Paying it forward in real life

Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Bold, Pay it forward, paying it forward, payingitforward, sharing the love, sharingthelove with tags , on April 12, 2010 by TferThomas

As you know, I am huge fan of paying it forward; in fact, I try to live my life with paying it forward.

A couple of weeks ago, an opportunity presented itself to actually pay it forward in person.

Quite often, when I stay in Melbourne, I walk between the apartment and the office (roughly a 20-25 minute walk), and the walk is the perfect time to mentally prepare myself for the new day. So, yes it can be said, I am in a world of my own, but seeing something jolted me out of my own pre-occupiedness… an iPhone sitting in the gutter.

Now we all know I am not a fan of the iPhone but the sight intrigued me…it was clear someone must have lost it.

I remembered that there most likely would be some sort of screen lock & that proved simple. I noted it said it was Sim card locked, so the owner must have reported it lost.

Now to find the owner (yes, why would I even consider keeping the iPhone (I have no need for one) or giving it to any number of friends/family who wanted one…never even considered it; it was always going to be handed back to the rightful owner). I know how much an inconvenience it is setting up a BlackBerry from scratch, so only can imagine the same would be said of an iPhone.

Eventually I found the contacts folder, and yes, as you would expect, found Mum (doesn’t everyone have Mum/Dad listed in their phone?). So I rang “Mum” and yes she had a son who owned an iPhone (seems he has a history of losing devices).

So Mum came to our office that afternoon and collected the iPhone. She was most appreciative, and she presented me with a home grown bottle of peach chutney to say thanks.

The son rang that afternoon, to express his gratitude. “There should be more people like you in the world” he said. I simply said that it was the only thing to do, but also that I much prefer BlackBerry to iPhone, so I was always going to give it back (hey, what else would you expect me to say?)…he took it very well.

So there you go…paying it forward in real life; it’s not that hard.

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Paying it forward …. twitter style

Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Bold, payingitforward, sharingthelove, twitter on October 3, 2009 by TferThomas

The amazing thing about twitter, is the almost instantaneous nature of the conversation (or referred to as “tweets” from the twittersphere). The tweets are usually short and to the point, and really, how can they not be, when you are only allowed up to 140 characters per tweet?

So how does one pay it forward on twitter?

Firstly, paying it forward…

Paying it forward, if you weren’t sure, is a concept by which I try to live my life by, and I know others do the same. To pay it forward, simpl means helping out someone randomnly (unplanned) in a way that potentially may give that person the necessary leg up so that they can achieve something important in their life. To you it is nothing of any great significance, and doesn’t really cause you any discomfort, mentally, emotionally, physically, nor financially.

To the recipient however, your paying it forward may just be the missing piece in the puzzle for them to achieve something positive/life changing/life saving from their life, for their life. For example, placing some spare change into a parking meter, allows a person to park (they may actually have no money), and make that critical job interview on time, therefore win the interview process, get the job, and become employed for the first time in two years. What did it cost you…. $3.20 perhaps. But for them, that $3.20 helped them get their life back on track.

So, I understand the concept of paying it forward, now how can I pay it forward on twitter?

Twitter works on building a social/business network by finding people to follow, and people follow you….. and so it goes.

  • You can pay it forward by simply connecting two people, who may not know each other, together, and you have paid it forward, because you are the middle link.
  • Someone may be on hard times and needs that leg up…. you know someone who can assist, and by bringing them together, you have paid it forward.
  • You come across some information tweeted by someone you follow, and you think it is interesting enough to retweet (share it again)… this information then goes out to all of your followers, maybe onto someone who really needs this tweet… you have paid it forward.

Paying it forward on twitter can really work. What does it cost you? Apart from your time… nothing.
So, the next time you feel an urge to share the love, I have three words to share… Pay It Forward.

Thomas

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Saying goodbye to a phenomenal man

Posted in compassion, Hindu, India, life guidance, Nameste, payingitforward, respect, sharing the love, sharingthelove on September 7, 2009 by TferThomas

This week marked the passing of a truly great man…someone most of you won’t know, and someone I had only know for a bit over 5 months.

My wife’s Mother’s brother-in-law, our Mosa, passed away peacefully (from all accounts; I wasn’t present) last Tuesday. And he will be missed.

Mosa was not only present at our Hindu wedding back in March, but more importantly, he was both our Pundit (Hindu Priest) and our Civil Celebrant…he performed our wedding ceremony, and it was the last one he performed.

I met him for the first time about an hour before our wedding, and he instantly made me relax. Suffering a rare skin disorder, Mosa was literally as white as me, which really took me by surprise, and it sort of enhanced his Pundit “aura” in my mind.

Mosa ensured I was fully aware of what would and was happening, every step of the way, and I know from my family and friends’ perspective (not to mention mine as well) this was hugely welcoming and comforting at the same time.

His keen sense of humour came into play a number of times during the ceremony (apparently my wife has to obey me! ;) ), and his patience for a Gora like me right in the middle of a Hindu wedding, was much appreciated.

But it was the two days after spent in Mosa’s company that I was so lucky and fortunate to receive. For it was this time I was able to learn more about this great man’s 80+ years of life’s experiences…and there were many lessons learnt and still learning, as a direct result of our conversations, and time spent.

And it is not just me who obviously feels this way about Mosa…at his “public” funeral service, at least 500 people were in attendance, and the line of the people waiting to say goodbye seemingly took forever to run its course. He was well loved.

Mosa has gone to a better place, and we here are poorer for that. I now have someone else I can class as one of my life’s guidance counselors; even though he has passed on, his memories and advice live on.

God rest his soul

Nameste

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#followfriday: my twitter list

Posted in BlackBerry, followfriday, payingitforward, Priority Management, twitter on August 1, 2009 by TferThomas

Followfriday is a phenomenon on twitter, and if you don’t know about it, you are either very new to twitter, or have been living under a rock. Basically, #followfriday (the hashtag is to assist with search visibility) is a process whereby twitter users recommend some of their followers for others to follow ….a sort of #sharingthelove or #payingitforward in the twitterverse.

There are various ways people undertake #followfriday:

  1. Mass blanket list of recommended followers with no background;
  2. Individual #followfriday recommendations with a tweet filled with why others should follow this person;
  3. Group #followfriday tweets (eg. a BlackBerry group of twitterers)… this is the option I used;
  4. Retweeting someone else’s list; either as a way of saying thank you, or a self-promoting exercise by someone trying to increase their friends on twitter; or
  5. Someone hijacking another’s #followfriday tweet and turning it into their own (this is maninly a sefl-promoting exercise to increase friend numbers).

Now remember, I am not condemning, nor condoning any of the afore mentioned methods, as I respect an “each to their own” process here. But I am changing mine… and the reasons are simple.

Currently in my work, I commute between Brisbane and Melbourne (two capital cities on the eastern seaboard of Australia), and the half the commutes are undertaken on a Friday, usually smack in the middle of #followfriday, so therefore I place a huge amount of pressure on myself to not only respond to everyone else’s tweets, but to get my #followfriday tweets out as well.

And so comes this blog post…. my #followfriday list recommendations. I will over time update the lists as my friends and followers evolve, but for now, this is the one.

Inspirational #followfriday twitterers:

Good friends #followfriday:

There are my good friends who don’t fit into my allotted categories….yet, and perhaps they never will, but one thing I know, they are there for me when I need them, and I am there for them:

iPhone friends/sparring partners #followfriday:

These are my iPhone friends (can a passionate BlackBerry user/abuser ever be friends with an iPhone user? Well, of course he/she can, and I am):

BlackBerry #followfriday legends:

These probably are my core group of twitter friends, mainly because they too are very passionate about BlackBerry devices, they are mobile (so are on twitter a lot of the time), and they are truly a helpful and friendly bunch (just don’t rubbish the BlackBerry without having very good evidence on your side) (in no particular order):

So this is my #followfriday list…. I will no doubt realise this isn’t a complete list and will make some adjustments as the upcoming weeks roll out.

I can wholeheartedly recommend any of these fabulous individuals. #payingitforward

Thomas

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Another….paying it forward twitter style… a successful outcome

Posted in BlackBerry Bold, Pay it forward, paying it forward, twitter on July 8, 2009 by TferThomas

I talk (tweet?) to a diverse range of people on twitter, something I am really proud of. No two of my twitter friends are the same, which is just brilliant for me, as one of my initial main reasons for signing up to twitter in the first place, was to simply learn from people… something I am pleased to say, happens many times every single day.

As you may well know, I use a hashtag quite a bit, and that one is #payingitforward and i have explained my views on paying it forward and how I try to pay it forward in this blog.

One morning, I was DM’d on twitter by a gentleman in the United States with a proposal that he thought I may be interested in, and let’s be honest here, how many of these are simply “not my cup of tea” (I am sure you know what I mean)? Anyway, as is the case of the majority of these, I read them, check out any links and have a think. Yes or no, good or bad, interesting or not, they were the decisions to be made.

This one caught my eye… he was looking for a way to promote/introduce Australian artists in America, and whilst I didn’t have a clue as to how to do this, or even where I would start, I immediately thought of one avenue….

You see, I know people within a government department whose job it is is to promote the export of Australian goods/services/talent to overseas markets. Perfect!

So I asked him to forward me a quick outline to my gmail account & I passed it onto my contacts…. paid it forward.

That was a couple of weeks ago, and today got notification that yes the government department would love to assist and contact was made.

Regardless of the outcome, I know from within myself, I have paid it forward.

So as I sit here and type away (on a keyboard that is way bigger than my BlackBerry Bold’s qwerty keyboard), I feel a nice warm glow descend over me…. i have made a difference to someone else, and it literally cost me about 30 minutes of my time.

So, if ever you get the chance, go on, try paying it forward.

TferThomas

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twitter: @TferThomas’ rules … Setting up your account

Posted in BlackBerry, SocialScope, tweet, twitbacks, twitter, twitterberry, twitterverse, ubertwitter, yatca on June 28, 2009 by TferThomas

One of the main things that keeps me constantly drawn to twitter, over most other social / business online sites, is the wide diversity of my friends on twitter, and the different approaches these people implement, to run their twitter lives.
That said, the following is an overview of my initial twitter rules of engagement… how I believe a twitter account should be set up.

SETTING UP YOUR ACCOUNT:

  1. HAVING A SIMPLE USERNAME: I have used TferThomas for a number of reasons; it includes my first name, I believe it is a little catchy, it is not embarrassing, it doesn’t make you believe I am something I am not, and I believe it is relatively easy to remember… all good networking positives.
  2. HAVE A GOOD PROFILE PHOTO: I use the photo above for basically everything I do online, for the following reasons; it is a happy photo, it display all of my face relatively close up, it represents a professional side of me (yet not coldly), it is a friendly photo… all good networking positives. The photo remains a constant for me, which makes it easy for my friends to find me in their twitter stream, especially my BlackBerry friends who are using one of the many BlackBerry twitter applications (SocialScope, yatca, Ubertwitter, twitterberry, etc) and as such the avatars are smaller.

  3. HAVE A BIO: A small summary of what you are about as your bio is probably one of the easiest, yet most effective way of convincing others to follow you. and it needs to be stated here, that your bio needs to actually reflect you… be yourself. If you are here to market, then say so. 140 characters per tweet does not leave any room for deceptive marketing. If you don’t have a bio, what are you actually hiding?
  4. INCLUDE A FULL LENGTH URL IN YOU BIO: nothing flags more as potential spam as a tinyurl or bit.ly URL in your bio. Including a full length URL will help encourage others to actually click on it, and get to know you that much more intimately.
  5. LOCATION: I believe it is more effective to have your actual location listed, and I am not talking micro-details. I show Brisbane, Australia as my location enabling my followers to know exactly where I am geographically, allowing them another choice.
  6. BACKGROUND: I use @twitbacks as the source of my backgrounds and happy to promote their services here. I believe having a non standard background is important from an attention grabbing perspective… ie. making your account stand out from the crowd. Remember twitter is all about rapid fire 140 character tweets, and the twitterverse moves quickly.

Anyway, that’s my thoughts on setting up a twitter account. Later, I shall pass on my thoughts about how to tweet, how to interact, and maintain your little part of the greater twitterverse.

Until then, be safe,

TferThomas

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Learn to like yourself first….

Posted in BlackBerry, friends, improving one self, like myself, positive affirmation on June 14, 2009 by TferThomas

Many of you would have heard of the term “people pleaser” I am sure, but if you haven’t, allow me to explain. In my words, a “people pleaser” is a person whose main aim is to please others, and quite often, that is to the detriment of themselves (in other words, putting others’ needs and wants before their very own).

Now, I am no psychologist, but this is not good for your self esteem, your positiveness, your motivation to develop as an individual, or more importantly, to like yourself as a person. By concentrating on others, you are not focusing on yourself (and I don’t mean in a conceited way).

How can others like you, if you don’t like yourself?

You really need to understand who you actually are, accept who you are, and be the best person you can be, while all the time remembering who you are.

If you can’t be yourself, how can you strive to be a better person, or grow as the person you are? If you try to be someone you are not, you are not being true to yourself, and you simply cannot grow as the person you are.

But wait, what about striving to be a better person and so become a different person as a result? Sure this is fine, but in the end, you really don’t know how you will develop…. all the fun of developing yourself and going on life’s journey…. your journey. Note this clearly however, you do not know the end, or where you will end up…. if you think you do, then you are not being true to yourself.

Importantly, accept who you are and what your limitations are…. for me, I acknowledge the fact I am hopeless at most sports, not comfortable in fixing problems with Windows on my PC, but I know I am a hopeless romantic, I am a good listener, a reasonable networker, and a whiz on my BlackBerry. I have only listed a few things here, but you get the idea….

So one thing which helps me is to write down a list:

  • Things I am good at
  • Things I am not good at and will never be good at (normally, these are not important to me)
  • Things I am not good at but could become good at (my goals for improving myself)

Every month, review the list and map your development, watching how the first list (good at) increases while the last list (improving) reduces…. I am on my way to accepting myself as for who I am, which in turn, opens the door for other people to see me as “me”. Friendship may, or may not develop, but if it develops, it is real.

Hope this helps. My thoughts for now,

Thomas

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SnapMyLife

Posted in BlackBerry, BlackBerry Bold, email, SnapMyLife, twitter on June 7, 2009 by TferThomas

Picked this application up the other day (it is free download from BlackBerry Application World) and it is quite an interesting application that relies on the BlackBerry (or any camera phone) and its user’s mobility.

SnapMyLife in their words:
“Instantly share and view photos on your mobile phone.
SNAP a picture with your camera phone.
SEND to friends, family or the world.
VIEW everyone’s photos from your phone.”

It’s free to join and I as I said before, the application for BlackBerry is also free. In fact, as the screen shot shows, there are two applications for twitter, and three ways to upload photos:
1. SnapMyLife application for BlackBerry: upload your photo as soon as you take directly to your SnapMyLife account. The SnapMyLife application runs in the background & pops up as soon as you have taken a photo.
2. Email the photo to your SnapMyLife account directly with the use of an email address specific to your account (attach the photo as a file, and type the comments for the photo in the subject field of the email)
3. Snap2twitter application for BlackBerry: take a photo and the Snap2twitter application for BlackBerry pops up (runs in the background), refer second screen shot) and prompts you with either save or save and send to twitter & allows you to add some commentary. It also then sends the photo and comments to your SnapMyLife account.

SnapMyLife suggest you may have to disable one of the SnapMyLife applications for BlackBerry to avoid potential conflict, so I guess there may be some developmental work underway here.

Two main disadvantages to these useful & extremely easy to use BlackBerry applications:
1. Applications are only available to be downloaded from the BlackBerry Application World (although to their credit, the developer emailed me the applications (here in Australia, RIM have not provided us with access to the BlackBerry Application World) with great descriptive instructions on how to load)
2. At this stage, the applications only run via your phone carrier’s data plan, and don’t have BIS support (at the time of writing, I am still awaiting the developer’s thoughts of when BIS support will become available), so ensure you have a good data plan.

My SnapMyLife account can be found http://snapmylife.com/users/tferthomas

For more info contact Mobicious Inc’s site http://snapmylife.com/

Enjoy,

TferThomas

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Paying it forward…using twitter (it’s happening right now)

Posted in Angels and Demons, BlackBerry Bold, friends, movies, paying it forward, twitter on May 25, 2009 by TferThomas

So a small group of us went out to a movie on Saturday night (saw Angels & Demons) and after it we went to a little cafe for so delightful crepes and hot chocolate, where the conversation took an interesting turn… and I could pay it forward.

One of our friends (a small time film maker, embarking on a documentary) had enlisted the assistance of a prominent Australian muso, but had now lost contact with him, and could not get a further response.

I may have a solution, or at the very least, an avenue to pursue… from my BlackBerry Bold, I opened up SocialScope Lite and DM’d one of my good twitter friends, and asked if there was a way to contact the muso in question. Hey, it couldn’t hurt, and I had a good feeling.

Within half an hour, the reply was back (received on the drive back to the CBD)… there were two ways contact could be made, both very successful in the past.

Our film maker now had a way to get the project back on track, all because of a social media network called twitter, my positive helpful friend on twitter, and my BlackBerry.

Where the story is at….

A draft email is currently being penned, which will be forwarded from our film maker friend, to my twitter friend, for forwarding to the muso, whose help with the project will greatly assist 1. the project but more importantly, 2. some needy individuals.

Don’t underestimate the power of paying it forward.

I shall update this as the story unfolds.

Until later,

TferThomas

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Paying it forward …. twitter style

Posted in Pay it forward, sharing the love, twitter on April 23, 2009 by TferThomas

The amazing thing about twitter, is the almost instantaneous nature of the conversation (or referred to as “tweets” from the twittersphere). The tweets are usually short and to the point, and really, how can they not be, when you are only allowed up to 140 characters per tweet?

So how does one pay it forward on twitter?

Firstly, paying it forward…

Paying it forward, if you weren’t sure, is a concept by which I try to live my life by, and I know others do the same. To pay it forward, simply means helping out someone randomnly (unplanned) in a way that potentially may give that person the necessary leg up so that they can achieve something important in their life. To you it is nothing of any great significance, and doesn’t really cause you any discomfort, mentally, emotionally, physically, nor financially.

To the recipient however, your paying it forward may just be the missing piece in the puzzle for them to achieve something positive/life changing/life saving from their life, for their life. For example, placing some spare change into a parking meter, allows a person to park (they may actually have no money), and make that critical job interview on time, therefore win the interview process, get the job, and become employed for the first time in two years. What did it cost you…. $3.20 perhaps. But for them, that $3.20 helped them get their life back on track.

So, I understand the concept of paying it forward, now how can I pay it forward on twitter?

Twitter works on building a social/business network by finding people to follow, and people follow you….. and so it goes.

You can pay it forward by simply connecting two people, who may not know each other, together, and you have paid it forward, because you are the middle link.

  • Someone may be on hard times and needs that leg up…. you know someone who can assist, and by bringing them together, you have paid it forward.
  • You come across some information tweeted by someone you follow, and you think it is interesting enough to retweet (share it again)… this information then goes out to all of your followers, maybe onto someone who really needs this tweet… you have paid it forward.

Paying it forward on twitter can really work. What does it cost you? Apart from your time… nothing.

So, the next time you feel an urge to share the love, I have three words to share…

Pay It Forward

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Paying it forward… simply put

Posted in karma, paying it forward, twitter on April 1, 2009 by TferThomas

One thing that I can confidently say is on twitter (http://twitter.com), I am well known for promoting the concept of “paying it forward”. Well, at least with my twitter friends, and my friends, colleagues and peers in person.

A common question people ask when interacting on twitter, is how do I “pay it forward”? Hmmm, good question, and one that I shall now try to cover off here.

Firstly, paying it forward is never something you could say is pre meditated. Instead, you pay it forward, when the moment grabs you…. or spur of the moment, totally off the cuff. So being in tune with your inner self is important. Some call it your higher self, others refer to it as your sixth sense, but whichever it is… listen carefully to it. It is normally right.

Secondly, a paying it forward action should never have real negative implications for yourself. For example, putting some loose change into a parking meter (something I have done) is not really going to tax your overall position financially, where as spending $5,000 on a random someone just may. Paying it forward comes from someone who “can” to someone who possibly “can’t”.

Thirdly, paying it forward is done without having to think “what will I get out of this?” The very point of paying it forward, is to do it when you get the opportunity, done randomly, and with zero expectations to receiving anything in kind. Rest assured though, when you are in need, pay it forward comes full circle.

So the next time you get a feeling to help someone out, listen to that feeling, run with that feeling, and pay it forward.

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Setting up to work effectively from home

Posted in working from home on March 30, 2009 by TferThomas

You may have been retrenched and decide it’s time to follow that dream of yours, you may be tired of working next to the same old people, or you now may have more flexibility in your current career, … you decide now is the time to work more from home.

Its far more easier to decide to work from home, then to actually do it for real, and having done it for approximately seven years (no longer as it doesn’t fit in with my current career), I will now give you the guidelines according to Thomas.

The are a number of non negotiables that I abide by when setting up to work form home (I may be flexible on other matters, but remain totally firm on these):

1. Dedicated space for your home office.
Normally I allocate a bedroom and kick the bed out (at the most, the bed replaced by a sofa bed). By making a room exclusively your home office, means when you walk in, mentally you are at work.

2. A proper desk / work space.
This space is to be used for work, and work alone. No using the desk for your partner’s hobbies or for you to store perhaps your magazines.

3. Suitable hardware.
Think about all the various office hardware you would normally use in a typical office situation… now, ensure you have the same in your home office (eg. If you use a fax, then implement a fax solution into your home office). If you short cut the process here, your work’s efficiency levels will surely take a hit.

4. Communication.
Similar to hardware, if you use a landline as part of your business, ensure a landline is present in the home office ( a dedicated one at that), and don’t forget a fax line, if the obligatory fax is used.

5. Chair.
A dining room chair just will not suffice. Companies don’t provide ergonomic office chairs for the sake of it. That sofa bed I previously referred to has another purpose… visitor seating.

6. Air conditioning.
Most offices have their air conditioning set at 22.5 degrees celsius (apparently the optimum working temperature for office workers, or so I have been led to believe) so here is another area that must not be overlooked.

7. No house work during working hours.
This is a critical one to remember, so easy and logical, but many people use house chores as an excuse to take them away from their office work. Ask yourself a simple question… is it work related? If not, it is to be overlooked.

8. Dress for work.
Yes, sounds simple enough, but so many people forget this little detail… if you dress for work, it helps you to get into work mode. It may not be a suit as such, but adopting a certain dress code will always aid the process of working from home.

9. Schedule in some time with colleagues.
Humans, being the tribal species we are, love company, and it is the same in work. Perhaps once a week, go back to the office, even if it is for half a day, and mingle. Your work at home ethic will benefit as a result, and be easier to sustain.

10. Keep normal hours.
If you work an 8 hour day normally in an office environment, then a similar working day, at home, is totally appropriate, and not a 16 hour day. There are many good valid reasons for working from home, but longer hours is not one.

So there you have it, ten tips for working effectively from home. Use this as a starting point, and build from here. I hope it helps, and if you are lucky enough to be in this position… good luck.

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When the "taken for granted" does not happen… and what to do.

Posted in Melbourne, simple things in life, taken for granted, weather on January 30, 2009 by TferThomas

My week in Melbourne has been interesting. Not only has it been a fabulously successful week business wise (http://tinyurl.com/pmanz), a stimulating week fitness wise (three 1.33 – 1.5 hour brisk walks), but most importantly, was the stark realisation of when the “taken for granted” just does not happen, and how to overcome the hurdles which invariably transpires.

Three major “givens” occurred in Melbourne this week: the heat wave (the hottest since 1939), widespread power losses, and of course the train service (or rather lack of service).

The heat wave:

From the viewpoint of a Queenslander staying in Melbourne for the week, it was I guess, curious to see how people weren’t coping. Yes, it was very hot (within 0.5 degrees celsius of the hottest day on record in Melbourne).

It was a really significantly dry heat, and one that almost took your breath away (not used to the dryness, as I haven’t lived in Western Queensland for ages). For me, I liken it to being in an oven (where as in Queensland, it is more like being in a pressure cooker).

This weather system took everyone by surprise, and really slowed the place down. Who could blame the Melbournians… not me for one.

How to overcome this type of weather? Quite simply; stay out of the heat where ever possible, drink lots of fluid (and I mean water), don’t do anything strenuous, and be patient (everyone is in the same boat remember).

But there is a cooler change a coming, so let’s try to remember this for next time.

Power losses:

Due to the heat wave, properties all over the Melbourne power grid had their power switched off, even if it was for an hour (in blocks of 20,000).

Now this happened without notification. The basic commodity of power, and the “given” of its continuity, was shattered in one swoop. No power… no refrigerator, no air conditioning, no fans, and none of life’s little luxuries (recharging of mobile, computer, lights, PS3, music etc).

What to do: keep the fridge closed to maintain the coolness, get the candles out, have spare batteries, get a small appliance charger (for laptop, mobile etc), and load some songs onto your mobile (I have 420+ songs on my BlackBerry Bold). Most of all, patience is required.

And hey, the perfect opportunity to meet and get to know your neighbours… you never know when you may just need them.

Train services:

Melbourne is where I have truly embraced public transport, over the car I would normally use. In Brisbane, the opposite stands true… I consider Brisbane’s public transport system a bit of a hotch potch affair, and one to be avoided at all costs.

But in Melbourne, I happily use trains, trams and the Skylink service. But all that changed today… courtesy of Connex (train services) and their simple lack of being able to contend with the heat.

Train lines buckled (why doesn’t this happen in the more tropical climate of Queensland, or if it does, is it handled more efficiently?), and train services cancelled (300 services alone today).

So when the service from Glenferrie Station to Southern Cross Station kept being delayed, after half an hour of delays, I knew I needed an alternate plan. And seeing everyone else must have had the same idea…. a taxi was out of the question (booking line 131008 was engaged, so can only imagine how overwhelmed it must have been), and so I had to rely on, yes indeed, a colleague and his car. Made it to the airport with minutes to spare…

What to do: give yourself more time (plan for the situation occurring (you can always enjoy a coffee or similar at your destination if you arrive early), pay attention to the local news service, twitter your concerns (so others can, and do, tweat back assistance), have a back up plan, and be patient.

Overall, I must say, I did embrace the week, I did pay it forward, and was returned the compliment by someone I had never met (thanks @iDarryl), and I did enjoy my Melbourne week.

Stay safe, stay cool, and may patience for your situation and others be rewarded.

Thomas

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The simple things in life: time to enjoy them

Posted in enjoy, life balance, relax, simple things in life on January 22, 2009 by TferThomas

The Managing Director of the company I work for (Priority Management: http://tinyurl.com/pmanz) took me out for dinner last night, as we were both in Melbourne (Brisbane is home for both him and I) for the week, working from the Hawthorn office. So we caught the train into Flinders Street (from Glenferrie) and walked across the bridge to SouthBank.

We selected a restaurant close to the water and boulevard, and were able to simply watch the world go by. Now, I don’t know about you, but I am fascinated by watching people go about their daily lives (and no, those reality type TV programs just don’t do it for me), and it was a simple pleasure to do this… it really didn’t cost anything, you can learn a lot about a city from the people you see, and you get to see people really from all walks of life, race, colour and creed. From a mulitcultural level, I believe Melbourne does it better than any other Australian city.

I watched in amazement when Richard (our Managing Director) burst into French, when he discovered a french gentleman waiting nearby… amazing (reminds me, I must get back into my Hindi learning).

We caught the train back to Hawthorn, but this time, disembarked at Hawthorn station and walked to the Glenferrie Hotel (where the company normally puts it’s people), but before we went our separate ways, we decided (well Richard insisted) to have a couple of ales at a little bar near the Glenferrie Hotel (the Glenferrie Hotel is currently undergoing some massive renovations in the bar area).

Again, the act of having a beer (or two) and actually talking casually is really a simple thing to do, but ultimately a very rewarding past time.

We forget that some of the simple things in life, normally the ones we actually don’t think about, or overlook, are some of the most rewarding occurences in our lives, and are usually the things which balance out the busy, over crowded lives we lead.

So the next time you are feeling perhaps a little overwhelmed, or frazzled, find a nice spot, sit down and let the world pass you right on by…. allow yourself to stop.

Enjoy the simple things in your life, make a mental note of them, and see how they give you some badly needed balance.

My thoughts and twitters for now,

Thomas

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A little village in Fiji can show the world leaders a thing or two in racial relations and paying it forward

Posted in Christmas, Fiji, Fijian-Indian, paying it forward, race relations on December 24, 2008 by TferThomas

This Christmas marks a couple of milestones for me… my first overseas trip, my first Christmas without my biological family and Christmas Fijian-Indian style.

I am in a little village outside Nausori, which in turn, is outside of Suva (which I am sure everyone knows of), and staying with my partner’s family (Mum, older brother, his wife, and their little son) and are here for ten days.

A little bit of background of the village. It is a village, consisting of houses, grog shop, DVD store, general convenience and petrol store, Police Post and community centre (to which the grog shop is attached). From what I can tell, the residents are either Fijian or Fijian-Indian background. One family owns the grog shop, DVD store, and convenience store… and that’s my partner’s family (Fijian-Indian).

Their house is more than 100 years old, and has been through 3 generations of their family (originally built by my partner’s great grandfather). In fact much of the immediate land was, or still is, in the family name (no longer farmed by the family, mostly on agistment with other farmers).

Sam (my partner’s father) built the convenience store, DVD store, grog shop and community centre. The Community Centre consists of a room, amenities, covered large open room and lean-to for more room, and has a pool table.

It was by his influence within the local government that he was able to get the main road from his store to his neighbours bitumen (when asked why he didn’t continue with the bitumen from his store to the main road (Suva – Nausori) he replied simply that he only got the bitumen done where his customers come from.

His lasting legacy (he passed away about 2 years ago) was not the bitumen road, but the Community Centre, and more importantly, the pre-Christmas get together, to celebrate Christmas within the little community. Basically, every parent provided a present for each of their children, which would be given out by Santa. In the meantime, lots of Christmas music would be played over the speakers, and Kava flowed freely.

This year, of course, was the first time I experienced the pre- Christmas community get together, and I noted the following:
* The Christmas music was both loud and very happy (no escaping it within the village)
* A good solid mix of Fijians and Fijian-Indians were present, and sat amongst each other, not segregated
* The MC of the event conducted a communal prayer (Christian based), ensured a Fijian chant was done, but most importantly explained to the children the importance of community spirit, respect for your neighbours, and helping each other…. in other words, he paid it forward.
* Santa had an amazing tan, a wicked pair of Oakleys, and 2 missing teeth :)
* Santa arrived on a back of a ute, in convoy with a couple of cars
* Santa liked Kava
* Every adult male was offered Kava by the local Fijians, and I had a couple of coconut shells worth (yes, it does taste like muddy water, it doesn’t make you sleepy like say beer, and t does numb your mouth)
* The level of respect my partner, her older brother, and most importantly, their Mum (Sam’s widow) received by all and sundry was truly incredible, and a sight to behold. As a tag along, I too was offered and given great respect; something totally unexpected. It was very obvious that Sam’s presence was still very much among them all.
* I knew I was safe having some Kava with the locals, even with a well known ability of not holding my own with alcohol
* I tried to learn some of the customs with Kava (saying Bula first, clapping the hands (cupped) once, drinking, and then clapping cupped hands twice)
* Every child had a present (my partner made sure we had purchased a number of presents for some of the less advantaged families’ children)… yep she understands the concept of paying it forward
* A few families (Fijian and Fijian-Indian) provided the curry chicken and rice for everyone
* The store provided the lollies for Santa to hand out
* The night went on to 10:30pm with lots of music, and beer (the Kava ran out early evening) but promptly stopped so as to not annoy the neighbours with children.
* The following day, a group of locals cleaned up the community centre, and life returned to normal.

This little aspect of life in a village is one that our world leaders should take heed of when dealing with the international and localised problems:
* Two races interacted with each other, in the same way long term friendly neighbours do (and of course that’s just what they are)
* Religion did not impede on the day’s events, with both Christians and Hindus peacefully enjoying their day together (yes, I know Hinduism is more a way of life, but you get my drift)
* Regardless of wealth, or lack thereof, a community, with the right spirit and sense of respect, can be both wholesome and fun to be a part of.

So, on this Christmas Eve, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a safe, rewarding and relaxing break. Please take some time to pay it forward to someone else… You never know where it will lead.

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Pay it forward… how can I actually do this?

Posted in higher self, Pay it forward, selfless acts, sixth sense on December 17, 2008 by TferThomas

Back on the 1st of December I wrote a blog covering off the simple, yet very effective concept of “Paying it Forward”. As a result of this blog, a number of people have asked me…. “how do I pay it forward?”

Hmmm… I really can’t say that I have actually given the “how to” part of paying it forward any real serious thought… so I guess, now is as good a time as any.

Paying it forward: a simple concept of helping someone (usually unknown to yourself) by making one little part of their life easier/happier. This allows that person to achieve something better than perhaps they previously would have. They then are energised to do the same for someone else…. and so it goes… paying it forward.

How to pay it forward… a layman’s perspective.

The main common theme behind the majority of all pay it forwards, is that they are normally quite often, off the cuff, or spur of the moment decisions, with little analytical thinking behind the action. So, exactly right what you are thinking, pay it forwards rely on your subconscious, your sixth sense, or what I refer to as your higher self.

So, I guess, paying it forward involves selfless actions on your part, without expecting anything in return. And no I am not suggesting for a moment that you be a martyr, as you shouldn’t disadvantage yourself to the benefit of somebody else.

So how do you pay it forward? Let’s look at some simple examples:
* Topping up a parking meter before you drive off, giving the next parker something to smile about (perhaps helping them make that important meeting on time)
* Positively affirming someone’s decision, allowing them the drive to follow through on their chosen path (maybe, as a result, they apply for that new job, and get it)
* Tipping the waitress if they actually did make your night that much more special/or even just saying thank you for someone else doing their job (you never know who may be watching)
* Helping someone who appears lost/upset/confused/not well (speaks for itself really)
* tweeting that bit of information/linking one tweeter to another tweeter who needs a helping hand (and why would you do this… because you can!)
* Share information if you can to someone who needs it… actually take the time to send the helping tweet, instead of worrying about your next self promotional tweet.

And yes, the last couple of ideas are based around http://www.twitter.com/ … why? twitter is an easy to access, simple to use, application that can literally put you in direct contact with someone who is literally on the other side of the world… and that someone may actually need you to pay if forward.

So there you go… in almost any situation, there is the ability to pay it forward. And remember… if you are the recipient of a pay if forward by a complete stranger, please be open to paying it forward to someone else, when the opportunity presents itself.

Good luck and enjoy paying it forward, as I do.

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The power of the face to face meeting.

Posted in body language, face to face, Meetings, non verbal, verbal on December 5, 2008 by TferThomas

I love the internet, and I enjoy the various methods available to communicate electronically to people, whether locally, nationally or worldwide.

As a means for getting data from myself to one of my clients, email / internet are fabulous tools, and yes, email can be used (together with the internet) to build relationships and make the deals. A lot of people do business this way, but it misses a vital ingredient… the personal human interactive touch.

Depending on who’s advice / research you decide to hang your hat on, anywhere from 60 – 75% of communication is made non-verbally; you know, facial expressions, body language and even the aura given. This is an amazing amount of communication found wanting in emails, instant messaging, texts and even tweets.

A simple face to face meeting can easily shortcut the sales / negotiation process, by paying careful attention to non-verbal signals. How many people have witnessed their client suddenly leaning back, crossing their arms and giving off a negative vibe? And if you weren’t there at the meeting, and this meeting was being held in cyberspace… would you have picked up the clues? Most likely not.

However, being present at that meeting, in person, and staying alert to the non-verbal cues, places you in the box seat to counter any objections your client may have, implementing a strategy to get the meeting’s direction back on track. Or simply, realise it wasn’t meant to be… and no further time needs to be wasted for now (remember, don’t burn any bridges).

Until mankind negates the core need to have close, physical personal interaction, face to face meetings / communication remains an important part of anyone’s work and life.

Thomas

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Paying it forward….

Posted in Pay it forward, positive affirmation, respect on December 1, 2008 by TferThomas

I have mentioned this term in a number of other places, but the concept, Paying it Forward, is such a simple yet hugely worthwhile theology, it deserves another mention.

Some could call it Karma, and although they are closely related, they aren’t the same. Karma can have both positive and negative influences on your life, some even life changing (you would have heard the term “bad karma”).

Paying it Forward can only have positive influences on your life… starting with the feel good lift in your day. Let me explain… how may of you have done something nice to someone unknown (you know, perhaps held a door open to a complete stranger), and the other person said thank you and smiled. How did that make you feel? Now, unless you were that engrossed in your thoughts about you and your day, the feedback would have warmed you… albeit perhaps briefly. You have just Paid it Forward.

So, it’s clear to say that most of us at some stage or another, have Paid it Forward. It’s not that difficult.

Paying it Forward comes from the heart and your roots in common decency, with perhaps a touch of gallantry thrown in for good measure. It doesn’t have to be an awe inspiring good deed, and definitely not contrived.

By assisting someone else, who is known, or unknown to you, Paying it Forward empowers the other person to continue on their journey of life, along a path smoother than before. This may / may not allow them to be in a position where they too can Pay if Forward to someone else. And as the process of Paying it Forward goes about its journey, what goes round, does come round. Someone may actually Pay it Forward to you, when you least expect it, but maybe in a time of most need.

I am absolutely certain I have been the fortunate recipient of Paying it Forward and I have been hugely blessed as a result of the timely assistance from left of field. Just when you felt life was at its darkest, and there was no hope, something happened, or someone came along and gave a helping hand. And I know that at no stage could any of it have been planned.

I have found twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) a shining example of global Paying it Forward. Sure, it is a social and business networking tool, but I have seen many examples whereby someone has supplied a helpful tweet to someone in need. Nice one!

Life does move in mysterious ways… be a part of the positive side of the mystery… Pay if Forward. What do you have to lose?

My thoughts and twitters for now,

Thomas

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Two ears and one mouth…

Posted in hear, listening, two ears and one mouth on November 22, 2008 by TferThomas

Recently this old saying has surfaced in a number of conversations and presentations that I have been privileged to be a part of. I thought I should share my thoughts here, and share the love of this age old saying.

You have two ears and one mouth, and that’s the proportion you should use them.

How many times in the past have you been in an important meeting, and when concluded, only to find that you appear to have missed some key, critical information? It has certainly happened to me on a number of occasions. Until, that is, someone shared the love of this old saying to me.

If you can actually resist opening your mouth, and therefore not talk, but more importantly, concentrate on what the other party is discussing, the chances of you absorbing what they are trying to say (whether directly, or indirectly) increases exponentially… to your favour.

And this is the point, by gaining the direct and indirect insights (ie. the world according to the other party), you are leaps and bounds of someone else (perhaps your competitor).

But this doesn’t just apply to business dealings…. again, how many times have you had a conversation with your loved one, and later, could not recall what he / she was really drilling down to from within the conversation? Its happened to us all, and will continue to do so, if you don’t zip it.

Of course, verbal acknowledgments do assist the non verbal signs, confirming the simple fact you are listening, but that’s just the point…. two ears and one mouth.

So the next time you are sitting with someone (business or pleasure), give it a go, and let me know what the outcomes were.

My thoughts and twitters for now,

Thomas

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Mobile technology… the third party software application

Posted in berryreview.com, BlackBerry, handango.com, stuff.tv, third party applicaitons, twitter, twitter.com on November 18, 2008 by TferThomas

I love technology, plain and simple. Whether or not I actually understand it, or can fully utilise, well that’s a whole other question.

I love reading Stuff magazine (http://stuff.tv/) where I get my monthly dose of gadgets, technology, and of course mobile phones, or rather the increasingly popular smartphones.

I use a BlackBerry Bold and try to “really use” it’s capabilities, but its the aftermarket, the third party, applications that really personalise your BlackBerry into something more than the standard smartphone. What follows is a list of a number of key third party applications that I use on my Bold, and which also make life a little more interesting.

twitter:

Starting off with the obligatory question “What are you doing?”, you can post your response in a short (< 140 characters) but concise message. You can follow people (keeping the theme going @StuffTV) and people can follow you. Great site for social and business networking. Go to http://www.twitter.com/ and sign up. For BlackBerry users, go to http://www.orangatame.com/ and download the application so you can twitter to your heart’s content from your handset.

BerryReview:

A great site for BlackBerry specific applications, updates, whispers, reviews, etc. They have a fabulous BerryReview Store where you can download free applications, or purchase software and hardware. A great feature is there reminders when your purchased software is eligible for an upgrade, usually free. Go to http://www.berryreview.com/ and for BlackBerry users, you can download an icon to your home screen to take to your BerryReview whenever you need to.

Handango:

Another great site for software for a large range of smartphones, whether BlackBerry, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, HTC, etc. Like Berry Review, you select the type of mobile you are using, and it will list the eligible software options for your consideration, ranging from free, up to premium priced software. A mobilised Handango application can be downloaded onto your handset, simply by visiting http://www.handango.com/ from your handset. This mobilised version has a great weather function, where you can enter 3 of your favourite places (and yes, works perfectly for Australian, Indian and Fijian locations).

Viigo:

A useful and very well respected RSS feeder/reader, Viigo brings all your interesting websites to one location. You have a large range of stored RSS sites (covering a vast range of topics) to choose from, or you can simply add your preferred ones to the Viigo list, simply by adding the correct url address. Go to http://www.berryreview.com/ on your handset, go to their OTA section, and simply download Viigo. Add BerryReview to your list of RSS sites, and off you go.

A few applications for your consideration, which can add to your smartphone (in my case, BlackBerry) experience.

My thoughts and twitters,

Thomas

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Starting dating again, after a divorce (from a male perspective)

Posted in dating, divorce, Relationships, twitter on November 17, 2008 by TferThomas

An interesting thing happened while I was at the hairdressers (which normally happens every three weeks)… I was sitting there enjoying a head massage when I was asked to join a conversation between three ladies. The subject… when should a person re-enter the dating arena after a divorce; more specifically, a 35+ lady with a 2 year old daughter. I was asked from,would you believe it, a male’s viewpoint.

Well sure, being a divorced male with a couple of relationship trainwrecks in his past, but getting closer to remarrying (and boy,am I the lucky one), I did have a little experience, and it was obvious this lady was hurting (her ex had quickly found another; it only took a month), so I thought why not.

Couple of things important for everyone to know:

  1. Give it some time: Don’t force a relationship to happen; they need time to develop and to be nurtured. It’s not a race to find someone, anyone, but time may be needed to find the right someone.
  2. Don’t hide things like children from your date: Why hide someone so special from a potential partner? Remember,if that initial date turns into something much deeper, and you have held back critical detail of that significant other person in your life, what does that say about your belief in the strength of the new relationship? And if he doesn’t want/like children… why would you string him on?
  3. It’s not a competition with your ex: Just because he jumped out of one relationship, and virtually straight into another (not allowing himself time to recover and learn from the previous relationship) certainly does not mean you should to (refer back to point 1.).
  4. Create a small personal card: This may sound a little contrived, or even a little snobbish, but creating a small personal card, showing your name, a secondary email / twitter address, and a short one liner, but NOT a mobile number, may be an easy way of allowing contact after the date to occur, but without having to disconnect your mobile phone, as a result of a relationship gone south.
  5. Meet a blind date in public, during the day: Normally, a date during the day is a lot less easier to extract yourself from, than compared to one during the evening. If the date isn’t going according to plan,you can always exit stage right, with an excuse of an appointment / meeting / tweetup, where as a night time date has less escape options.
  6. Your life doesn’t have to be put on hold just because you have a child: Sounds harsh but in 0 – 18 years or more, that child will have grown up and perhaps moved on. Can you really afford to put your life on hold for that long. If your child is such a big part of your life, then let your life move forwards with your child.
  7. See a psychologist: Any momentous change in your life,certainly needs an amount of support to assist with the recovery,and a psychologist is perfect and quite subtle. And really, anything more than three months (unless there were some major issues) with a psychologist, is consdiered to be a waste of time and money.

This is by no means the definitive list, and I am sure anyone could add something here, but it’s a starting point, and I certainly hope someone, somewhere, will take advantage of this information.


My thoughts for now,

Thomas

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It must be getting close to Christmas…. all the mobile phone shops are packed!

Posted in BlackBerry, Christmas, Freedom Universal Keyboard, Micro sd card, Mobile phones on November 8, 2008 by TferThomas

Well after getting a lot of my music sorted so that I can grab what I need and place onto my BlackBerry Bold’s micro sd card, I was going let’s say a little stir crazy, and needed to get out and about.

I certainly needed to eat some lunch, so my local (shopping centre) was the obvious choice, and I pick a particular car park where I know I will always get a park… well, let’s just say I got one, but it wasn’t as straightforward or easy as normal; clue number one.

Now I currently have a 2 gig micro sd card for the Bold, and seeing as I wanted to add more music onto my BlackBerry, I thought a bigger micros sd would be a great option (I see there is a 16 gig out now).

So off I trundle into the mad mass of weekend shoppers, weaving my way in and out, and a common trend was spotted…. not one phone shop / kiosk was anything but jammed packed with customers. And with so many different options for mobile phones now flooding the market, why wouldn’t you update your, or your loved one’s mobile phone.

So, what about the micro sd card? I think I will enjoy my sandwich (chicken schnitzel with barbecue sauce, salt and pepper on white thank you very much)and coffee, finish typing this blog, and go home for some gardening. I will have a look for one when I am in Melbourne this week.

And no, I normally don’t use the BlackBerry’s keyboard for long emails / blogging…. rather, I use this…

http://twitxr.com/image/120995/

Freedom Universal Bluetooth Keyboard…. good piece of gear this.

That’s my thoughts and twitters for now.

Thomas

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The power of your 6th sense (your higher self)

Posted in 6th sense, gut feeling, higher self on November 7, 2008 by TferThomas

We have all been there at some stage or another. You know what I am talking about… finding that desired car park, stopping suddenly for no apparent reason (and missing the child who steps onto the road), run someone for no particular reason (but they needed to talk)… and the list goes on and on.

Is it luck? I think not. Rather it is put down to you tapping into (or listening to your 6th sense), and then acting on it. In layman’s terms…. your gut feel, your instinct, or flying by the seat of your pants.

The mind is such a potent device, and yet we take so much for granted. Not only that, we think we know it all. In a way, yes we do, or rather, our mind does. It has the ability to process more data than what we can consciously absorb. This and the simple process of being acclimatised to our surroundings, guided by our morals, upbringings, beliefs, culture, peer pressure, and our previous experiences, further dulls our clear decision making abilities. We are lulled into an autopilot type decision making process… but sometimes this is very much the wrong path.

How do we know when the 6th sense has kicked in? To the uninitiated, normally the first glimpse of acknowledging your 6th sense is when you get that frustrating sense of “I knew that” or “I was going to do that”. However, your mind previously told you the right decision / action to take… you just decided to ignore it.

What to do? When you get that sometimes uneasy feeling of a decision that is “felt” to be right, but your rationalising has come up with another direction to take… take the former. In most cases, your mind has already worked out the correct answer, and hasn’t taken your conditioning into the equation.

Trust your mind… it knows more than you will ever know ;)

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Working Sm@rter

Posted in Priority Management, time management, Working Smart on November 4, 2008 by TferThomas
During this time of general unrest towards financial stability and security, a lot of companies, corporations, government bodies, and organisations are considering employee reductions as a viable solution to counter slowing cashflow.

But is this the answer… maybe, but also, possibly not. Perhaps the solution is working smarter, increasing productivity, whilst not increasing costs. And Priority Management has the inside, intimate knowledge of time and workload management training… who else can free up on average 74 minutes per day per graduate of these programs?

Whether your email platform is based on Outlook, Lotus Notes or GroupWise, there is a training program that will enable you to work smart… and no additional software is required.

The training is based on the revision of the basic default view, in a way that puts your time back into your control, and not you being controlled by the inbox. Sounds too good to be true, and far to simple? But its the simplicity of the training that produces such profound differences to your day, and the increases in your effectiveness.

So, instead of culling your team, why not consider training as part of your solution, and be rewarded by more effective, higher productivity?

For more information on the programs offered by Priority Management, visit
http://www.prioritymanagement.com.au/



My thoughts and twitters,

Thomas

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