Frozen in Time

I have the means and the motive, please can I have the opportunity?

I have the ability, the qualifications, possibly the experience, definitely the interest and desire, but never the opportunity. Never the chance to prove myself, to take the next step.

I know I have things to say, opinions to give and experiences to share. I know that I am an interesting person, but I just don’t know how to talk to people.

Sound familiar? Then keep reading.

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
Thomas A. Edison (1847 - 1931)

View the 10 Tips

An online poll run by US publishing group Merriam Webster has chosen ‘w00t‘ as the ‘Word of the Year’. An expression of joy, used predominantly by online gamers, w00t pushed the verb ‘facebook’ into second place and joins ‘truthiness’ and ‘blog’ among the past annual winners of the award.

The words were voted for by visitors to the Merriam-Webster website. Here’s a run down of the top 10:

1. w00t (interjection)
Expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word “yay”.

2. facebook (verb)
Multiple meanings including:
(i) To add someone to your list of friends on the “facebook.com” website.
(ii) To create an event entry on facebook
(iii) To upload a photograph to facebook so that it may be viewed by others.

3. conundrum (noun)
(i) a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
(ii) a question or problem having only a conjectural answer
(iii) an intricate and difficult problem

4. quixotic (adjective)
(i) foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action.
(ii) capricious; unpredictable

5. blamestorm (verb)
To sit around in a group, discussing why a deadline was missed or a project failed, and who was responsible.

View the rest of the Top 10 of 2007 and past winners

Rule #1: Never leave a fellow Crasher behind. Crashers take care of their own.
Rule #2: Never use your real name.
Rule #3: When crashing an Indian wedding, identify yourself as a well-known immigrant officer or a county lawyer.
Rule #4: No one goes home alone.
Rule #5: Never let a girl come between you and a fellow crasher.
Rule #6: Do not sit in the corner and sulk. It draws attention in a negative way. Draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms.
Rule #7: Blend in by standing out.
Rule #8: Be the life of the party.
Rule #9: Whatever it takes to get in, get in.
Rule #10: Invitations are for pussies.

Rule #11: Sensitive is good.
Rule #12: When it stops being fun, break something.
Rule #13: Bridesmaids are desperate: console them.
Rule #14: You’re a distant relative of a dead cousin.
Rule #15: Fight the urge to tell the truth.
Rule #16: Always have an up-to-date family tree.
Rule #17: Every female wedding guest deserves a wedding night.
Rule #18: You love animals and children.
Rule #19: Toast in the native language if you know the native language and have practiced the toast. Do not wing it.
Rule #20: The older the better, the younger the better (see Rule below)

Rule #21: Definitely make sure she’s 18.
Rule #22: You have a wedding and a reception to seal the deal. Period. No overtime.
Rule #23: There’s nothing wrong with having seconds. Provided there’s enough women to go around.
Rule #24: If you get outed, leave calmly. Do not run.
Rule #25: You understand she heard that, but that’s not what you meant.
Rule #26: Of course you love her.
Rule #27: Don’t over drink. The machinery must work in order to close.
Rule #28: Make sure there’s an open bar.
Rule #29: Always be a team player. Everyone needs a little help now and again.
Rule #30: Know the play-book so you can call an audible.

Rule #31: If you call an audible, always make sure your fellow Crashers know.
Rule #32: Don’t commit to a relative unless you’re absolutely sure that they have a pulse.
Rule #33: Never go back to your place.
Rule #34: Be gone by sunrise.
Rule #35: Breakfast is for closers.
Rule #36: Your favorite movie is “The English Patient”.
Rule #37: At the reception, one hard drink or two beers max. A drunk crasher is a sloppy crasher.
Rule #38: Girls in hats tend to be proper and rarely give it up.
Rule #39: The way to a woman’s bed is through the dance floor.
Rule #40: Dance with old folks and the kids. The girls will think you’re “sweet.”

View the remaining 75 rules

European Union:	Brazil:

“One must be poor to know the luxury of giving.”
George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

View 6 more flags

There are times when being stubborn has it’s uses. Like when you feel like giving-up when you need to continue.

But stubbornness will only take you so far, and while it may delay the inevitable, it won’t help you give up giving-up. The only way you can break the giving-up habit is by changing your outlook, by changing how you approach a problem.

Losing the Battle

Problems can be tackled in many ways, but what is important, is that you approach a problem with confidence, and sufficient motivation to persevere, and not give up.

You can develop your own problem solving skills and, for some people, they can be taught. Motivation, however, is personal, and is something that can only be developed on an individual basis.

So how do you develop your motivation for problem solving?

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