"The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 wasted thirty years of his life." -- Muhammad Ali

A real professional regardless of age is someone who is always trying to learn more. Technology is fast advancing. As sophisticated as technology gets, the essence of continuing education remains the same. By prioritizing the continued search for knowledge, you will gain a definite advantage over those who work without this goal in mind. You will be valued in your organization and the people you work with. Your communication and relating in the workplace will be more interesting, intense, and forceful! It's about time to set your goal for 2005. On top of your list should be projects for self-growth and development for the biggest room in the world is the room for self-improvement!

Global Village

"We belong to the Age of Communication." That phrase brings to mind a vision of what communications scholar Mashall McLuhan called the Global Village, myriad societies of every degree of sophistication linked by communication. The Age of Communication is upon us in a large part because of revolutions in communication technologies. With Marconi's development of the wireless radio in the late 19th century came the possibility of the near-limitless communication between peoples; the computer chip increased the speed and complexity of messages; and the satellite provided 'round-the-world instantaneous connections between people of every culture. Thus, your continued search for growth has become easier to attain for the entire world seems to be at your fingertips! Through communication and your participation in the Global Village, nothing seems to unreachable.

Self-help Tools ?

There are a number of tools for you to improve yourself both professionally and personally. Here are some simple ways to do so:

1. Your own observations
Watch people on television. Cut the sound - or cut the picture. When you attend a conference or training sessions, make notes. Keep a file on topics that contain interesting methods and effects you come across with. Record yourself, listen to yourself, or watch yourself on video. Find out what you've got going for you and what you should try to improve on.

2. People's comments
Ask the opinions of friends and colleagues remembering that if they are true friends, they will tell you everything they think. A Chinese proverb states: "There's no better mirror than a true friend."

3. Attend training sessions
As good as it is, no book can fully replace a live public speaking seminar. It cannot compensate for full weekend training sessions, hours of watching yourself on video, and the practical aspects of participating in group situations. The energy of the group helps you to continue improving yourself. You will refine your perceptions of others and of yourself.

4. Expand your reading
Other than books, interviews in magazines can also be a source of interesting and useful information. Learn how others deal with questions, supply proof for their statements, introduce and conclude a subject, use visuals, and the like.

5. Network through the Internet
The internet, sometimes called simply "the net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). Today, the internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people globally. Physically, the Internet uses a portion of the total resources of the currently existing public telecommunication networks. For many internet users, electronic mail (e-mail) has practically replaced the Postal Service for short written transactions. Electronic mail is the most widely used application on the Net. You can also carry on live "conversations" with other computer users using Internet Relay Chat. More recently, Internet telephony hardware and software allow real-time voice conversations. The most widely used part of the Internet is the World Wide Web (often abbreviated "WWW" or called "the "Web"). Its outstanding feature is hypertext, a method of instant cross-referencing. In most Web sites, certain words or phrases appear in text or a different color than the rest. Using the Web, you have access to millions of pages of information. Web browsing is done with a Web browser, the most popular of which is are the Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Networking has become a powerful instrument for continuing education with the introduction of the Internet!

Vision for 2005?
Knowledge quest is ageless. "You become what you think you are!" "You may not know it but your tops!" As the old saying goes - "AIM HIGH" and "REACH FOR THE STARS!" What a way to usher 2005!