7 Ways Successful People Have Better Mindsets

By Lolly Daskal

A successful person is not someone in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of smart attitudes.

It's interesting to wonder why some people are more successful than others,especially if you yourself are aiming high.

What do people like Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates have that feeds their ongoing excellence and propels them to the highest levels of success?

The answers are complex, of course. But that doesn't mean they can't be learned.Each of these successful people shares certain smart mindsets--mindsets that any one of us can emulate, that will do us good no matter what level of success we aspire to.

Here are seven of the top examples:

1. Successful people don't take failure too seriously.

They see failure as the opportunity to begin again, but this time more intelligently. They know it's not a defining event, and they don't treat it as a problem unless it begins to become a habit. They win as if they are used to it, and they lose as if they're enjoying the challenge.

2. Successful people accept who they are and what they are about.

If you keep putting yourself down, there is no way for you to move forward. Successful people know the smartest mindset you can have is self-acceptance--refusing to be in an adversarial relationship with yourself.

3. Successful people set goals and work to achieve them.

Having a dream is great, but having a dream and goals is smart, because goals are how dreams become achievable. The most successful people are constantly setting and working toward goals to make a positive difference. Goals turn the invisible visible; they let you structure your thinking to always be looking for something you can do to bring you closer to what you want to achieve. Goals lead you to ask every day, "What am I doing that will move me toward where I want to be and what I want to achieve.?" Successful people not only set goals, they set them high. And they don't stop until they reach them.

4. Successful people don't leave things to chance.

Instead of passively hoping for the best, they take control to make things happen. You always have a choice: You can control your mind or you can let it control you. Refusing to leave things to chance shows inner strength, decisiveness, and a strong will. Incredible things happen when you decide to take control of what you can control and let go of the rest.

5. Successful people don't let themselves get sidetracked by problems.

If your mindset is negative, problems will grow in strength and constantly pull you down, sending you on detours of thought into some bad neighbourhoods. On the other hand, with a positive mindset you will think of problems as a reason to be creative and come up with innovative solutions. The biggest problem is thinking of problems as problems. Successful people know that when you focus on problems you have more problems, but when you focus on possibilities you have more opportunities.

6. Successful people are decisive.

The most successful people are deft decision makers. They don't waffle or second-guess themselves. They take in the information they need, then clear out their mind and pick the best option based on what they know. If it turns out to be wrong, they learn from it. But they won't be guilty of not deciding at all.

7. Successful people are continually learning.

If you want to go far, borrow the mindset known in Zen Buddhism as shoshin, or learner's mind. That means you don't pretend to know it all but are open to learning and growth and development, with a mind that's fresh and enthusiastic and free of bias. Experience holds lessons for us all, but you have to remain teachable to take advantage of them.

If you're serious about being successful, cultivate these smart mindsets and see where they take you.

Source: www.inc.com

Quote for the day

"One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular." - Tony Robbins

These 10 Questions Can Foretell If You’ll Be Successful In Life

By Kritin Danley-Greiner

Success isn’t limited to just how far you’ve climbed up the corporate ladder, but other aspects of your life, too, such as instilling a healthy balance between work and family, pursuing and achieving various goals and dreams, and simply embracing who you are. However, there are scientifically proven signs that will indicate whether or not you will truly be successful in life, in whatever way you choose to define success. 

Here are 10 questions that predict whether you’ll spread your wings and soar toward your goals and success.

1. Are You Open And Mentally Prepared To Grow?

People, who are opposed to the idea that people’s character, intelligence and creativity can change, tend to have slower development in their personal growth, because they want to avoid failure instead of working on those three areas of their lives. But those people with a “growth mindset” see failure as a learning point from which to leap from as they bound onward and upward toward success. They embrace challenges, survive setbacks, embrace and improve based off of criticism, and will attain their goals. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck researched how people view their personality’s influence on their happiness and success and found that those positive and open individuals believe their true potential is limitless and so are more willing to work harder and be more dedicated.

2. Are You Private About Your Goals?

Surprisingly, psychologists say that telling someone about your personal goal makes it less likely to materialise. Entrepreneur Derek Sivers, who spoke in a TED Talk Keep Your Goals To Yourself said that to meet a goal, a person must take steps, put in the hard work and not stop until he or she is satisfied. But once you tell someone about your goal and they recognise your mission, that’s called “social reality” where the mind is swayed into feeling that you’ve already met your goal and you’re no longer motivated to proceed.

3. Are You Happy?

Positivity is a key ingredient to success and being happy helps with that upbeat outlook. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be satisfied and not strive for greater goals and successes, but be happy with you and where you’re at each step of the way. Psychiatrist and author of Heaven and Hell: The Psychology of the Emotions George Vaillant’s research revealed that love is truly the key to happiness. Even if an individual relishes success in work, rakes in a boatload of money and enjoys good healthy, that person will not be completely happy without love and positive relationships.

4. Do You Have A High Level Of Self-Esteem?

It takes confidence to have the competence to grow and gain successes. Authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, who penned The Confidence Code, note that low self-confidence leads to inaction, but taking those first steps armed with an action plan will boost a person’s belief that he or she really can succeed.

5. Are You Exactly Who You Want To Be?

Exuding the qualities of successful leaders doesn’t mean you have to be fake, but instead means you’re working toward the new and improved you. In her Harvard Business Review article titled The Authenticity Paradox, professor Herminia Ibarra said that “play-acting” will help you gain confidence and others will feel the same way about you, too.

6. Do You Have Extreme Will Power?

One method to increasing your will power is to select one thing to improve upon bit by bit every day and to not procrastinate things that take just a few minutes to tackle, such as loading the dishwasher after dinner or swapping out the laundry in the washer to the dryer. Author James Clear notes that elite performers in a wide variety of fields, from athletes to musicians to artists and even CEOs, are more consistent than others.

7. Are You A Social Butterfly?

People who are both smart and socially adept tend to earn more. According to a study conducted by Catherine Weinberger, an economics professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, having both cognitive ability and social skills are one key to success.

8. Are You Ambitious?

One characteristic that repeatedly appears in highly successful people is grit. Psychologist Angela Duckworth has studying both kids and adults and found that those who have grit, or stamina, are hard workers with their minds set on a goal and will work harder than others to turn that goal into a reality. Jason Ma, author of Youth Leaders 3.0: Stories, Insights, and Tips for Next-Generation Achievers, notes that anyone can be ambitious with the right motivation.

9. Are You A Risk Taker?

Ambitious people dead set on achieving their goals also know they often must take some risk, which can be quite difficult for others. Ma noted that oftentimes a breakthrough in the path to success can be spurred out of a well-managed crisis. These people also don’t spend too much time honing their skill set, but rather executing a strategy utilising those valuable skill sets.

10. Are You Steadfast?

Do not compete with others and let their negativity or successes drag you down. Ma notes that a person’s biggest competitor should be himself or herself. Do not measure yourself against others and do not them steer you off course.

How To Be Successful In A Nutshell

As you work on the “new you” with an eye on the prize of success, remember Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that explains how you cannot be the best you can be until your first tier needs are met. These are the basic needs, such as food, financial ability to pay your bills, and support and self-esteem that buoys your self-worth. Once you have a game plan mapped out for meeting those basic needs, then begin working on the next levels and charge ahead down that path to success. Be sure to surround yourself with other ambitious, driven, goal-setting people and support each other as you work toward attaining those goals.

Source: www.lifehack.org

Quote for the day

"I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools." - Og Mandino

CSE - Percentage wise Top 25 Gainers and Losers in July 2016 & YTD

Top 25 Gainers in July 2016

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 29-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realise it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfil it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it." - Mother Teresa

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 28-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own." - Paulo Coelho

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 27-July-2016

Quote for the day

"When you're first thinking through an idea, it's important not to get bogged down in complexity. Thinking simply and clearly is hard to do." - Richard Branson

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 26-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Prosperity isn't defined by money alone; it encompasses time, love, success, joy, comfort, beauty, and wisdom." - Louise Hay

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 25-July-2016

Quote for the day

“Help people. When people are desperately trying to sell, help them and buy. When people are enthusiastically trying to buy, help them and sell.” - John Templeton

10 Proven Habits of Happy People

Discover what the happiest people already know.

By Lolly Daskal

If there's one desire that humans universally share, it's happiness. For Americans, "the pursuit of happiness" is even written into the Declaration of Independence.

But the results of that pursuit vary greatly. Some people remain sunny even in the worst of circumstances; others are unhappy despite being surrounded by blessings.Part of that difference is genetic predisposition, but it's estimated that up to 40 percent of our happiness depends on actions and thoughts we can control.

So what do the happiest people do to foster that happiness?

1. They smell the roses. Those who are happiest know how to stop and be present in the moment. They slow down and pay attention and don't live inside their screens. They know that each moment matters, and they savoir all the experiences of life. Even in hard times, they don't try to escape but instead find something beautiful or positive to focus on.

2. They don't sweat the small stuff. The happiest people focus their efforts only on things that meet two tests: It has to be truly important, and it has to be within their control. Learning to ignore things you can't do anything about, or that aren't a good use of your time, is one of the surest ways to being happy.

3. They persist in challenging times. Happy people thrive on challenges. They see failure not as a bad ending but as the setup to trying again, to a new and better-informed effort. They understand that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. Those who can move past, let go, and work with what they have turn out to be not only the happiest people but also the most successful, because they know how to persist in challenging times.

4. They commit to their goals and visions. Those who are happiest dream big, then turn their dreams into goals and get to work achieving them. They understand that either of these elements without the other is cause for frustration and dissatisfaction. You have to first determine what it is you want and why you want it, then commit everything you have to attaining it.

5. They surround themselves with happy people. Happy people know that the company you choose has a huge impact on how you feel, what you think, and how you act. Being around positive people gives you a positive outlook, and negative people are just as infectious. It may not be possible to completely avoid exposure to negative and chronically unhappy people, but you can minimise the effects by refusing to engage in their patterns of thinking.

6. They take care of their bodies. The body and the mind are connected, so if you don't take care of your physical energy, your mental energy cannot flourish. When you nourish your body with sound sleep, good food, and exercise, you nurture your soul.

7. They develop coping strategies. Our characters are shaped by how we react to circumstances--especially when things go bad. A strong arsenal of coping strategies lets happy people deal positively with challenges. Being prepared for tough times keeps life's problems from becoming overwhelming, and good management of bad experiences leads to growth and happiness.

8. They give more than they take. The happiest people prefer giving to receiving. They know the more they give, the more they have. Generosity and a commitment to helping others generates happiness and drives success. The very best way to be happy is to lose yourself in giving to others.

9. They stand at the edge of discomfort. Achievement doesn't happen without taking risks, and the happiest people are never content to hang around where they're comfortable. They don't wait for the perfect moment--they make the moment perfect with their willingness to be uncomfortable.

10. They nurture their relationships. It is almost impossible to be happy in the absence of deep meaningful relationships. Connection with others fosters happiness, and nurturing relationships in a way that builds deep connection--allowing people into your life--allows them to accept your past, support your present, and encourage your future.

If you want to be happier--and really, who doesn't want to be happier?--measure yourself against these 10 habits, pick a starting place, and get to work. The payoff is tremendous.

Source: www.inc.com

Quote for the day

"Take chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave." - Mary Tyler Moore

50 Common Cognitive Distortions

By Alice Boyes Ph.D.

A giant list of ubiquitous cognitive distortions.

Becoming mindful of these common cognitive distortions will help you understand yourself and other people better, and improve your decision making.

1. Personalising.

Taking something personally that may not be personal. Seeing events as consequences of your actions when there are other possibilities. For example, believing someone’s brusque tone must be because they’re irritated with you.

2. Mind reading. 

Guessing what someone else is thinking, when they may not be thinking that.

3. Negative predictions.

Overestimating the likelihood that an action will have a negative outcome. More info in my book here.

4. Underestimating coping ability.

Underestimating your ability cope with negative events.

5. Catastrophizing.

Thinking of unpleasant events as catastrophes.

6. Biased attention toward signs of social rejection, and lack of attention to signs of social acceptance.

For example, during social interactions, paying attention to someone yawning but not paying the same degree of attention to other cues that suggest they are interested in what you’re saying (such as them leaning in).

7. Negatively biased recall of social encounters.

Remembering negatives from a social situation and not remembering positives. For example, remembering losing your place for a few seconds while giving a talk but not remembering the huge clap you got at the end.

8. Thinking an absence of effusiveness means something is wrong.

Believing an absence of a smiley-face in an email means someone is mad at you. Or, interpreting “You did a good job” as negative if you were expecting “You did a great job.”

9. Unrelenting standards.

The belief that achieving unrelentingly high standards is necessary to avoid a catastrophe. For example, the belief that making any mistakes will lead to your colleagues thinking you're useless.

10. Entitlement beliefs.

Believing the same rules that apply to others should not apply to you. For example, believing you shouldn’t need to do an internship even if that is the normal path to employment in your industry.

11. Justification and moral licensing.

For example, I’ve made progress toward my goal and therefore it’s ok if I act in a way that is inconsistent with it.

12. Belief in a just world.

For example, believing that poor people must deserve to be poor.

13. Seeing a situation only from your own perspective.

For example, failing to look at a topic of relationship tension from your partner’s perspective.

14. Belief that self-criticism is an effective way to motivate yourself toward better future behaviour.

It’s not.

15. Recognising feelings as causes of behaviour, but not equally attending to how behaviour influences thoughts and feelings.

For example, you think “When I have more energy, I’ll exercise” but not “Exercising will give me more energy.”

16. All or nothing thinking.

e.g., "If I don’t always get As, I’m a complete failure."

17. Shoulds and musts.

For example, "I should always give 100%." Sometimes there are no important benefits of doing a task beyond a basic acceptable level.

18. Using feelings as the basis of a judgement, when the objective evidence does not support your feelings.
e.g., "I don’t feel clean, even though I’ve washed my hands three times. Therefore I should wash my again." (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder example).

19. Basing future decisions on “sunk costs.”

e.g., investing more money in a business that is losing money because you’ve invested so much already.

20. Delusions.

Holding a fixed, false belief despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. For example, believing global warming doesn’t exist. Or, believing you’re overweight when you’re 85lbs.

21. Assuming your current feelings will stay the same in the future.

For example, “I feel unable to cope today, and therefore I will feel unable to cope tomorrow.”

22. Cognitive labelling.

For example, mentally labelling your sister’s boyfriend as a “loser” and not being open to subsequent evidence suggesting he isn’t a loser.

23. The Halo Effect.

For example, perceiving high calories foods as lower in calories if they’re accompanied by a salad.

24. Minimising.

e.g., “Yes I won an important award but that still doesn’t really mean I’m accomplished in my field.”

25. Magnifying (Cognitively Exaggerating).

For example, blowing your own mistakes and flaws out of proportion and perceiving them as more significant than they are.

Making a mountain out of a molehill, but not quite to the same extent as catastrophizing.

26. Cognitive conformity.

Seeing things the way people around you view them. Research has shown that this often happens at an unconscious level.

27. Overgeneralising

Generalising a belief that may have validity in some situations (such as “If you want something done well, you should do it yourself.”) to every situation. This is a type of lack of psychological flexibility.

28. Blaming others.

29. Falling victim to the “Foot in the Door” technique.

When someone makes a small request to get a “Yes” answer, then follows up with a bigger request, people are more likely to agree to the big request than if only that request had been made.

30. Falling victim to the “Door in the Face” technique.
When someone makes an outlandish request first, then makes a smaller request, the initial outlandish request makes the smaller request seem more reasonable.

31. Focusing on the amount saved rather than the amount spent.

e.g, Focusing on the amount of a discount rather than on whether you’d buy the item that day at the sale price if it wasn’t listed as on sale.

32. Overvaluing things because they're yours.
e.g., perceiving your baby as more attractive or smart than they really are because they're yours.

Or, overestimating the value of your home when you put it on the market for sale because you overestimate the added value of renovations you've made.

33. Failure to consider alternative explanations.

Coming up with one explanation for why something has happened/happens and failing to consider alternative, more likely explanations.

34. The Self-Serving Bias.

The self-serving bias is people's tendency to attribute positive events to their own character but attribute negative events to external factors.

35. Attributing strangers' behaviour to their character and not considering situational/contextual factors.

36. Failure to consider opportunity cost.

For example, spending an hour doing a low ROI task and thinking "it's only an hour" and not considering the lost potential of spending that hour doing a high ROI task.

37. Assumed similarity.

The tendency to assume other people hold similar attitudes to your own.

38. In-group bias.

The tendency to trust and value people who are like you, or who are in your circle, more than people from different backgrounds.

39. "You don't know what you don't know."

Getting external feedback can help you become aware of things you didn't even know that you didn't know!

40. The tendency to underestimate how long tasks will take.

41. The belief that worry and overthinking will lead to problem solving insights.

In fact, overthinking tends to impair problem solving ability and leads to avoidance coping.

42. Biased implicit attitudes.

Psychologists use a test called the implicit association test to measure attitudes that people subconsciously hold. Results show people subconsciously associate fat with lazy etc.

It's useful to be mindful that you may suspiciously hold biased attitudes, then you can consciously correct for them.

43. The Peak-End Rule.

The tendency to most strongly remember (1) how you felt at the end of an experience, and (2) how you felt at the moment of peak emotional intensity during the experience. Biased memories can lead to biased future decision making.

44. The tendency to prefer familiar things.

Familiarity breeds liking, which is part of why people are brand loyal and may pay inflated prices for familiar brands vs. switching.

45. The belief you can multi-task.

When you're multi-tasking you're actually task (and attention) shifting. Trying to focus on more than one goal at a time is self-sabotage.

46. Failure to recognise the cognitive benefits of restorative activities and activities that increase positive emotions.

For example, seeing humour or breaks as a waste of time.

47. Positively biased predictions.

For example, expecting that if you sign up to a one year gym membership you will go, if this hasn't been the case in the past.

48. Cheating on your goals based on positive behaviours you plan to do later.

For example, overeating today if you expect you'll be starting a diet next week. Often the planned positive behaviours don't happen.

49. Repeating the same behaviour and expecting different results (or thinking that doubling-down on a failed strategy will start to produce positive results).

For example, expecting that if you nag more, your partner will change.

50. "I can't change my behaviour." (or "I can't change my thinking style.")

Instead of telling yourself "I can't," try asking yourself how you could shift your behaviour (or thinking style) by 5%.

How to Become Mindful of Your Cognitive Distortions?

Try printing this article and highlighting the cognitive distortions you think apply to you. I suggest you then pick one cognitive distortion at a time and keep a running list for a week of how that cognitive distortion manifests in your life.

Source: www.psychologytoday.com

Quote for the day

"Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes its built on catastrophe." - Sumner Redstone

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 22-July-2016

Quote for the day

"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure." - Paulo Coelho

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 21-July-2016

Quote for the day

"An intelligent person is never afraid or ashamed to find errors in his understanding of things." - Bryant H. McGill

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 20-July-2016

Quote for the day

"When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life." - Eckhart Tolle

Colombo Stock Exchange 1993 -2015 Market PER, PBV & DY at a glance

Source: CSE

Quote for the day

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." - Bruce Lee

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 18-July-2016

Quote for the day

"If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability." - Henry Ford

Quote for the day

"See your reality as a life that has many tracks or potentials that you call "the future"." - Lee Carroll

When is the Right Time to Buy a Stock?

For you to make money any profitable investment has to increase in value somehow. If you buy a stock for $1 and sell it for $2, you've made money. The simplest approach is to sell it for more than you paid for it to make a profit. Simple, right? Yes, but the details of making money in the market aren't easy.

To make a reliable profit from investing, you must understand two things well: what a stock is worth and what other people are willing to pay for it. Only then can you decide whether a specific opportunity is worth pursuing. Is now a good time to invest? If you've found a good opportunity, the answer is always yes!

Why Do Stock Prices Fluctuate?

In the long term, the stock market does a pretty good job of figuring out what each individual company is worth. In the short term, stocks go up and down for many reasons, but only some are rational. Some companies are scams, like Enron, and they'll eventually fall apart. Good companies make real money. Solid businesses will succeed and continue to be good.

On any given day, a stock price may drop because of a rumour about its business, a report from an stock analyst (which may be right or wrong), broad macroeconomic news, one person or fund selling a lot of shares to take a profit (or avoid a tax liability or to free up funds to invest elsewhere), or countless other reasons. Those reasons may have nothing to do with the underlying business, but they'll change the stock price anyway.

Economists like to talk about perfectly rational actors, as if investors always followed a set of hard and fast rules. They don't. There are many different players and many different strategies. Not everyone investing pursues value investing. Not everyone evaluates the financial information of the business in terms of free cash flow. This can give you an advantage.

Many people invest because they think they can outsmart other people; they look for patterns and trends and try to take advantage of them before other investors do. That's tricky. Instead of calculating based on actual numbers (and adding in a margin of safety to protect against the unknown), they try to predict the behaviour and beliefs of countless other people. Even if their decisions ignore the underlying business value of stocks their trades move the market too.

Why Do Business Values Fluctuate?

Stock prices do move because of valuations too. When Canadian Maple Syrup Inc announces that it's going to spend $100 million dollars building a new factory and won't pay a dividend in the next quarter, some people will sell. In fact, it won't record a profit in the next quarter because it's putting so much revenue into expansion. There may be good business reasons to build the factory (as an investor, you certainly hope so), but some people will sell the stock because they want that dividend—they want a business which has profitable quarters.

None of that makes this a bad investment. It may be an even better investment, if the sellers drive down the price to the point where it's at a good discount.

Another company may announce that it's losing money—not investing all of its profits in growth, but actually losing money. That stock's price will probably drop due to its financial situation.

Neither situation is irrational. Both situations have roots in the actual financial situation of the business. Perhaps not every trade related to the stock will reflect a concrete valuation based on the value of the business, but these business decisions give concrete evidence as to why the stock's price will change.

When Do Price Changes Create Opportunities To Invest?

Even though the market isn't always rational when it prices a stock day to day, value investors have many opportunities to buy great companies at good prices. The important questions are how to identify the how and when to buy stocks to take advantage of those opportunities.

To exploit a market inefficiency for a stock, you must understand the value of that stock and the story behind the business. Is it a cyclical business? A short-term hit to profits and dividends for Canadian Maple Syrup Inc hopefully represents greater growth in the long term. If you're in it for five or ten years, the discounted price you'll pay today may be worth the value you get over that period (even with the missing short term dividends). You can't necessarily predict the free cash flow or owner earnings the business will realise with the new factory, but you can go back to your discounted present value calculation to see if the price has dipped to the point where it's an obvious bargain.

What if the price drops further?

That question keeps some people away from good opportunities altogether. If the price drops further, the bargain gets better. Perhaps you can buy more stock and make a bigger profit in the future. That can be difficult to swallow as you question your underlying valuation—what if you did the numbers wrong? Keep your margin of safety in mind. Yet don't mistake short term losses on paper for long term problems.

If you never invest, you'll never lose money—and you'll also never make money.

Should You Sell in May and Go Away?

One piece of market folklore (Sell in May and Go Away) suggests that the market tends to reach a high point in May or early June and then drop until September or October before climbing again. This rule of thumb (the first warning sign) purports to explain observed behavior (a second warning sign) of the market as a whole (the third warning sign).

Investors and analysts and brokers do go on vacation in the summer months and have less time or desire to invest. The volume of trades can go down in this time period—but what does that have to do with the price of any particular stock?

Even if you've invested heavily in an index fund (as you should), knowing when to sell (and face short term investing tax penalties) and when to buy a stock back (and pay trading costs both times) will be difficult. You'll lose out on dividends and unexpected gains. If the dip in price is true and you reinvest your dividends, you'll actually reinvest at a discount (thank you, dollar cost averaging!).

If you're investing over a period of decades, the minor fluctuations of a couple of percent over a couple of months isn't worth getting upset over.

When to Buy and Sell Stocks

Because the market is so often irrational in the short term—one day, there might be more sellers than buyers, and the price per share may drop more than the sellers intended—a great stock can go on sale for reasons unrelated to its financial position. To exploit that possibility, you need a list of good potential stocks to buy, a list of fair prices you think they're worth, and the cash on hand to take advantage of these bargains.

Keep your stories about these stocks up to date. Understand why you believe they're worth what you think they're worth. Don't let market hype pro or con sway your valuations or tell you when to buy and sell stocks. The right time to invest is when you've found a bargain. That may not be in May. That may not be when an analyst changes the target price. That's when you have the right opportunity to buy the right stock for you at the right price.

Source:www. trendshare.org

Quote for the day

"A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them." - John C. Maxwell

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 15-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Pessimists are second rate people. They do not believe in life. ... All they want to do is drag you down and appease their own feelings of mediocrity and fear." - Uell Stanley Andersen

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 14-July-2016

Quote for the day

“There was no shortage of terror and despair in the financial markets . . . It was all a bit reminiscent of the fable about the little boy who cried wolf. By the time one finally appeared, most people had lost their capacity to believe and be alarmed. ” - Louis Rukeyser

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 13-July-2016

Quote for the day

“Trading is a curious mix of mostly going with the flow, yet knowing when to selectively  ade the flow.” - Jack Sparrow

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 12-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful." - Mark Victor Hansen

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 11-July-2016

Data Never Sleeps 4.0

www.domo.com

Quote for the day

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposite ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

12 habits of unsuccessful people

By Aine Cain 

Old habits die hard.

Still, some of them definitelyshould be laid to rest. Certain habits project a pretty bad image.

In fact, bad habits may even cause others to view you as unsuccessful.

Obviously, having one of these bad habits doesn't necessarily make you a failure. In some cases, however, these habits might be indicative of a larger problem in your career — and life.

Here are the top 12 habits of unsuccessful people:

1. You keep your mouth shut

You keep your head down. You don't speak out. You don't get out of line.

Your aversion to putting yourself out there professionally may seem like a good protective measure, but it's holding you back.

If you feel like your current work environment actively discourages people from sticking their necks out for fear of reprisal, you may be dealing with a toxic work environment. If you're just psyching yourself out, though, you've fallen into a terrible habit.

2. You fidget

Fidgeting might actually be good for you, in certain cases.

Still, try to limit the squirming around other people. It makes you look anxious and antsy, which in turn might make your colleagues nervous and uncomfortable. It's a bad habit that might drive others away.

3. You're always tardy

We all have that one friend who is constantly late. Or maybe you're that friend who is constantly late (I know I am).

In your career, though, tardiness can't be excused by a few desperate, emoji-ridden messages to your friends' group text. Showing up late makes you look careless and unreliable.

4. You hold grudges

I'm not telling you that you need to walk around singing kumbaya. It's fine and normal to dislike and distrust certain people.

But holding intense grudges is just a waste of your valuable time and energy. Also, if you express these feelings to other people, you run the risk of sounding vengeful and kind of scary. Learn to let things go.

5. You conform

Conforming was a survival tactic in middle school, but you're an adult with a career now. Stop caring intently about what others think. Do what works for you.

If you devote all your time to blending in, you won't stand out.

6. You overspend

If money's always burning a hole in your pocket, you're setting yourself up for long term financial woes. Saving money is crucial for your financial future.

Beat this habit by learning to identify psychological triggers for overspending.

7. You procrastinate

I'll tell you all about the downsides of procrastination later.

Just kidding. Seriously, though, indecisiveness could lose you time, money, and even the respect of those around you.

8. You lie

This one's pretty simple. Be honest. It's easy to fall into the trap of weaving small untruths that stretch into bigger and bigger lies. Break that habit.

Yeah, there are horror stories about cheats and liars who schemed their way to the top. But that doesn't mean you should develop a dishonest, Machiavellian streak (although, in fairness, Niccolò Machiavelli's bad rep is not entirely fair).

9. You speak without thinking

It's important to be authentic. That doesn't mean you should be spouting off without thinking, though.

Don't be the person that blurts out whatever's on your mind. It's an annoying habit that can make you seem rude, awkward, and uninformed.

10. You gossip

Gossip's a mixed bag. Sometimes it's necessary; some employers even encourage it.

Most of the time, though it's a nasty and distracting habit. If you've basically become the Little-finger of your office, you need to chill. Your empire of rumours could come crashing down around you at any moment — or, at the very least, you might seriously alienate your coworkers and bosses.

11. You complain

Complaining is like a competitive sport for some people. Everyone has gripes. Plus, bottling things up isn't a good thing. Sometimes, it's good to air your grievances and make yourself heard. Just don't be the person who never stops grumbling about trivial matters.

12. You zone out

I'm definitely guilty of this one. Spacing out can actually be a gift, especially when you want to tune out the world and dive into a good book.

But this habit can also really hurt you in the workplace. Listening's an important skill. No one trusts the competence of anyone who's constantly zoned out. Save the daydreaming for after work.

Source: www.businessinsider.com/

Quote for the day

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” - Albert Einstein

Do You Have What it Takes to Become a Millionaire? 14 Traits That Lead to Financial Success

Research shows these personality traits increase your chances of being wealthy.

By Thomas C.Corley

Most everyone wants to become rich.

According to my Rich Habits research, being rich eliminates 67% of the problems that plague most people. So, besides being able to buy that house by the beach, snag a Rolex watch, or travel to exotic places, being rich means fewer problems in life. Fewer problems equals less stress. Less stress equals a healthier and happier life.

There are 14 signs from my research that can lead to success and wealth. If you possess all 14, your chances for becoming rich increase substantially:

1. You are pursuing a dream or major purpose in life

Eighty percent of the self-made millionaires in my Rich Habits Study were pursuing some dream or major purpose in life.

2. You read to learn every day

You are a voracious reader. You read to learn every day. Often hours every day. Eighty-eight percent of the rich in my study read 30 minutes or more every day strictly to learn and educate themselves.

3. You think like an owner

You have an owner mindset. You think bigger. You have a big vision. You take ownership in everything you do. Ninety-one percent of the rich in my study were decision-makers.

4. You run towards responsibility

You do not shy away from responsibility. In fact, you seek out opportunities that give you more responsibility.

5. You are a cautious risk taker

You are cautious, and not reckless, in taking on risk. Cautious risk-takers do their homework, only take on risks they have the skills and knowledge for, ask questions, seek feedback from experts, and pilot new ideas and initiatives before turning them into a business.

6. You take action

You are not afraid to take action because ...

7. You are not afraid to fail

You view failure as a learning experience and nothing more.

8. You outwork others

You are not afraid to work long hours for days, weeks, months, and years in order to succeed. The rich in my study worked on average 11 hours more a week than the non-rich.

9. You continuously set and pursue goals

You continuously set and pursue goals in order to help propel you forward in life. Eighty percent of the rich in my study were goal-focused. They made a habit of setting and pursuing goals.

10. You seek to exceed expectations

You are value-oriented. You seek to exceed the expectations of others.

11. You are fanatic about your relationships

You are in continuous communication with the relationships you value. You make happy birthday calls, hello calls, and life event calls. You send thank you cards. You acknowledge important events in the lives of your valued relationships. You view your valued relationships like gold. Relationships are your currency.

12. You get along with others

People like you. They like working with you and dealing with you. You make people feel upbeat, happy, enthusiastic, and optimistic.

13. You're a team player

Because you like people and get along with people, you work well in a team environment. No one succeeds on their own. Every self-made rich person has apostles for their cause behind them.

14. Most of your relationships are success-minded

You surround yourself with like-minded, success-minded people.
Source: www.inc.com

Quote for the day

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." - Colin Powell

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 08-July-2016

Quote for the day

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 07-July-2016

Quote for the day

“When you find an idea that you just can’t stop thinking about, that’s probably a good one to pursue.” - Josh James

An Overview of Stock Market Indices

Stock market indices are a financial tool used throughout the World to measure how a group of companies' stocks have been valued. Indices also exist for commodities prices traded in exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Stock market indices can generally be thought of as financial indicators. To better understand what stock market indices are, it is helpful to consider the different types of indices, why they are used and how they are measured. While some aspects of indices such as their calculation can be conceptual and abstract they can be thought of as simple financial tools.

The World's many Stock Market Indices:

Many countries have their own indices and many indices exist within many countries. The type of index varies according to what is being measured. While it is usually the stock of a group of companies, it can also include a collection of commodities such as oil, grains and metals. A few of the various types of indices are listed below.

-Local and Regional Indices Ex-Bloomberg Chicago Index
-National Indices Ex-Nasdaq-, DJI, S&P 500
-Commodities Indices Ex- S&P GSCI
-Sector Indices Ex- Nasdaq-100
-Specialised Indices Ex-Sin fund Index (corporations specialising in alcohol and tobacco)

Why Stock Market Indices are used:

Stock market indices have several functions. One of the major functions of an index is to provide a navigational direction regarding financial stock valuation of a particular group of companies. Other uses of indices include the following:

-In the sale of index futures
-To provide widespread performance data
-Recognition of corporate standards and achievement
-Analysis of business and economic trends.
-Research data for financial theorizing.
-Marketing and demonstration tool for financial services.

How Indices are calculated:

There are several ways to calculate in index value and how this is done is key to understanding what you are looking at when one sees an index number. For example, in a price weighted average index such as the Dow Jones industrial average, the prices of stocks are what influence the index value. However, in Nasdaq indices the traditional calculation method is market value weighted which is a calculation based on the value of outstanding shares. This metric takes into account both share volume and price. Several ways to calculate an index value are the following.

-Market value weighted average
-Equal weighted
-Price weighted average
-Market share weighted average
-Float adjusted weighted average

While the final index value will be different using all these methods the general trend will sometimes be the same whichever method is used. That is to say, even if the individual companies within the index are measured differently in terms of proportion of influence on the index value, the overall trends of those companies may be correlated and therefore reflected in the index. Nevertheless, the more representative and proportional the index measurements are, the more accurate a reflection of the company pool the index value will be.

In summary, stock market indices are financial measurement tools that reflect valuation of different groups of companies and/or commodities. Different indices exist around the world to provide financial planners and others useful indicators of how particular segments of an economy are performing at any given time and under various economic climates. The information from indices can be used in a plethora of ways such as for statistical analysis of data in economic research, portfolio management and financial services. Many indices are measured using weighted averages which provides for a more representational and proportional index value. However, there are several different ways to calculate a weighted average value using stock prices, outstanding shares, actively traded (float) shares and equal weighted.

Sources:

http://www2.standardandpoors.com/portal/site/sp/e n/us/page.topic/indices_500/2,3,2,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0.html
http://dynamic.nasdaq.com/services/indexes/default .aspx
http://www.djindexes.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market_index
http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/commodities/cfutu res.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/commodity-indices?cat =biz-fin
http://www.cme.com/files/emini.pdf
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/float.asp

By- A.W.Berry
http://voices.yahoo.com/an-overview-stock-market-indices-436089.html

Quote for the day

“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” -Jeff Bezos

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 05-July-2016

Quote for the day

“The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it.” - Debbi Fields

Sri Lanka's Top 10 Valuable Brands 2009- 2016 at a glance

lmd.lk

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 04-July-2016

Quote for the day

“Men willingly believe what they wish.” - Julius Caesar

Quote for the day

"When you look at people who are successful, you will find that they aren't the people who are motivated, but the ones who have consistency in their motivation." - Arsene Wenger

5 Powerful Mental Habits of Exceptionally Wealthy People

Changing the way you think can supercharge your wealth.

By Elle Kaplan

There's a certain spark about some people--they seem to have a magnet for success and wealth that the rest of us don't possess.

It shouldn't be a surprise that these individuals often become the billionaire entrepreneurs that we know today.

But to become a billionaire, you don't need to find a magic wand or a winning lottery ticket. A lot of this success is actually grounded in some incredibly simple mental habits. By changing your thinking, you too can change your success and get on track towards extraordinary wealth.

I won't keep you waiting; here are 5 proven mental habits of billionaires that you can adopt today:

They think

Thomas Corley studied the habits of millionaires across the globe in his book Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits Of Wealthy Individuals, and he found that wealthy people always spend 15 to 30 minutes a day just thinking.

This might seem like a no-brainer, but ask yourself this--during a busy workday, how often do you actually spend time thinking instead of just doing?

As tempting as it might be to dive straight into your emails Monday morning, take a hint from Corley and spend a few minutes prioritising instead. And rather than goal-setting on autopilot, take the time to look at the big-picture and examine things like your career goals and business relationships. I do this by taking my rescue pup Magic for a walk during the day, and you can also find some similar excuse to get out of the office and reflect.

They seek help from (and help) others

It's a big misconception that wealthy people live in a cutthroat world where success is achieved in a complete vacuum.

Rather, 93 percent of wealthy people use a mentor to each even higher, while also helping others in the process. They realise that people are often genuinely happy to help them navigate the twists and turns as they develop--after all, they've been there.

Beyond finding a mentor, incorporate the sharing of success and seeking help into your everyday life whenever you deal with others. According to Dale Carnegie's classic How To Win Friends & Influence People, successful people rarely complain or criticise others, and they are always sincere and willing to lend a hand. They find that for everything they give to others, they eventually get it back tenfold.

So instead of hoarding success, take a page from Carnegie and make a habit of sharing it with others--the results will amaze you.

They set goals, and they don't make wishes

Successful people didn't get to where they are today through daydreaming. As Thomas Corley put it, "If you want your wish or dream to come true, you need to create goals around them, pursue those goals and achieve those goals. You need to break your wish or dream down into manageable tasks that you are able to perform."

For instance, wishing you were a billionaire is all well and good, but it won't get you anywhere. Instead, by setting goals like "I'll save and invest an extra $200 a month", you'll get there much quicker than you ever thought was possible. So keep that big-picture dream in your head, but don't forget to break it down into manageable realities.

They expect to be lucky

"Lucky" and wealthy people also expect to be lucky and wealthy. Unlucky people expect just the opposite. Quite often, these odds turn out to be true.

Extensive studies on positive thinking back this up:

A landmark paper by Barbara Fredrickson found that "positive emotions momentarily broaden people's attention and thinking, enabling them to draw on higher-level connections and a wider-than-usual range of precepts or ideas."

Over time, those skills picked up with a positive attitude translated into "becoming successful, healthy, and happy in the months and years to come."

Think back to the phrase, "some people just seem to have all the luck". Unsurprisingly, optimism plays a key role in luckiness, as it greatly affects luck production and perception. So dare to think positive--it will snowball into even more wealth and success.

They don't take things for granted

Another big misconception about wealthy people is that their constant pursuit of more wealth also makes them constantly unhappy with what they currently have.

In fact, rather than being unhappy with their car as soon as the latest model comes out, wealthy people do the exact opposite. Don't believe me? Studies have found that people who are grateful have a 10% higher income overall.

Part of this has to do with viewing luxury differently and not correlating higher income with more spending. But there's also a slew of priceless benefits that come from gratitude, such as better relationships with others and improved health (according to Harvard research).

Although you should always be reaching higher and higher, you should never forget or take your past successes for granted. You can start this today by using proven methods to increase your gratitude, such as keeping a gratitude journal or merely reflecting for a few minutes.

www.inc.com

Quote for the day

"There are three constants in life: change, choice, and principles." - Stephen Covey

Colombo Stock Exchange Trade Summary 01-July-2016

Quote for the day

"The POSITIVE THINKER sees the INVISIBLE, feels the INTANGIBLE, and achieves the IMPOSSIBLE." - Winston Churchill

CSE - Percentage wise Top 25 Gainers and Losers in June 2016, QTD & YTD

Top Gainers in June 2016

Top Losers in June 2016

Top Gainers QTD (Quarter-to-date)

Top Losers QTD (Quarter-to-date)

Top Gainers YTD (Year-to-date)

Top Losers YTD (Year-to-date)