Enrichment

Rules for an Extraordinary Life

2012-01-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Graduate

2011-12-22T16:32:00.002-07:00

How to Stop Being Lazy and Start Being Successful

2011-10-07T07:59:00.001-06:00

By Grant Cardone

All week, I’ve been talking about the concept of “Lazy.” As I stated in a recent Huffington Post article, “lazy” is an entitlement concept accepted by the middle class that’s crushing America's greatness and spreading like a contagion. Lazy is the 'new' adopted “right” of people, supposedly earned because a person worked five days and therefore must take the weekend off. This concept of entitlement runs across workers, management and executives across the country…" to read the rest of my article on Huffington Post, click HERE.

How do you counteract this disease of “Lazy?” First, it’s time to WAKE UP! Laziness and lack of action are ethical issues for me. It’s not right or acceptable for me or anyone I know to be lazy. No one is born to sprint or run a marathon any more than some people are more to take more actions than others.

You must readily take action and not just that, unbelievable amounts of action. Whether it’s by way of getting others to take action for them, getting attention for their products or ideas, or just grinding it out day and night, the successful have been consistently taking high levels of action – before anyone knew of their names – that’s how they became successful!

Stop talking about a “plan” for action but instead, assume that your future achievements rely on investing your time and energy in actions that may not pay off today but when taken consistently and persistently over time will produce unlimited success.
Stop being lazy and start being successful.

Stop being lazy and start being successful.

7 Unusual Ways to Save Money

2011-10-02T07:25:00.001-06:00

Tom Sightings, On Tuesday September 6, 2011, 1:34 pm EDT

Most of us don't have the option to suddenly go out and make more money. Either we're retired on a fixed income, or we're settled into a job with small and predictable or nonexistent salary increases. So how do you put more cash in your pocket? Work the other side of the equation: Cut expenses.

You can do that one of two ways. You can watch your pennies, never splurge, trade down on food, and beat back any generous impulse you have to overtip or contribute to a charity. Or, instead of penny pinching, you can find clever ways to save money that won't reduce your quality of life and will still allow you to be expansive and generous. The key is to cut back where it doesn't hurt, and where you're paying out, but not getting much back. Here are six ideas:

1. Go out to lunch. Everyone likes to go out to a restaurant. No one has to cook or do the dishes. The secret ingredient is to go out for breakfast or lunch instead of dinner. You get the same benefits at half the cost. You're less likely to buy overpriced alcoholic beverages earlier in the day, and you won't feel like you're a poor pensioner who can only afford to eat dinner at the 5 o'clock special.

2. Don't pay for stuff you don't use. Cancel the premium TV package if you really don't watch much TV. Downgrade your cell phone service if you don't use the minutes, texting, or data plan. Consider canceling your life insurance if you have no dependents. Cancel your health club membership, and instead take a morning walk around the neighborhood. You might even meet a few neighbors while you're at it.

3. Forget fees from financial firms. Get rid of check-writing and ATM fees at the bank, annual fees on your credit card, and high expense ratios on your mutual funds. You get no benefit from these charges. And doesn't it make you feel good that you're not letting the bank take advantage of you?

4. If you're going to gamble, do it with friends, not at gambling establishments like a casino, off-track betting, or state lottery, And certainly don't gamble through a bookie. They give you crummy odds and take 5 to 10 percent off the top.

5. Buy more things that have gone up less than inflation, and fewer things that have gone up more. One obvious example is technology. You can buy a good computer or TV for half the price you used to pay. You can get a better car for less money than you could 15 or 20 years ago. Meanwhile, spend less on energy, vacations, housing, and health care if you can. The prices for all these items have skyrocketed. Want to go back to school in retirement? Forget the price-gouging private colleges. Your state university is a much better bargain, and community college is even more affordable.

6. Make it a sport. You can buy a book for full price at Barnes & Noble. But you can probably get a better deal from Amazon, Costco, or a used book store. In retirement you have time to look around and compare all the options. Maybe there's a better price on a website or at an outlet store. Think of bargain hunting as a game. The seller is trying to get you to pay a high price. You're going for a low price. Play the game, and be a winner.

7. Don't be embarrassed to use your discount. At age 55 you start getting senior citizen discounts at the multiplex or the municipal golf course. You get more discounts at 62, and again at 65. Get over any reluctance to use these discounts. Nobody else cares how old you are and not speaking up will cost you money.

Tom Sightings is a former publishing executive who was eased into early retirement in his mid-50s. He lives in the New York area and blogs at Sightings at 60, where he covers health, finance, retirement, and other concerns of baby boomers who realize that somehow they have grown up.

Source:

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/7-Unusual-Ways-to-Save-usnews-4226910424.html?x=0

4 Misleading Pieces of Personal Finance Advice

2011-10-01T16:10:00.001-06:00

David Ning, On Wednesday September 21, 2011, 9:41 am EDT
There are a few pieces of seemingly fail-proof advice that personal finance experts like to give when they are asked about important habits you should develop to retire well, but blindly following them can still get you in trouble. Here's why retirement isn't a sure lock even if you follow these pieces of advice to the letter.

Don't buy a latte every day. Coined by author David Bach, the "latte factor" quite simply points you to the fact that investing $5 a day for 40 years will earn you close to $1 million if you manage to get a return of 10 percent. Yet not drinking coffee doesn't mean you will become a millionaire automatically. If you can't hang on through the ups and downs of the market (even for decades at a time), you will never get the average annual return of the market. If you don't buy a latte but instead buy other things, you won't even save that $5 a day. And if you stop contributing once you feel like you are quite rich even before you become a millionaire, it's much harder to get there.

Live below your means. One of the most important habits to develop in order to retire well is living below your means, but it's not enough to merely live below your means if you want to retire well. To come up with the monthly savings you need to deposit into that retirement stash, you need to go above and beyond. I mean, having $1 left over on every paycheck is living below your means, but you can clearly see that you won't ever get ahead.

Stick to your asset allocation and diversify. Asset allocation and diversification work their magic over time because you are forced to buy low and sell high. However, you need to be careful because you can be very diversified with the recommended asset allocation for your age and still miss the boat. For example, a person who is young can own a ton of individual stocks and still fit the asset allocation recommendation, but if all of the individual stocks are duds, he will never get ahead.

Don't keep up with the Joneses. One of the fastest ways to deplete your future retirement savings is by keeping up with the Joneses, but merely ignoring those around you isn't enough to rack up enough savings to retire comfortably. How about actually keeping up with the Joneses, but just the ones who work hard to make money and diligently save? When you hang out with people who are motivated to save for their own future, you will be encouraged and the good vibes will rub off on you.

It's hard to find the discipline to save for retirement, but when everybody you know is doing it, you will, too.

David Ning runs MoneyNing, a personal finance site aimed at helping others change their habits for a better financial future. He suggests that everyone to sign up for an online savings account to get more out of our hard earned money.

Source:
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/4-Misleading-Pieces-of-usnews-4007154657.html?x=0&mod=pf-sp14c

Live within your means!

2011-09-01T08:09:00.001-06:00

How to calculate what you can really afford

You've found the perfect sofa for your living room. You need a sofa, right? A person has to sit somewhere. But can you afford the new sofa? For many people, 'afford' means having room on the credit card. Unfortunately, there is a big difference between having the means to pay for something and being able to truly afford it.

In today's consumerist society, living within one's means can seem like a quaint, old-fashioned notion, like paying cash for everything. However, knowing your financial limits and living within them remains the primary secret to attaining wealth and financial security.

You can probably justify any purchase to yourself — if you really want it. By denying the limits of your income and expenses however, you can quickly find yourself in serious financial trouble, on the basis of just a few too many purchases that you erroneously thought you could afford.

Your TDS ratio

There is a simple way to calculate what you can afford - or how much you have available to spend — on a monthly basis. It's called the Total Debt Service ratio or TDS, as those in the financial-know like to say.

The rule of thumb for TDS is that all your monthly debt payments should be less than 40 per cent of your gross monthly income. This 40 per cent should include your housing costs (rent or mortgage payments), your car payments (leases or loans) and all the other credit payments you make each month - including credit cards (yes, those too!), lines of credit, student loans and other personal loans.

If you can keep your debt payments within 40 per cent of your income, then the remaining 60 per cent can be allotted to 'discretionary' spending — such as groceries, clothing, entertainment, transportation costs and your shopping habit.

Here is how to calculate your TDS ratio in three easy steps, so you can see how you're currently faring; either do it personally or with your spouse to determine a household figure. S

Step one: your salary income

Check your pay statements to determine your gross monthly salary. This means what you earn in total each month, before deductions such as taxes and CPP are taken off. If you are calculating your household TDS, rather than just your own, then add your hubby's gross monthly salary as well.

Step two: add any other income

Now add any income that you receive on a regular, monthly basis. Maybe it's child support payments, investment income or cash from a part-time job. (Maybe trust fund payments or royalties from the songs you wrote for Beyoncé? Don't we all wish!)

Step three: multiply by 0.40

Take your total income (step 1 + step 2) and multiply the total by 0.40. Voila! The result is your total debt service ratio — the maximum amount you can afford to spend on your monthly debts and expenses.

The upper limit

Suppose, for example, your TDS calculates to $1800. If you find you are actually spending less on your housing, loan payments and expenses - say $1500 a month - then congratulations frugal girl! Technically, you are living within your means. Just remember, that TDS calculation represents your upper limit. On the other hand, if you are actually spending more than your TDS figure on monthly debt obligations, then your ability to afford the rest of your life probably feels severely constrained. Try to re-negotiate loan payments and make it a priority to pay down those debts and get your TDS back in line.

The other 60 per cent

The less you spend within your TDS ratio, the more disposable income you will have to enjoy each month. If your expenses and monthly obligations keep you at the 40 per cent limit, then you still have 60 per cent of your income for the business of daily living. By outlining a simple monthly budget of how much of that money has to go toward gas money, subway fare, groceries and other essentials, you can quickly estimate how much you have left each month to spend on fun stuff — like shopping (and SAVING, of course).

Your bottom line

Living within your means starts with knowing your means. With a credit card in hand, it's so tempting to make purchases and tell yourself you can afford it by cutting back in other areas. The trouble is, that kind of impulse spending often leads you to dipping into money that is earmarked for paying bills — and your finances quickly get messy. Know your limits and live well!

Article taken from the Golden Girl Finance website.

http://www.goldengirlfinance.ca/monday/2011/07/25/how-to-live-within-your-means

GoldenGirlFinance.ca is a free personal finance and education site for women. Nothing contained herein is intended to provide personalized financial, legal or tax advice. Before implementing any financial strategy, you should obtain information and advice from your financial, legal and/or tax advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances.

A Message to García

2011-06-10T09:11:00.000-06:00

1899

A Message to Garcia

By Elbert Hubbard

In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars at perihelion. When war broke out between Spain & the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain vastness of Cuba- no one knew where. No mail nor telegraph message could reach him. The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly.

What to do!

Some one said to the President, "There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can."

Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How "the fellow by the name of Rowan" took the letter, sealed it up in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, & in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.

The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, "Where is he at?" By the Eternal! there is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every college of the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies: do the thing- "Carry a message to Garcia!"

General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias.

No man, who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well nigh appalled at times by the imbecility of the average man- the inability or unwillingness to concentrate on a thing and do it. Slip-shod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, & half-hearted work seem the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, & sends him an Angel of Light for an assistant. You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office- six clerks are within call.

Summon any one and make this request: "Please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Correggio".

Will the clerk quietly say, "Yes, sir," and go do the task?

On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions:

Who was he?

Which encyclopedia?

Where is the encyclopedia?

Was I hired for that?

Don’t you mean Bismarck?

What’s the matter with Charlie doing it?

Is he dead?

Is there any hurry?

Shan’t I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself?

What do you want to know for?

And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained how to find the information, and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of the other clerks to help him try to find Garcia- and then come back and tell you there is no such man. Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not.

Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your "assistant" that Correggio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, "Never mind," and go look it up yourself.

And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift, are the things that put pure Socialism so far into the future. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? A first-mate with knotted club seems necessary; and the dread of getting "the bounce" Saturday night, holds many a worker to his place.

Advertise for a stenographer, and nine out of ten who apply, can neither spell nor punctuate- and do not think it necessary to.

Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?

"You see that bookkeeper," said the foreman to me in a large factory.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Well he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him up town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for."

Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?

We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the "downtrodden denizen of the sweat-shop" and the "homeless wanderer searching for honest employment," & with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.

Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get frowsy ne’er-do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with "help" that does nothing but loaf when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away "help" that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being taken on. No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer- but out and forever out, the incompetent and unworthy go.

It is the survival of the fittest. Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best- those who can carry a message to Garcia.

I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress him. He cannot give orders; and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, "Take it yourself."

Tonight this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his threadbare coat. No one who knows him dare employ him, for he is a regular fire-brand of discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of a thick-soled No. 9 boot.

Of course I know that one so morally deformed is no less to be pitied than a physical cripple; but in our pitying, let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold in line dowdy indifference, slip-shod imbecility, and the heartless ingratitude, which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry & homeless.

Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have; but when all the world has gone a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds- the man who, against great odds has directed the efforts of others, and having succeeded, finds there’s nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes.

I have carried a dinner pail & worked for day’s wages, and I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; & all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.

My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the "boss" is away, as well as when he is at home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly take the missive, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets "laid off," nor has to go on a strike for higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such a man asks shall be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He is wanted in every city, town and village- in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia.

THE END-

Taken from: http://www.birdsnest.com/garcia.htm

Determination

2011-02-22T13:47:00.001-07:00

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realized with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.

Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.

Article found in the Indian Child

Count on yourself, on you power. Do not waste your own abilities

2011-02-21T13:26:00.001-07:00

Let's raise kids to be entrepreneurs

2011-02-19T09:25:00.003-07:00

Kill Procrastination or it will kill YOU

2011-02-18T18:29:00.001-07:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Kill procrastination

View more presentations from Brady Gilchrist.

Can you still be an atheist after watching this!

2011-02-12T12:37:00.002-07:00

The Impact of Cultural Differences

2010-07-10T11:22:00.001-06:00

The Real Meaning of Security

2010-06-04T15:17:00.003-06:00

Our obsession with protecting ourselves makes us less safe. That’s the message from Eve Ensler, who travels the globe to end violence against women.

I am worried about our single-minded focus on security. I see this word, hear this word, feel this word everywhere. Real security. Security check. Security watch. Security clearance. Why has all this focus on security made me feel so much more insecure? What does anyone mean when they speak of security? Why are we suddenly a nation and a people who strive for security above all else? In fact, security is essentially elusive, impossible. We all die. We all get sick. We all get old. People leave us. People surprise us. People change us. Nothing is secure. And this is the good news. But only if you are not seeking security as the point of your life.

Here’s what happens when security becomes the center of your life. You can’t travel very far or venture too far outside a certain circle. You can’t allow too many conflicting ideas into your mind at one time as they might confuse you or challenge you. You can’t open yourself to new experiences, new people, and new ways of doing things. They might take you off course. You cling desperately to your identity—you become a strict Christian or a Muslim or a Jew. You are an Indian, an Egyptian, an Italian or an American. You are heterosexual or homosexual or you never have sex. At least that’s what you say when you identify yourself. You become part of an us and, in order to be secure, you must defend against them.

You become your nation, you become your religion, you become whatever it is that will freeze you, numb you and protect you from change or doubt. But all this shuts down your mind. In reality, you are not one drop safer. A meteor could fall from the sky, a tsunami could rise up from the sea, someone could fly a plane through your building. All this striving for security has in fact made you much more insecure. Because you must watch out all the time. There are people who are not like you, people you now call enemies. There are places you cannot go, thoughts you cannot think, worlds you can no longer inhabit. So you spend your days fighting things off, defending your territory and becoming more entrenched in your fundamental thinking. Your days become devoted to protecting yourself. This becomes your mission. This is all you do. You find ways to get as much money as you can and food and oil and everything else you need to be safe. You take these things from other people if you have to and devise new ways to do that. You invent security systems to check pockets and IDs and bags. Every object becomes a potential weapon. I travel a lot and every time I am in an airport there is a new security threat—one week it’s tweezers, the next week it’s rubber bands.

Of course now you can no longer feel what another person feels because that might shatter your heart, confuse your basic thinking, destroy the whole structure. Ideas get shorter—they become sound bites. There are evildoers and saviours. Criminals and victims. Those who are not with us are against us. It gets easier to hurt people because you do not feel what’s inside them. It gets easier to lock them up, humiliate them, occupy them, invade them, kill them. They are merely obstacles to your security.

But all of this offers only a false sense of security. Real security means contemplating death, not pretending it doesn’t exist. It means not running from loss, but feeling it, surrendering to sorrow, entering grief.

Real security is not knowing something when you don’t know it.

Real security cannot be bought or arranged or accomplished with bombs. It is deeper. It is a process. It is the acute awareness that we are all utterly interdependent and that one action by one being in one town has consequences everywhere.

Real security is the ability to tolerate mystery, complexity, ambiguity—indeed hungering for these things.

In my life I have defined myself at one time or another as a Feminist, a Buddhist, a Jew, a Vegetarian, an Anti-Nuclear Activist, a Bisexual, a Playwright. I wanted to be included, to be a part of something, to be approved of. I wanted to locate myself, not be lost, avoid messiness, avoid death. All of these identities have protected me from my shadow, my darkness, my sexist/racist impulses, my meat eater, my violence.

As a part of V-Day, an international movement to end violence against women, I have travelled to more than 40 countries and met women and men who through various circumstances—war, poverty, racism, multiple forms of violence—have never known security or have had the illusion of security forever devastated. I have met women who, under the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, lost the right to work or be educated or even see the sky. I have met women with their faces melted off from acid. I have met college girls drugged and raped in fancy U.S. colleges. These particular people, rather than turning violent themselves, have gone into the heart of the pain, the loss. They have grieved and died into it and allowed and encouraged this poison to become medicine. These warriors now devote their lives to making sure that whatever terrible thing happened to them does not happen to anyone else. Because the transformation of suffering rather than their own security is the goal, they are in fact creating real safety for others.

Something happened when I began to travel. I got lost. I became uprooted in time and space. I became a permanently displaced person. At first it was terrifying, not knowing who I was or where I was. Then I realized that we are all essentially displaced people, all of us are refugees, we came from somewhere—and we are hopefully travelling all the time (even if we never leave our rooms), moving toward a new place. Freedom means I may not be identified as part of any one group, but that I can visit and find myself in every group. Freedom does not mean I don’t have values or beliefs. But it does mean I am not hardened around them. I do not use them as weapons.

Freedom means not being owned, not occupied, not bought.

Freedom means finding the place in me that connects with every person I meet rather than thinking of myself as different, better or on top.

It means opening my heart to my granddaughter’s little perfect fingers, taking in the fragility, the tenderness there, the potential loss.

It means feeling what the suicide bombers must have been feeling at the same moment I am grieving those who died in the bombing.

Believing there is a power determining everything at the same moment I know there is absolutely no one in charge.

Feeling angry at my teenage son for doing the opposite of what I suggested at the same moment I marvel at his independence.

Freedom is not knowing where you are but being deeply there.

Not waiting for someone to save or rescue you or heal your terrible past but doing that for yourself.

Not putting your flag in the ground.

Being willing to get lost.

Living without borders and passports.

Evolving.

Becoming.

Freedom is about being vulnerable to one another, realizing that our ability to connect is more important than feeling secure, in control and alone.

Written by Eve Ensler. This article originally appeared in Ode Magazine.
Eve Ensler is an American writer, most well-known for her performance work The Vagina Monologues, V-Day (www.vday.org), the global movement to end violence against women and girls, and her upcoming national tour of The Good Body (www.thegoodbody.org). This text is adapted from a talk she gave at the TED: Technology, Entertainment, Design conference in Oxford, England last July.

"Heaven helps those who help themselves"

2010-05-15T14:34:00.000-06:00

CHAPTER I - SELF-HELP - NATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL

"The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the
individuals composing it."
- J. S. Mill.

"We put too much faith in systems, and look too little to men."
-B. Disraeli.

"Heaven helps those who help themselves" is a well-tried maxim,
embodying in a small compass the results of vast human experience.
The spirit of self-help is the root of all genuine growth in the
individual; and, exhibited in the lives of many, it constitutes the
true source of national vigour and strength. Help from without is
often enfeebling in its effects, but help from within invariably
invigorates. Whatever is done FOR men or classes, to a certain
extent takes away the stimulus and necessity of doing for
themselves; and where men are subjected to over-guidance and over-
government, the inevitable tendency is to render them comparatively
helpless.

Even the best institutions can give a man no active help. Perhaps
the most they can do is, to leave him free to develop himself and
improve his individual condition. But in all times men have been
prone to believe that their happiness and well-being were to be
secured by means of institutions rather than by their own conduct.
Hence the value of legislation as an agent in human advancement has
usually been much over-estimated. To constitute the millionth part
of a Legislature, by voting for one or two men once in three or
five years, however conscientiously this duty may be performed, can
exercise but little active influence upon any man's life and
character. Moreover, it is every day becoming more clearly
understood, that the function of Government is negative and
restrictive, rather than positive and active; being resolvable
principally into protection - protection of life, liberty, and
property. Laws, wisely administered, will secure men in the
enjoyment of the fruits of their labour, whether of mind or body,
at a comparatively small personal sacrifice; but no laws, however
stringent, can make the idle industrious, the thriftless provident,
or the drunken sober. Such reforms can only be effected by means
of individual action, economy, and self-denial; by better habits,
rather than by greater rights.

The Government of a nation itself is usually found to be but the
reflex of the individuals composing it. The Government that is
ahead of the people will inevitably be dragged down to their level,
as the Government that is behind them will in the long run be
dragged up. In the order of nature, the collective character of a
nation will as surely find its befitting results in its law and
government, as water finds its own level. The noble people will be
nobly ruled, and the ignorant and corrupt ignobly. Indeed all
experience serves to prove that the worth and strength of a State
depend far less upon the form of its institutions than upon the
character of its men. For the nation is only an aggregate of
individual conditions, and civilization itself is but a question of
the personal improvement of the men, women, and children of whom
society is composed.

National progress is the sum of individual industry, energy, and
uprightness, as national decay is of individual idleness,
selfishness, and vice. What we are accustomed to decry as great
social evils, will, for the most part, be found to be but the
outgrowth of man's own perverted life; and though we may endeavour
to cut them down and extirpate them by means of Law, they will only
spring up again with fresh luxuriance in some other form, unless
the conditions of personal life and character are radically
improved. If this view be correct, then it follows that the
highest patriotism and philanthropy consist, not so much in
altering laws and modifying institutions, as in helping and
stimulating men to elevate and improve themselves by their own free
and independent individual action.

It may be of comparatively little consequence how a man is governed
from without, whilst everything depends upon how he governs himself
from within. The greatest slave is not he who is ruled by a
despot, great though that evil be, but he who is the thrall of his
own moral ignorance, selfishness, and vice. Nations who are thus
enslaved at heart cannot be freed by any mere changes of masters or
of institutions; and so long as the fatal delusion prevails, that
liberty solely depends upon and consists in government, so long
will such changes, no matter at what cost they may be effected,
have as little practical and lasting result as the shifting of the
figures in a phantasmagoria. The solid foundations of liberty must
rest upon individual character; which is also the only sure
guarantee for social security and national progress.

Excerpt from "Self Help; With Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance"
by Samuel Smiles
Scanned and proofed by David Price

Can You Be Financial Independent Before 40?

2010-05-05T13:37:00.000-06:00

When I first pose this “financial independent” question to my advisor 7 years ago, he gave me a rather cynical look. I guess he must be thinking “Gee, this girl is out of her mind. With the salary she’s drawing, there’s no way she can be financially independent by 40!”

It was inevitable. At that time, I was just a lowly paid analyst. Given the conventional way financial advisors derive their calculations, it was technically impossible for me to achieve something like that within such a short time. In fact after that first meeting, he went back and did some analysis for me. And the final conclusion?

The earliest age I could “officially” retire was 55. And that was provided I had at least $1.5 million worth of cash & investments – with a 1% withdrawal rate – by then. That stash of money would help pay off a pseudo $500,000 mortgage and generate $1,200 a month for my post retirement expenses. $1,200 isn’t a lot but for a 55 year old retiree who spent her most productive years slogging on a 9to5, with grown up kids, a paid up mortgage and few hobbies that would help.

But to accumulate $1.5 million, I would have to stay dutifully employed for at least 3 more decades for the compounding to work.

Yes, 30 years!

I don’t deny it. I was disappointed when he said that. Though I liked what I was doing in the corporate world then, I found it depressing that I would have to wait so long before I could have the time of the world to do what I truly valued.

And that is what being “financial independent” means to me. It isn’t about having loads of money in the bank while I get around in a posh car or live in a large mansion. It isn’t even about traveling around the world on a lavish fashion. But rather, a modest down-to-earth approach towards living life. When I can have the freedom of time & resources for things, people and activities that really matters to me. While my daily needs and wants are being taken care of. And certainly, I’m not expecting to do all this only in my 50s. I want to do it in my best years.

My Ongoing Journey Towards Financial Independence

It was with this goal in mind – an awakening I got after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad – that I started actively researching on ways to “get out of the rat race”. As I explored and experimented with different ideas, I made several lifestyle choices along the way. And one of the most significant decision was taking the plunge to become a full time online entrepreneur.

Looking back, it has almost been 3 years since I’ve decided to quit my job. While I’m not exactly living in a lap of luxury, my online endeavour is fully supporting my lifestyle now. Which is relatively simple and low cost since I’m single, debt free, living with my parents and pretty frugal to begin with. The fact that I’m now working from home helps a lot too. Daily commuting & apparel expenses can really add up, you know

I’m fortunate too that my online income is kind of residual in nature. I don’t trade time for money and much of my effort these days is spent on my websites (10%), family (50%) and volunteering for a cause I strongly believe in (40%). I love it that I’m no longer accountable to anyone for my time. And that – in my opinion – is where I think the “real” freedom is.

But having freedom for freedom’s sake is meaningless unless you’ve got the resources to support what you want to do. And of course your day to day needs. For example, what’s the point of having 8 hours of free time a day when you can’t even afford a proper meal? Or leisure activities that you’ve always wanted to pick up? Such as salsa lessons?

I admit this is one area I got real lucky. I’ve always been a very thrifty person and my lifestyle is kind of minimalistic in nature. Most of my hobbies are either inexpensive or entirely free. I’m that kind of person who’ll rather wait months for a new release at the public library than buying it immediately from the bookstore. And even when I travel, I usually do that on a shoestring. I know, I know. Thriftiness stems from scarcity but I admit this is one “virtue” that put me in a good stead. I don’t have to live miserably just to be financially independent. Scrimping and saving seems to be in my blood. Ha ha.

But much as I’ll like to think I’ve achieved financial freedom, I know I’m still a distance away. After all, there are way too many possibilities which may disrupt this equilibrium. What if I decide to move out? The rent or mortgage payments will add on my monthly expenses, isn’t it? What if a nice guy comes along and I decide to get married and have 2 kids?

Even though my emergency fund can tackle any unexpected one-time expenses, these possible recurring lifestyle related costs can have longer term repercussions. Being the ever prudent girl, the challenge for me right now is to really diversify and beef up my income sources so that I’m “ready” for such changes as they unfold. But one thing’s for sure though. I don’t think I’ll be waiting till 50 to make that happen.

No, don’t get me wrong. I’m not implying that retiring at a later age is inappropriate. Nor am I encouraging you to quit your job and do the same thing like I did. My decision was purely personal. And while it may not be the most foolproof plan around, I know it’s something I call my own. So far the journey has been very fulfilling! What about you? Any goal to achieve financial independence this year?

What You Can Consider In Your Own Financial Independent Plan

While everyone’s circumstance is different, there are things to consider and perhaps even adopt, if they’re relevant to you. Some of these may require a major paradigm shift, but the actual execution can be picked up over time.

(1) Set up an Emergency Fund

“Cliché!” you might say. But this really works. In case you’re unaware, an emergency fund is an amount you can readily access to tide over unexpected events in your life. This should be separated from your spending account and used for only covering emergencies. You know things like getting laid off, paying for an unplanned hospital bill etc.

I can’t stress enough the importance of an emergency fund. Before I first decided to quit my job back then, I had at least 10 months worth of daily expenses all stashed away. It gave me a lot of reassurance as I worked on launching my websites. I had to dip into it a couple of times over the initial months but since then, the shortfall has been replenished. So, how much should this amount be?

Well, it depends. Popular personal finance expert Dave Ramsey recommends that if you’re debt ridden, keep a buffer of about $1,000 and use the rest for the debts. Once they’re cleared, build up your emergency fund to about 3-6 months worth of required expenses. I think that’s a good way to get started. But for me, 10 months is still a figure I’m more comfortable with so I’ll probably stick to it.

(2) Keep Yourself Covered Medically

Since the demise of my sister, my attitude towards insurance – particularly health insurance – changed drastically. I witness for myself how chronic illnesses can literally cripple a family’s finances overnight. I also learned how one can easily mitigate that risk with a relatively low cost health insurance plan. Believe me, if you’re living in a country which doesn’t have some sort of universal health care, this can be a life saver.

Consult a few insurance agents if you must to obtain several quotations for your comparison. You can even get insurance quotes online. A general rule of thumb? Get a plan that suit your needs and not necessary something that is cheaper. For example, I switched into a comprehensive private health plan when I knew I was no longer covered under my ex-company’s employee insurance scheme. It cost twice as much as the most common option. But at least I know I can sleep better at night.

(3) Reduce Your Debts

Do you know how debts can delay your journey towards financial independence? It basically eats into the amount of disposable income you have for investing in cash flow generating assets such as stocks, real estate or in my case, online web properties. These assets are responsible for creating the residual income required to fund your lifestyle. And since debt payments and interest usually represent a significant portion of one’s monthly expenses, by tackling it head on, you’re applying the 80-20 Pareto rule.

A rather effective method for debt reduction is Dave Ramsey’s debt snowball approach. While traditional methods of debt elimination recommend tackling the highest interest rate debts first, the debt snowball suggests you attack the lowest balance debts first. In this way, you gradually build up a psychological victory of eliminating debts in a quick consecutive manner.

I can see why this method works so well. It encourages the human mind by letting in a few quick wins and by the time one gets into the bigger balances, the whole debt elimination process would have been reinforced. Sure, that doesn’t mean it’s easier. But it somehow becomes so much more habitual.

(4) Lower Your Cost Of Living without Feeling Miserable

In Your Money or Your Life, financial independence is defined as “having an income sufficient for your basic needs and comforts from sources other than paid employment”. By simply lowering your essential costs of living, you stand a better chance of reaching financial independence earlier. Think about it. Which is easier? Earning a residual income to cover a monthly expense of $2,000 or $5,000? And trust me; you’ll be surprised how little you actually need.

For example, my expenses were cut by 30% after I quit my job. I don’t need to commute to an office anymore since I’m working from home. I can’t remember the last time I bought a new set of “office wear”. You know those formal power suits? And I’m eating out less too thanks to my mum who cooks at home.

But do you know where the bulk of my savings was? Entertainment. Previously, I would chill out over drinks with my colleagues after work. I still do nowadays with my friends. But it’s so much less frequent. I guess when you’re bogged down with deadlines and tight schedules; you’ll need more booze to soothe the nerves. Ha!

So how do you get started on this? First, write down all your monthly expenses on a piece of paper. Run through each one of them and as you do so, ask yourself these questions:

• Can this be cut back?
• If yes, will doing so make your life miserable?
• If not, how should you go about it? And how should you track it?

Remember, every dollar saved is a step closer to being financial independent!

(5) Increase Your Residual Income Sources

While being frugal and cutting back on your expenditure helps, it’s just one side of the equation. Some say it’s just a small part of it. You must have sources that will generate income for funding your needs and wants. And it’s pretty crucial that this income is “residual” in nature. Here’s why.

Residual income refers to recurring revenue you receive long after the initial work is done. It’s very much different from earned income in that you aren’t getting paid for your time, like you would in a job. And when your residual income exceeds your monthly expenses, you’re literally freed to do whatever your want! Because you don’t need a job to pay for your expenses anymore! Examples of such income include:

• Rental from real estate
• Dividends payouts from your stock portfolio
• Advertising revenue, affiliate commissions, product sales from your websites
• Recurring commissions from network marketing or insurance related products
• Royalties from copyrighted works such as the books you authored, music you composed, inventions you created etc.

Now, I’ll be lying to you if I said such income doesn’t require any effort. In fact, the initial work can be very laborious. During a dinner yesterday for example, a friend revealed how she was renting out her property for a net positive cash flow of $600 a month. Not too bad considering she’s still holding a full time job. But do you know how long she took to earn that income? Almost a year sourcing for a suitable property, renovating, furnishing it and getting all the paperwork done!

Come on, all that work for just $600 a month? Doesn’t sound like a good deal, isn’t it? But if you consider how much work she’s putting to maintain it, it’s probably not that bad after all. Yes, there IS effort required to maintain such revenue streams but depending on the type of investment you’re looking at, it can be pretty low.

In my friend’s case, the house’s in a pretty good condition so there were few tenant complaints about it. She also engaged someone to help her with the management so it was pretty much hassling free. Lucky girl.

Or is it? From my own experience, it definitely takes more than just luck to being financial independent.

By Ellesse Chow

Before They Were Titans, Moguls and Newsmakers, These People Were ... Rejected

2010-05-01T22:35:00.000-06:00

Few events arouse more teenage angst than the springtime arrival of college rejection letters. With next fall's college freshman class expected to approach a record 2.9 million students in the United States, hundreds of thousands of applicants will soon be receiving the dreaded letters.

Teenagers who face rejection will be joining good company, including Nobel laureates, billionaire philanthropists, university presidents, constitutional scholars, best-selling authors and other leaders of business, media and the arts who once received college or graduate-school rejection letters of their own.

Both Warren Buffett and "Today" show host Meredith Vieira say that while being rejected by the school of their dreams was devastating, it launched them on a path to meeting life-changing mentors. Harold Varmus, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine, says getting rejected twice by Harvard Medical School, where a dean advised him to enlist in the military, was soon forgotten as he plunged into his studies at Columbia University's med school. For other college rejects, from Sun Microsystems co-founder Scott McNealy and entrepreneur Ted Turner to broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw, the turndowns were minor footnotes, just ones they still remember and will talk about.

Rejections aren't uncommon. Harvard accepts only a little more than 7% of the 29,000 undergraduate applications it receives each year, and Stanford's acceptance rate is about the same.

"The truth is, everything that has happened in my life ... that I thought was a crushing event at the time, has turned out for the better," Mr. Buffett says. With the exception of health problems, he says, setbacks teach "lessons that carry you along. You learn that a temporary defeat is not a permanent one. In the end, it can be an opportunity."

Mr. Buffett regards his rejection at age 19 by Harvard Business School as a pivotal episode in his life. Looking back, he says Harvard wouldn't have been a good fit. But at the time, he "had this feeling of dread" after being rejected in an admissions interview in Chicago, and a fear of disappointing his father.

As it turned out, his father responded with "only this unconditional love...an unconditional belief in me," Mr. Buffett says. Exploring other options, he realized that two investing experts he admired, Benjamin Graham and David Dodd, were teaching at Columbia's graduate business school. He dashed off a late application, where by a stroke of luck it was fielded and accepted by Mr. Dodd. From these mentors, Mr. Buffett says he learned core principles that guided his investing. The Harvard rejection also benefited his alma mater; the family gave more than $12 million to Columbia in 2008 through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, based on tax filings.

The lesson of negatives becoming positives has proved true repeatedly, Mr. Buffett says. He was terrified of public speaking -- so much so that when he was young he sometimes threw up before giving an address. So he enrolled in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course and says the skills he learned there enabled him to woo his future wife, Susan Thompson, a "champion debater," he says. "I even proposed to my wife during the course," he says. "If I had been only a mediocre speaker I might not have taken it."

Columbia University President Lee Bollinger was rejected as a teenager when he applied to Harvard. He says the experience cemented his belief that it was up to him alone to define his talents and potential. His family had moved to a small, isolated town in rural Oregon, where educational opportunities were sparse. As a kid, he did menial jobs around the newspaper office, like sweeping the floor.

Mr. Bollinger recalls thinking at the time, "I need to work extra hard and teach myself a lot of things that I need to know," to measure up to other students who were "going to prep schools, and having assignments that I'm not." When the rejection letter arrived, he accepted a scholarship to University of Oregon and later graduated from Columbia Law School. His advice: Don't let rejections control your life. To "allow other people's assessment of you to determine your own self-assessment is a very big mistake," says Mr. Bollinger, a First Amendment author and scholar. "The question really is, who at the end of the day is going to make the determination about what your talents are, and what your interests are? That has to be you."

Others who received Harvard rejections include "Today" show host Meredith Vieira, who was turned down in 1971 as a high-school senior. At the time, she was crushed. "In fact, I was so devastated that when I went to Tufts [University] my freshman year, every Saturday I'd hitchhike to Harvard," she says in an email. But Ms. Vieira went on to meet a mentor at Tufts who sparked her interest in journalism by offering her an internship. Had she not been rejected, she doubts that she would have entered the field, she says.

And broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw, also rejected as a teenager by Harvard, says it was one of a series of setbacks that eventually led him to settle down, stop partying and commit to finishing college and working in broadcast journalism. "The initial stumble was critical in getting me launched," he says.

Dr. Varmus, the Nobel laureate and president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, was daunted by the first of his two turndowns by Harvard's med school. He enrolled instead in grad studies in literature at Harvard, but was uninspired by thoughts of a career in that field.

After a year, he applied again to Harvard's med school and was rejected, by a dean who chastised him in an interview for being "inconstant and immature" and advised him to enlist in the military. Officials at Columbia's medical school, however, seemed to value his "competence in two cultures," science and literature, he says.

If rejected by the school you love, Dr. Varmus advises in an email, immerse yourself in life at a college that welcomes you. "The differences between colleges that seem so important before you get there will seem a lot less important once you arrive at one that offered you a place."

Similarly, John Schlifske, president of insurance company Northwestern Mutual, was discouraged as a teenager when he received a rejection letter from Yale University. An aspiring college football player, "I wanted to go to Yale so badly," he says. He recalls coming home from school the day the letter arrived. "Mom was all excited and gave it to me," he says. His heart fell when he saw "the classic thin envelope," he says. "It was crushing."

Yet he believes he had a deeper, richer experience at Carleton College in Minnesota. He says he received a "phenomenal" education and became a starter on the football team rather than a bench-warmer as he might have been at Yale. "Being wanted is a good thing," he says.

He had a chance to pass on that wisdom to his son Dan, who was rejected in 2006 by one of his top choices, Duke University. Drawing on his own experience, the elder Mr. Schlifske told his son, "Just because somebody says no, doesn't mean there's not another school out there you're going to enjoy, and where you are going to get a good education." Dan ended up at his other top choice, Washington University in St. Louis, where he is currently a senior. Mr. Schlifske says, "he loves it."

Rejected once, and then again, by business schools at Stanford and Harvard, Scott McNealy practiced the perseverance that would characterize his career. A brash economics graduate of Harvard, he was annoyed that "they wouldn't take a chance on me right out of college," he says. He kept trying, taking a job as a plant foreman for a manufacturer and working his way up in sales. "By my third year out of school, it was clear I was going to be a successful executive. I blew the doors off my numbers," he says. Granted admission to Stanford's business school, he met Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla and went on to head Sun for 22 years.

Paul Purcell, who heads one of the few investment-advisory companies to emerge unscathed from the recession, Robert W. Baird & Co., says he interpreted his rejection years ago by Stanford University as evidence that he had to work harder. "I took it as a signal that, 'Look, the world is really competitive, and I'll just try harder next time,'" he says. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame and got an MBA from the University of Chicago, and in 2009, as chairman, president and chief executive of Baird, won the University of Chicago Booth School of Business distinguished corporate alumnus award. Baird has remained profitable through the recession and expanded client assets to $75 billion.

Time puts rejection letters in perspective, says Ted Turner. He received dual rejections as a teenager, by Princeton and Harvard, he says in an interview. The future America's Cup winner attended Brown University, where he became captain of the sailing team. He left college after his father cut off financial support, and joined his father's billboard company, which he built into the media empire that spawned CNN. Brown has since awarded him a bachelor's degree.

Tragedies later had a greater impact on his life, he says, including the loss of his father to suicide and his teenage sister to illness. "A rejection letter doesn't even come close to losing loved ones in your family. That is the hard stuff to survive," Mr. Turner says. "I want to be sure to make this point: I did everything I did without a college degree," he says. While it is better to have one, "you can be successful without it."

by Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal
Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Secrets of Successful People

2010-04-29T17:17:00.003-06:00

To be a success is not always to be a success individually. In fact, most of the time we achieve our successes as part of a team. That is why I want to devote this issue to the secrets of successful team.

We are all part of teams. Our family is a team. Our place of work is a team. The community groups we belong to are teams. Sometimes we are the team leader or “coach,” while other times we fulfill the role of follower, or “player.” It is so important then for us to understand teams and how they work, especially those who achieve success – the achievement of their desired goal.

In my life I have been on some successful teams, and some not so successful teams. This includes both athletically as well as professionally. When I was growing up, I worked for seven years with the Seattle Supersonics, our local National Basketball Association team. They were at times unsuccessful, and, in 1979, my second year working there, the most successful team in the league, winning the World Championship. I have been able to see firsthand what makes the difference between the unsuccessful teams and the successful ones.

Here are some principles that I know, when implemented on a regular basis, can turn any lackluster team into an outstanding one! These principles can be applied to your family, your business, your organization, and yes, your sports team. Enjoy.

Communication Leader

The leader needs to communicate the vision. If they are setting the pace, they need to let people know where they are going so that the team can follow. The coach always does a pre-game talk, laying out the vision.

The leader communicates the vision frequently, so as to always be updating the team as to where they are at and what changes need to be made. The coach doesn’t relegate the direction he gives to the pre-game, he coaches and communicates all the way through the game.

Team

Watch a good basketball team. They are talking to each other all of the time. Helping one another out, encouraging one another, praising one another, and telling each other how they can make changes so the same mistakes aren’t made again. The same is true of successful teams in the professional world and in life in general.

Excellence

The truly great teams are teams that are committed to excellence. In everything they do, their goal is to achieve at the highest level. And this commitment is held throughout the team and at every level. A successful team cannot have members who are not committed to excellence because in the end they will become the weak link.

Followership

If you want a fascinating read, pick up The Power of Followership, by Robert Kelley. The author basically makes the point that the secret to getting things done lies not only in great leadership, but in how well the rest of the people, 99% of the team, follows the leadership. Good teams are filled with people who are committed to following and getting the job done.

Understanding Roles

Pardon the Chicago Bulls analogy, but it is so clear. When the game was on the line, with only one shot left, everyone, the coaches, the players, the 20,000 people watching in the stadium, and millions watching on TV, knew who would shoot the last shot. That was Michael Jordan’s role.

Every team works best when the members of the team have clearly defined and understood roles. Some do one thing, others do another. One isn’t better or more important than the other, just different. When teams operate out of their strengths and their roles, they win.

Strengths and Weaknesses

This brings me to strengths and weaknesses. Every team member has strengths and weaknesses. The successful teams are those who on a regular and consistent basis enable the members to operate out of their strengths and not out of their weaknesses. And what is one person’s strengths will cover another’s weakness. This is teamwork, enabling all of the bases to be covered.

Fun

The team that plays together stays together. Is your team all work and no play? If you’re smart, that will change. Get your team out of the office once a month and go have some fun. Enjoy one another. Enjoy life. It will bring a sense of bonding that can’t be made even in “winning.”

Common Goals and Vision

I have found that these need to have three aspects. Short, simple and clear.

Can you say it in less than 30 seconds? Is it simple? Can you and others understand it? Does the team all know what they are working together for?

Appreciation

All through the “game,” successful teams appreciate one another and show it in a variety of ways. The coach shows it to the players, the players show it to the coach, and the players show it to one another.

Here is a “Successful Teams” Checklist for you to evaluate with.

* Is there communication between coach and players and from player to player?
* Is your team committed to excellence?
* Do those on the team know what it means to follow?
* Does everyone on my team know their specific role?
* Do the individuals on our team regularly operate out of their strengths as opposed to their weaknesses?
* Does our team take a break from time to time to just have fun together?
* Do we understand our common goals and vision? Can we all state it (them)?
* Is there a sense of and communication of genuine appreciation among my team?

Article by Chris Widener

Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success and Extraordinary Leaders, two companies helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Join subscribers in over 100 countries around the world!

If you've never failed, you have never lived!

2010-04-13T10:39:00.003-06:00

Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

2010-04-05T22:46:00.003-06:00

The Difference between Life and Dead

2010-04-03T07:56:00.005-06:00

The Power is Within You!

2010-03-14T23:41:00.001-06:00

Fire Yourself

2009-08-04T09:34:00.002-06:00

Let’s face it: we already know just about everything we need in order to be financially successful. We’ve got all the books and blogs we need to get on track. We know where to find the 10% coupons. We know how to track our spending, and we know where to educate ourselves about investments. But most of us are still stressed out when it comes to money. What’s the problem?

Financial earthquakes (like the “Great Recession of 2008”) don’t help. But as brutal as the economy has been over the last year, most of us are in the same relative place as when this mess started.

Was your financial situation perfect twelve months ago and then poof! it all went away? For some people this maybe be the case, but it’s probably not your story. It’s not mine. We might be behind the eight-ball more than we were a year ago. But if we’re hurting now, we were probably struggling then too. My theory is that our financial struggles have very little to do with money. Money will never create peace of mind; only we can do that. What we need is financial balance. More money is nice but it won’t create financial serenity. Balance will — and it won’t cost you a cent. You can have it today. Right now.

One good start toward balance is the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Frugal Dad had a brilliant post on this several months ago. I encourage you to read it. Among other things, Frugal discusses the importance of letting go of things that are beyond our control, such as the stock market, interest rates, and unemployment rates. He also talks about having the courage to change the things we can, such as education and work ethic, and asking for the wisdom to know the difference between the two. This prayer is probably the most powerful string of words ever put together — regardless of your religious beliefs.

But accepting the things we cannot change and changing the things we can is great on paper and hard to implement, right? I mean, right now it might be very easy to agree with the Serenity Prayer. But when you’ve lost your job and your credit card bill is staring up at you, it’s not so easy.

I faced a very frightening financial reality over the last year. But here are four steps I’ve taken that have really helped my financial serenity. I hope you find them useful as well.

Gather Knowledge

Earlier I said that we know everything we need to know about money. I may have exaggerated. We all lack self-knowledge and understanding. To solve your financial problems you have to be crystal clear on what the problem is:

* Is your spending out of control?
* Do you need to earn more money?
* Are you unable to get organized?

Often, folks wander around with a vague sense of being overwhelmed by their finances. Break it down. Write it down. What problem do you want to fix?

Once you know what the problem is, you need to fully understand the possible and best cures. Talk to experts. Talk to friends who have overcome similar challenges. Consult this and other excellent blogs. There are tons of resources for you — most of them free. Be open-minded and non-judgmental. You don’t have to decide what to do yet. You are just gathering information.

Now that the easy part is done, it’s time for the next step.

Seek Clarity

Financial success is a function of you rather than your circumstances.

What is it about you that keeps you back? How do you sabotage yourself? We all have character defects. What are yours? Are you lazy? Is that why you stopped tracking your expenses? Is that why you’re sitting on the couch rather than looking for work?

Do you fight with your partner about money because you are selfish? Have you stopped investing because of your fear? Does your arrogance alienate others who might otherwise provide good counsel?

How do you torpedo yourself? If you really want to get to the next level financially, be honest. It’s this lack of honesty that keeps people buying financial books and systems. They keep looking for the magic bullet that’s going to fix their problems. Look for your own character defects and become willing to do the work.

Fire Yourself

This advice may sound strange but it’s a key ingredient.

Think about this as you would any business decision. If you had an employee who continued to mess up time and time again, you’d fire him, wouldn’t you? If someone demonstrates a complete lack of ability to perform a given task, she’s gone. Right?

Let’s say you’ve tried and failed several times to track your expenses. You’ve made promises to yourself that you break time and time again. You’ve failed yourself — so fire yourself.

Put someone else in charge. Get an accountability partner and “report” to her. If you prefer, hire a financial adviser and take direction. Whatever it is, if you’ve failed at some aspect of your financial life, fire yourself and put someone else in charge.

When you “fire” yourself, you are committing to take direction from others and ignore the little voice in your head when it tells you “forget that…I know better”.

Look around. There are plenty of people in your life who would be happy to be on your team. Tell them what it is you want to do and do it. Tell them you want them to be your accountability “boss”. Tell them the problem you are trying to solve, be honest about it, and commit to take action and report daily or weekly, as the case may be. Tell them that they can “fire” you if you fail to live up to your promises.

This one idea has helped millions of people overcome serious problems such as substance addiction, and it can be invaluable to you as well. There’s something about being human: We really don’t like to let other people down. Use that to your benefit.

Take Action

You have the knowledge now. You know what the problem is, and you’ve consulted with others about the best remedy. You’ve fired yourself and you are ready to take direction from your new “boss”.

Now do it. Don’t think about it. Do it.

Remember, you fired yourself. You aren’t the one deciding what to do anymore. It’s not up to you. You are simply a cog in the wheel. You’re a private and your new boss is the general. She says jump, and you ask how high.

Don’t let your mind trick you. You are a smart cookie, and if you allow your character-defected mind to make decisions in this realm of your life, you’ll find some rationalization why you shouldn’t do it. That’s the reason you’ve failed in the past. Actually, you haven’t failed…your tricky mind has failed you.

When I write about character defects, please don’t think I’m pointing fingers. I have a list of defects longer than the Bill of Rights. Fortunately, these techniques worked for me. I can honestly say that I don’t remember the last time I worried about my finances.

To be sure, I’ve taken huge hits in my business and my income is down. But by gathering the knowledge, seeking clarity, firing myself, and taking action, it’s been much easier to accept the things I cannot change, change the things I can, and it’s been easier to see the difference.

Eggshells photo by Pink Sherbet Photography.

From Get Rich Slowly

Have More by Choosing Less

2009-07-18T15:32:00.000-06:00

As I search for simplicity in my life, I’ve realized that it’s not just about purging Stuff. Stuff is simply the physical representation of an overall pattern of clutter. In order to accomplish what I want to accomplish, I need to sort and purge the mess, both physical and mental.

* Prioritize. Determine what matters most. Choose the objects and obligations that bring meaning to your life, and make those your focus. Learn to say “no” to the things that don’t matter.

* Minimize. Eliminate the non-essential. Pursue activities that you enjoy and/or that allow you to be productive. “Have the minimum amount of Stuff for you to be comfortable,” Erin writes. Get rid of everything that is toxic in your life.

* Organize. As you reduce your obligations and the things you own, put everything in its place. Create a routine and develop the discipline to stick to that routine. If you take care of the essential, you’ll have time and room for fun without feeling stressed.

* Economize. Following the first three steps ought to reduce your spending. As you continue to simplify, live within your means. Develop a budget. Save for retirement. Buy quality instead of quantity. Be an intelligent consumer.

* Energize. Finally, be industrious. Don’t procrastinate. Pursue your passions with passion. Eat well and get enough rest so that you can work hard — and play hard, too. “Carpe vitam,” Erin says — seize life.

From: Get Rich Slowly

The Credit Crisis Visualized!

2009-02-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

To my son

2008-06-26T23:39:00.006-06:00

To my son, "Lorand Daniel", on his first day of birthday.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." You can start today to create the life you were meant to live, one small step at a time.
George Eliot (writer)

Or perhaps, "one big step from time to time."
Daniel O

The Story of Stuff

2008-06-09T22:24:00.005-06:00

"From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns."

The Story of Stuff is an interesting short film, particularly in its last half. Writer and narrator Annie Leonard explains that the “golden arrow of consumption” is the heart of the modern economic system, a system that’s really only existed since the 1950s.

After World War II, planned obsolescence was incorporated into the production of consumer goods. Whereas quality and long life had once been a selling point, now things were intentionally designed with shorter lifespans. Obviously, this increased the rate of consumption.

Even more powerful, however, is the notion of perceived obsolescence. Perceived obsolescence is most obvious with regards to fashion. I suspect most readers try to divorce their purchase decisions from the clutch of fashion because they understand just how insidious it can be. Who wants to be seen wearing clothing from 1993?

But perceived obsolescence goes beyond just fashion. How many of you geeks still have your first iPod? Why did you move to a new one? Was anything wrong with the old one? Or were you, on some unconscious level, unwilling to be seen carrying around that brick anymore? (I’m guilty of having upgraded my iPod because my old one seemed out-of-date, so don’t think I’m condemning anyone.)

What is the cost of all this? Leonard says that 99% of the stuff we harvest, mine, process, transport, and consume is trash within six months. Only 1% of the materials used to produce consumer goods (including the goods themselves) are still used six months after the date of sale.

Here’s the best part of The Story of Stuff chapter five, “Consumption”:

Taken from "Get Rich Slowly" blog.

The Importance of Action!

2008-06-02T18:34:00.006-06:00

People have goals in mind, but their present circumstances seem to be far from their intended destination. These two points are so far apart, in fact, that people are afraid to begin moving. Because the distance seemed overwhelming, they are paralyzed.

The importance of action

I used to feel this way, too. I would look at the enormity of my debt — $20,000! $30,000! — and I would stop before I could even begin. This was, of course, completely self-defeating. The most important thing you can do to achieve your financial goals (or any goal, for that matter) is to take action. It matters little which action you take so long as you begin moving in the right direction. You might, for example:

* Start a RRSP account.
* Open a high-yield savings account.
* Cancel your cable television.
* Read a book about the stock market or go back to school.
* Learn to bake bread.

Don’t be paralyzed because you don’t know the best path to take. Pick one good path and follow it. Whatever your financial goal, that first small step is the most important. It leads from inaction to action. It leads to the future.

Closing the gap

While I was thinking about this yesterday, I stumbled upon a video from This American Life’s Ira Glass. On the surface, it seems completely unrelated to personal finance. And maybe it is. But I think that in these five minutes, Glass gets to the heart of success with any goal:

Ostensibly, Glass is speaking about story-telling. (Which is why I was actually watching this.) But what he’s really talking about is the process of mastery, of building skills and achieving goals.

Glass says that when you begin any endeavor, you’re a novice. You have a clear vision of what a successful person would do or be (debt-free, for example, or have a million dollars), but your own efforts aren’t anywhere near what you define as success. Maybe you still spend money on videogames or on handbags. Maybe you eat out too much. Whatever the case, there’s a gap between your view of success and your present abilities.

“A lot of people never get past that phase,” Glass says. “A lot of people at that point, they quit.”

But to succeed, you can’t quit. To achieve your dreams, you need to keep stumbling along. Nearly anyone who is successful, says Glass, goes through a period of months or years where they can tell that what they’re doing isn’t as good as they want it to be:

You gotta know that’s totally normal. The most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work…It’s only by actually going through a volume of work that you’re actually going to catch up and close that gap, and the work you’re making will be as good as your ambitions.

Or, translated into the language of personal finance, keep practicing frugality. Keep saving money. Keep reading about the stock market. It’s only by continuing to do these things that they become habits, and it’s only by developing these habits that you’ll be able to meet your financial goals. Don’t be discouraged if you stumble. You will make mistakes. You need to fight your way through these. “You will be fierce,” Glass says. “You will be a warrior.”

But to begin, you need to take action. You need to take that first step. You need to begin walking in the direction of your dreams.

Article taken from "Get Rich Slowly"

A Glimpse at the Spending of the Average American

2008-05-08T11:25:00.008-06:00

The Spending of the Average American Chart:

On Saturday, The New York Times published a brilliant chart illustrating the spending of the average American:

“Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers 84,000 prices in about 200 categories,” the paper writes, “like gasoline, bananas, dresses and garbage collection.” These numbers form the Consumer Price Index, one common measure of inflation. And this graphic makes that information accessible.

This chart is neat for several reasons:

The circle itself represents 100% of the average consumer’s spending. The circle is divided into eight large shapes, each of which is divided further into a number of smaller shapes. The size of each shape represents an estimate of what the average American spends on the category it represents. For example, gasoline is the largest shape in the transportation category.
Each shape is color-coded by the change in prices for that category between March 2007 and March 2008. The three dark red shapes (representing price increases of more than 40%) are all petroleum products. But eggs — with a 29.9% price increase — are close behind.
Hovering over any shape will reveal the category name, the share of spending from the average budget, and the amount by which prices have changed in the past year.
You can use the “zoom in” tool to get a better view of the action, and then drag the chart around to look at different categories. It’s only by doing this that you can see lettuce has its own category, and that the green, leafy stuff has declined in price by 3.2% over the past twelve months.
I’ll confess to feeling like a total geek because I spent twenty minutes exploring the different numbers. I even started taking notes and making extrapolations and comparisons.

For example, Americans, as a whole, spend three times as much money on cigarettes as they do on financial services. Actually, because we know that 0.7% of expenditures are made to cigarettes, and because we know that 21% of Americans smoke, then (if my math is right) about 3.5% of a smoker’s expenses go to cigarettes. (Note that I’m not criticizing. At one time, comic books accounted for 7% of my own expenses.)

I would love to find more charts and graphs like this one. (The New York Times has a history of producing great charts and graphs, such as their graph of home values from 2006 and their rent vs. buy calculator.)

[The New York Times: All of inflation's little parts]

Article taken from the Get Rich Slowly blog

Global Warming!

2008-01-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic

Below is a complete listing of the articles in "How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic," a series by Coby Beck containing responses to the most common skeptical arguments on global warming. There are four separate taxonomies; arguments are divided by:

Individual articles will appear under multiple headings and may even appear in multiple subcategories in the same heading.

Stages of Denial

A. There's nothing happening

1. Inadequate evidence

2. Contradictory evidence

3. No consensus

B. We don't know why it's happening

1. Models don't work

2. Prediction is impossible

3. We can't be sure

C. Climate change is natural

1. It happened before

2. It's part of a natural change

3. It's not caused by CO2

D. Climate change is not bad

1. The effects are good

What's wrong with warmer weather?

2. The effects are minor

3. Change is normal

E. Climate change can't be stopped

1. Too late

Kyoto is a big effort for almost nothing

2. It's someone else's problem

3. Economically infeasible

Climate change mitigation would lead to disaster

Scientific Topics

A. Temperature

B. Atmosphere

C. Extreme events

1. Temperature records

2. Storms

3. Droughts

D. Cryosphere

1. Glaciers

2. Sea ice

Antarctic sea ice is increasing

3. Ice sheets

E. Oceans

Sea level in the Arctic is falling

F. Modeling

1. Scenarios

2. Uncertainties

G. Climate forcings

1. Solar influences

2. Greenhouse gases

3. Aerosols

H. Paleo climate

1. Holocene

2. Ice ages

3. Geologic history

I. Scientific process

Types of Argument

1. Uninformed

2. Misinformed

3. Cherry Picking

4. Urban Myths

5. FUD

6. Non Scientific

7. Underdog Theories

8. Crackpottery

Levels of Sophistication

1. Silly

2. Naive

3. Specious

4. Scientific

The comments of Gristmill users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?

Gristmill

http://gristmill.grist.org

Every Day is Thanksgiving Day

2007-11-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Day of Thanksgiving.

Holiday Thoughts from 1951!

2007-10-19T18:12:00.000-06:00

Want to Save more?

A few weeks ago I wrote about my realization that I have to much Stuff. For two decades, I had been a willing participant in our consumerist culture, buying books and magazines and video games and compact discs and George Foreman grills. After twenty years of this, all I had to show for it was a mountain of debt and a home filled with Stuff.

Recently, Kris and I have been working to purge our Stuff. While we’ve discarded some of it as trash, we’ve also managed to sell some of it. We’ve donated some of our Stuff to charity. We’ve given other Stuff to friends.

At first this was painful. Then it became appalling. It was shocking to think that I’d paid tens of thousands of dollars to buy this Stuff, and then paid even more in interest fees. Now I’m casting much of it aside, shipping it off to a landfill.

This has made me realize that Stuff has more than just a personal financial cost. Every time I buy something, it has an impact on the world around me. When I buy a new kitchen appliance, for example, there’s an environmental cost for the manufacturing process, for the packaging, for the transportation, and for the marketing. By reducing my role as a consumer, couldn’t I help myself and help the environment? Here are five strategies that I’ve developed to help me accomplish both goals at once:

Reduce your consumption — buy less stuff. Such a simple notion, yet so powerful. The less you buy, the less money you spend. When you buy less, you’re also reducing your environmental impact. Buying fewer things means a little more money in your pocket, and a little less pollution in the world.
Reuse the things you have. Last week, Amanda encouraged us to get value from the things we own. Before you buy a new computer game, ask yourself if you’re finished playing the last one you bought. Before you buy a new bicycle, consider taking your old bike in for a tune-up instead. If you currently buy disposable diapers, disposable razors, or paper towels, consider switching to re-usable alternatives.
Recycle the Stuff you no longer want or need. If you replace your 1996-era 19″ Sony television with a new widescreen model, don’t set the old TV out in the trash. Find another home for it. Put it on Craigslist. Set it outside with a “free” sign on it. If you really want to save money, place yourself on the other side of the equation: look for Stuff that people are getting rid of. You can find nearly everything you need for much less than you’d pay new. You just need to know where to look!
Embrace imperfection. We like the things we buy to be perfect. But that perfection comes at a price, both financially and environmentally. Learn to look beyond the surface:
- Hand-crafted goods may contain minor imperfections.
- Organic fruits and vegetables often have visible blemishes that do not affect the quality of the food.
- The things you find at garage sales and thrift stores will often require mending.
All of these flaws can be disconcerting at first, but in time you may find yourself wondering why they once bothered you.
Pursue quality. I used to buy a pair of $3 gardening gloves every spring because I didn’t see the sense in spending more. They’d work fine for a couple months, but by the end of the summer, they’d be worn to pieces. Then one year I bought a $15 pair of gloves. I haven’t bought another pair since. We often assume the least expensive option is the best way to save money. That’s not always the case. Quality items usually have a higher initial cost, but the total cost of ownership can be much less than a cheaply-made equivalent.

These rules can be difficult to follow — I’ve been working on some of them for years. Most of the time, I still think like a consumer. But because it’s important to the environment, and because
it’s important to my bottom line, I’m willing to keep trying.

Want to Save the Environment? Buy Less Stuff!

Taken from http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/

What Will Matter

2007-07-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

Children See Children Do. Make your influence positive!

2007-04-26T14:11:00.000-06:00

A moment can change your life!

2007-03-24T10:15:00.000-06:00

As I look back on my life, I realize that certain decisions, certain encounters, certain meetings, and certain events were extremely determinant in my personal growth. These crucial moments profoundly changed the course of my life. A few moments to change an entire life! A few moments to change me forever! Such moments are precious and rare. They happen because of universal laws or because we have intentionally created them for ourselves. They stand at crossroads in our lives. Today or tomorrow, one of these wonderful moments may occur in my life. And I will be faced with an important decision that will mark my existence until the end of my days.

Generosity

2007-03-14T16:28:00.000-06:00

I see very clearly the value of generosity in a world that is too often cold, rude and austere. Generosity is a soft light that shines from the hearth to light the path of others. Today, I know that I have nothing to lose by being generous. There are only winners in the game of generosity, never losers. How can I succeed if I have no interest in the success of others? How can I reap the benefits of my success while I see others experiencing hardship? How can I grow and see others fail to grow?

Today, I understand that the universe is not a one-way street. If I wan to win, I also have to support others in victory. By being generous, I give back a little of what the universe has given me and I contribute to the success of others.

Real Beauty

2007-03-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

These are the definitions of real beauty in real time, modern times, old times, and ancient times.

We all strive for a beautiful and healthy body. This not only makes our hearts come alive but it keeps us alive and vibrant.

Unfortunately, there are some individuals who strive for beauty for reasons that not only are unhealthy but which in time actually detract from the over all attractiveness of the individual. One of the main unhealthy reasons to try and look beautiful is out of a need for attention or need for validation. Such needs usually stem from a fear of being alone and this is most often associated with low self esteem.

Using beauty to try to compensate for low self esteem is like trying to make your old broken down car attractive with a new paint job in order to get it sold when the engine no longer works. Sooner or later the truth will come out and any perceived gains will be lost. In the process there will also come a great deal of heart ache.

Attractiveness is more than skin deep. It is something that can only emerge from a fully self respecting and self confident human being. All of this can only come when an individual truly loves or esteems themselves in every way. Now many feel this is a distant and unachievable reality so they look for a quik fix from a good make over. A lot of organizations are making a lot of money feeding off of the poor self esteem of individuals.

What price do you pay when you buy into such "easy solutions" and pretend to yourself that this is the road to happiness? Well, what happens is that you go into a state of denial about what you really feel inside and then these feelings need to be kept suppressed. Where do they go then? Well, they actually go "into" your body and turn up sooner or later as some form of emotional or physical illness.

So in the end you're left with a reminder of the problem that you tried so hard to forget. The worst part about all of this is that once the illness stage emerges the tendency is again to find a quik fix in the form of some medication or drug prescribed by a physician. Most medications come with numerous side-effects. Staying on one or more long enough will cause you to likely experience some of these side-effects. The solution? Well, another medication of course, and so on.

Now if you are a young person you may think that this is all sounding a bit too pessimistic. Well my 20 years as a psychiatrist has given me enough experience to know that this is an ever recurring scenario. I'm presenting it to you here so that you will reflect carefully on your situation and make a wise and self respecting decision to take what ever feels like the truly right course for yourself.

Self esteem is something that can be improved more easily than one thinks these days, and in the right way. So I challenge you to strive for the true lasting beauty that can only emerge from a heart that is truly alive and open. It's the only way to be truly attractive!

Dr. Nick Arrizza

Beauty is not caused. It is.

Emily Dickinson

Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair; and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather; let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight.

1 Peter 3:3-4

I wonder why we do not understand the concept of real beauty.

The Truth

2007-02-22T16:12:00.000-07:00

Inside each of us lies the possibility to choose between the high road or the low road. The individual can choose between a life based on the satisfaction of urges and personal interest or on the achievement of more noble goals.

When an individual listens to the call of his inferior characteristics, he gives in to the world of appearances, putting the physical ahead of the mental, living a superficial and finite existence. The inferior being knows nothing of virtue and is unable to achieve true success. The inferior being cannot come to know the deeper meaning of love and life. The inferior being is unable to see the dynamic forces inherent in life and events. The interior being is doomed to fail because he has no access to profound knowledge or to the wisdom of the soul.

When an individual listens to the call of his superior characteristics, he reaches a new level of knowledge and self-awareness. He makes consistent use of his many sources of discernment, a faculty which springs solely from the spiritual. He looks at the world and sees far beyond appearances, he makes choices based on wiser and more valuable criteria and he directs his efforts and energy at reaching nobler goals. The superior being always triumphs because he values the virtues of the heart: gentleness, goodness and compassion. The superior being can achieve his goals with approval from the universe.

Virtue is the tool of choice for the superior being. The superior being is virtuous because he understands the strength and breadth of virtue. He knows that by being virtuous, he is true to his profound nature; he becomes the instrument of goodness and greatness. He knows that virtuous behavior brings him closer to the divinity within.

My beautiful Country "A Paradise called... Colombia"

2007-02-11T16:24:00.002-07:00

Para mi gente... Colombia! Arriba Colombianos no perdamos la fé que Colombia es grande aqui afuera y allá adentro también. Mantengamos la características que nos destacan como el país con la gente más felíz del mundo. Esta corta pelicula muestra lo que somos, lo apasionados y felices de ser Colombianos. Gracias por sus comentarios pues nos hacen sentir que nuestra gente está aquí con nosotros. Saludos a esa Colombia bella.

Colombia is Passion

2007-01-27T13:44:00.000-07:00


Promo about Colombia to show what colombia is really like. Key words: Shakira, Juanes, Carlos Vives, Barranquilla, Bogota, Festival, Feria, Musica, Passion, Teatro, Libro, Amazonas, Selva, Asi es, Medellin, cali, Transformacion, Pais, Trip,Colombia, Colombia, Colombia, Playa y Cartagena. Colombia es Passion!

Self-Confidence

2005-08-25T19:04:00.000-06:00

“Some man achieved success because they are firmly convinced that lives could never be otherwise. Success gives them total fulfillment not even the smallest of gaps can let failure filter into their lives. This certainly thing is a lot like autosuggestion. In all circumstances, everything unfolds us if failure cannot possibly affect them, as if they are immunized against any kind of negative germ.”
-FRANCOIS GARAGNON

Succeeding, achieving my objectives and making my dreams come through call for certainty. The certainty that I can find the means and inner strength to reach my goals. In the final analysis, in the battle of life, I must be able to rely on my self. I have to maintain the energy I find in new beginnings and I have to find a path that leads me to my ultimate goal. No one can give me self-confidence, not even the encouragement of my friends and my love ones. A mental outlook that excludes the possibility that I might fail or that I might give up is my best asset. I have to believe in my self and I have to know that I will reach my objective no matter what life brings me. My result is to believe in myself and to trust the inner wisdom that tells me that I can reach my ultimate objective.
S49

Going Further

2005-08-23T21:01:00.000-06:00

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”

Persevere is a word whose stem comes from the Latin for “severe” (severus), meaning inflexible. Someone who is perseverant never quits. People who have been successful in their lives all have something in common: perseverance. Their success stories show consistent effort, persistence in difficult situations and the will to go on, even when the temptation to give in to discouragement has been very great.

Today, I know that perseverance comes from within. It is not something I can find outside myself. Even when friends offer me encouragement, nothing can replace my own perseverance.

Perseverance is the marathon runner who refuses to give in to exhaustion before he or she has crossed the finish line. It is standing up to adversity. It is refusing to give in even when all seems lost.
S135

There's Always a Solution

2005-08-22T20:19:00.000-06:00

We should return to a simpler approach to life. In a sense, we should return to our roots. When we try to complicate life, we experience problems. If I have a disagreement with a colleague or a friend, I wait for my anger to dissipate and I go to him or her to explain my point of view frankly, and I am prepared to admit that I may have been wrong in some ways. If my children come home with a bad report card, I spend more time with them to help them understand the things they find hard to learn. If colleagues or acquaintances react coldly to me, I seek them out and I ask them to explain what’s wrong. In short, there is always a way to make life simpler.
S215

Serving Others

2005-08-21T17:29:00.000-06:00

“No joy equals the joy of serving others.”
-SAI BABA

Most of us have lost the notion of serving others. To some extent we associate serving others with form of degradation or slavery. We live in an age of liberation. But our overly individualistic outlook results in isolation and spiritual hardship. There can only be one true goal for people living within a society: serving others. A lifetime of serving ourselves is sterile and fruitless. A lifetime of serving our families, our communities, our businesses, our planet, is the only true life.

Serving does not mean being a slave or acting as someone else’s inferior. Serving means using my talents and my resources for the greater good of all. When I serve, I find self-fulfillment, I create harmony and I become a full-fledged member of humanity.
S176

Family Life

2005-08-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

When you look at the question of personal success, it is impossible to ignore family life. Our families have undergone enormous changes in the last two decades. Today, we often live through the effects of the breakdown of the family unit. However, the family remains a source of joy, of security, of belonging and emotional stability. Within the family, we learn to share, to love, to take our individual responsibilities and to take pleasure in the company of others.

Today, I see that family life is part of my sense of values. I seek to reinforce and nurture my ties with other family members. I am willing to help them, comfort them and spoil them. I know that alone, life makes no real sense. So I seek to create sound, loving and lasting ties with my family.
S214

The Power of Dreams

2005-08-19T17:32:00.000-06:00

I can create a mental image of the goals I want to reach. If I want a particular result, I must imagine it as if it were something that I have already achieved. Such is the power of my dreams. I can imagine my future. I can imagine the kind of life I want to live and the kind of situations I want to experience. I can use my mental images as a guide.

If I have no goals and no dreams, how can I be sure that I am moving closer to self-fulfillment? I can use my imagination to guide my actions.

Today, I use my dreams to guide and inspire me.
S152