Self confidence

We all know that self confidence is very important in doing things. The opposite of self confidence is low self-esteem.

In this post let's explore the reason for a person's self confidence. From my observation I can't help but notice people get their confidence from many things. To list a few, 

1. working in a big MNC (Multi National Company),
2. positions in workplace,
3. good reputation among peers,
4. car,
5. house,
6. money/networth,
7. good-looking partner (sexy, beautiful, gorgeous, popular),
8. branded stuffs (phone, designer's wear, expensive perfumes, handbags),
9. recognition from bosses,
10. nice body (six packs, slim model-like curves)

and the list goes on..

Now, what do you see in these trend in our world nowadays? All are external and material! No wonder people go through feats to achieve such things.
What about people who has low self-esteem till the point of depression? You notice the reason is identical, only opposite.

Why not look into oneself and find that self-confidence? Remember we were all once babies. We were born with no knowledge about anything. We learned step by step for everything from eating to talking to walking. So you see, self-confidence is in us all since birth. The problem is that we rely on the external factor to give us that confidence till we forgot to look inside ourselves. How about kind-hearted, faithful, peaceful, loving, sincere, humble, honest and many more.

Easier said than done. How? I've learned some things from Tony about NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). He says that if we continue to reinforce something positive, we'll eventually believe it even if it's not true. This theory is mentioned by Napolean Hill as well. I'm sure many more motivational speakers/writers have some sort of relevant theory, all you need is just one most suitable method for yourself. Of course it can be used for the negative as well, but why would anyone want to do that?

So, my conclusion is that stop imitating or looking-up to the rich to get your self-confidence. If the rich do not care for the poor and keep getting more for themselves, why should the poor lookup to them? But if the rich who're helping and contributing to the poor, then learn those characteristics for they are more precious than diamond or gold. And this is the intrinsic value we should build our confidence upon. Hope it helps.

The world is not fair!

It definitely is not fair. The world I mean. Why are certain people born rich? Why are people born poor? Why are people born healthy? Why are people born handicap?

Wait. Why am I expecting it to be fair when it is an unfair world? So now the question goes to God. Why is God so unfair? Does anybody really deserves what they are born into? By saying this I mean in both good and bad conditions.

When I seriously ponder into this matter, I realised that God is indeed fair. Why do I say so? Well for instance, people would say that I'm born healthy and not handicap. My argument is, healthy people can be handicapped by negativity and depression but some physically challenged people don't. The matter is humans only judge God's fairness by mainly one thing - wealth. Let me tell you that wealthy people are handicap too especially the spoonies (born with a silver spoon) because they never know what it's like to make ends meet which on the other hand, it has become a second nature to poor people. What if or when these spoonies fell from their father's throne? Their predicament will be much worse than of the poor. There's a saying in the Bible, "it is hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God for it is like a camel trying to enter a needle's eye". Now you would say it's absurd, how can a camel enter into a needle's eye? Let me enlighten you, in those days, great cities have great gates but that is not the only entrance. For there is another much smaller entrance which is meant for people to walk in and out but it's quite small. This entrance is called the needle's eye. So, for a camel to enter, it would be very difficult because imagine a camel would be carrying loads of stuff for the merchant, and they'll have to unload all the excessive baggage and probably also the saddle and squeeze the camel through the gate. So, it's not impossible for the rich to enter but it's hard. So, my conclusion is these people are handicap too. Alas, God is fair my friends. We just need to see things in God's perspective but not man's.

Sunrise

Tired, sickening, burnout...
Have you ever felt this way? After all the toil and sweat but yet still the same old conditions, same old problems, same old smell...
Been there, done that, it seems there's nothing left to discover. The world looks bleak and greyish. The usual "kicks" are not that ummph anymore. The attraction, no longer there. The fire, slowly diminishing. Beautiful music do not touch deep anymore. Words of encouragement begins to sound like old records playing repetitvely. The body is weak and old. It feels like an old fortress still under siege by the enemy for a decade long. 
Yet, life still goes on. Hanging there like a piece of garment that'll never dry under a forever cloudy sky. The shoulders are heavy with debts and burdens. The legs can no longer support the weight because  they are weak and wobbly.

This is a picture of a person in depression. And I understand it very well...
I don't claim to know how to overcome it nor do I know of a definite way to go about it. Sometimes it lingers for days and sometimes even weeks but...

DENY IT! Deny the negativity that feeds it! Force a smile and clap your hands! Jump a few times and if able shout for joy at the top of your lungs. Say YES! for 10 times and picture yourself running in a marathon and just over the horizon there's a patch of green pastures and clear blue sky. Life is like a journey in a marathon. Enjoy the beautiful scenery that's around you. Smell the fresh, cool breeze and occasionally stop to smell the flowers and look at the birds and the buttterflies. Tell yourself that you're already half-way there, might as well finish the race while enjoying it. The 1st prize is not important, the experience is. Fare well. 



Try reading this book, it'll let you understand yourself. There are basically 4 types of personalities in general: Sanguine, Melancholy, Choleric & Phlegmatic. But most probably the people who will want to read this book are the Melancholy. Pick it up and you'll know what I meant. ^_^



Try this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwe4oefpZ3Y&feature=related, cool ad, love it! Btw the song title is Runner by Dustin O'Halloran. Checkout my previous post for the full song.

Worship place or home?

Do you feel rested, peaceful and joyful when you're in your place of worship? Which in my case in church. Or do you feel more rested, more peaceful, and more joyful when you're at home, or golfing, or whatever your favourite hang-out place is?

Why do I ask? Because if the latter applies to you, your place of refuge is not God, your joy & peace is not from God.
But if you're a free-thinker, you might ask why do I want anything from God? Well, if you are in an uncontrollable life and death situation or if you have an incurable disease, who do you go to? What about your life? Where do you get it from? Anyway this is not a place to "convince" you. But if you really "see" what I'm saying, you might want to consider changing your priorities in life.

Do not crucify me for this epiphany of mine that I'm sharing out of goodwill but not of ostentatious virtue.

Income per capita in 2009 (USD) vs number of billionaires

Per capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms. It is a measure of the amount of money that each person earns in that country, of the yearly income generated by the country.

Gross domestic product (GDP) is a basic measure  of a country's overall economic output. It is a market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country within a year. It is often positively correlated to the standard of living.

GDP = private consumption + gross investment + government spending + (exports - imports)

*Income per capita in 2009 (USD) vs number of billionaires

1. Luxembourg  - 94k, nil
2. Norway - 76.7k, 4 billionaires
3. Qatar - 76k, nil
4. Switzerland - 66k, 11 billionaires
5. Denmark - 55.9k, nil
6. Ireland - 51.1k, 6 billionaires
7. Netherlands - 47k, 5 billionaires
8. U.A.E - 46.6k, 4 billionaires
9. US - 46.4k, 403 billionaires
10. Finland - 45.9k, nil
11. Austria - 45k, 4 billionaires
12. Sweden - 43.1k, 10 billionaires
13. Belgium - 43k, nil
14. France - 42.1k, 12 billionaires
15. Australia - 42k, 11 billionaires
16. Japan - 39.6k,  22 billionaires
17. Germany - 39.4k, 53 billionaires
18. Canada - 39.2k, 24 billionaires
19. Iceland - 36.9k, nil
20. Brunei - 36.7k, nil
21. UK - 35.7k, 29 billionaires
22. Italy - 35k, 13 billionaires
23. Singapore - 34.3k, 4 billionaires
24. Kuwait - 32.5k, 1 billionaire
25. Spain - 31.1k, 13 billionaires
26. Greece - 30.3k, 2 billionaires
27. Cyprus - 30.2k, nil
28. Israel - 29.7k, 10 billionaires
29. Hong Kong - 29.6k, 25 billionaires
30. New Zealand - 25.4k, 3 billionaires
31. Slovenia - 24.6k, nil
32. Bahrain - 24.4k, nil
33. Bahamas - 21.7k, nil
34. Portugal - 20.7k, 2 billionaires
35. Oman - 18.7k, nil
36. Malta - 18.5k, nil
37. Trinidad & Tobago - 17.6k, nil
38. South Korea - 16.5k, 11 billionaires
39. Slovakia - 16.3k, nil
40. Taiwan - 15.4k, 18 billionaires
41. Saudi Arabia - 14.9k, 10 billionaires
42. Croatia - 13.9k, nil
43. Antigua & Barbuda - 13.9k, nil
44. Estonia - 13.5k, nil
45. Barbados - 13k, nil
46. Hungary - 12.4k, nil
47. Venezuela - 12.4k, 2 billionaires
48. Poland - 11.1k, 4 billionaires
49. Lithuania - 10.8k, nil
50. Latvia - 10.7k, nil
51. Saint Kitts & Nevis - 10.1k, nil
52. Libya - 9.6k, nil
53. Uruguay - 9.4k, nil
54. Russia - 8.9k, 62 billionaires
55. Chile - 8.9k, 4 billionaires
56. Equatorial Guinea - 8.8k, nil
57. Lebanon - 8.5k, 4 billionaires
58. Turkey - 8.4k, 28 billionaires
59. Mexico - 8k, nil
60. Brazil - 7.7k, 18 billionaires
61. Seychelles - 7.7k, nil
62. Argentina - 7.5k, 1 billionaire
63. Romania - 7.5k, 3 billionaires
64. Malaysia - 7.5k, 9 billionaires
65. Gabon - 7.4k, nil
66. Mauritius - 7.1k, nil
67. Panama - 7.1k, nil
68. Kazakhstan - 6.9k, 5 billionaires
69. Grenada - 6.6k, nil
70. Costa Rica - 6.4k, nil

*Rough estimates taken from IMF and Forbes magazine

Why do I suddenly compile all these data?

1. Well, with all the buzz around income per capita nowadays, I just thought that this will be a useful info.
2. To give a general idea on what is it all about.
3. A comparison on the number of billionaires vs the income per capita, you could now  know how much the average masses are getting minus the contribution of billionaires in that country.
4. Where your country is standing against your neighbours.

5. Correct our impressions of the countries that we previously had, eg. mine would be Kazakhstan-Borat impression. The close comparison is to Malaysia with a slight difference in income per capita and the number of billionaires. Hmm, I wonder if Kazakhstan have twin towers? Or if Malaysia have stupid people like this?

Pics: Luxembourg, Norway, Borat-Kazakhstan

Reaction in the face of faith-related persecution

Persecute: to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically: to cause to suffer because of belief.

As a Christian, it's a familiar word to us because it's in the Bible. I'm not trying to say that I totally understand how those people who are persecuted because of their faith feels nor do I know what's the solution.

I think to be persecuted doesn't mean that we jump out to the front lines shouting slogans attracting attention and being shot down. To me that's meaningless sacrifice. Since everyone has got a purpose and with different designs in how they react to situations, facing persecution does not necessarily means being gung-ho. Take Paul for example, yes, he was jailed lots of times and eventually was sentenced to death but as long as he was alive, he did more significant things. The church that he planted grew and benefited from his epistles. Did anything was mentioned in the Bible when he died? So, I seriously believe that as long as we don't compromise our faith and as long as there're options or a way out, we can do more significant things rather than fighting & sacrificing unnecessarily.

Joy N Peace

No wisdom is useless. It has been always through somebody's experience that the piece of advice was given, thus it became wisdom. My utmost desire in life is to have joy & peace which eventually made me search for it in the Bible. Just to share bits of it here.

Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil; but to the counsellors of peace is joy.
Proverbs 14:10 The heart knoweth its own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom; but a man of wisdom walketh uprightly.
Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth; and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!
Proverbs 17:21 He that begetteh a fool doeth it to his sorrow; and a father of a fool hath no joy.
Proverbs 21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment; but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Proverbs 23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

The reason why I only chose the book of Proverbs is because it is the advisory part of the Bible. To those who have read the Bible would know. Now lets go with peace.

Proverbs 3:1-2, 17 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments. For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.
Proverbs 12:20 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour; but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
Proverbs 16:7 When a man's way please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

Not easy to interpret, but he who understands will have something to add-on to his wisdom-file :)


This is a very nice piece that gives me a peaceful mood everytime I listen to it without fail. Try it Dustin O'Halloran's Runner.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Factor of America's Rich

Have read this book. Though the summary listed here is taken from somewhere else which I couldn't help but resonating with it. Here goes:

1. Live moderately
2. Focus on income opportunities.
3. Financial independence more important than ego.
4. Parents didn't support them financially.
5. Children are sufficient in managing themselves.
6. Efficient in targetting opportunities.
7. Enjoy their work.

1. Live moderately
See, it's resonating with what I've written so far. There's a saying, "Don't wear a hat bigger than your head, it'll cover your eyes and you won't see where you're going." What I mean is live within your means. Want to just add my favourite quote, "Money is for earning money, not for splurging." Only by living moderately, one can have additional savings. If not you're only living from paycheck to paycheck which I do not need to explain much = DANGEROUS!

2. Focus on income opportunities
Now you've got money. So what next? Find more money. And while maintaining your expenses, you'll have more savings. Don't need a rocket scientist to figure this out.

3. Financial independence more important than ego
I've also mentioned this before in my previous posting. Why do we care about what people think if we're driving a small car for example, living in a small house or eating at cheap foodstalls. Do we recognise Bill Gates, Warren Buffet or Carlos when they we're poor? The world won't recognise you now, so why bother? The most important thinkg here is personal networth and well-being.

4. Parents didn't support them financially
I couldn't agree more with this statement. I always abhor people born with silver spoon. Of course there're some who're really talented & capable but to startup from scratch, these silver spoonies would never ever understand. You can say anything you like about how judgmental I am but this is still how I perceive it. Let me give you an example, Mr A is given $1M by his parent to start his own business at the age of 22 right after graduation from some prestigious university which only the rich can afford. Compare it to a poor Mr B whom his parents had no money but to send him to a college to get a diploma instead & started working for people upon graduation. The question is who, if given both have the same mindset, would make another million faster? So, to all the spoonies out there, if you're blessed, make sure you make the best out of it and contribute back to society because not everyone is as lucky as you. Don't be a snobbish bitch.

5. Children are sufficient in managing themselves
Totally agree with it as well. Because if you save up everything for your children, you'll end up spoiling them and making them into a snobbish bitch. I always believe in "teaching them how to fish instead of giving them the fish". Yes, as a parent we're to provide the fundamentals and hopefully they'll be equipped to face the world when they venture into adulthood.

6. Efficient in targetting opportunities
Now, when you already have savings, and have addtional income opportunity, what do you do with the extra cash? This is the key. Find ways to make your money work for you eg. invest or go into business. That's where the Microsofts, Berkshire Hathaways, Ikeas, etc started.

7. Enjoy their work
One final opinion, if you don't enjoy finding more money, then why bother earning money? Migrate to a forest reserve and party all day long and all night long.

Why do good people get bad things?

I have a close friend who lost a job again for the 10th time in 8 yrs of his working life. Though he was a senior and was in management, it does not get easier for him. Seems like each time somebody or some factor forces him to leave the job. I myself who had tremendous faith in him started to think was he that bad?

I also got to knew a colleague who passed away due to cancer at a young age. It was a recurring attack and it overcame him. Was he that bad?

Come to think about it, I knew worse people who are being blessed tremendously in terms of career, health & finance. But who am I to judge?

Is God telling us something? Everyone has sins in their life. Are there more sins to atone? The explanation I get from within is that probably a person was meant to do something great, that explains the challenge in life. But isn't that what people always think of themselves, that they are more special than the rest. Sometimes I ask myself: Why do we struggle? What else have we not learned? What now? When will the fiasco end? And sometimes I'm grateful for cozy moments, reliable friends, understanding spouse, good health and the ease of burdens.

Words that I keep reminding myself:
Wait upon the Lord, He will surely lift me up again!
There's nothing that can separate me from my Abba Father!
Not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.  -Matthew 10:29,31-

There's no conclusion to this question, the only thing is that as long as I live, I will continue to live my purpose whether I consciously know it or not.

Quotes from Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

First & foremost I'm no Narnia fan because I found it too kiddy compare to Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Having said that, as I go through the movie I couldn't help but to take notes of all the meaningful scripts/cliches (or whatever you want to call it). Just to share some & also my observation of the hidden meaning.

Scene 1: About having faith and taking action.
Lucy: " I knew it was you but the others didn't believe."
Aslan: "And why would that stop you from coming to me?"

Note: Most of us take action because we wanted to be acknowledged by others (peers, bosses, relatives, etc) but when people who "meant well" discouraged us, it's enough to make us pause or even give up our life goals.


Scene 2: About humility & readiness.
Aslan: "Arise kings & queens of Narnia."
Prince Caspian: "I don't think I'm ready."
Aslan: "And for that reason you are."

Note: Most people would jump to the 1st opportunity for promotion or additional responsibilities. I think this message is saying that a person who truly understand his/her own capabilities and realised his/her own shortcomings are the ones most suitable. This person also acknowledge that there're limitations to his/her talents & that the additional factor that makes the success comes from a higher power.


Scene 3: About humility.
When every mouse wants to cut off their tails just to make their leader feels better, Aslan healed their leader's tail and said,
"Not for the sake of your dignity but for the sake of your people."

Note: Most people nowadays do things for the sake of our own dignity or "face". But the fact that we have democracy system now shows that the majority is more important than the minority. I once heard a pastor said that the Prime Minister is head servant to the majority and should not be treated as a VIP. This also coincides with the message that I wrote in my earlier posts, the rich can help to make the world better. Sadly people who joins various services clubs today only want their name and face recognised but when asked to part with their money, it's a taboo.


Scene 4: About faith & trust.
When offered to go to another world, few voluntered, then Aslan said,
"Because you have spoken 1st, your future will be good."

Note: We are afraid of the unknown, but when we volunter to do something for God & others, that is faith & trust. The  fact that we're afraid shows our limited wisdom and lack of faith & trust. Yes, you might argue that people are hard to trust nowadays. I agree, but to me, I can always trust in God.


Scene 5: About learning.
"Everything will have its own time."

Note: There will be a time for sowing & a time for harvesting, a time for celebration & a time of mourning, a time of prosperity & lean times. Even the seasons in the world changes with time. To me, its just that bad times seems excruciatingly longer and goods times seems shortlived.

It's a tough world out here!

Tough tough tough! Sometimes I just think back & found myself in a hopeless condition. We're all brought up by our parents or guardian. And most families have more than 1 child. During those times the norm would only be 1 working parent and yet we were brought up safe and sound. But when we have started working, having family of our own, we can't seem to take care and provide abundantly to our parents. Why? The society nowadays have more and more parents abandoned in the old folks home. Who do we blame? education? Government? Our parents themselves for not planning for themselves or sacrificing most of theirs to us? 1 solution/summary I came up, is to live within our means & be content with what we have. It's good to have goals but goals have time-frames. The sad thing is that our parents might not lived to the day our goals are achieved.

Life is like a snowball

"Life is like a snowball, find a wet one and a really long hill"  -Warren Buffet-

My conviction is to help the needy. Thus the investment king caught my attention not too long ago especially with this catchy phrase that I like so much. Here I'm going to state clearly that I'm no self-proclaimed investment guru nor I'm nearly as successful as Warren Buffet. The thing I like in life is that you can find wisdom in almost any place or even from the least peculiar person. Maybe when I'm successful, this might become a hot topic where everybody wants a piece of the "wisdom" or I might have continued to be a nobody and this article might have gone unnoticed or even I might be a failure whereby this article will also be a hot topic because people would make a mockery out of it. 

Anyway I couldn't care less and since I like this phrase so much, I just wanted to share my understanding. Let's dissect it.

"Life is like a snowball"
From this phrase, I feel like I know him a little better. His life is all about investment. Why do I say that? I get the clue from the 2nd half but let's put it at that for the moment. Let's argue a bit, if his life is about enjoying himself, he would've put something like "Carpe Diem!" or "life is short, enjoy while you can". 
Now, why snowball? We have all watched cartoon that a small snowball will get larger and larger when it's rolled down a hill right? So it's a secret on how his investment can get larger. 

"Find a wet one and a really long hill"
Ok, the 2nd part will explain most of my previous theories. Like I said earlier, his life is all about investing. Because he believes in long term. The "really long hill" represents the time he wants or need, not a "short life, live while you can" kind of attitude. Why a "wet one"? Because a snowball can become bigger as it rolls down a hill right? A wet one can get bigger! "A really long hill"? It can get even bigger!!

In summary, he believes in the concept of compounding and long term. So he might also believe in delayed-gratification as well because most "long term thinkers" believes in it. Prove it? Ok, logically thinking could you consistently save money to buy a bungalow in a few months time? No, because it's long term. Can you have a consistent positive investment portfolio if you're always using up the dividends or interests you get from your investments? Still not convinced? I couldn't care less either.
In addition, I've read it somewhere that he makes about 20% per annum consistently from his investments and if you compound it for 40 years, irregardless of any amount of money you start with, anybody could become rich. Don't believe me? Try it out on your excel sheet, if your startup capital is $1,000 it would be $1.2M after 40 years, if it's $10,000 it would be $12M, if it's $100,000, it would be $122M and so forth.

The moral of the story, start young, be frugal & start practising delayed-gratification.