Toward Peaceful Life, External and Internal.

An Atheist Professor and A Student

2009-11-11T05:30:00.000-08:00

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God.. .

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat.. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy . Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it .

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so.. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.

With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent.. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable. )

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man and God is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving and alive.

NB: I believe you have enjoyed the conversation. ..and if so...you'll probably want your friends/colleagues to enjoy the same...won't you?....

this is a true story, and the student was none other than........ .
Muhammad Ali Jinnah , Founder of Pakistan

The Theft of Nations – Returning to Gold

2008-08-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

There were once two neighbouring islands far away in the oceans. One was called Aya and the other Baya. A certain people called the Sukus lived on the island of Aya.

It was a fertile island with lush vegetation and tropical fruits. There were numerous waterfalls and rivers that provided the people with clean water and places for family retreats and recreation.

The surrounding seas were unpolluted, with abundant fish and other seafood. The island also had gold and the Sukus, particularly the womenfolk, loved gold, They used pieces of gold as money since everyone treasured gold. Their tribal leadership led by a man named Saka,
minted the gold coins. They lived a simple cooperative life and there were no interest charges for lending and borrowings among themselves.

Occasionally, some tidal waves and strong winds destroy some property, particularly homes, but the community would immediately help themselves to rebuild or repair the damaged property. Other than that, it was a peaceful community of people who went about their life gracefully.

The island of Baya , on the other hand, was inhabited by a people called the Tukus. Their leader was an elderly man named Taka. The island of Baya was fertile too and the Tukus were mostly farmers who worked rice fields or kept cows, sheep and poultry. Some of them were good at
handiwork and produced a variety of household items. They too lived a very peaceful and cooperative life, mutually helping each other for survival.

The Tukus were, however, not so sophisticated as the Sukus, in that they merely did barter trade. The Tukus realized that the Sukus were much wealthier, healthier and had towns that were much more sophisticated than their own. They had always thought that the Sukus were more gifted and superior beings than themselves. Even though they barter traded their goods occasionally with the Sukus they never got the idea of money. However, their women-folk too loved gold, particularly the gold jewellery that the Sukus made.

One day, two smartly dressed men arrived in a ship on the shores of the island of Aya . Their names were Gago and Sago. The Sukus being a very hospitable people welcomed their new guests. Gago and Sago impressed the Sukus with the stories of their extensive traveling. They showed them some gold coins from other parts of the world and also some printed papers that were apparently used by some far-away people as money.

The Sukus had never seen paper before. The paper money even had pictures of bananas on it – their favourite fruit. The two strangers also showed them a machine that prints such money. Wow! That got the Sukus' attention. There were awed because they had never seen anything like that before. The islanders loved Gago and Sago and invited both to live with them on the island.

Gago and Sago convinced the people that an institution called a bank would benefit the people immensely. They explained that a bank would provide a place for keeping their gold money safe while uplifting their economic conditions by making the savings available to others for
productive use, which otherwise would remain idle. The Sukus, being a people who loved to help others, thought that was a great idea. Gago and Sago then built a small building structure with a vault in it and started operating the first bank on the island of Aya .

They celebrated the occasion by giving the islanders a great feast along with a colourful festival of events. The people thronged to deposit their gold coins with the bank. Depositors were given a piece of printed paper for every gold coin they deposited, with the assurance that they could redeem a gold coin for every paper they turned in.

The people were excited with the paper "money" they got because it even had a picture of their leader Saka beside a banana tree. No doubt Saka was very pleased too!

The people deposited all their gold coins, a total of 100,000 pieces and hence an equivalent number of pieces of paper were given out. Now the people used the paper as money and found that it was much more convenient than the heavier gold coins that they used before. The paper
money printed by Gago and Sago, therefore, became the dominant currency of the island. Nobody used the fold coins anymore.

The people were pleased with the ease with which they were able go about doing their businesses. They trusted Gago and Sago very much because each time they brought in a piece of paper for redemption their request was indeed honoured. Gago and Sago became very respected and honoured in their society.

The Tukus who heard about the whole thing became excited and pleaded with Gago and Sago to help them out too. Gago and Sago smile to each other and told the Tukus that they would indeed be very pleased to do so. They then set up a similar building in Baya, and Sago was placed there as the manager.

The difference between Aya and Baya was that in Baya the Tukus had no gold coins to deposit. Sago told them that was alright. He would however, give 1,000 paper notes to each family to use as money. Since they were a hundred families in Baya, so 100,000 paper notes were given out.

However, Sago reminded them that at the end of the year each family must return 1,100 paper notes, the 10 per cent extra being a charge for the services he was providing. The Tukus found the paper money truly to be like magic. It made their business dealings so much easier compared to their previous barter trade. People spent much less time looking for counter parties to trade with.

Now they were able to specialize in jobs they were good at. Their economy began to grow rapidly. Now Gago and Sago decided that the time was ripe for them to do their "trick".

Gago noticed that in Aya, on average only 10 per cent of the fold deposits were redeemed by the Sukus at any particular time. The other 90 per cent remained in the vaults. Noticing that their printed papers were circulating as money, Gago printed an extra 900,000 certificates to be circulated as money too! Gago had calculated that with the extra papers, a total of 1,000,000 pieces of paper would be outstanding and if the people came to redeem their normal 10 per cent, then the 100,000 original deposit of gold coins would be readily available for redemption.

Gago loaned out this extra 900,000 paper money to some "needy" Sukus at an interest charge of 15 per cent. The Sukus suddenly found that the prices of things were rising. This baffled them and no one could figure out why.

Some of them who had borrowed money form Gago were not able to pay back their debt even though they worked very hard trying to earn that extra money.

Business became increasingly competitive and the society became less compassionate and less caring towards others than previously.

The Tukus too found similar things happening to them. Initially, they did not notice any price increase but they noticed some behavioural change in their people. They became very competitive in their attitude and less caring towards their fellows. Even with hard work and such competitive behaviour, some of the Tukus still defaulted on their loans. They were not able to acquire enough money to pay back their total debt.

Now Sago began to confiscate real wealth from the loan defaulters – like land, cows, sheep, etc. Their elderly leader Taka was among those who defaulted. But Sago gave him and some other Tukus additional paper notes as a rescheduling of their loans. This increased further their
indebtedness. Later Taka defaulted again and had his loan rescheduled again. Now Taka began to avoid meetings with Sago. He felt ashamed and found his former power, pride, courage and dignity falling.

On the contrary, he found that Sago was slowly becoming very wealthy by acquiring the people's assets. In fact, he found that the power, pride, courage and dignity that he lost were now enthroned on Sago.

After a number of years, Gago and Sago who once arrived on the shores of the island of Aya with only a printing machine, were now the owners of most of the land and property in both Aya and Baya. The people were reduced to mere workers, some of them now living in poverty. Many worked long hours just to make ends meet. They now had less time for family, friends or for religious activities. Social problems were widespread. People cared less for other. It goes without saying that with poverty, other social ills like crime, prostitution, etc. began to thrive.

Their cultures were gradually replaced because Gago and Sago introduce a new "superior" culture of a "superior" people to which they belonged. This was the end of the caring and loving people of the two islands Aya and Baya, who had earlier lived a peaceful yet graceful life before Gago and Sago arrived with a printing machine.

Gago and Sago did not stop there. They continued to spread their wings to other peoples and societies. Their ultimate dream is to become the Global Supreme Rulers by establishing a single global bank with single global money.

We postulate here that in the current global monetary system, developing nations would go through somewhat similar events as pictured above.
____________ _________ _________ _____

1. This is how money is created in the current banking system in aggregate. If the reserve requirements is 10 per cent, then for a deposit of 100,000 a total loan that can be created is given by 100,000/0.10 = 1,000,000

2. This is easy to see with the help of the equation of exchange, MV = PY. In this example, with the sudden increase in the money supply M, without a corresponding increase in real output of goods and services Y, the prices levels, i.e. P thus tend to increase ( the velocity of circulation, V, is assumed unchanged and constant).

3. The loan (principle plus interest) is not repayable in aggregate because the interest portion does not exist in the form of money. Notice that the interest of 15% on the 900,000 principal equals 135,000. Therefore the total amount repayable is 1,035,000 but nonetheless, only 1,000,000 exist in total as money in the whole system. Accordingly, some defaults on the loans are sure to take place.

4. Since interest charge do not exist in the form of money, competition for money therefore ensues, reflected in increase business competition.

5. Again, this is because there is not enough money in the system as a whole such that debt is not repayable in aggregate.

6. Imagine that you borrowed RM10,000 from a friend. Do you think your behaviour toward the friend would change, say when you meet the friend in the street? Particularly when the stipulated time for the return of the loan had expired?

Credit To Prof Ahamed Kameel Mydin Meera for his book "The Theft of Nations – Returning to Gold"

Stop Chasing Money To Get More Money.

2008-06-28T00:40:00.000-07:00

This write-up from James Ray..

Contrary to popular opinion, creating unlimited financial wealth won't come from chasing more money.

Now don't get me wrong, I can help you make more money--plenty of it! And if the statement above seems counterintuitive to you, then that's exactly why you and I need to spend more time together. Check this out...

A recent Gallup poll posted in USA Today found that 55% of those surveyed state their families are worse off financially today than they were this same time last year. This is the highest number since 1976, and it's an eleven-point jump since February of this year.
Interestingly enough, in the very same survey, 26% say they're better off than they were a year ago. What gives?

How is it that in the same economy (with the same government officials, the same war, same gas prices, same housing market) that one group thinks their finances are doing poorly but another group actually believes things are better?

Now you might think that the 26% are just some of the more privileged few... maybe. But just suppose there's more to it than that. The answer to this question resides in a money paradox that a distinct few understand and most may never grasp. We'll get to that in a minute.

In my new book Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want, I share the little known truth that, while many people believe wealth is equated to vast sums of money, if you trace the root of the word wealth back to its origins, it literally translates as "well-being."

Now I know you might be thinking, "Well James, if I had more money, I'd have more true wealth and well-being!"

But studies show that this is not necessarily the case... In fact, most often it's not.
A recent survey posted by US Private Banks surveyed individuals with a net worth of $38 million or more. Of those surveyed, 65% stated that they felt "financially insecure." Now get this... These are people with a net worth of at least $38 million! So maybe it's not just the privileged few that are feeling better off than last year.

Think about it, if you have a net worth of $38M and wake up in the morning feeling financially insecure... with wealth being defined as well-being, are you truly wealthy? The obvious answer is a resounding "No!"

Many Americans believe that a new president is the answer to our situation. Many believe that dealing with the oil and gas companies will make things better. Even more think that if we get out of the war in Iraq, all will become harmonious. While all of these issues may have an impact, they are in no way the answer.

So what is the answer? What will bring more financial well-being into your life? The answer resides in the thoughts, feelings and actions of you as an individual.

First, shift your focus of attention.

Get your mind and continued thoughts off the economy and all the problems being pumped into your home by the mass media. As difficult as this may be, those who are truly wealthy--financially and otherwise--choose where they place their attention and stand guard like a watchdog at the gates of their mind.

Peter Lynch once stated, "I don't spend more than 15 minutes a year thinking about the economy." Lynch's results speak for themselves. Stop. Just stop for a moment and think rationally... There's no way in hell that any company's true worth can fluctuate as dramatically on any given day as the New York Stock Exchange would indicate. It's nothing but an opinion--and other people's opinions are only predictions if you allow them to be.

There's a principle in our universe which states: Energy flows where attention goes. So consider this: Where are you directing your energy and attention every single day? Regardless of what you answer, your current results will tell the truth... for your results are a reflection of you.

Second, stop chasing the money.

Science tells us that everything is vibration, including your thoughts, feelings and actions... And yes, even your money. Now think about this... If you're constantly thinking, feeling and acting (what I call going "3 for 3") as if you "need more, need more," what's the real message you're sending out energetically? You guessed correctly if you said the message is, "You don't have it."
The universe hears the real message at the level of vibration and states, "Your wish is my command!" As a result, you'll end up living your life always wanting but never having. You'll never get financially wealthy with that strategy.

Third, be grateful for all the good that currently exists in your life.

If all things are an energetic vibration (which they are) and energy flows where attention goes (which it does), then to place your consistent attention upon the things for which you're grateful is one of the most powerful things you can do. Unlike the message of "I don't have it," when you place your attention with gratitude on all the goodness that currently exists, it's like stating, "Thank you for this. Send me more." When you get grateful, the universe sends you more to be grateful for.

Finally, consistently focus on providing more value and service to the world.

Take the attention off of "What can I get?" and place it upon "What can I give?" If you want to have more, give more. Winners always give ten times more value than they ask for in return.
Doubt me? Look around. I challenge you to find a millionaire who's not surrounded by six-figure income earners. Likewise, find any billionaire and they'll be surrounded by multimillionaires. Why? Because you only profit handsomely in life by providing service and value to others. In other words, you'll only get your big dreams by helping others get theirs.

I recently shared the stage with billionaire Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines. There were two things Richard stated that really reinforced what I knew to be true. First, he stated, "I've never done anything in my life to make money. I just always ask, 'Is it going to be fun?'"

Next, Richard stated, "Money is just a convenient way of keeping score." If you truly understand this principle, you'll realize that in a capitalistic society, the amount of money you have (or don't have) is directly correlated to the depth and span of the value you provide.

So here's the money paradox I mentioned earlier:

The greatest way to attract and create more money (or anything for that matter) is to not need it.

Now think it through again... If you need something, the real message you're sending out is, "I don't have it." Your neediness is like a raging bonfire, and you're throwing another log on it day after day, hoping it'll go out. The only way to squelch the fire of your lack of financial abundance is to not feed it.

Just continually focus on providing tremendous value and service. Henry Ford so wisely put it years ago, "Money will never be achieved when sought after directly. It only comes as the by-product of providing a useful service."

Truth is timeless.

Get your attention off the economy and your problems, stop chasing the money, become continually grateful for all the goodness you currently have and consistently think, feel and act (going "3 for 3") on what you can give versus what you can get. You'll have true wealth and well-being in every area: relational, mental, physical, spiritual and yes, financial. And just like Branson and so many others who have figured it out, you'll have a lot of fun doing it.

Finding Your Inner Peace

2008-02-29T11:04:00.000-08:00

Inner peace may sound like an oxymoron, but rest assured it is quite attainable.

“Peace is always available here and now because it is what everyone has at their core,” says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. “Peace is one of the attributes of resting as that presence of awareness that you are.”

In other words, inner peace is what’s left after all of the distractions, worries, to-do’s, and what ifs have been quieted. Inner peace is the human equivalent of extra icing on your favorite cake -- it’s your life, but better; it’s gravy.

How can you get to a place of inner peace, and join the ranks of those happy and disarmingly “together” few? Try out these simple tips -- they’re an easy way to get more inner peace in your life, right now.

1. Notice the silence that’s here right now.
“The simplest way to recognize inner peace and experience this peace that you are is to simply stop and notice the peace or silence that is here now -- before, during and after every thought and experience. It is what experiences appear in or on,” Dwoskin says. “Then simply let go of anything that appears to be disturbing that peace.”
So the moment that you start to get boggled down with anything not peaceful, take a step back and realize that, right now, everything is fine, everything is peaceful. If, when you take this step back, your mind is flooded with racing thoughts, it’s time to let go of these thoughts, quickly, by using The Sedona Method.

2. Take a deep breath.
Now take another. And another. Breathing is a natural way of relaxing your body and letting go of stress. Once you start to incorporate deep breaths into your day, you will likely start to realize just how often you’ve been holding yours.

3. Turn off the TV.
You may think you can’t live without next season’s “Dancing With the Stars,” but turning off the television -- and tuning out of all of its advertisements, violence, and negative current events -- will give your mind a much-needed break.

4. Excuse yourself from negative conversations (and people).
There’s no law that says you have to stick around to hear your co-workers go on about how awful their jobs are, or be your highly critical aunt’s “special project.” As much as possible, surround yourself with positive people, and avoid the negative ones.

5. Practice forgiveness.
This one may not sound “quick,” but it actually can be. Why are you still holding on to anger over any past argument or situation? It is only hurting YOU. You can decide, in this instant, to let go of your grudge (use The Sedona Method to help you), and experience how much more free and peaceful you feel.

6. Don’t take it personally.
Though it may sometimes seem that there is a conspiracy to make all things in your life go wrong, rest assured that the universe is not out to get you. In fact, it can actually work FOR you, if you let it. The more you let the bad things roll off your back, and let the good things fill you with joy, the more positive, and peaceful, your life will become. Honest.

7. Name five things you’re thankful for.
Now make this a habit you do every day. If you want, expand the list to 10, 20, or 100 things. Expressing gratitude in this way, as simple as it sounds, will help you to get a whole lot more out of life.

8. Stop being envious.
You’re not envious, you say? You don’t secretly wish you had a bigger house? A better body? A more perfect marriage?
“Most of us feel envious -- at least to some extent -- all the time without even being aware of it,” Dwoskin says.
Yet, feeling envious http://www.sedona.com/lp-envy.aspx keeps you in a constant state of noticing what you don’t have. Which, of course, draws more lack into your life. When you consciously decide to no longer be envious, you become free and open to anything you desire, including inner peace.

9. Do something good for yourself, and something good for someone else, everyday.
Just a small something to remind yourself that there’s always time for a treat, and to treat others. Some suggestions: pick up coffee on the way to work for your office-mate, buy yourself that new book you’ve been wanting, go for a long walk after you wake up, surprise your spouse with a love note.

10. Smile and, even better, laugh.

Smiling, even if you don’t really feel like it, will eventually help you to feel better. Laughing, as often as you can, is also great for your mind (if you REALLY can’t find a reason to laugh or smile right now, then use The Sedona Method -- it produces the same effects as genuine laughter).

Source: Sedona.com

This I Believe

2008-01-31T03:12:00.000-08:00

I believe in myself.

I believe that all people have the equal right to become all they are willing and able to become.

I believe that I am as good as anyone in the world. Although I may never be on the cover of Time or People magazine – I still have time to be one of the people who makes a really positive difference in the world.

I believe that although I may not be the best looking in the group, I'll always be looking my best in every group!

I believe in this and the next generation, and believe we'll build a better nation.

I believe that good health means more than wealth.

I believe in caring and sharing, rather than comparing.

I believe of all the people I see, still I'd rather be me!

(This excerpt was taken from Denis Waitley's The Seeds of Greatness Treasury)

Einstein Idea - Six Dollar Haircuts

2008-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

This is a true story about a third generation barber in a small community in the Mid-west. The shop had been handed down from his grandfather and developed not just a hair salon but more of a community center where the farmers and families would come in not only to get their hair done, but enjoy the coffee and donut bar and spend time with their neighbors sharing the news of their farms and families. This shop had grown to include 10 stylists who cut all the men's hair and all the women's hair in the community.

The owner's son came home from graduate school over spring break, to find his father depressed and reclusive. Finally getting his father to share what the problem was, the father confided that there was a new, national chain that had been moving across the country, bringing in cheap hair salons into all of the different communities and driving everyone out of business. And so, even though the community had loved all of the work that he had done, the perms and the haircuts and the styles over the years, right down the street opened up this new shop. It offered six dollar haircuts. Person after person had left to go to the new low cost shop.

The father told his son, "There is absolutely NO way I can compete with $6.00 haircuts. So much of my clientele has now gone to the new shop that I have no choice but to close our shop. After three generations, we are going bankrupt. I can't pay the stylists or the overhead anymore," he despondently said with his hands covering his face so his son would not see the tears rolling out of his eyes.

The son said, "You know, this last semester I took a "science of success" program that was offered for extra credit in my marketing class. One thing I learned was something that Einstein said. He said that "The significant problems we face can never be solved at the level of thinking of the problem." So, Dad, we have to find another way to think about this. We've got to find another way to see this. Another one of the strategies I learned may help us."

So the son left the room and brought back a notebook and a pen. He told the Dad about "Masterminding", a strategy introduced in the 1930's by Napoleon Hill who had been commissioned by Andrew Carnegie to study the patterns of extremely successful people.
"Here's what we do. We let ourselves think of any idea that comes to mind and we write it down. No editing. We get a flow of ideas for 15-20 minutes and try to get as many as possible. No idea is off limits. Let's go."

The father said, "Well, the only idea I've got is..close the shop!" The son said, "Well, you're right that IS an idea." He wrote it down. Then the son said, "Ok, let's keep going." Before long the son and the father started getting a flow of ideas and writing down every one of them, even every crazy thing that came to mind. When they finished, one of the ideas absolutely jumped off the page and they looked at each other in astonishment and said, "This just might work!" The son left the next day to go back to college.

The father implemented the idea. Within 6 weeks, not only had his drop in clientele completely returned, but the number of customers was now 11% higher than ever in the history of the shop. Do you know what the idea was that turned sure failure into a new course of increasing success?
The idea was, "Place a BIG sign on top of the shop that read,

"WE FIX SIX DOLLAR HAIRCUTS!!"

This story has meant a great deal to me particularly when I am tempted to think that the problem is "out there" in the land of circumstances. Any time I think the problem is "out there", THAT THOUGHT is the problem. As Einstein said, "The significant problems we face can not be solved at the level of the problem." Learning to think in a new way brings Freedom and Power.

By Mary Manin Morrissey from Bob Proctor Insight of the Day

Seven C's of Success

2007-08-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I would like to share this Coaching Tip comes from Brian Tracy. This is Brian's Seven C's of Success. Enjoy!

After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 25 years, I've concluded that these unique men and women, have in most cases, mastered what I call the Seven C's of Success.

1. Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

2. Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

3. Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it

4. Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.

5. Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it.

6. Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right

7. Continuous learning – Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.

Learn more from Brian Tracy on combinations, recipes and formulas for success in his talk with Chris Widener. To learn more go to http://www.yoursuccessstore.com

7 Cures For A Lean Purse.

2007-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

I was reading this The Richest Man in Babylon book and i found this tips that i feel should be considered by all of us in order to achive financial freedom. I just put the main quote from the book so i hope you guys go get the book and read it because it is very intresting. Unless your purse already fat, ignore it.. hehehe..

1. A part of your salary is for your to keep, pay yourself first. For each ten coins you earn, spend only nine of it.

2. Budget your expenses and limit your desires to spend more than nine-tenth of your earning.

3. Invest your saving so that it can multiply more and more.

4. Invest only where it is safe, always protect your investment.

5. Buy your own house instead of renting.

6. Insured yourself against any misfortune, this is to protect your family.

7. Increase your ability to earn more, study to become more skillful and wiser.

Babylon became the wealthiest city of the ancient world because its citizen were the richest people of their time. They appreciated the value of maoney. They practiced sound financial principles in acquiring money, keeping money and making money earn more money. They provide themselves what we all desires... income for the future.

Thoughts become real

2007-07-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

The thoughts you hold most often and most intensely are the thoughts you will put into action. What you think about life determines what you do with your life.

If you worry enough about something you don't want, you will, unfortunately, find a way to make it happen. In the same way, when your most treasured dreams are clearly and meaningfully focused by your thinking, you'll find a way to make them real.

Thoughts can be volatile and easily changed. Yet despite the fact that they have no physical form, they still have enormous power. For your thoughts create your map of reality. And that map serves as a reference for all that you do. Taking control of your thoughts requires nothing more than the will to do so. And just as a small change in the rudder can alter the course of a massive ship, by changing your thinking you can change your whole world.

Think as though your thoughts will become real. For you do surely make them so.

The Power That Lies Within You

2007-07-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tell me - Who are you. Really?

Peer within yourself and you'll find that you're made of molecules. Peer further and these molecules are made of atoms. Go even further, and the atoms are made of protons, neutrons and electrons - elementary particles dancing a cosmic dance.

But go one step deeper and now you're no longer matter - but energy. Everything is made up of this Universal Energy. Including you.

The scientist Steve Grand wrote the following:

"Think of an experience from your childhood. Something you remember clearly, something you can see, feel, maybe even smell, as if you were really there. After all, you really were there at the time, weren't you? How else would you remember it?

But here is the bombshell: you weren't there. Not a single atom that is your body today was there when that event took place....Matter flows from place to place and momentarily comes together to be you. Whatever you are, therefore, you are not the stuff of which you are made. If that doesn't make the hair stand at the back of you neck, read it again until it does, because it is important"

You , are energy in physical form. Or, to use a spiritual concept - you are a soul within a physical body - a particle of God.

Forget the religious definition of God for a moment. Think of God as an all encompassing Universal force. The energy that makes up the universe. A rock may look like it's still, but within it are trillions of subatomic particles whizzing about and brimming with energy. The rock is pure energy and movement - it's solidity and stillness are purely an illusion.

Read more by getting the free lesson here : Click Here To Enrol 7 Free Lessons

The Science Of Getting Rich Program.

2007-07-01T05:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The SGR Affiliate Program

Anyone Can Join The SGR Affiliate Program For FREE and Earn Lucrative Commissions

Sign Up as a Basic Affiliate for FREE today!

Click here for the online application.

There is no requirement for the purchase of product or pay a registration fee to become a Basic Affiliate, you can participate in the Affiliate Program for FREE.

When you join, you get your own unique affiliate link for us to track your sales activity.

You will receive $500 in direct referral fees on every purchase of the SGR Briefcase made through your affiliate links, and another $250 when your direct referrals make a sale.

Every Affiliate gets access to their own Affiliate Administrator Panel to generate your affiliate link, view earnings reports and specify the mode of payment to receive your commissions.

Want to join? Click here to become a free affiliate.

Want to Further Accelerate Your Success as an Affiliate?

Check out the Premium SGR Affiliate Program

Yes, show me how the Premium SGR Affiliate Program can help me make more money!

The Secret - First 20 minutes of the DVD

2007-06-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here is the first 25 minutes of the video "The Secret", on my previous post it did not show first 5 minutes but straight to the main part about the Law Of Attraction itself, with this video from the beginning i hope you will get better picture of what "The Secret" is all about.

Watch it and enjoy...

The Secret - Why only 1% of population hold 96% of world wealth

2007-06-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

This 26 minute PREVIEW shares "The Secret" to everything you've ever wanted... joy, health, success, wealth, happiness... EVERYTHING. Watch It! Share It!! Live It!!! ~ ENJOY! ~

The Secret

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The Inspiration for the film - The Secret

2007-06-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

The inspiration for the movie came from a simple little book written in 1910. It's called the "Science of Getting Rich" and its author was a man called Wallace D. Wattles.

This is a summary of Wallace's book:

There is a universal energy from which all things are made. This energy fills the entire universe. When you form a thought in your head, you tap into this energy, and you actually create that which you are thinking about.

Mankind has the ability to create a thought and cause the subject of the thought to be created within this field of Universal Energy.

To activate this ability, we must learn to harness our creative mind. Typically, we function with our competitive mind. But to create things with thought, we need to activate the creative mind.

We can come into harmony with this Universal energy through the act of expressing gratitude. Gratitude unifies our mind with this all encompassing Universal energy.

To manifest something new, simply hold an image of what you seek in your mind. And express gratitude to the Universe for having granted this to you. To achieve wealth, apply this same principle - hold a clear vision of the wealth you hope to attain. Then express gratitude that this wealth is coming to you. You must have unwavering faith and devout gratitude.

All that you include in your mental image will come to you through the physical realm - through the process of natural ways such as trade and commerce.

To claim this wealth, you must be active. You must do all that you can do each day to make this vision a reality. Especially strive to deliver to others something of value greater than what they paid you for.

Those who practice these instructions will get rich. And the riches they receive will be in the exact proportion to the definiteness of their vision, the fixity of their purpose, the steadiness of their faith, and the depth of their gratitude.

Click here to know about Science of Getting Rich Program.
Click here to download Free Science Of Getting Rich E-book.

The Secret - The long trailers from DVD.

2007-06-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

The Secret To You - Visualisation Tool.

2007-06-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Secret team has created a visualization tool, "The Secret To You" - Another wonderful video relating to "The Secret" video. This time it is more specific to you. Watch this video in the morning, when you get up AND at night, when you go to bed!

The Secret To You

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The Secret - Preview by Bob Proctor

2007-06-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

Bob Proctor Speaks on how The Secret can change human to a better life.

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How to make a financial planner work for you.

2007-06-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

When you make your financial planning, the focus is on you. You want to achieve the best result, so make it work for you. However, some people do common mistakes when doing their financial planning. Beware of common mistakes. Here are 6 areas which will help you achieve the best results from your financial planning.

1. Measurable goals.

Your goals must be specific, not general. You must be clear on what to achieve and when to achieve it. As such, you must quantify your goals by making it measurable. For example, quantify “comfortable” if you are planning to be “comfortable” when you retire. If you plan to send you children to “good” school, quantify “good” school. By quantifying your goals, you will know when you have reached your goal.

2. Effects of financial decision.

Several aspects of your life can be affected by your financial decision. Your measurable goals maybe affected because it can be interrelated. For example, the time for you to achieve your retirement goals maybe affected by your decision on your child’s education. You may reach your retirement goals later. Another example, your estates plans may be affected by your investment decision in terms of taxxes.

3. Financial situation re-evaluation.

Lifestyle changes. You may experience changes in inheritance, marriage, birth, property purchase or even your career. As such, your financial planning becomes a dynamic process. Analyse the changes and revise your financial plan accordingly. Your revised financial plan should contribute to achieve your long-term goals.

4. Early financial planning.

Start as soon as you can and don’t delay. Saving or investing small amount of money early often helps you to do better compared to those who wait for later. If you started early, habits such as saving, budgeting, investing and periodical review of financial planning, will help you to be more prepared to handle changes in life and even emergencies.

5. Realistic expectation.

Your financial planning will not change your situation overnight. It takes time. Therefore, use common sense when you manage your finances. Your results maybe affected by events which are beyond your control such as inflaction, stock market and etc. Managing your finances is a lifelong process.

6. Take control.

Be in charge of your financial planning if you are working with a financial planner. You need to understand the process and roles of the planner. Share relevant information on your financial situation for better analysis. Be active in decision making and do enquire on recommendations offered to you.

The Secret - Rev. Michael Beckwith interview on CBS

2007-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

CBS interviewed Rev Michael Beckwith concerning The Secret

The Secret - Bob Proctor SGR Preview

2007-06-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Video clip of Bob Proctor about SGR program, Science Of Getting Rich.

Jack Canfield - Secret in Success in Life.

2007-06-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

Jack is one of the gurus in The Secret, beside talking about how to become wealthy, he also gave few points on how to improve your life as a good person. Good to yourself as well as good to the others. How to have an effective life for us to reach the ultimate happiness and wealth.

What is personal financial planning?

2007-05-13T14:51:00.000-07:00

Maybe a lot of people think only companies need financial planning or budget, we ordinary people need it as well. Personal financial planning is a process, it is not a product. It is an organized with well planned system that create a strategies that will use any one or multiple personal financial resources to achive both short and long term goals.

The goal is financial freedom, free from worry about money.

So to get started we should ask ourself this three questions:

1. Where am i now from financial freedom perspective?
2. Where i want to go, am i intrested to be financially free?
3. How can i get there?
4. When should i start?

The first three i leave you to answer yourself but the forth one, let me answer it on your behalf.

"YOU SHOULD START AS SOON AS YOU CAN"

Why? because time passess quickly, it is never too soon to start planning for tomorrow.

Formula for wealth creation

2007-04-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Is there a formula for wealth creation?

Do all self-made millionaires take the same steps to amass their fortunes? If we were to do an in-depth study of how self-made millionaires think and act, would we find some common clues that we can learn from?

The answer is yes.

These are seven essential steps, each one representing a wealth creating skill that all self-made millionaires possess and practice:

Step 1: Adopt the Million-Dollar MindsetMillionaires see learning experiences, where Mister Ordinary sees failure. The moment you adopt the beliefs and habits of a millionaire, your perception of the world will change completely and you will realize that there are money-making opportunities everywhere and everyday around you.Amazingly, these are opportunities that you were once quite blind to!

Step 2: Set Clear Financial GoalsWealth never happens by chance. It always begins with a clear goal in mind. At one point of time in their life, millionaires always make a decision to become rich. However, whenever I ask most people what their financial goals are, I often get a blank stare. This is a major reason why they will never achieve any level of wealth because they have no clue what it is. Unless you have a specific figure to focus on, you will never be able to develop a strategy to achieve it.

Step 3: Create A Financial PlanOnce you have set specific financial targets of how much you want to earn and how much money you want to accumulate, you can then develop an effective plan to achieve it. Goals by themselves are nothing but pipe dreams. Only when you create a plan, have you made your goal a possibility. The moment you start taking action on your plan, your dream becomes a reality.

Step 4: Massively Increase Your IncomeAfter developing their financial plan, most people tend to become initially disheartened. They look at their plan and realize that with the amount they are earning and saving right now, it will be decades before they see any big money.It is therefore important that you learn how to accelerate and turbo-charge your financial plan by taking steps to massively increasing your income. Step 5: Manage Your Money & Reduce ExpensesMany people think that by increasing their income, their wealth will automatically increase. Unfortunately, increasing income is only one side of the wealth equation. After all, there are people who earn $2,000 a month who are broke and there are those who earn $20,000 who are still broke. The reason is because when we don’t manage the money we earn, our expenses will always rise to our level of income, wiping out any surplus we have!

Step 6: Grow Your Money at Millionaire ReturnsBy increasing your income and reducing your expenses, you will find that you will be able to accumulate a surplus of funds that you can use to help you build your fortune. You need to do this because, no matter how hard you work and save, you will never be able to create phenomenal wealth unless you learn how to put your money to work for you. Through the power of compounding, you will be able to take small sums of money and build it into huge returns over time.

Step 7: Protect Your FortuneThere is no use working hard to build your personal fortune only to see it all taken away from you. There are many people who have taken decades to build their fortune only to see it wiped out by an accident, unforeseen illness or through an unexpected lawsuit. Self-made millionaires engage professionals like insurance advisors, lawyers and accountants to help them build a financial fortress so their wealth is protected from potential creditors, plaintiffs looking to sue and the government who may take away a big chunk of your wealth through a whole range of taxes that you may not have even heard about.

So there you have it, these are the seven steps that you must take towards financial abundance. I believe that if you were to take just these 7 steps today and apply them prodigiously right now, you'll see instant results.

Know Your Housing Loan

2007-02-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

Interest calculations: Banks normally adopt one of two methods for
calculating interest:-

1. Monthly Rest:
Interest is computed based on the loan balance on a specific date each month. So there is no advantage to be gained if a borrower repays an instalment before the prescribed date.

2. Daily Rest:
Interest is calculated based on daily loan balances. This means that if payment is made earlier, the outstanding balance in the account is reduced which in turn results in less interest charged.

How do I find the best deal? When shopping for the right housing loan, you
may wish to keep the following in mind:

1. Match duration:
Find out what is the maximum loan period that you can secure. Generally maximum loan period differs among banks and ranges between 30 to 35 years, or dependant on when the borrower turns 65 years of age. In the case of leasehold properties, it is important that you also check the remaining lease on the property.

2. Monthly payment projections:
Compare the monthly repayment patterns of different interest rate from various providers to decide which of these better match your requirements.

3. Interest rate comparison:
Find out if the mortgage is on fixed or floating rate loans and in the case of fixed rates how long these rates are fixed for.

4. Fees:
Find out if the bank charges a fee for processing such loans. These typically include fees for legal, valuation or insurance. Sometimes bank offers free fire insurance and free valuation on the property. Some banks even provide legal subsidies.

5. Penalties:
Find out if there are any penalty fees for partial or full redemption of the loan.The daily rest option is the best, though all banks do not offer this.
What this means is that the moment you pay, it is accounted for and interest is only calculated for the balance amount of your loan.