How to strive in hard times

By Praise Rundofa

When life gives us a hard time we usually wish that such times never have happened. One day you have a job, the next you don’t, your car breaks down, house still incomplete, you don’t have enough saved up for your child’s fees for the term. These are some of the very real scenarios of challenges that we are exposed to. In the midst of these hard times Zimnat, has a way of making life better for you despite the complexity.

The basic step in dealing with hard times is to realize that some of them are real opportunities. Insecurity is a bitter pill to swallow but that fear can motivate someone to learn how to be resilient and adaptive to future highs and lows. Zimnat Microfinance offers clients business loans of up to RTGS$250,000 that can help one hedge against hard times; through facilities such as working capital financing, asset financing to mention but a few.

The Greek philosopher Epictetus, says "We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them." It's easy to forget that we have this choice when we're caught in the current situation - especially fear, despair, or anger.  Our pain looms so large that it seems immutable we can always choose how we respond. And this choice begins in how we talk to ourselves about our circumstances and decisions we make in business.  What we say to ourselves about what's happening to us has a profound impact on how we feel about it.  Positive thinking is a strong force everyone can tap into. Do your thoughts nurture you and bring you hope for your future? If not, create a healthy belief system. Think uplifting thoughts, choose uplifting feelings and focus on creative ideas.

Life problems don't cause depression but it’s the inability to cope with the life problems that can lead to depression. To prepare for financial setbacks, we need to have prepared beforehand. Do we have an emergency fund? Do you have funds to cushion your business? Start simple by talking to Zimnat financial advisors for a solution.

When you are fretting and fearful, stop and think of Zimnat, a tried and tested brand that has been in existence for over 50 years and associated with the largest non-banking financial services group on the African continent Sanlam.

The more you acknowledge gratitude, the happier you will become. Gratitude heals. You can choose to focus on what’s missing in your life, but what you need instead is a solution. You can choose happiness now by choosing to make your life better with Zimnat.

Zimnat is a diversified Zimbabwean financial group associated with the Sanlam Group, which has four business units, namely Zimnat General Insurance, Zimnat Life Assurance, Zimnat Financial Services and Zimnat Asset Management.

by zimnadmin

Strange But True Health Tips

Your health is your wealth and you should invest in your wealth just as much as you invest for your future.

Diet
There’s an easy recipe if your goal is to keep away problems like heart disease and strokes.
• Eat more fruits and veggies.
• Choose whole grains. Try brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole wheat pasta.
• Choose lean proteins like poultry, fish, beans, and legumes.
• Cut down on processed foods, sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
• Maintain a well-balanced diet always
• Don’t skip breakfast

Remember it’s not always about quantities but quality also.

Physical exercise
After a long, exhausting workday, exercising sounds like the last thing you would want to do, but getting your sweat on will actually energize you. Fatigue along with mood and depression improves after a single 30-minute moderate intensity exercise session. Everything we do uses oxygen, so when you exercise it helps you work more efficiently and you don’t tire as easily and you also function better mentally. Exercise boosts your heart health, builds muscle and bone strength, and wards off health problems.

Cut down Your stress
Stress can take a toll on your health. You probably can’t avoid it altogether, but you can find ways to ease the impact. Don’t take on too much. Try to set limits with yourself and others.
• To relieve stress, try:
• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Massage
• Exercise
• Healthy eating
• Talking to a friend, family member, or professional counselor

Drinking lots of water
When you feel bloated, drinking water sounds as if it would only drink water when you’re bloated make matters worse, but it can often help. If you’re on a high-fiber diet, for instance, then your body needs more water to work more efficiently.
• Clean pure water from a protected source
• Aim to take not less than 2 litres of water per day, your body needs it.

Brush up on hygiene.
Many people don’t know how to brush their teeth properly. Improper brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth and gums as not brushing at all. Hold your toothbrush in the same way that
you would hold a pencil, and brush for at least two minutes. This includes brushing the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the tongue and the roof of the mouth. And you don’t need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a sturdy, soft-bristled one that you replace each month.

Mental health
Healthy living involves more than physical health, it also includes emotional or mental health. The following are some ways people can support mental health and well-being.
• Get enough sleep daily
• Try something new and often for instance eat a new food
• Do some mind exercises eg read, do a puzzle occasionally during the week
• Let yourself be pleased with your achievements, both big and small.

by zimnadmin

Personal Image

The story of your life starts with your personal image. What's my story? Is a question that we all need to ask ourselves and when you look at your life so far, do you feel happy with what you see? No matter the status of your story, whether good or bad, you want your life to matter, you want your story to be significant. I believe no one wants to feel like whether or not they lived on this earth it doesn't make a difference.

You can make your story great and all you have to do is make a difference with whatever you have. There are many ways to focus on 'your image', something that i am passionate about and continuously learning about from other people who have excelled in this area.

Etiquette and image if well nurtured can enhance your real value on the market place just like a polished diamond. There are many dictionary definitions of the word image but when it comes to personal image, it is all about how you are perceived by others.

Different factors are integrated into your image such as body language, the way you carry yourself, your visual communication(your personal appearance) and your verbal communication (how you use your words).

Although the spoken word does carry weight as we develop rapport, we are initially judged by what people see. Each time you meet someone, they will evaluate you either consciously or subconsciously. they will ingest your clothing, your hairstyle and your accessories. They will then assess how you carry yourself.

Every aspect of how you appear is pieced together forming a picture or an interpretation of your image. It is this interpretation that will determine whether they will listen to you or not.

Being capable and hardworking in the current economic environment is simply not enough but you need to stand above the rest. It may be a career advancement opportunity that you are looking for, a promotion or to impress clients or somebody important to you, remember that with a good personal image you cab project positive first impressions to whoever you meet and wherever you go.

Your conversation skills can be more important to your success int your professional life than your grades in school. Your image, as being good in conversation helps you to achieve success. Good conversation promotes liking because people enjoy being around people who can carry on interesting conversations. Good conversation creates an attractive image of wittiness, intelligence and self confidence. You can learn a few tricks on how to do this by watching and listening to Oprah Winfrey. She is one woman who i respect so much who has the tact to converse with ease and insight. if you are able to carry on a good conversation, this makes people think of you as having more intelligence, wit and self confidence than those who cannot do so.

Nothing is more important than a healthy sense of self-esteem and loving yourself for the following reasons:

• Life becomes simpler and lighter when you love yourself more. You will not beat yourself up or drag yourself down over mistakes or temporary setbacks.
• You will have more inner stability and self-sabotage less. When or oponion of yourself  goes up, you will stor trying to get so much to get so much validation and attention  from other people. You become less needy and find an inner stability even when.
• The increasing self-esteem and self-love also makes you feel more deserving of good things in life and go will go after what you really want with more motivation then ever before.
• You will be happier, you will have more fun and develop a competitive image which will present better opportunities for you professionally and socially.

As you start working on your personal total image, it is your homework to identify what it is that does not personally give you that competitive advantage. Identify the key areas that make you comfortable and do research on how you can work through these areas and when you do that:

"When others are standing, you shall be outstanding"

by zimnadmin