Working for the past 20 years in a personalised gift shop has given me literally 1000′s of ideas for a 40th birthday presents. The first thing that I tell any customer looking for a 40th birthday gift is to choose something that you think the person will still treasure in years to come.

I will often tell husbands buying for wives to choose jewellery as it will last for many years and can also be inscribed which makes it that more special. Personalisation of gifts is something that I have become an expert in, and I can say hand on heart that it can turn a normal present into something amazing.

An example could be the average gift of a bottle of wine. On its own its not particularly interesting or even that attractive. However if we added a personalised label to the bottle and was even able to obtain a bottle from a year that was very special to the recipient then this is now a present to be proud of.

Gifts for women can be as simple as their favourite chocolate or as magnificent as a 4 day pass to their favourite 5 star hotel. With any type of gift, if you can add a touch of yourself to it then it becomes a lot more personal. If you booked a holiday for your 40 year old wife, then try and fill the room with her favourite flowers and get scented candles for the bathroom. Make sure her favourite magazine/book is available. Try and add those extra special touches that will make the present magical and remembered in many years to come.

Finding a 40th Birthday present can be difficult but remember that time taken to find the perfect gift is all part of the experience. Try to enjoy thinking about what your loved one will enjoy. Once you have the perfect gift then the smile on their face will make it all worth it.

Life has become so busy. Long hours at work, rushing home to make dinner, spending time with the family and then opening up the laptop to finish off the days work. Finally, dropping into bed totally exhausted knowing that we have to do it all again tomorrow. When did we stop being present in the moment? Not looking to the past and regretting the mistakes we have made, and not looking to the future striving for something that always seems just out of reach.

One way to stay present is to practice gratitude. Gratitude will open doors for us that we didn’t even know were possible. If we are genuine in our thanks, and happy with what we have we will be rewarded. It is said that the action of being grateful is the most powerful action there is. It is so important more now than ever with the recent events of hurricane Sandy to count our blessings. There are so many people without the necessities of life, things that we take for granted on a daily basis.

To me, being grateful means knowing that I will be provided for, given exactly what I need and being thankful for just that. I walk into work each day, and most days earlier than I need to be just to sit at the desk and take in everything that has been given to me over the past year. I give thanks for a work space to call my own, a husband and a partner to share it with as well as the clients that I see regularly that are the reason why I have a roof over my head and food on my table.

Letting go of past anger and fear will also keep us present, but how can we even begin to find joy if we are always focused on what was or what will be. Joy is found by being present in the moment. Embracing what life has presented us, instead of worrying about tomorrow. Joy can come in all forms, like a song that has meaning, a breath of fresh air, or even an activity that you enjoy doing. Our joy is as individual as we are.

So I have a challenge for you; find a park bench and eat your lunch outside today, go for a walk with the family, pick a flower and put it on your desk at work, listen to your favorite song, but whatever you decide to do today, remain present.

Designing and organizing your presentation has a big impact in attaining success. It is very important to understand every element of your setup so that all things will go smoothly. That is why planning must be done first before launching your proposal. There are some effective techniques and strategies to maintain a high quality presentation. With this, you’ll be able to gain enough confidence in your proposal.

Always keep in mind that you have made a lot of effort to come up with a good business plan. It surely takes a lot of time, money and effort in order to research and finish everything. You just can’t afford to let your plan become insignificant in front of several customers, investors, suppliers, managers and other guests. To make it more appealing and convincing to the listeners, you have to identify your style ahead of time and study it. Always consider the interest of the audience. It must create a huge impact on their side and always ensure that you’ll be able to satisfy their queries.

It is advisable to start a presentation by determining your valuable guest first. With this, you will be able to know that your audiences are interested to the topic that you are going to discuss. These identified guests could also make your presentation better by giving positive feedback that will definitely encourage the management teams, investors and other significant listeners. Just be spontaneous all the time. Know your topics very well and never leave a dead air as the conversation is ongoing. You can do some rehearsals if necessary. This would also help you in mastering the flow of the presentation as well as releasing the tension and nervousness. Better familiarization will truly add to your confidence as you present.

Be organized. You should be able to point out the main topics with emphasis. Discuss them in a brief and concise manner. If further explanation is necessary, then go for it as long as you won’t be able to consume a lot of time while explaining. Remember, your audience are business minded persons. Therefore, every minute counts. Speech is actually more important than your outline so never overlook your speech. There are some who just entirely rely on the outline which should not be done. The effectiveness and success of your presentation must rely on both aspects which are the organization of speech and outline. To facilitate this, it is best to use appropriate pauses. Observe proper application of periods, commas, and so on. Make clear transitions between paragraphs and never confuse your listeners by speaking too fast.

If emphasis is necessary in a very important statement, do not hesitate to take a pause. You can also repeat the statement twice. Maximize the use of bullets and numbering to make your enumerations clearer. Do not be monotonous. Give different expressions and voice tones to your speech. This will help you in catching the attention of the audience. Throwing some questions is also a good idea to make them more attentive. There are times that you’ll be answering your own question so be prepared about it.