Category: Industry Tips

5 Surefire Ways To Make 2021 Your Best Year Yet

Posted on by geqadmin

It’s hard to believe 2021 is already here. 2020 has definitely been an extremely challenging year full of change and uncertainty. As we are all aware, the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve further and we are still dealing with a massive global challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate globally impacting how we all operate and manage our businesses and lives day to day.

In addition to the immediate and serious health concerns, we are also seeing a much wider impact on all of our lives as well as the global economy as a whole. Understandably, there is a considerable sense of unease all over the world.

So how do you plan to welcome the year ahead?

New Year, like the sun, is almost shining its rays on us. A couple of days from now, we will be celebrating the coming of new hope, a new inspiration, and a continuing triumph against the challenges in life. It is a display of loud and colourful fireworks thrown into the vast sky, a grateful celebration of the year we bid goodbye to, and a hopeful invitation to a new slate in our life. But what does it really mean to you?

Every year, we are faced with heightened anticipation as we lay out our goals and plans for the year ahead. We think of it religiously in the promise of daily opportunities and 365 days of chances. The more it draws itself to us, the brighter we see ourselves in its glorifying blessings and exciting beginnings.  We look forward and bombard the first midnight with endless wants and wishes that we sometimes tend to forget the sturdy platform where these plans of ours stand –our inner self. So how do we work on ourselves to be able to successfully map out an organised 2021 despite the pandemic looming over our very heads?

Leave Unnecessary Things

Needless to say, de-cluttering may be one of the most neglected words we have but this year, be the difference that you desire and start by offloading stuff that you don’t actually need. This goes beyond tangible things since often, your negative emotions like anger and grudges take over your life. Release the bad vibes in your life and carve a path for a peaceful surrounding and stress-free day to day living.

Prioritise Big Things and Lift Your Littlest Ambitions

Maneuver every now and then to reckon if you’re doing the right thing at the right time. Are you caught up between the rocks of your short term goals and long term aspirations? Visualise yourself and maximise time by weeding off your life-destroyers and pick up the points that strongly contribute to your self-effectiveness and spectacular rewards.

Make Friends With Your Calendar

Mark important dates such as school and business appointments and devote a time that is solely assigned for you to face your to-do lists and accomplish those set-off goals.

Start a Healthy Financial Management Strategy

Know all your finances by heart and arm yourself with strong self-discipline and a realistic budget. File your bills accordingly and limit your credit card expenses.

Stay Focused

The way to an organised year entails hard work and conviction. There will be days when following all your set life draft may seem impossible and this is where staying focused on your vision comes in. Your self-productivity and time management play a lead role in keeping you present and motivated.

The countdown for New Year begins with you. It’s a blank space waiting for you to take as you shape your destiny so take it, draw your vision of life, write your big dreams in it and get up to steal them. 2021 is here, embrace it!

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How To Position Yourself As A Pageant Fan Instead Of An Online Troll

Posted on by geqadmin

I admire loyalty and patriotism. But sometimes, blind nationalism can work against you. So yes. Diehard fans will no doubt start firing off and my inbox will once again be full of the usual hate mail and death threats.

‘Tis the season indeed.

I myself am a member of various pageant forums online and have witnessed the trolling phenomenon grow, shocked by the fact that my own friends and associates are guilty of perpetrating, or rather, instigating this. If you are one and are reading this article, I beseech you to please read on and consider, and maybe…just maybe, you’ll be doing your country and your delegate a favour and not a disservice. That is, of course, you’re open-minded enough to read through and recognize any troll-like qualities you may be displaying.

The beauty of the Internet is that we are now much more accessible with a huge reach. We are interacting with people and communities we formerly had no access to and everything is now in real-time. It has made the world a smaller place. The problem with the Internet is that the village idiot has now been given a global platform.

I myself have been guilty of the occasional trolling. Not even royalty is perfect after all. But one must recognize that one is a work in progress. As long as you are indeed progressing. Thankfully I have very close friends who pull me up on any missteps I make – the same beauty queens who themselves have been subjected to online bullying and trolls.

So as a new pageant season begins, how does one become an ideal pageant fan and not a rabid idiot from the global village?

• Keep it positive. You gain nothing by praising your girl and running the competition down. Be a good sport. I love how beauty queens band together and support each other. But just because one person is being an idiot doesn’t mean you have to be one yourself.

• When online, keep all communications universal and in English. If you’re going to engage yourself in an online debate, fight fair and with facts. And a debate usually means allowing your opponent the right for rebuttal.

• No one likes a fake profile. Many find it easy to criticize and bully behind a fake alias. Of course, it’s easy. That’s why cowards do it. If you’re going to say or do something, stand by it and put your name behind it.

• When attending a pageant, be understanding and respect authority, security, and organisers. The girls are on a strict schedule and are not always available for autographs and interviews. If they are in a rush, do not get in the way. Remember that insiders are always watching and causing them to be late to an event can affect their chances. If a contestant can’t give you a moment for a selfie or a chat, it doesn’t necessarily make them a bitch.

• There is nothing more irritating than living in a fishbowl. Sometimes the public can access the girls during breakfast, especially if they are staying in the same hotel. If you are one of these people, respect the fact that your girl has to eat. Refrain from taking photographs of the ladies while they are eating. You’ll find that many will be gracious enough to allow time for photos. Don’t be greedy.

• Avoid speaking to the ladies about online reviews. The last thing these ladies need is a distraction, positive or negative. Trust me, they do their own investigations and they speak amongst themselves. Stick to messages of support. Leave advice giving to their handlers and directors.

• Get to know the directors. If anyone wants to know how their girl is going or if you want to know insider goss, be friendly with the directors and handlers. But keep the information confidential. Respect what you are given and never abuse it.

• Remember that beauty comes in all forms and the judges have the final say. No one likes a bad sport. Celebrate all victories even if it does not go your way. Remember that all other contestants have worked as hard, sometimes harder than your own candidate. Praise in public, and if you must criticize, do it in private.

• Be wary of who you share information with. You don’t know who that information will go to and where it will end up. Be selective on who you talk to – everyone has a smartphone and whatever information is shared can be uploaded in seconds. Even if deleted, you don’t know who has taken a screenshot and run with that piece of evidence.

Generally, if you keep it classy, you’ll be fine. So keep it honorable – whatever you put out, you get back. The negativity you throw out says more about you than the subject you are criticizing and remember that there is a fine line between witty and tasteless. There’s merit in the saying: “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

We admire the loyalty and passion but not at the expense of the competition. Just remember – stupid is what stupid does and as Pia Wurtzbach said during her final Q and A at the Bb Pilipinas contest, “think before you click”.

4 Powerful Mantras to Start Your Day, Find Peace, and Gain Success

Posted on by geqadmin

Granted, some mornings are better than others! No matter what the mood or situation, you’ll be thanking yourself silly if you follow these 4 easy steps before leaving the house every morning. They will ensure you start your day off positively and with an air of complete determination and purpose.

1. I am just as good as the person next to me.

Always remember that the person you’re comparing yourself to is always going to be comparing themselves to someone too. You never know, it could even be you! Although a little bit of extra push and determination can come from comparisons, generally, making daily comparisons to others can be very detrimental to a woman’s thought process’. Constantly thinking ‘she’s much skinnier than me’ or, ‘she likes him more than she likes me’ is simply pure negativity. Remember that you are on the exact path in life you’re supposed to be on and everyone has a different path. The time taken to stop and look around at everyone else’s paths is simply going to slow you down on your own.

2. Today I will be brilliant.

For me, I find this to be very important. Every morning I wake up, look in the mirror and say (out loud), ‘today I will be brilliant!’ There are a few reasons for this – I promise there is a method to the madness. The first reason is that I like to use my voice before I have to speak to anyone else and embarrass myself with the husky cough we all know too well because the ole’ vocal chords aren’t warmed up. The second and more important reason is that positive self-talk is really important to a successful outlook on life.

3. I deserve the best

I think this is something women are constantly compromising on, and you know what? I’m sick of it ladies! Everyone deserves the absolute best when it comes to important matters of life! Now I’m not talking having the perfect espresso every morning from your local brewhouse, I’m talking much bigger picture! Things like relationships, jobs, and friends. Yes, it is hard to find a balance between the three, but simply aiming for the best will push you in the right direction. Settling for ‘just ok’ or ‘average’ should be a thing of the past!

4. Say Cheese!

Smiling as you walk out of the front door can be one of the most rewarding things you can do all day. It can truly set the tone for the rest of your day. The mere act of smiling releases endorphins and initiates a chemical reaction in your brain which forces happiness to conquer any feeling of unease. I find this technique especially useful when I’ve had one of those terrible mornings where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong! Even though you’re in a state wherein the very SheWitch Banshee from Hell would be afraid of you, forcing a smile will help you to leave all negativity behind you.