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Rawle Austin's Blog - Positive life commentary...

Winner number one, Lewis Hamilton. Still top of the Formula One Drivers Championships despite coming third in the British Grand Prix. A fantastic result in finishing on the podium in his ninth successive race. An unprecedented achievement.

Winner number two, Roger Federer. He beat Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon tennis final which now gives him five straight Wimbledon titles in a row. This equals the feat of the legendary Bjorn Borg.

What do these incredible individuals have in common?

Dogged perserverance and the will to win.

Expect more great feats from both in the future.

After loving the first two Shrek films I had to check out this latest outing. It's good. The cast are all back and on top form.

The jokes flow thick and fast and its an interesting addition to the series. Basically, the Kingdom of Far far Away needs an heir and Shrek is going to find him no matter what.

Unfortunately, the villianous prince Charming has his own sights set on the throne...

An enjoyable experience, I give it 6 out of 10.

Get to know Shrek, here.

Venus Williams won her fourth successive Wimbledon title in considerable style. The final score was 6 - 4, 6 - 1.

Her opponent Marion Bartoli put up a good fight but I'm sure she'll be a name to watch in the future as she beat the number one seed Justine Henin Hardenne in the semi final.

The day belonged to Venus however and the win puts her in the upper eschelon of women tennis greats such as Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf.

Her dedication to her craft and skill on the court are to be admired and shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Great result!

Watching the concert in memory of Princess Diana, that was organised by her sons the two Princes William and Harry, it just reinforced the tremendous amount of good work she did, helping others.

She did it in her own way with great sincerity. The difference you can make to people's lives by acts of kindness can never be underestimated.

We can all do something, no matter how small, so go on, make a difference.

Read more about the concert, here.

And learn more about the British Royal Family, here.

The French Grand Prix has ended and, although Lewis Hamiltion came third behind Kimi Rakkionen and Felipe Massa, he still leads the drivers championship by 16 points!

It was Hamilton's eighth successive podium finish and great to see the determination and positivity written all over his face.

An inspiration to us all.

Next stop, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone!

Check out the latest happenings in Formula One Grand Prix, here!

Yes! Wimbledon is here again for another year.

The great and the good of the tennis world gather in SW19 and much competition ensues.

Tennis is a game I love to watch as it really is a battle of who wants to win the most. The players fight for every point. It's gripping stuff.

Despite the rain, this year is shaping up nicely and while Roger Federer and Rafal Nadal will probably make the final, the women's game is wide open.

We shall see.

Catch more Wimbledon news, here!

The recent testimony of some major players in the Private Equity industry at the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee was very interesting to see.

There are many opinions about their role in business but my own, always positive, is this.

They come in to take over failing companies, improve those companies so they run efficiently and thus increase their value.

This is good for all stakeholders involved as the companies have to raise their game.

I believe all companies and individuals should pay their fair share of tax as this helps to provide essential public services such as the health service, teachers and the police force.

If we as a country are going to compete on the global stage then we need to be the best we can be.

So, anything that helps people add and improve their skills is a good thing.

That's the way I see it.

Learn more about Private Equity, here.

Spurs have just signed England striker Darren Bent from Charlton for £16.5 million.

It's a record transfer fee and a classy buy. Bent loves to score and we need more firepower up front if we're to crack the champions League.

Bring it on!

See the latest Spurs news, here!

And see the premiership latest, here!

So, there's a new era in British Politics.

Gordon Brown has taken over from Tony Blair as the Prime Minister and the country preparing for change.

Change is always good as it helps to renew focus and forge ahead with new vigour.

I quite like politics and believe it's a force for good in helping people. You can even arrange a tour of the House of Commons by writing to your local MP (Member of Parliament).

I just attended a meeting at the House of Commons (Portcullis House) which was to encourage the British Chinese community to get more involved in the UK political process, at the grassroots level and beyond.

It would be great if everyone throughout the country had an active interest in politics, helping to weave the fabric of society in the country at large and thus contribute positively.

Anyway, here's a few links that explain more about British politics.

Take a look, you may find something you like;

10 Downing Street, UK Parliament, The Labour Party, The Conservative Party, The Liberal Democratic Party.

Syed Ahmed, a runner up in the second series of the Apprentice, undertook a project to design a hot air body dryer and sell it to investors.

What I liked about this was that it showed the key stages involved in organising a project of this magnitude. Gathering together a strong team and meeting and convincing key people that the idea is viable.

I love the fact that he got advice from successful entrepreneurs Stelios (of EasyJet), Duncan Bannatyne and Simon Woodroffe (both from Dragons' Den) and they gave him the honest truth. The brutal facts.

This is key when moving forward. Always confront the brutal facts and keep full steam ahead. Don't get disheartened. Just learn from all experiences.

I've no doubt that Syed will be successful in any project because of his positive attitude. Once you have that, half the battle is already won.

Read an interview with Syed about the show, here.

The programme will be repeated, see the showing times here.

This is Dragons' Den!

And this is the Apprentice!

Attended a press briefing at the South Bank Centre about the current progress of the London 2012 Olympics.

What a fantastic experience!

Listening to some of the country's most creative and forward thinking people was immensely inspiring.

The panel explained the importance of the cultural aspect of the games and this will feature highly in all the celebrations.

There will be many projects up and down the country showcasing artistic excellence from throughout the many communities, especially with young people, starting from 2008 all the way up to 2012 and beyond.

This will leave a cultural legacy that will be passed on to future host cities.

It's a stunning example of sheer ambition to acheive greatness for all.

Find out more about the preparation and build up to London 2012, here!

Met up with my cousin recently and had a great inspirational chat.

She's building a business and it was educational to hear the creative thought process involved, coupled with the due diligence that must be carried out.

Meeting up and speaking to creative, positive people is very stimulating and provides new points of view and helps to stimulate progress.

It's all about keeping motivated!

The winning continues! Lewis Hamilton won the Indianapolis, USA Grand Prix in a thrilling race.

This was his second victory and completed a back to back winning streak following his last win in Canada.

The next race is the French Grand Prix.

This will be followed by the British Grand Prix and, as its his home ground, and considering the levels of support throughout the country, that will be one to watch.

Attended a fundraising event for the organisation China Now and arranged by the Pearl Foundation. China Now is helping to promote understanding between the United Kingdom and China.

It will be hosting a variety of events around Great Britain from February 2008 up to the opening of the Beijing Olympic games.

These events will feature talented British Chinese showing off their unique skills in various artistic guises.

The Pearl Foundation is dedicated to highlighting and promoting British Chinese involvement in all aspects of UK society.

The new Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Madam Fu Ying, gave a speech stressing the importance of understanding between the two countries especially between the young people.

The funds raised will help to finance next years events.

Learn more about the Pearl Foundation here.

So, Sir Alan Sugar has finally chosen his apprentice.

The choice was between Simon Ambrose and Kristina Grimes.

Simon won.

Kristina was a fantastic candidate and very much the finished article. She showed a wide range of skills and will go on to great things.

Simon, on the other hand, was also multi-skilled and a person who I felt could easily adapt to new environments and learn on the job while still giving an excellent and professional image.

Definitely the correct choice.

The show really flags up the key skills needed in today's workplace and business environment and I welcome this format as a way to educate people more.

This has been a great series and it really gets better each time.

Learn all about it!

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