‘if’ by rudyard kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master,
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to have read a truly remarkable book by Dale Carnegie called “How to Win Friends and Influence People” first published in 1937. What Carnegie wrote in his book, I have pretty much followed religiously and have found it truly beneficial in everything I have done since. It has helped me to build a number of successful online communities and to raise my profile both online and offline.

I came across a really good blog post by J. Eddie Smith where he has adapted the techniques mentioned in Dale’s book to be more relevant to our interactions in the social media realm. Definitely worth a read!

[Photo by Aidan Jones via Flicker] Carnegie wrote his masterpiece How to Win Friends and Influence People in 1936, but he could have written it in 20,000 BC and it would have been relevant then – and today. The underlying message is that being social and cultivating respect from others is the key pathway to reaping rewards in both your business and personal life. Web 2.0 hasn’t changed a thing. In fact, Carnegie’s ideas may be more important today … Read More

via Risk + 2.0

Copyright © 2010 by Niro N

I work with a guy who cringes every time I try giving him a hug. Granted, I’m hugging him because I take great joy in his public discomfort, but that’s beside the point. The question is, why have guys gotten so weird about hugging? Grown Man, I don’t want everyone around me to think I’m gay! First, nobody thinks that and, furthermore, why would you think that? Really, stop and ponder this. If you saw two guys in a quick embrace, would you think, … Read More

via you’re a grown man

My medal and I

YAAAAY!!!! Completed the 10K in a respectable 50 minutes and placed 1010 in my Age/Gender group and 1701 overall out of 13,000 runners which is not at all bad for my first ever run. Hobbled my way past the finish line as my old foot injury returned.

The race itself was very well organised and there was a sense of camaraderie between the runners motivating each other on and sharing laughs along the way. The course took in some of the best sights of London, including the London Eye Big Ben and St.Paul’s Cathedra. I thoroughly enjoyed my first ever race and can’t wait to do my next run as soon as my foot injury heals.

I am also extremely grateful to you all for helping me raise money for Action Against Hunger. We raised £180 in 5 days which is amazing!!! And Yes I did celebrate by munching on Nando’s chicken…..

Action Against Hunger

A bit about me

• A few weeks ago, the furthest I could run was to my local McDonalds.
• I have a bit of a sweet tooth and sit right next to the Haribo drawer at work.
• I eat what I want when I want and as much as I want.
• I walk in to the fried chicken shop and I get handed chicken without even having to ask for it, they know me well.
• My five a day consists of a bar of Fruit and Nut Cadburys bar, Cherry coke, Strawberry Ice-cream, Blueberry muffin, and Jammy Dodgers

Why do I want to put myself mentally and physically through this torturous run?

• Millions of people all over the world struggle to even have a single meal a day.
• Raise awareness about the plight of malnourished children to whom each new day is a battle to stay alive.
• Give you a chance to donate to a very worthy cause by just sitting at your computer desks.
• I have never raised money for charity and this will be my very first time
• Not feel guilty when I next dig into that delicious chocolate cake

So please dig deep and donate now at http://www.justgiving.com/niro

All sponsorhip I receive for my Bupa 10K run will go to Action against Hunger, please sponsor me and help feed a child.

What your donation could help towards

£10 – One week’s supply of therapeutic milk, nutritional products, vitamins and medicine for a child
£27 – 1 complete survival kit, necessary to save the life of a severely malnourished child in less than 4 weeks
£36 – 1 mechanical surface pump (less than 7 meters)
From £350 to £2,140 – 1 hand pump (20 to 70 meters) providing permanent and lasting access to safe drinking water for around 500 people

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I am glad I went ahead with the change. As often said, change is inevitable – except maybe from a vending machine…….

Nike Secret Tournament and the Rematch
This has to be my most favourite football advert of all time. In this ad, Cantona hosts a secret three-a-side cage football where he utters his second most famous quote “There is one rule. First goal wins. With Elvis’s A little less conversation remixed by JXL playing in the background, this has to be my my most favourite football advert ever.

The advert was so popular Nike made a sequel ad called the Secret tournament rematch though it probably doesn’t have the same flair as the original.

Pepsi FC vs Sumo FC

Definitely one of the funniest football adverts that also drives a moral message “Never judge a book by it’s cover. No prize for guessing who wins.

Nike FC vs Satan FC

In the Nike ad, Nike sponsored football stars take on the Devil and his team in one of those classic “good versus evil” encounters. Paolo Maldini provide the comedy cue when he suggests “Maybe they’re friendly?” suggests Paolo Maldini. Good triumphs over evil with a fireball shot from the ever cool Cantona.

Carlsberg and Ireland take on the World (Carlsberg Dreams)

Carlsberg are “probably the best” at anything they do and this is probably the best advert ever made. Ireland win the World Cup even beating England along the way.

So turn up your speakers, get down and ZINGOLO!

For the English speaking world there’s a version of Savage Garden’s Truly Madly Deeply.

For the Italian speaking world there’s a version of Umberto Tozzi’s 1977 hit Ti Amo.

Dedicate and send this song at www.pumahardchorus.com.