepped up and offered to develop software for other customers. Then a few in the marketing department offered to develop websites. We added website and software development to our suite of services and landed a contract with Nationwide Insurance, taking the company from negative cash flow to 15% net profit per month in three months. This got investors interested in our company, and it enabled us to have the cash we needed to get back to our core services. Get a credit line. It is not uncommon for most startup businesses to rely on a line of credit. The American Express Plum Card, for example, offers a 60-day term for payment rather than a typical 30-day term. Some banks or credit institutions offer credit designed to allow growth in the early stages of business. A word of caution: to keep from getting bogged down in debt when you are trying to expand a business, keep purchases to a minimum. Use an Incubator. If you believe you have a solid idea and a workable business plan, you may want to consider a business incubator. Upon acceptance, these programs provide funding designed specifically to financially assist a startup company. Sometimes they offer office space or shared administrative services. Most incubation programs are sponsored by local or regional economic development organizations, and some are sponsored by colleges and universities. Find an Accelerator. These are much like incubators in that they are designed to provide funding. However, an accelerator expects a rapid response to its investment. If you are prepared and ready to hit the market quickly, this is a great option. Crowdfund. Crowdfunding platforms are changing the face of capital, whether you’re growing a tech business, filming a movie, or selling jewelry. Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms allow the public to invest a small percentage of money in return for a future buy-in. 4. Differentiate yourself. Small things make a big difference. Once you get to a million dollars in revenue, your odds of funding increase exponentially. Banks, for example, look at funding strictly from this perspective. Banks don’t care what kind of company you are—they simply look at your profit/loss statement and make a decision. If you’re a profitable company with a million in revenue and good personal credit score, there’s a good chance that a bank will lend you up to $200,000. If you have some revenue coming in but need an extra boost to get to the million-dollar mark, make sure to consider every possible way that your company can differentiate itself. Do you have a letter of commitment from a notable investor? Do you have some revenue or a contract to get some revenue? Do you have valuable intellectual property with the potential to generate revenue? Differentiators like these can make the difference between getting funded and being overlooked by investors and lenders. The only real way to start generating revenue for your business is to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Despite what others may tell you, there is no easy shortcut to profit. But if you are confident you have a product or service that people want, you can propel your way to the top by pivoting, grinding it out, getting creative, and differentiating yourself.

Improving your Appearance Self-Esteem

Identify the source of your lack of confidence. Figuring out why you lack confidence can help you target those feelings. Start writing a "self-esteem" journal, where you note when you feel more and less confident about the way you look. After a week or two, look back at your notes and try to find patterns to the way you feel. Were you more confident in any of the following situations: after spending more time grooming or getting ready, if you dressed a certain way, spending time in smaller groups, spending time away from certain individuals, or spending less time on social media or looking at celebrity media? Are there any "bigger" issues, such as your employment status or personal troubles that seem to trigger your feelings of low confidence? Some people turn this type of anxiety towards their self-perception, which may seem easier to deal with than the “bigger” problem of job security or personal problems. If you don't see any patterns or you're still not sure what is causing your lack of confidence, you may want to try a number of different tips to find what seems to help the most. Address your body image perception. Dr Vivian Diller has a number of different cognitive behavioural techniques for improving your confidence in your looks, which she calls “beauty self-esteem.” These techniques focus on evaluating the source of your self-esteem, questioning your negative opinion of your looks, and thinking about ways to think about your looks more positively. Focus on sitting up straight with your chest pushed out while doing the following steps for maximum confidence. Write down your positive attributes. Write the 3 things about your looks and the 3 things about your personality that you like the most. Place all 6 items in order of importance and write 1 sentence about each. For example, “I help others. I volunteer every week for a local charity and always call my friends back right away when they need to talk.” Analyse your positive attributes. Notice where the physical features ranked relative to your personality features; most people rank personality features above physical features, which emphasizes not only that our self-esteem is influenced more about how we feel about our personality but also that others’ opinion of us is likely more influenced about personality too. List your best features. Write down the 3 physical features that you think are most appealing to you, using a sentence to describe each one. For example, “My long curly hair - especially just after I leave the hair salon and looks so full and bouncy” or “My broad shoulders, especially when my girlfriend puts her head on my shoulder for comfort.” This exercise shows that everyone has features they can be proud of. These features can be accentuated by clothing choice. Look in the mirror. Look at yourself in the mirror and see what thoughts come into your head. Whose words are they, your own or someone else’s? Whose words do they remind you of: a bully’s, a parent’s or a friend’s?

Question the accuracy of the words in your head: Are your muscles really smaller than most people’s? Are your hips really that big? Are you really that much taller than other people? Do any of those things really matter? Think about how you would talk to a friend. How is it different than your self-talk, and how can you get yourself to think positively about yourself instead of using the critical or negative tone you likely used to begin with? Find what you like about yourself in the mirror and from now on, whenever you look in the mirror, look at this attribute rather any perceived negative attributes you normally focus on. Be sceptical of the media. Remember that the media portrayal of the body is designed to make you feel bad about yourself because that is what gets you to buy products and new clothes. Not only are the body images portrayed not average, they are often helped by digital enhancement using software like Adobe Photoshop. People who recognize this and are more media savvy often have better self-perceptions. Work on positive re-framing. If you find yourself having negative thoughts about the way you look, stop yourself and re-frame it as something positive. For example, if you think your nose is too big, stop and remind yourself that you have a strong, unique profile. If you think you are overweight, think about your awesome curves and plan what lifestyle changes you can make. Keep a confidence journal. Every night before you go to sleep, write down 3 positive things about yourself. Then in the morning, read them and add two more. It's okay to repeat what you have said before. The more positive self-thought you have, the better your overall self-esteem will become. Seek counselling. If your negative self-perception persists, you may want to consider seeing a therapist. Your thoughts about the way you look may be related to deeper issues that you're not fully aware of, and counselling can help you have a healthier self-esteem in general. Changing Your Style Wear clothes that make you feel comfortable. Researchers have found that the clothes we wear really have an effect on our self-esteem. For example, wearing a superhero costume can boost confidence and make people feel stronger; women perform better on a math test in a sweater than in a swimsuit; and a white coat gives people more “mental agility.” Focus on wearing clothes that make you feel comfortable, such as a nice soft sweater, your favourite jeans, and a suit and tie (or something else professional looking). Examine your wardrobe and make sure your clothes fit your style. If they don’t, you may need to go shopping! If you dislike shopping in public or don’t know what is in style, consider a service that selects clothes for you and sends them to your house or find an online retailer with an easy free return policy. Wear colours that you like. Doing so will help boost your mood. If you can’t decide on a colour you like, a good go-to colour is blue because people general respond positively to it.

Wear clothes that accentuate the physical features you like. Find outfits that will look good to you when you look in a mirror because they match your body type or include accessories that show off your good features. There is no perfect body type, but there are good and bad clothes for particular body types. Clothes that fit because they match your type are more likely to look good on you. If you are very skinny, avoid wearing dark colours, such as black, which are slimming. Wear lighter colours instead. Slim women should try to create some curve by belting a flowing dress in the centre. Thin men should avoid wearing large or baggy clothing to add the appearance of bulk; dressing in the appropriate size will look better. If you have broad shoulders and narrow hips, avoid scarves with patterns (calling attention to your shoulders), shirts that accentuate your shoulders, and footwear that looks small for your body type, but do wear pants that make your hips look bigger and shoes with wider heels or boots with buckles that call attention to your feet. If your body is pear-shaped, wear bright colours or patterns on top and dark, solid colours on the bottom and avoid horizontal stripes, particularly on the bottom. If you have a round body type, avoid too much fabric in the middle of your body, belts, and skirts less than knee-length, but do wear details above your bust line and below your hipline. If you have a curvy body shape, try clothing that is skinny at the waist but flown at the top and bottom. This will accentuate your curves and downplay your legs a bit. Wear clothes in the appropriate size or have them tailored. Wearing clothes that fit you at your current weight and height will make you feel better about the way you look, even if the clothes are not the ideal size you want to be. Special order clothes in sizes that actually fit you. If you are a very tall and skinny man, for example, you may need to order Medium Tall sizes online rather than settling for clothing in the store that is too wide and baggy on you because it is the appropriate length. Have clothing tailored for length or width to fit you well. Tailors also know tricks like adding darts (folded sections of fabric that create a flattering shape) to clothing to accentuate positive features such as curves. Wear the right lipstick. Using lipstick well means more than just selecting the right colour; it also means taking care of your lips as a part of your overall look by exfoliating (e.g., with a mixture of salt and almond oil) and applying balm twice a week. For the lipstick itself, makeup artists recommend the following Avoid lipstick that shimmers and sparkles because it tends to look cheap Choose a bright colour based on your lip colour (e.g., pale lips=cherry lipstick, natural=cranberry, and dark lips=burgundy). Choose a nude colour based on your skin tone (choose something slightly brighter or deeper than your skin).

Avoid blue or black based shades, as they tend to make you look older, more severe, and yes, even scarier (think vampire). Liners are not necessary, but when you use it, pick a colour that matches your lips, not the lipstick. Apply lipstick carefully then smudge the border slightly for a softer effect. Apply starting in the centre and then blend the colour towards the corners, careful not to apply directly to the corners of your mouth. Apply strong lipstick shades to the bottom lip and then press your lips together for a lighter application. Apply lipstick once, blot your lips on a tissue, and apply again for a longer lasting effect. Apply make-up based on your face shape. Although makeup is not for everyone, those who use makeup can improve their self-image by becoming more educated on how to use makeup to improve their confidence in their looks. Just as with clothes, the goal is to match your shape (in this case face shape) and direct the eyes to the features you want to accentuate. To determine your face shape, pull your hair back and look in the mirror at your hairline and chin Heart-shaped faces (broad forehead and pointed chin) should draw focus away from their prominent chin and cheekbones with soft tones on the face and colour on the lips. Rounded faces (forehead and lower face are the same width) should help add definition using makeup on the cheeks and eyes (eg, using smoky eye shadow). Square faces (Angular jawbone and hairline) should use soft colors on the skin, mouth, and eyes to soften facial features. Oval faces (forehead and lower face are same width with longer sides) should apply blush with horizontal strokes and define their eyes and lips to reduce the length of their face. Get a good haircut. A great haircut from a stylish salon or respectable barber shop can make you feel more confident about your looks and will give you a more up-to-date, fashionable style. As with makeup, the key to a good hairstyle is to match the shape of your face: Heart-shaped faces should consider bangs and side-parts with chin-length hair that helps to round out the face more. Round faces should consider a centre or slightly off-centre part and “face-framing layers” that minimize the fullness and create “a more chiselled illusion.” Square faces should consider “face-framing layers” and a side-part that draws attention to the cheekbones. Oval faces should find that most styles work for them as the techniques for other face shapes are meant to make the face look more like oval-shaped faces. Stay well-groomed. Looking like you thought about your appearance and are taking care of yourself can boost your confidence and can be achieved with a few simple grooming tips

Keep your nails trimmed and shaped neatly (women and men can benefit from this tip). Be sure your nail beds are clean. Brush your teeth several times daily, particularly after meals with tooth-gunk potential. Keep moist wipes and cleansing cloths with you to clean off makeup, sunscreen, and sweat, or just to refresh yourself after a few stressful hours. Make sure to also do a full facial wash every 2 to 3 days to keep your skin clear. Use an anti-aging moisturizer, sun protector, and concealer (to even out skin tone). Use your fingers (as opposed to brushes) to apply makeup and get a better feel (literally) for how much makeup you are applying that can lead to a more natural look. Use press-on nails for a quick manicured look. Even for people who experienced the 80’s, they are more socially acceptable today than you might realize! Apply a deodorant or antiperspirant regularly. Use natural oils (e.g., avocado, coconut, or almond) to keep your body and hair moisturized. Improving Your Quality of Life Choose your friends wisely. Pay attention to your friends and how they make you feel. Surround yourself with people who don’t criticize or judge you because it can negatively affect your body image. Friends can even help you work towards your health and fitness goals, which may help you, feel more confident in your looks as well. Find a gym partner or a hiking buddy. Smile and laugh as much as possible. As easy and obvious as it sounds, smiling, even when you are forced to do it, can lower stress and make you feel better about yourself. Furthermore, people will see you as approachable and trusting. Take a compliment. If you get a compliment, don’t deflect it, take it! If you are uncertain about your looks, it may feel awkward to get compliments and your anxious reaction might be to deflect or down-play the compliment. For example, if someone compliments your shirt, you might tell them it is a hand-me-down that you only wore because all of your other clothes are dirty. This is a reflection of your anxiety about your looks and can make both you and the person who complimented you uncomfortable. Instead, just say thank you and fully enjoy the compliment you earned. Exercise regularly. Whether or not exercise actually changes your physical appearance, it can change your perception of yourself, which can lead to increased self-esteem. A national survey of physical activity and weight has shown that people who were not satisfied with their body size were less likely to be physically active, regardless of how much they actually weighed. This finding suggests that just being physically active can be related to a better self-image.

The amount of exercise needs to be enough to give you a sense of accomplishment and needs to be regular, but does not need to be any specific type of exercise or be done for any specific amount of time. Eat a healthy diet. Certain foods, such as those high in carbohydrates and sugar, can cause you to become sluggish and negatively affect your mood. Foods that can improve your mood are those that are low in fat and release their energy slowly. These foods give energy for sustained periods of time and do not carry the risk of weight gain, bloating, and irritability; they can also lead to stronger hair and nails, which can improve your overall self-image. Avoid eating foods that are sugary, fried, or overly processed. Eat more nuts and seeds, legumes, and fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly produce with vibrant, rich colours. Tips Remember that what people think of you doesn't matter a bit. The important is what you, and only you, think of yourself. Saying positive and confident things aloud to yourself can help you feel more confident. If people say mean things to you, remember that they are only showing the negative side of themselves, and their comment says more about them than about you. Be true to yourself and find what makes you feel comfortable and confident.

10 must-follow rules on how to start and build an equally impressive empire

1. “Build something you believe in — because that’s the first step to building a great brand.” Just like Goldman and Nalebuff, I learned a powerful lesson in tenacious passion from 30 plus years of entrepreneurship. When you’re all alone, sitting in a dark room wondering why your business is failing, there is only one true thing to power you forward — you believe in your purpose. 2. “Don’t aim for 10% improvement. Make it radically better and different.” Yes — in today’s society we collectively create amazing products, services and companies through entrepreneurship. World changing at times and Honest Tea was radically different when first introduced. But, if you look around, we also live in the land of ‘me-too’ businesses. Don’t fall for it. Dig deep and decide right now to build something radically different and radically better. 3. “Prepare to be copied. Don’t start unless you’ll survive imitation.” If your idea is truly radical and takes off, you can count the minutes before the copy-cats arrive. How will you survive competition from the big 800-pound gorillas on the block? Or even from the upstart little guys? Your key is a system of ‘continuous innovation’. Although you could also take the road of Honest Tea — make friends with one of the gorillas and let them buy you out. (Coca-Cola Company acquired Honest Tea in 2011.)

4. “Build up reserves of money and energy for bad luck and mistakes.” Great advice — but sometimes extremely difficult to do. What startup or growth company has reserves of cash sitting around? But Goldman and Nalebuff make a good point — run as lean as you possibly can and do not waste money or energy. You will endure mistakes and bad luck along the way, so having a good war chest full of capital and energy can help handle it. 5. “Never, ever give up control — until you sell.” Some high-impact entrepreneurs will readily give up control in exchange for the lure of high-growth through venture capital — but I am not one of them. Relinquish control and you risk losing the culture and vision of the company you set out to build. Even though Honest Tea raised investment capital from the beginning, the co-founders always remained in the driver’s seat. (And yes — Goldman can still drive his vision as CEO of Honest Tea, but his boss at Coca-Cola can say ‘no’ at anytime. Thus, true control is forever gone.) 6. “Don’t compromise on the big things — compromise on everything else.” Vision. Purpose. Core values. Write these things in stone and never budge. But flexibility in the value propositions, products and services you build to execute your purpose is vastly important. Many entrepreneurs I see fail to ‘bend to the market’ by adapting to what their customer’s are telling them. 7. “Figure out how to achieve your goals on a tiny budget — then cut that number in half.” Yes — you’ve heard it said before — it will cost twice as much, and take twice as long as you think. My recommendation is you apply the principles of lean to your business from day one. No fancy offices. No fancy full color brochures. Your goal is to stay alive until you can nail your secret formula for success. Blowing the budget will insure nothing but a quick death. 8. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Is it ever. Building a business is neither for the faint of heart or the speed demon. Climbing Mt. Everest is not done in 3 easy steps: 1.) decide you want to do it, 2.) fly to Nepal with zero preparation, 3.) sprint straight up the mountain in 12 easy minutes. Build systems for the long-haul and focus on small-connected steps. (It takes 26,364 steps of 7″ each to climb Mt. Everest, and that’s starting from half way up at Basecamp.) 9. “Take care of your family, personal and spiritual health — if you aren’t laughing or smiling on a regular basis, recalibrate.” Imagine the path to a wildly successful business: founder working at a feverish pitch for 18 hours each day, for at least 5 years straight. True? No, it’s not. In my private conversation with Goldman, he flat-out told me two reasons he made it through the rough years: first — he believed in his purpose, second — his drive for personal balance. The notion we need to kill our family relationships, personal health or level of sanity to build our own business is sadly misaligned. Take it from me — don’t go there. 10. “Build the enterprise and the brand as if you’ll own them forever.” Will you sell your business someday? Maybe. Should that be the sole reason you are building it? Probably not. When you start and build a business based on passion and purpose, with a burning desire to solve the pain of your customer through the deliverance of monetizable value, you build a far more valuable enterprise. Those in it for the short-term quick buck rarely succeed. Plaster these 10 rules from Goldman and Nalebuff to your mirror, live by them every day of your life as an entrepreneur and you might end up as successful as they. Honest.

Always remember that God created you to be awesome