Simple living yields simply millions in savings(interesting!)

Many people who lead simple-living lifestyles are millionaires. Their wealth is the result of hard work, perseverance, planning and self-discipline.

Many people already lead simple-living lifestyles and don’t know it. And many of them are millionaires.

Proof can be found in the best-selling book, “The Millionaire Next Door,” by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. You’d never guess that the subject of millionaires could have anything to do with simple living, but it does.

Compulsive savers vs. the rest of us
The millionaires in this book were not born wealthy, nor do most of them have high-level, exotic jobs. What they do have are simple lifestyles! It’s the simple lifestyles, not the big paychecks that turned these people into millionaires. According to the book, their wealth is the result of hard work, perseverance, planning and most of all, self-discipline.

So why aren’t all of us hard-working souls rich?
Answer: We regularly and continually give our money away to other people so they can become wealthy, while we live paycheck to paycheck. We buy the latest cars, biggest houses, full wardrobes, daily espressos, high-tech gizmos and gadgets of all kinds. As a result, we’re on treadmills, never allowing ourselves the time to create the kind of lifestyle we want. On the other hand, the millionaires are described in the book as “compulsive savers and investors.” After surveying 1,115 millionaires around the country, authors Stanley and Danko came up with seven common denominators among those who successfully build wealth:

1. They live well below their means.
2. They allocate their time, energy and money efficiently, in ways conducive to building wealth.
3. They believe that financial independence is more important than displaying high social status.
4. Their parents did not provide economic outpatient care.
5. Their adult children are economically self-sufficient.
6. They are proficient in targeting market opportunities.
7. They chose the right occupations.

This list represents simple living at its finest. Here’s why. Simple living is about living consciously and with a purpose. This means being in control of your money and your life. When you save your money rather than continue spending, you buy yourself control. Then you have a say in how you’d like to spend your time.

With money saved and invested, you can live for years without earning money, or you can at least afford yourself the luxury of working part-time. This is vastly different from living paycheck to paycheck. These millionaires have created lifestyles and jobs that are meaningful to them because they took a look at the big picture and made choices accordingly.

The millionaire next door
“The flashy millionaires glamorized by the media actually represent only a tiny minority of America’s rich,” Stanley and Danko say in the book. “Most of the truly wealthy in this country don’t live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue -- they live next door.”

The authors say that the typical wealthy individual is a businessman who has lived in the same town for all of his adult life, and owns a small factory, a chain of stores or a service company. He lives next door to people with a fraction of his wealth. Their survey indicated that while the paycheck to paycheck crowd drives new cars, most millionaires don’t. They’re not wearing expensive clothes and watches and their houses are relatively modest compared to their financial status.

You don’t need to be a millionaire to lead a simple life, and indeed, no one said that money equals happiness. But you can learn from millionaires how to get off the treadmill and create a satisfying life.

2 days we should not worry about....

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise, and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born. This leaves only one day,

Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.

Quote of the DaY: "You better live your best and act your best and think your best today, for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow. " - Harriet Martineau(English economist & novelist)

Don't Be Lazy!

"Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking."
Albert Einstein
US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

It's time to leave your job when ...

Here is 10 ways to know when it's the right time to move on from your present job into a new role.
1. Friends/family ban you from mentioning "work" after hearing countless complaints.
2. You do not share your company's values/goals.
3. You've started making a voodoo doll of your boss.
4. Your standards slip. You come to work late, take sickies, make silly mistakes, tell white lies to cover your tracks.
5. You're burntout – insomnia, hair loss, skin rashes, nightmares, feeling blue, stress eating/not eating.
6. You could do your job in your sleep. You're constantly watching the clock and every minute feels like an hour.
7. Once known as easy going, you're now constantly snapping at people.
8. The boss has all the control. You have no input into how you do your job.
9. The phrase: "That's not in my job description" has become your personal mantra.
10. There is nowhere for you to go in the organisation.

When you love someone...

from Gift From The Sea
___________________________________________________
When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.

The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Christmas "DAY" Gathering on 25th Dec 2004

hahaha..supposed to update abt this long..long time ago...but it's better to be late than never rite...hahahaha... in brief, all of the KLG geng went over to WC's new place for a christmas potluck party together with his families member and close relatives. I think there were ard 20 ppl or more. From our side: Gavin, KY, Kelvin, Irene, Jenny, WC and myself. Each of us brought a dish and a present for gift exchange which i was damn lucky to get the most expensive gift among all. A "Lamp Berge" product!!! wow... yeah the most expensive christmas gift i ever received. Thanks to "da man" Mr. Gavin for his kindness and generousity. Kiddin! okok... spare no more time...here are the event details:
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Theme : Christmas Day Celebration 2004
Venue : Wei Chong's House (his new house)
Time : 7:30pm (assuming everyone is punctual!)
Rules : Every attendee need to bring along a christmas gift (budget RM15)(any suggestion how we should do the exchange rather than the conventional way of just switching based on draw... any exciting ideas ar? leave tt for you all to figure it out!)
Food :(quantity prepare based on 10-12 headcounts, quality anyhow!)
KY - In-charge of fried prawn, sotong and crab balls.
Irene - In-charge of fried bee hoon siam(lots of chilli pls)
Gavin - In-charge of turkey(as big as the one on Mr.Bean's show)
Jenny - In-charge of cake(brought all the way from sg, must be sthg good i guess!)
WC - In-charge of asam fish(yeah, again lots of chilli pls)
Kelvin - In-charge of vege salad(i.e. lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, and anything u tink it's healthy!)
ME - In-charge of drinks(cincau), fruits(i.e.papaya, honey dew and watermelon) and popiah.
Wee San - (since you only know abt this know, maybe u can bring some deserts for us or just bring yourself and eat but do the cleaning up later on...eehehehehe....no free lunch dude! incl ur gf!)
Kennie - (not coming but if u guys lookin for him, can find him at sg. orh yeah, kennie pls leave ur gift wt us, we'll help u exchange!)
Headcount: around 17(incl WC's parents, sisters + bfs and bro + wife, is tt rite ar, WC?)
Mascot:(Who wan to be santa? we need a volunteer!!! any1 kind enough to do some goodness this christmas? ehehehehe...)
Transportation:(to be arranged on that day itself.)
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basically, it was a hell of a good time together... gettin to share the joy of christmas with everyone and best of all was the food. all did well, thanks guys! lookin forward for tis year christmas party.... hahahaha... adios!

WHAT TREE DID YOU FALL FROM?

Find your birthday and then find your tree. (This is really cool and somewhat accurate, at least in line with Celtic astrology.) Then send it to all your friends, including the one that sent it to you, so they can find out what trees you and they fell from, but don't forget to change the subject line to your tree.

Dec 23 to Jan 01 - Apple Tree
Jan 01 to Jan 11 - Fir Tree
Jan 12 to Jan 24 - Elm Tree
Jan 25 to Feb 03 - Cypress Tree
Feb 04 to Feb 08 - Poplar Tree
Feb 09 to Feb 18 - Cedar Tree
Feb 19 to Feb 28 - Pine Tree
Mar 01 to Mar 10 - Weeping Willow Tree
Mar 11 to Mar 20 - Lime Tree
Mar 21 (only) - Oak Tree
Mar 22 to Mar 31 - Hazelnut Tree
Apr 01 to Apr 10 - Rowan Tree
Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Maple Tree
Apr 21 to Apr 30 - Walnut Tree
May 01 to May 14 - Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 - Chestnut Tree
May 25 to Jun 03 - Ash Tree
Jun 04 to Jun 13 - Hornbeam Tree
Jun 14 to Jun 23 - Fig Tree
Jun 24 (only) - Birch Tree
Jun 25 to Jul 04 - Apple Tree
Jul 05 to Jul 14 - Fir Tree
Jul 15 to Jul 25 -Elm Tree
Jul 26 to Aug 04 - Cypress Tree
Aug 05 to Aug 13 - Poplar Tree
Aug 14 to Aug 23 - Cedar Tree
Aug 24 to Sep 02 - Pine Tree
Sep 03 to Sep 12 - Weeping Willow Tree
Sep 13 to Sep 22 - Lime Tree
Sep 23 (only) - Olive Tree
Sep 24 to Oct 03 - Hazelnut Tree
Oct 04 to Oct 13 - Rowan Tree
Oct 14 to Oct 23 - Maple Tree
Oct 24 to Nov 11 - Walnut Tree
Nov 12 to Nov 21 - Chestnut Tree
Nov 22 to Dec 01 - Ash Tree
Dec 02 to Dec 11 - Hornbeam Tree
Dec 12 to Dec 21 - Fig Tree
Dec 22 (only) - Beech Tree

YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) -- Quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) -- Extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart , demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) -- Has good taste, concerned about his/her looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) -- Vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) -- Of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) -- Of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be a round, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) -- Strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn't necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) -- Pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) -- Very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence."

Fir tree (Mysterious) -- Extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) -- Charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) -- Of cool beauty, cares for his/her looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - Intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) -- No ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) -- Robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps his/her feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) -- Loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read, and loves the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) -- Loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) -- Looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable! in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) -- Full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egotism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) -- Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - Likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

2005 New Year's Resolution...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Being quite lazy lately although i kept telling myself not to. Guess i'm still like others afterall. Always wanted to impose heavy restrictions and self-disciplined on myself so that i could spend my time and effort more effectively and productively. I always believe by doing so will i only be able to stay ahead the rest or at least be as competitive as them. Apart from being competitive, its also help us to make yourself grow progressively and continuously in seeking our goals and achieving our life missions. Of course, we shouldn't overdo it by being so obsessive in implementing our life principles till we've forgetten who we are, our families and friends, and most importantly our actual streangth and capabilities. Yes, all of us have our own strength and weaknesses. That is what makes our life more challenging in the sense that we need to constantly challenge ourselves to overcome our weaknesses, reviewing them and make them work with us. Once we managed to do that, we are actually a step closer in achieving our life goals and objectives. Then came another new weaknesses along the way that will hinder us from going further but we need not afraid instead apply the same principle and soon it'll be our friend rather than our enemy. That's life my friend, you can't have a life completely full of happiness(a perfect life) if you first don't go through the hardships and obstacles that come along with it. That's what i called "Balanced Lifestyle". Well supposed to write something about my new year's resolution but somehow got distracted and started talking about some life perspectives and principles. Yeah, boring and dry! All of us, always try our best to avoid them. In brief, this year 2005 new year resolution will be: "Thriving towards achieving a greater and much more meaningful lifestyle through constantly challenging my own weaknesses, upgrading myself and reviewing them as i move along to ensure a certain degree of consistency and persistency are met." Sounds too abstract for you then it's time you find one which suits yourself. Lastly, i hope this year will bring more joy and happiness to everyone while enjoying the prosperity of life! Adios...

Insure your career

Take steps now to remain employable with these tips
Recently, I met up with my insurance adviser to have my insurance policies reviewed. During the meeting, I learnt that a working individual should have adequate insurance cover to protect his future earnings in the event of an uncertainty such as premature death, permanent disability or critical illnesses.
I agreed with him and bought another insurance policy to cover my shortfall.
While paying premiums to insure your future earnings, possession or health, it is also imperative to insure your career. There is no premium to be paid for the career insurance but the returns can be high. Here are suggestions on what you can do:

Record your achievements
As time goes by, you may forget your past achievements in previous jobs. It is good to create a folder to store every specific achievement, no matter how small it may seem. An e-folder would be ideal as you can cut and paste your achievements onto your resumé easily.
A prospective employer will look at how a potential employee can add value to his organisation and he is going to be impressed with a detailed record of your previous achievements.

Update your resumé regularly
It is important to update your resumé regularly even though you are presently employed. This serves as a contingency should you lose your job one day.
You will not have to spend time updating your resumé then and can begin sending it out immediately.

Polish your communication skills
Just as jewels need to be polished to retain their shine, you need to polish up your communication skills to enhance your working relationships with colleagues and business associates.
Studies have shown that employees who progress successfully in the organisation are those who are able to communicate effectively with people at all levels. In your communications, always think of how you can be of value or help to the other party.
Remember the saying: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Enlarge your network
One of my clients told me that her network was very small. When I asked her how many personal contacts she had invited to her wedding dinner and she told me it was nearly 200, I told her that was the size of her network.
Like her, you probably have a sizeable network. All you need to do is to enlarge it and keep in touch with them through acts such as sending them greeting cards or an article you feel will be of interest to them.
No doubt it takes time to network. But the effort could prove invaluable as your network could be your next source of job leads. Most jobs are acquired through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Bullet-proof yourself
Jobs lost may not be available again in today’s competitive job market. Instead of biting the bullet, you can bullet-proof yourself.
Always be prepared to learn new skills as you never know when you will need them. Volunteer to embark on new challenges such as leading a project team or chairing a fund-raising event.
Do not be afraid to showcase your hidden talents. Your hidden talents are your marketable assets. Flaunt them!

Learn as you go
Your self-development and education are never-ending. Keep up with what is happening in your industry and profession. Continue to sharpen your skills and learn new ones.
If you need to attend a course to be more competent in your job, do it! As you gain more knowledge and skills over time, your chances of keeping your job are higher though not guaranteed. You can also transfer your knowledge and skills to a more challenging position.

Get your Plan B ready
One of the best ways to insure your career is to explore other career options. This is your Plan B, which will kick in when you find your present job does not advance you further.
You can draft your contingency plan yourself or with the help of a career coach. The coach will be able to help you know who you are so you can be sure of where you want to go or what you want to be at some defined point in the future.

Be modest
Be likeable, friendly and cooperative. These are vital traits that you should develop to the fullest. People with such traits tend to be hired first and fired last.
Just remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.