The graceful guest is upon us yet again. Growing up in a fairly large family, I was always excited when Ramadhan was on. More for the abundance of food, fresh fruit and the lively family spirits, Alhamdulillah. Never did I ever Imagine, It would one day be my turn to plan, organise, cook and make sure everyone is okaY, Subhanallah. Well as a wife and mother, this Ramadhan, I would like to inspire what I have learned over the past year. About how as wives, mothers and daughters we should maximise the few hours when we aren't fretting about everyone else. 1. Quran, aside from reading it at suhoor, we could put the player in the kitchen and have it recite, we can also recite along as we go over our chores. lately smart phones are the rage, change the content to Quran. Every minute of Thikr counts! 2. Dua, while going about our daily chores, as the kids play and we fuss over them, we should make dua together as a family. 3. Sadaqa, lets face it, we usually leave this to the men since we rarely leave our homes. But May Allah enable us give sadaqa in our own capacity and one of the ways I know how is by inviting (with the husband's permission of course) one person to break fast with everyday for the whole Ramadhan. for in the Ummah, we believe that what is enough for one is enough for two. Subhannallah 4. Good skin. Yes am a lady Alhamdulillah and the good old trick of drinking enough water when breaking fast and at Suhoor works. Plus always keep a bottle of moisturiser on hand. it helps to sooth the skin especially after wudhu 5. Challenge yourself to go for taraweh this Ramadhan. 6. Last and MOST important, before you stock up on your home, stock up for your parents with groceries and Dua in Shaa Allah. May Allah accept our Ramadhan, In shaa Allah

Shamirah's Ramblings

The age of selfies.
7:00pm, is an hour that reminds me, rather nostalgicaly how I miss sitting on my mothers lap while the old man told tales and usually wound up with a wise saying.
I live and work in a generation quite facinated by electronic gadgets that are fast replacing human relationships along with their wisdom.
Selfies! One other activity that has taken the fancy of many when they take their own photo using a phone or such other handy devices.
Usually positioned to capture their best angle, so reveal such aspects of their beauty to whomever cares to see.
And so while I took my own first selfie, I was quite impressed with the outcome.
However as I use 's I wondered if this selfie business should be carried a notch further. What if in the camera of life namely the eyes of those we cared about, we positioned more than our looks?
What if we put our best actions foward especially in uplifting humanity?
Then and only then would it be truly fulfilling to take selfie 's so to speak

Art Quote of the Day Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. LEONARDO DAVINCI

“I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life. I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life." I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou

coming up with the next big idea

(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY There's no magic formula for coming up with the next big thing, and there's no shortage of people trying. Luckily, there doesn't appear to be any shortage of demand for innovative ideas and products.

Having been around entrepreneurs, startups, and innovative companies my entire career, I've seen quite a few methods that seek to foster innovation. Here are eight "innovation catalysts" that really work:

Standing on the shoulders of giants. Innovators often elevate others' ideas into products people can use. There's a device called a ScareCrow that detects pesky animals like birds or rodents and shoots water at them. It's actually a motion sensor combined with an impulse sprinkler. It works, it's relatively inexpensive, and it's ingenious because there's nothing new; it's just two inventions used together in a unique way.

Unintended consequences. More often than not, products go viral or succeed for different reasons or uses than originally intended by their entrepreneurs. McDonald's (MCD) started with a hotdog, not a burger. Mark Zuckerberg's first stab at Facebook, dubbed Facemash, was to rate whether female Harvard University students were hot or not. Google's (GOOG) founders created a search engine, but the company's remarkable business success comes entirely from an advertising business model.

Think different. MP3 players, smartphones, and tablet computers were around long before Apple (AAPL) introduced the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. But Apple doesn't develop products the way other companies do. It ignores the status quo, doesn't use focus groups, and when it outsources functions it manages them meticulously, like a vertically integrated company. Apple doesn't look at competitive devices and ask, "How can we make it better?" It asks, "What do people really want to do that they can't" -- and delivers.

Innovators don't see different things -- they see things differently
Where does innovation come from?
Unusual origins of 15 innovative companies

Meet customer needs, one step at a time. Sony (SNE) was originally a radio repair shop. Toyota (TM) made looms. Nokia (NOK) was a paper mill. IBM (IBM) sold weight scales, meat slicers and coffee grinders. Xerox (XRX) made photographic paper. Sometimes, you just start somewhere, put one foot in front of the other, and end up somewhere else entirely. It helps if you follow the needs of your customers.

It's not the end; it's the beginning. Some people and companies have a great idea or develop a unique product, become incredibly enamored with what they've managed to come up with, and promptly sit on it. Kodak (EK) actually invented the digital camera. Tivo (TIVO) lost control of digital video-recording technology. Stanford Research (now SRI) and Xerox PARC had loads of inventions that were commercialized and popularized by others. And don't even get me started with RIM (RIM) and its BlackBerry smartphone. Once you've come up with something, don't stop -- keep innovating.

A focus group of one. Some people have a unique ability to intuit what customers want before they even know it themselves. Others have flashes of inspiration that come from who-knows-where. How do you know if someone in your organization has some of that Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein magic going on? I don't know, but for some people and organizations a focus group of one is all you need.

Fish or cut bait? Sometimes you've got to have a sense for when to keep going and when to quit. How do you know? I've heard everyone from top venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson to Oracle (ORCL) CEO Larry Ellison essentially say that, to be a successful entrepreneur, you need to be prepared for 100 people to tell you you're an idiot. I guess that means fish ... and keep fishing.

Brainstorm. Brainstorming has become a watered-down term in business. Like any process, there are a few ways to do it right and many ways to do it wrong. Nevertheless, if you get the right people in a room, the right leader, the right goal, ask the right questions, and use the right methodology, you'd be amazed what you can come up with. I know, that's a lot of rights, but believe me, it can be done

its just common sense

its very common for people to assume sense is common and yet we are victims of the lack of it at one time. when especially we are managers, we tend to take the high ground on many issues and overlook simplicity that makes a lot of sense. well, back to basics here are a few tips on common sense ...
Don’t be afraid of the phrase, “I don’t know”. If you don’t know the answer, don’t try to bluff. If you’re at fault, take the blame. If you’re wrong, apologize. A wise person once said, “if you always tell the truth, you never have to remember which lies you told to which person.”

Never gossip. If someone wants to gossip with you, politely say you’re not interested. Remember the old adage, “when someone gossips, two careers are hurt – the person being talked about, and the person doing the talking.”

No task is beneath you. Don’t think you are above anything. Pitch in – especially if the job is one no one wants to do.

Share the credit whenever possible. Leaders who spread around credit look much stronger that those who take all the credit for themselves.

Ask for help. If you think you are in over your head, you are. Ask for help before things get out of hand. Besides saving yourself an embarrassment, you make a friend and ally.

When you don’t like someone, don’t let it show. Never burn bridges or offend others as you move ahead.

Let it go. What shouldn’t happen often does: you weren’t given the project you wanted, you were passed over for a promotion you thing you deserved. Be gracious and diplomatic – and move on. Harboring a grudge won’t advance your career.

When you’re right, don’t gloat. The only time you should ever use the phrase “I told you so”, is when someone says to you “you were right, I really could succeed at that job”.

These are some great common sense bits of wisdom. Use them, and watch you life, career and business blossom

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