Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susan (Teacher Su) McKenzie, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susan (Teacher Su) McKenzie, or search within this exact expert archive.
CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE, TEACH THEM WELL Numerous songs abound exhorting the importance of treating and teaching children well, because they are our future. If we want children to be kind then we must first be kind ourselves and extend our kindness out toward others. FOLLOW MY LEADERr
MONKEY BUSINESS Monkeys may be able to do it but can humans? And that is to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.Can you hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil? GROWING UP WITH THREE MONKEYS Three little monkeys in the form of a small ornament took pride of place in the living room of my grandmother. For all of my growing-up years, I was fascinated by it and studied it for hours and hours during the first two decades of my life. Indelibly imprinted on my mind, I was equally fascinated by the symbol it stands for. ASIAN ORIGINr
1. Words and attitudes define us. “Challenges, challenges, challenges. Difficulties, difficulties, difficulties … Avoid repeating such words; otherwise they will become the part of your life,” says Hammad Siddiqui, Deputy Country Director of the Center of International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Successful entrepreneurs utilize positive words to propel them further and higher. They uplift themselves to the higher realms – the realm of spirit. Entrepreneurs are the most spiritually connected people
SWITCH TO A POSITIVE VEIN B: Being positive all the time is easier said that done, but there are ways to be more positive. For example, the first step is to say you will be a positive blessing to yourself and the world and that you are determined to reap the benefits of making positivity your way of life. L: Life grows richer as you focus on ways to be more positive. E: Expedite your energy to work in a more positive way. Energy can be expedited and revved up if you add a dose of positivity.
Make marriage a paradise – here’s how. MARITAL UNIVERSE When you marry you get more than a spouse – you actually get a whole world. THE BLESSINGS OF MARRIAGE Partner, companion and best friend are the three top blessings you get when you marry. SHARING YOUR LIFE Joys and sorrows, successes and failures, dreams and fears – all moments big and small are there for sharing. Joys, successes and dreams will be sweeter for the share. Failure, fear and sorrow are soothed and solved when shared. CARINGr
LUCKY BREAKS Luck may or may not be a random thing: Some people are just plain luckier than others period. However, for all of us, we can increase the amount of luck in our lives. FIVE MENTAL APPROACHES TO BE MORE LUCKY 1. If you want to be more lucky, you have to believe that there is such a thing as luck, especially good luck. 2. You must want to be lucky, if you want to experience more luck. 3. To be more lucky, appreciate that the good things in your life are the result of luck and blessings.
There is a great power in giving thanks and Mike's tips are guaranteed to lift the spirits. Balancing Actr The expression of gratitude is the ultimate balancing act in everyone’s life. We know whom we receive the good from and we offer our gratitude. Harmonyr The absence of a simple thank you creates an imbalance in the relationship and spiritual energy, while a simple thank you restores it. Caring Experimentr
Startups can fast track their brand by leveraging on net news outlets and by blogging. Indeed, all startups need to develop blogging expertise too - to generate a buzz of their own and to make it easier for bloggers to post news items, soundbites and articles. In other words, ensure your startup has in place dynamic social media management, the best brand and product awareness strategies, all feeding business development. Q: How do startups build brand and product awareness?
The Yes "I am jobless" Camp by Faizan Laghari Jobless for over 10 yearsr I can only speak for myself in this regard. The fact of the matter is that I haven't had a job for 10 years now. Definition of Jobr As I always explain in my presentations, a "job" in my opinion is where I go for an interview, get hired, get a job description, and am told this is my department, my team, my manager and my boss (who I'll probably never meet often). I'm also told that XYZ is my salary and benefits each month.
How high are your standards of English? When I joined the British High Commission I was to be introduced to the High Commissioner’s wife. We had a lengthy conversation and during that introductio I used the word ‘can.’ We had a good laugh when she suggested my usage was Singlish. I took to heart what she said, so I was quite amused to see an English teacher writing to the local Singapore press to say that it is perfectly acceptable now to use the word ‘can.’ ACCEPTABLE OR NOT?r
What do Helen Keller, a blind boy and you have in common? In common – means things that are the same or similar – things we share. We share this great universe and we are all human beings. If you are able to read this you have your physical sight, while the blind boy and Helen Keller did not have theirs. We may have physical sight but do we have the eyes that really see? That is the question to consider. If you change what you say, people will change what they see!r
Have you thought about what is the greatest blessing? I think it is is the blessing of life, the miracle of life. Let us transform our life into a living blessing. Let us endow it with qualities that add to life, by being a blessing to ourselves and others. May we all be a blessing to ourselves and others. Here are a selection of blessings that do just that. THE GREATEST BLESSING B: Blessed with life, you should appreciate that to be alive is a beautiful blessing.r
LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT! I am sure you have heard this many times: life is what you make it. Definitely your input and your outlook shape the life that materializes. So whether you totally believe this statement or not, you can make a great impact on the direction of your life. TRULY LIVING. FIVE WAYS TO LIVE MORE 1. Think about what you like to do. Implement plans to do more of what you like. 2. What would you like to be? Think of ways you could do what you like or something that is similar or has elements of it.
SUCCESS WAITING TO HAPPEN There is a proverb that gives a warning: This is an accident waiting to happen. A dangerous situation has been created and it is inevitable that an accident will happen, sooner or later. Let’s reverse this idea and let us do all the things that will lead on to success. In other words, this is success waiting to happen. Very soon you will be successful or more successful.
IMMUNE TO STRESS BLESSING B: Beat stress by not letting it arise in the first place. Beat stress by realizing what your place is in the great scheme and reality of the nature of things. Building up your immunity to stress should be one of your goals. L: Let the Lord guide you in all things. Let the Lord give you understanding, answers and a true purpose. E: Entertain only equanimity-of-spirit thoughts that automatically calm, soothe and keep you at the highest level of understanding.r
BRICKBATS AND BOUQUETS Whoever coined the expression brickbats and bouquets summed up the nature of life in these wise words. Or as Dale Carnegie once said: No one kicks a dead dog. Kicks, also known as brickbats, are the jibes from critics or jealous people all too ready to comment adversely or negatively.
1. Insurance man logic Rejection is a fact of life but the more people you ask the more likely you will get a yes. This is the approach of top insurance salespeople. Look for the yeses in life and accept that nos, also known as rejection is just the right of another to say no. Their no is because a yes is not consistent with what they think is good for them at this point of time. Is rejection realy so bad? You can’t get anyone to say yes unless you are willing to take the risk that they will say no. When you don’t ask, the answer is always no. 2. It’s Nothing Personal
When using the word ‘can’ is a serious faux pas. Can (Part II) There is a land of bad, inappropriate and totally wrong English. It is called the land of faux pas - make sure that is one land you avoid. THE IMPACT OF LITERARY ENGLISH ON ENGLISHr
WHAT DO DIVORCE RATES SAY ABOUT MARRIAGE? We have all heard about the high rates of divorce in the West and we have also heard about how people are increasingly shunning marriage in the UK and US, opting instead for living together or singledom. Are soaring divorce rates indicative of an out-of-date institution that is totally irrelevant in modern times? They are definitely indicative of the fact that people are not prepared to continue a marriage and want out! NATURAL versus UNNATURALr
Beautiful Blessing As a parent, you are in the greatest position to bestow blessings upon your child. Many will just wish for a healthy baby while some are more ambitious: the child must get to a good university and make millions. Your Wishr Whatever your wish for your child and there should be many for a well rounded upbringing, the top three would be financial finesse, culinary skill and social charm. Financial Finesser
A World of Meaningr Idioms are phrases with special meanings. Straightforward idioms are usually ones all speakers of English can understand. Clichés are said to be overused phrases – but some so-called clichés are so apt (suitable) that they convey a world of meaning to us and more importantly enlighten and illuminate our thinking. Listening and Silencer
The writing secrets of Virginia Woolf with comments by Susan McKenzie 1. TREAT ALL WRITING AS AN ESSAY A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out. (Virginia Woolf). SUSAN MCKENZIE: Treat all writing including business writing as a form of essay writing – where you have a beginning, a middle and a great ending.
THE GREATEST INVENTION When we think about the top 100 inventions, the monetary system is likely to be on the list. Economic systems based on currency circulation facilitate the development of human society. Whatever we personally think of this medium of exchange, can it of itself generate happiness? The answer is in the word medium. It is an enabler but is not necessarily a direct source of happiness. TREASURE HOUSEr
Cool Passionr There is a case for arranged marriages says Rehana Matri. “Arranged marriages, even if the couples get engaged and get to know each other, are not marriages of the heart but of the brain. And so they are missing that fire that love marriages bring with them from day one. Some fires that were really huge burn out very quickly after marriage. Arranged marriages often remain cool and without passion, but remain in good working order and without complication,” believes German-bo Rehana Matri.
UPLIFT THE FUTURE BLESSING B: Base your life on positive possibilities that you can envisage, dream, work upon and create. L: Let your feelings come from the beauty that is inside of you. Look forward and embrace the limitless future as it arrives one day at a time. E: Envelop your consciousness and your life in the goodness that can now come from your life. S: Support and encourage yourself with uplifting words. Savour those words as they uplift you. S: Seek ways to uplift yourself more and to believe more in yourself.
MODERN MINDSET Do you have a questioning mind? Most people have heard of the adage that curiosity killed the cat. This means if you question too much it could lead to bad results. WHEN CURIOSITY IS GOOD However, it is good to have a reasonable level of curiosity because one of the meanings of this word is eager to learn and we need to be eager to learn if we want to develop more. NEW DEFINITION Curiosity killed the cat is a proverb that has been around for over 500 years, but in the IT and Information age needs to be modified to suit the contemporary world. OUT WITH THE OLDr
Entrepreneurial Enterpriser As an employee at Ericsson Muhammad Nasrullah was creating massive telecom networks but he felt there weren't enough services, so he left and “came up with a mobile social network which would be a gateway into other services.” He became an entrepreneur and one of his startups was Pring. Social Ring “Pring is now Pakistan’s largest social network. We’re connecting Pakistanis on any handset with information and people they care about,” explains founder Muhammad Nasrullah. Users send over 12 million text messages daily. Change Agentsr
THE BEST MARRIAGES How to have a match made in heaven. Here are the secrets for a successful marriage, however it takes two to believe in them. MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN In Islam marriage is a form of worship, a social obligation, an act highly admired by Allah SWT and a way of life (Sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upo Him). BENEFITS TO MAN AND WORLD 1. Marriage is a life-long commitment and partnership. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated divorce was the most hated act of all lawful things in the sight of Allah.
The Tsunami of Appreciation Blessing - kick start great blessings in your life with a wave of appreciation that blesses, waters and nurtures you and your surroundings. B: Begin with your surroundings and find one thing you can appreciate and put your appreciative focus upon it: a painting, a flower, something you really like and really focus upon it, increasing your feelings of appreciation for it. L: Life is best played as a Kim’s Game – where you remember every detail of beauty – the jewels in our environment that we can find, remember and appreciate.r
Improve your personal and business life with the right lists - 9 ways CONNECT WITH POSITIVE POSSIBILITIES 1. 10 IMPROVEMENTS. Make a list of at least ten improvements you could make. Consider health and fitness, career, home, business, family, hobbies, education and training. Come up with at least 10 or more –things that would improve your life in some way. Putting them in writing makes them more real. Treat this as blueprint of your plans. When you need extra oomph – get your list out and count positive possibilities. GET IT WRITTEN DOWN
The greatest words and writing secrets by Virginia Woolf (Part 2) Woolf is considered one of the greatest innovators in the English language. 1. POWER WORDS: “When I cannot see words curling like rings of smoke round me I am in darkness—I am nothing.” Virginia Woolf Susan McKenzie: In the beginning was the word says the Hebrew Bible – words are powerful – make sure your words work for you. 2. RIGHT WRITING: “The most extraordinary thing about writing is that when you've struck the right vein, tiredness goes. It must be an effort, thinking wrong.” Virginia Woolf
100 QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU GET MARRIEDr
Reality of Lifer We are souls and our body is the outer covering or protection. In most societies even the body needs protection for warmth, safety and to avoid unnerving stares or unwarranted advances. Most people will agree on this. Horsepowerr For thousands of years horses were our main means of transportation and animals from the horse family (mules, asses, donkeys) were beasts of burden and still are in Asian and African countries. Horsing Aroundr Still today people go horse-riding the world over. Horses Are Inr
Criticism is not nice. In fact, whenever we are criticized we feel it most deeply and more so if we think that criticism is unjustified. Muslims feel a personal insult whenever their beloved Prophet is insulted but Mike Ghouse says we should use such instances to learn more about our faith. Personification of Tolerance “Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) (PBUH) lived through criticism and Muslims can learn from his example,” says Mike Ghouse. Firmness of Faithr
WEB WARSr
THE IMPORTANCE OF PILLARS Without pillars, buildings will never stand. They are the strong columns that are the supports for a building. In the English language there are five pillars. They are the building blocks and the key to fluency and exceptional ability in English. These five pillars are not all equal and are in order of importance. 1. CONTEXT IS ALLr
LIFE IS NOT FAIR Sometimes we can be so right yet so wrong. This philosophy applies in the work place. In parts of Asia, there is the belief that the Boss is always right or more accurately, The Boss always thinks he is right! TAKE A LEAF OUT OF THE BOOKS OF LAW STUDENTS
HARMONIOUS HOME It is very important to find ways to co-exist in harmony with others so that we can have a better world. RELIGIOUS REACHr
Blessed Situationsr People sometimes ask me to pray for them. I always do. But sometimes they wonder: why did I not pass that exam or do as well as I wanted when you were praying and blessing me. Lessons still to be Learned The answer is perhaps that was not to be for you at that particular time. Possibly a greater lesson is needed in your life and that is the lesson of humbleness or the lesson of proper preparation. Or perhaps a greater blessing is on the way. Reaping Benefitsr
Achieving the Highest Career Heights "Career Development is a continuous process. At every stage of your career, you need a bit of extra push to go further," says Hammad Siddiqui in his latest book Bootstrapping Your Career. Here is how to take your career higher. Are you getting the most out of your life? Get more out of your job, business and life by bootstrapping your career. Developing all you have got to the max and navigating social media for business growth, personal and professional success, enlightenment and satisfaction lie at the heart of Bootstrapping Your Career.r
KILLING TIME OR KILLING THE RELATIONSHIP I was once in a relationship but the person just had no time for me. All the time he would give excuses such as busy at work, got to attend weddings, got to meet up with old friends, got to meet up with his boss on a Sunday night! And the excuses went on and on. He even mentioned he was wasting time! That was the last straw that broke the camel's back! The ultimate insult – talking with me is wasting time. LOW ON THE PRIORITIESr
1. Head Start According to their daughter, first prime minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew and his wife Kwa Geok Choo said “Languages were best learnt young, when the brain is most plastic.” 2. Get Ready, Go! Earlier is better than later when it comes to language learning. As soon as your child is aged two, start finding a suitable class for your child. If you are no longer a child – well better late then never but when it comes to languages the early bird really does catch the worm! 3. Expert Energy
BOOK KNOWLEDGE I once read a book about Islam that said God would have wanted people to pray more than five times a day. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upo Him), Jesus (Peace be upo Him) also prayed. Every religious tradition prays and we are supposed to pray to God or remember God when we pray. MERE MANr
HIGH DIVORCE RATE In some countries the divorce rate has gone beyond the 50 per cent mark. What has happened? What should have been living happily ever after has turned into a complete disaster. PEOPLE ARE RUNNING SCARED Droves of people are now too scared to marry and adultery and fornication have become widespread and socially normal. IS MARRIAGE THAT COMPLICATED? THAT DIFFICULT? Is marriage as complicated as modern society makes it seem? CONCEPTION OF MARRIAGEr
See the Lightr Rights and Wrongs We grow up as vulnerable kids in this world, not knowing any better, thinking our families, our society will teach us everything we need to know about what is right and what is wrong. Not Knowing Right from Wrong! We think they will teach us everything we need to know about life. They are the ones who we first rely on for guidance, but as we get older, and we start going through so many mistakes, we start to realize that our society, our families, are clearly CONFUSED about what is right and what is wrong! Seeing the Light
Early Environmentr It is the dream of many Pakistanis to be doctors, engineers and accountants, a similar dream of legions across the Indian Subcontinent. Faizan Largari was no different – he dreamed of accountancy, but Muhammad Nasrullah was fascinated by the idea that you could create something out of nothing and dreamed of being a great inventor. Lego sets and science books purchased by his father fueled make-believe into reality.
Pillars of Successr Action, right direction and creation are the drivers underpinning many of the entrepreneurial success stories. For Rehan Allahwalla and Muhammad Nasurallah, vision, passion, garnering experience and service have been the main supports of their entrepreneurial adventures. Hitting the markr
Hunger Pangsr By Day Four of Ramadan (the fasting month for Muslims) Mike was feeling exhausted and hungry from noon onward. HOW TO DEAL WITH HUNGER The solution: pray for hungry children and people around the world in Congo, Haiti, Somalia and Burma. Mike Ghouse: “The tragedy of Rohingi people in Burma shatters me… it is the identical humility that the Vietnamese suffered, and Darfurians and Palestinians are enduring.” REAL RESPONSIBILITYr
To the Americans it is Mom, but to the British it is Mum! (or is it!)
Lament of Loss “The time we had spent with someone. The time we know, we are never going to get back.” (Muhammad Mohsan Zaki) May the Blessings Ber Oh this is sad and so true - I wonder why we spend so much time hoping when the other has made it so clear that they don't want you. And yet we do. A very sad aspect of life, or perhaps it is to our credit if we have good thoughts and wish the best for them. If only if should become may the blessings be. Stages of Lossr In a relationship break down – there are a number of stages. Stage Oner