Andy Hallen is the perfect choice for City Council, and here is why.

Hallen's past experiences, qualifications, drive and success are a sure indication that he is a winner. During his career, Andy worked for Procter & Gamble, a Fortune 100 company, which at that time, was the largest trader of vegetable oils in the world. Andy was entrusted with this budget, which is much larger than the budget for the City of Aiken. His achievements in that industry, along with his prudent investment strategies, enabled him to retire at a mere 55 years of age.

I had the pleasure of meeting fellow adventurer Andy and his wife Tracy, eight years ago when we resided in Panama, where they were both key members of the community. Following retirement, Andy moved to Boquete, Panama, where he divided his time between leisure activities and community service. He volunteered at a nonprofit which taught environmental awareness and soon managed the first and only recycling operation in Panama. When a lack of funding threatened to shut down the program, Andy came to the rescue. Imagine, if you will, the effort it takes to raise funds in the U.S., add the cultural and language issues associated with working in a Third World country and you will begin to realize that Andy, through his skills and talents, was able to save the program.

Among his ideas to raise funding was the development of a coupon book. Although widely known and used in the U.S. for decades, the concept was nonexistent in Panama. Andy convinced many of the local merchants that couponing would promote their businesses. Once printed into booklets, they were sold to residents, raising the much needed capital to keep the door of the recycling center open.

Andy and Tracy were invited to Aiken in 2013, and it was love at first sight. Six months later they moved here. I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason and meeting Andy in Panama lead to his move to Aiken. Now Aiken needs someone with Andys ability and passion to fill the council position in District 5.

As a conservative, Andy is the right person, in the right place and this is the right time. He has the skills, experience and personal attributes to make an outsized contribution to the City of Aiken, but he cant do it without your help. I guarantee that the 30 minutes it will take you to vote Hallen for City Council will be a wise investment in preserving and improving what we have today for Aikenites of the future. Please vote for Hallen and encourage everyone you know in District 5 to do the same.

Phil Follins

Aiken

Excerpt from:
Letter: Hallen's personal success will work on council - Aiken Standard

Embed from Getty ImagesWe read a lot about motivating factors for entrepreneurs: having self-belief, never giving up, failing fast, continuing to look forward. And its mostly good stuff. But Ive found that sometimes there is something deeper. Something that supports these traits which is more personal and more impactful than just believing in oneself. Here are four things I have found having a meaningful bearing on our mental health, and ultimately our careers.

1. Its never about business, its all about whatever you love the most. For me, my children matter more to me than anything in business. I almost lost sight of that at one point. Not that I forgot I loved my kids, but too often I overlooked being present and showing it. Dont allow your stress and pressure get in the way of the one source of strength that will always be there for you. The ones who love you unconditionally.

2. Have a loving support network around you. Things will go wrong, go south, and be difficult to handle. Having those around you who will understand and offer compassion will give you strength to move forward. Sometimes a person just listening and telling you it will be all right is enough. The hug of a loved one, the compassion of a loving listener, the arm around your shoulder. It can have a profound impact on your decision making.

3. Be a strong co-leader of your family. Learning to lead in business means nothing if you sacrifice the opportunity to be a loving and strong co-leader for your family. You and your parental counterpart, regardless of your marital situation, are who your children look to when they experience the world. Their morals, their ethics, their care for others, their respect for others: They learn it all from you. You cannot hide from this. They are your opportunity to learn how leading impacts others. The most respected business leaders know this and treat their employees this way. They learn it in the most important place, their home.

4. Control doesnt matter. Cooperation and interdependence do. Supporting others in a way they say helps them be a better person, matters. Their love for you supporting them and vice versa, your acceptance of them as an individual with thoughts, feelings, and life goals, your humility to equality and the capable contribution of others, is what will produce trust and drive you all forward.

The feeling of success in life is unique, precious, and incredibly focusing. Nothing in business will ever fully give you this, even the feeling of accomplishment from signing a huge deal or selling your business. This only matters when you have someone to share it with. Someone you love, and someone that loves you and makes you happy. Someone who can say they are proud of you. Someone to acknowledge that your hard work has paid off. And when it doesnt, someone who can tell you will be okay will help you back on your feet.

Finding this contentment, this happiness, this love, will propel your courage, your confidence, and your self-empowerment in your career and your business. Whether its your life partner, your children, your parents, or your God. Success in our lives doesnt come from success in business or our careers, success in business comes from success in our lives. Be successful in your life.Photo credit: Getty Images

Continued here:
Forget the Business talk: It's Always Personal - The Good Men Project (blog)

The first time most movie-goers heard the music of Hans Zimmer was in the 1988 movie "Rain Man." The composer went on to write the scores of more than 100 films. He has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won for "The Lion King."

Zimmer has also won four Grammys and two Golden Globe awards.

"Dunkirk" has been hailed as a visual masterpiece. But what you hear the film's sweeping musical score is the latest genius from the legendary composer, reports CBS News' Mark Strassmann.

"I wrote by going to the beach, picking up the sand, seeing the misery on that beach. You have to get a movie under your fingers. It's as simple as that," Zimmer said.

CBS News

To score "Dunkirk," the German-American Zimmer found inspiration in his own past.

"I approached it at first, of course, as somebody who wouldn't be here if my parents had not escaped the Germans," Zimmer said. His Jewish mother escaped the Germans in 1939.

The 59-year-old Zimmer has scored nearly 150 movies.

"Every job starts the same way. I either see a director or I get a phone call and somebody says, 'I want to tell you a story,'" Zimmer said.

His story began in Frankfurt, Germany. As a kid, he had two weeks of piano lessons. That's it. In his 20s, he played synthesizer in the new wave band, The Buggles, and their 1979 hit, "Video Killed the Radio Star."

It was the first music video ever played on MTV.

"For me it was really the impetus to go, 'Hey I like this idea of combining visuals and music. This is really this is really where I want to go,'" Zimmer said.

His Hollywood catalogue includes hits like "Gladiator," 14 years of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series and the "Dark Knight" Batman trilogy.

He has had 10 Oscar nominations winning in 1995 for Disney's "The Lion King." All that success, and yet every new project makes him anxious.

"The first two, three weeks are just complete agony of, 'oh my God, I don't know how to do this anymore. Maybe now I should phone the director and tell him he should hire someone else.' All the neuroses and self-doubt and the fear it's all there," Zimmer said.

On the piano, Zimmer showed us how he created the music for the movie "Interstellar."

Zimmer became a rock star again this summer. He's currently on a 46-date world tour with a full orchestra and choir. He also played at this year's Coachella festival.

"And I didn't know what to expect from the audience and the audience didn't know what to expect from us," Zimmer said. "To see so many grown men cry, I mean we touched them, we moved them. We did give them that experience. I've been hiding behind the screen. I have never looked them in the eye. It's making me a better composer. It really is."

Remember that the next time you're at a big movie and the closing credits say, "Music by Hans Zimmer."

2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The rest is here:
Legendary film composer Hans Zimmer on career and why "Dunkirk" is personal - CBS News

Whatever your personal definition of success, you know when youre not reaching it. You just feel blah. Uninspired. Unfulfilled.

So how do you go from being mediocre to successful, whatever your definition of that may be?

Start making higher-quality choices. A recent CNBC article, Why Most People Will Never Be Successful, asserted that success is continuously improving who you are, how you live, how you serve and how you relate.

That means focusing on those few things which matter most, Benjamin Hardy writes in the article. Hardy challenges, If your daily behaviors are consistently low quality, what do you expect your lifes output to be?

When you focus on self-improvement, educating yourself and making higher quality choices, you will see your personal success meter pointing away from mediocrity. We all have to indulge once in a while in a little mindless YouTube watching or Facebook scrolling, but start paying more attention to how consistently youre making choices that feed your brain, body and soul and your motivation to crave something better in life.

So, before you pick up the sugar- and caffeine-laden energy drink, perhaps pick up a glass of water. Consider turning off The Bachelorette and tuning in to Frontline, and putting down People magazine and picking up the newspaper.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, focusing on being successful can actually drain you. Because youre always trying to achieve this goal or that goal, you dont enjoy the journey. Reframe how you view your work, by focusing on what you enjoy about it, not whether it won an award or even a pat on your back from the boss. By focusing on your craft, youll find more fulfillment on a daily basis.

Its easy to fall into patterns and just do what your job requires. But those who are willing to go beyond whats expected are the ones who excel.

Plan ahead to try to anticipate what might be needed, what might be next steps, and what obstacles might arise. Successful people get noticed for thinking ahead.

Theres a reason everyones heard the saying, if you dont have your health, you dont have anything theres truth to it. If your health suffers, so will your success. According to Fast Company, practicing self-care is one of the six things the most productive people do every day. This can be in the form of a cardio workout, a light lunch-hour stroll or nightly meditation.

And get enough sleep. Arianna Huffington, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos get seven hours of sleep, according to a list of successful peoples sleep habits. Sure, some highly successful people have achieved much on far less sleep, but scientific evidence continues to mount that skipping sleep is actually the most counterproductive decision you can make.

Some of todays top entrepreneurs schedule time to think. Why? Because to stay ahead of the competition, you need new ideas. Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn, schedules two hours of thinking time every day. And several high-profile CEOs in recent years have rejected the idea of constant busyness, touting the importance of critical thinking in an ever-changing digital economy.

Because everyones definition of success can be different, its important that you are clear on what success means to you and what you need to do to get there. Then create the infrastructure to stay focused and to keep progressing. One way to do this is to build your own board of directors, four or five individuals who can serve as consultants in regard to work matters. When you own your career, you take responsibility for your success.

How do you challenge yourself to avoid being mediocre? We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.

boost productivity tips for success work motivation

Read more from the original source:
Do These 6 Things to Move From Mediocrity to Success - PayScale Career News (blog)

This is a sad reality that leads to desperation and bad decisions. Imagine having a zero account balance with 15 days to the next pay check - that feeling is one of pain and perhaps regret. When we receive that pay check, we shouldnt dismiss the feelings we had 15 days prior. We need keep that memory in our brains and find ways to make our money go further.

We have eight rules that if you live by them - get you on the road to financial success. They are simple, and they work, but theyre not necessarily easy to put into practice. Thats why only a few of us are wealthy.

RULE 1

Save For The Future First As Soon Ss You Get Paid.

This is called paying yourself first. Save first, spend later. Set up a savings account or a money market fund, and move some money into it as soon as you get paid. The concept is considered the Golden Principle among wealthy people and forming the habit is more important than the amount you are putting away.

As your salary hits your account, the whole world tries to get you to spend every last thebe. If you spend first intending to save whatever is left, you will either run out of money or run out of motivation by the end of the month.

When you prioritise saving, youre telling yourself that your future success is an important thing to you. Getting in the savings habit has a positive psychological impact - you are motivated to make sound financial decisions. Saving for your future first then becomes second nature.

A Part Of All You Earn Is Yours To Keep

George S Clason - author of The Richest Man in Babylon

You get up every morning, do your best in your employment or business and get paid monthly. You deserve to keep a portion of your hard-earned money and that should be your priority. Theres a perception in Africa that putting yourself first means you are selfish. This makes putting the principle into practice difficult. Thinking about saving for yourself first can ignite guilt feelings and emotions thus deterring you from actually saving.

The other psychological aspect preventing most of us from saving first is instant gratification. When you receive your salary, your present is all that matters and your future is the last thing in your mind. The satisfaction of spending it all gives you a rush of euphoria. Its only when you come down from that high you then think of saving. However by that time, your account balance looks pitiful and you have no motivation.

You need to control your money - not the other way around.

It is important to fight

against the guilt, temptation and procrastination in order to have power over your money.

Paying yourself first is actually very empowering and beneficial as it allows you to be liquid, and pay cash for things. That saves you more money and gives you bargaining power!

Tips For This Rule:

a) Automate the process

Having a stop order that immediately transfers 10% of your salary from your current account to your savings account is simple. Make the decision now and then the action by the stop order will keep that decision going. That way you wont back out of it or change your mind.

b) Put your saving contribution in your Monthly Budget

List the money you put for saving under your expenditures. This tricks your brain to see saving as one of your compulsory payments such as rent, utilities etc.

By setting a portion of your income as your first expense, youre able to save before you are tempted into spending it all.

c) Focus on what you are saving for

Have a goal in mind when you are saving. Whatever the goal may be, you must WANT that goal hard enough to keep on saving. If you dont have a goal, you are far less likely to continue paying yourself first.

d) As your income increases, increase the saving

Quite often, when we get promoted and receive a salary increase, we first think of how to improve our lifestyle.

By increasing the monthly saving contribution at the same rate your monthly income increases, it gives momentum to building your wealth and really gets the snowball rolling.

Final Review

Ultimately, you are the one in charge of your financial present and financial future.

When youre making financial decisions, envisage the Future-You - still YOU, but in 10 or 20 years time.

James Fern - Certified Financial Planner. Sometimes we think that saving is depriving ourselves. We need to realise that we are still going to spend that money - its just that our future-self is going to be doing the spending. The Pay Yourself First principle is simple, but it may not be easy. One needs to actively change their mindset or even resort to mind tricks to get into the habit. For the readers already implementing this principle, I commend you. You are on the right path. If you have not, I urge you to at least try.

Money is such an amazing teacher. What you choose to do with your money shows whether you are truly powerful or powerless

Suze Orman - Financial Guru

Catch Rule 2 of Personal Financial Success next week.

* Vanessa Mphathi is a Financial Adviser with S.C.I. Group (Pty) Ltd. S.C.I. offer Personal Financial Planning, Investment Advice and Wealth Management for individuals and companies. Contact 3180111 or advice@scifinancial.com

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Eight Rules to Personal Financial Success - Mmegi Online

A well-known travel writer and prominent former marketer for Sony video game products was arrested after a man accused him of indecent assault during a job interview.

James Hong Ming-sang, 47, former director of Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong, allegedly touched the 22-year-old male interviewees private parts in a North Point office on July 25.

The Sichuan-born author of more than 20 titles was also said to have kissed the victim without his consent.

The student made a police report at North Point Police Station the next day.

Hong was arrested on Monday. He was later released and must report back later this month. An Eastern District investigation team is on the case.

Hong was known to the Hong Kong public for his promotion of the PlayStation video game console. He quit Sony in 2013.

Hong has hosted TV and radio travel programmes and has been writing travel columns. He is also known for his personal success story.

Hong started out as a 16-year-old newcomer to Hong Kong from Sichuan province with just HK$2 in his pocket.

He entered Form Four at a private school but had a difficult time adjusting since he knew very little English and Cantonese. He put in extra effort to catch up and eventually graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a psychology and philosophy degree.

Hongs Japanese language ability helped earn him a position at Sony Computer Entertainment in 1998. Over 13 years, he worked his way up from marketing officer to general manager of the marketing division and was regarded as having played a significant part in the local success of the PlayStation.

In 2011, he became the companys first Chinese director.

He published his first travel book in 2010, raising HK$500,000 for charity.

Hongs last public appearance was on July 24 at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair, where he promoted two newly published books.

Read the rest here:
Well-known travel writer and ex-Sony marketer arrested for indecent assault - South China Morning Post

The most effective solutions to complicated problems can sometimes be the simplest. Case in point, one conservative group's strategy to undermine Big Labor is as straightforward as informing certain union members that they do not have to pay dues.

The impetus for this effort came from the Supreme Court's decision in Harris v. Quinn. The ruling forbade a common but very shady arrangement by which several Democratic governors had forced more than 100,000 homecare workers nationwide into unions. States like Illinois, Michigan, Oregon and others invented the fiction that these workers were government employees on the basis that their clients (usually chronically ill family members) were using Medicaid money to pay for their care. This scheme was intended to allow the unions (specifically the Service Employees International Union) to skim from benefits intended for the sick and poor.

Under the Supreme Court's ruling in Harris, homecare workers in this situation are free to opt out of union membership and pay no dues, because they aren't true government employees. And many of them already taken advantage of the decision and quit their union, but many more remain unaware that they have this option, because it isn't something the union especially wants them to know about.

Enter the Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit based in the Pacific Northwest. It recently announced that its efforts have resulted in an estimated 10,000 workers withholding dues, "costing the unions and Democratic candidates over $10 million to date."

"By educating union members about their right to stop paying union dues, Freedom Foundation defunds Big Labor," the organization says in a promotional video released Monday. "That means more money for the workers and less money for liberal politicians."

On Friday, the foundation also revealed new data from a public records request about the work it has been doing along these lines in the Oregon market. It turns out that 11,399 of the 28,667 homecare and personal support workers who had been forced into the union have quit SEIU 503 in the last two years, the very workers to which the Freedom Foundation had been reaching out to in its information campaign. The consequential drop in dues that unions suffer as a result of these campaigns cuts into their cash supply -- a pot that's used to fund the campaigns of Democratic candidates around the country, despite many union members being conservative.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the SEIU donated $1,461,756 to congressional candidates in the 2016 cycle, all of which went to Democrats. Meanwhile, an AFL-CIO exit poll found 37 percent of union members voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton last November.

It's only logical then to assume the Foundation's efforts will result in fewer union members and less money flowing to Democratic candidates as right-leaning workers are informed of their rights, a venture that could impact campaigns on both the local and national levels in future years.

Emily Jashinsky is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.

Link:
Anti-union nonprofit finds success undercutting Big Labor - Washington Examiner

For a running back that had nearly 1,700 rushing yards as a junior, Garrett Morris remains as humble as a young man seemingly can be as he deflects praise for his accomplishments on the field. Instead, he decidedly points towards the bond of his teammates and coaches for his success.

The rising senior garnered Class 7A All-State first team honors for his accomplishments last year, though he views his accolades as a result of the opportunities that his team provided for him.

Last year when I was playing running back, I was able to show my stuff because of the offensive line and everyone else on the field, said Morris, one of the Opelika-Auburn News' Super 8 Seniors. They really opened up holes and then they gave me the opportunity to show my speed when I had to or run over someone but they didnt miss blocks and I didnt really have to do that.

Personally, I dont feel like I was doing anything more than each and every one next to me. I see everyone the same on our team, I think it takes all 11 of us to be out there and win every game that we did.

While Morris breakout year as a junior put him on the map, head coach Adam Winegarden saw the talent and his desire early on a year before.

When he was a sophomore, we recognized early that this kid had winning characteristics, Winegarden said. Hes a battler; hes a competitor in everything we do. Its hard to be a follower before we become a leader, but he had all the characteristics of the winning makeup.

We knew that early in that year we had to start investing time in to get him ready to play because at some point that year we knew he was going to need to play for us. We got to the second half of the year and he was the big spark our team needed.

Morris was thrust into an early contributing role as a sophomore as the team was hit with several injuries, and despite the early call-up, he thrived as a player and built a relationship with his leaders that has inspired him as leader as he enters his final year.

Tyus Flakes was the running back here and just to be on the same field as that guy, it was awful that he got hurt early in spring practice, but he was a mentor to me, Morris said. When I was a sophomore and the seniors up there Bradley Northcutt up there at quarterback and everyone they really showed me how to be a leader and how to lead the people younger than me.

As Morris gained a greater knowledge of how to lead, it only served to bring the qualities that were already instilled within him based on the foundation that he was given from his family, friends, coaches and teammates.

His success on the field can be attributed to the support of those around him, but Winegarden also recognizes that Morris accomplishments have come from a tremendous expectation of himself.

Hes got a great family thats poured a lot into him, hes been given a great foundation by his family, Winegarden said. Your best players are self-motivated, and your best players are ones that have a high sense of excellence, not only in the sport that they play but in every aspect of their life. With that, he has a lot of great life balance. He gets what this is all about, he gets what his purpose is, he expects the very best out of himself in everything he does.

Morris has pushed himself, and while he prefers to point to his teammates for coming together and finding success as team, he has racked up numerous accolades and set the bar high for his senior year.

He rushed for 1,643 yards and 16 touchdowns and added 324 receiving yards with four touchdowns as he finished the 2016 season as a Class 7A finalist for back of the year. With such personal success, and a team that finished in the second round of the state playoffs, the expectations for team also remain high.

We are shooting for nothing less than a state championship, Morris said. But I feel like with football it comes with so many that you learn just by becoming a leader, becoming a friend, learning all of the life values that the coaches teach you. Thats really what people take away from the game, because you dont get to play football your whole life, but you will live out these characteristics that the coaches teach you and that you practice every day out on the football field.

While Morris looks to the life lessons that can be taken away from football, its no wonder to see the schools that have voiced their interest in him and offered scholarships. Morris holds four scholarship offers from West Point, the Naval Academy, Richmond and Furman.

Visit link:
BOND OF BROTHERS: Auburn's Garrett Morris finds strength and success through teammates - Opelika Auburn News

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Per Mertesacker says Arsenal want Alexis Sanchez to stay because of the special talent he brings. Shaka Hislop reacts to Per Mertesacker's decision to head up Arsenal's academy after the 2017/18 season.

LONDON -- Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker says he wants to influence the club "on a different level" when he takes over at the academy next year.

Mertesacker announced this month that he will retire at the end of the forthcoming season and become Arsenal's new academy director.

The former Germany international, speaking after Arsenal's 5-2 Emirates Cup win over Benfica, said he was excited about "getting an opportunity to work here and inspire young people."

He added: "That is my path, and that is why I made this decision. But the club has so much trust in me, and that's why I took that job as well."

Some have speculated that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could be preparing Mertesacker as his eventual replacement.

But the defender said: "I have no ambition [to become a manager] at the minute, because I have no coaching background.

"So learning will be something that I have to really do, but I embrace that. I love this club, and I'm hoping that I can have an impact on a different level."

Mertesacker has already started mentoring academy players such as 17-year-old Reiss Nelson, who has impressed in the club's preseason games.

"I like to see them playing that well, but it takes more than that," he said. "And to educate them a little bit is fun for me -- to be a helping hand, to communicate well with them.

"They need some guidance -- they're not quite there. [I am] influencing them on the pitch, being that guy who is questioning things, who is not just praising, who is always reminding them what it takes."

Mertesacker is also helping new signings Sead Kolasinac and Alexandre Lacazette settle in at Arsenal and said fans needed to give ex-Lyon star Lacazette time to adjust to the Premier League, calling it "a huge step" from Ligue 1.

He praised Kolasinac for his performance against Benfica, saying: "He is a presence and he fits well into this team, and he's quick as well -- he looks lively.

"He can play a deeper role in that back three because he's got that tactical education from Germany -- you can feel that in training."

Mertesacker added the continued uncertainty surrounding Alexis Sanchez was not affecting the team and stressed: "We cannot just concentrate on one player. That doesn't work.

"Everyone wants him to stay because he's a player with the X factor. But still, we're not focusing as much on that because it's another season and we have new signings, trying to implement them into our game.

"To focus just on one player is not what this club is about."

Mattias is ESPN FC's Arsenal correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @MattiasKaren.

See the article here:
Per Mertesacker aims to inspire young Arsenal players to success - ESPN FC