Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

They’re just like you. But with lots of money

When you think "millionaire", what image comes to mind? For many of us, it’s a flashy 1980s entrepreneur who flies a private jet, and lives the kind of decadent lifestyle that most of us can only dream about.

But many modern millionaires live in middle-class neighbourhoods, go to work and shop in discount stores like the rest of us. What motivates them isn’t material possessions but the choices that money can bring.

"For the rich, it’s not about getting more stuff. It’s about having the freedom to make almost any decision you want," says T. Harv Eker, author of Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. Wealth means you can send your child to any school or leave a job you don’t like.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more people are living the good life than ever before: more than a million households boast a net value of more than $1 million. Most of our millionaires are self-made.

And the very rich are getting richer. According to the BRW rich list, our top 200 wealthiest people are worth on average $698 million apiece – up more than $10 million on the previous year. If more people are getting richer than ever, why shouldn’t you be one of them? Here, four people who have at least a million dollars in liquid assets share the secrets that helped them get there.

1. Educate yourself

Tracy Harvey grew up on welfare and the cycle was repeating itself. A single mother of two children, one of whom was autistic, in 1996 she fled an abusive relationship in Adelaide, relocating to Brisbane, where she hit rock bottom.

She was living on a mattress on the floor of a rented property in a bad suburb. She couldn’t afford to get her abscessed tooth fixed and her car was not roadworthy, so she couldn’t take her little girl, Hayley, to school.

"I had taken a handful of pills and I wasn’t thinking properly," says Harvey. "Hayley put her arms around me and gave me a hug and said ‘Mummy, I love you.’ It really was my turning point." Realising that she was the only person who could fix her predicament, Harvey enrolled in a university course to study social work. She also started a small business making theatrical costumes to supplement her pension.

"I saved every penny and put it into a fixed managed fund and started to look for a place to buy," she says. The banks knocked her back, but she found a finance firm prepared to loan her the money to buy her first unit, a run-down dump that had been on the market for a few years. Even though it had no kitchen and holes in the walls, moving in was the best day of her life. She paid as much on the mortgage as she could every week.

Gradually the unit was done up; its value doubled. As soon as she saw the market start to move, she knew it was time to buy again. Because she had made extra repayments and her first home had risen in value, Harvey managed to borrow the money for a second and, almost immediately, a third property.

"I was carrying a huge debt," she says. She took out a line of credit and used that to fix up the properties, and rented them out for more than the mortgage repayments. Then she studied for a real-estate licence so that she could manage all of the properties herself.

Today, Harvey is up to her 14th property and is worth around $4 million. She lives in a beautiful house with a pool, but she’s still ultra-careful with her money: "We live within our means," she says. "I drive an average car. My only goal is to get my daughter through uni and give both my children the skills and know-how to ensure a comfortable financial future.

"So many of us go through a divorce or lose a job – one minute we can have an income and the next minute we don’t. We have to know how to take care of our money."

2. Passion pays off

For 38-year-old Justin Herald, the journey to wealth began one Sunday morning at a church in Sydney’s northwest, when he had an altercation with a member of the congregation.

"You have an attitude problem," she told him.

The accusation sparked something in him, and the cheeky then-25-­year-old borrowed $50 from his brother to have four T-shirts printed with the slogans: "I don’t have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem" and "When I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you". "It was the best $50 I ever spent," laughs Herald.

By the end of the morning he’d sold three of the four T-shirts. With the money he made he had another six printed, then 12, then 24. "That first year the turnover was $980,000," he says. His business, Attitude Inc, is now a multi- million dollar concern with a wide range of products selling in 3500 stores across Australia.

His success was due to clever marketing – the public loved the slogans – but also, he admits, luck. In those days there was very little competition in his sector of the clothing industry, and he was in the right place at the right time. The media spotlight also helped, with people picking up on Herald’s likeable personality and infectious passion for his business: the night of one TV appearance, 187 stores rang to get his products into their shops.

"The consumer liked the bloke behind the product. They really did support me as an individual as well as the brand," he says. Herald sold the business three years ago, by which time it was turning over $30 million a year, and now spends his time as a motivational speaker.

His message: anyone can be financially successful if they set their mind to it. "You have to have a lot of stickability – not everything is going to work the way you plan it." Still living in Castle Hill with his wife and two children, Herald believes too many successful people become caught up on the trappings of wealth. "I have lived here since I left school at 16," he says. "In this area, you don’t forget where you came from."

Money has meant he has been able to indulge his other passion – fast cars – but essentially he says he’s the same person he’s always been. "Time and freedom and choice are more valuable than having a lot of money in the bank," he says.

3. No guts, no glory

Many of us harbour a dream of becoming our own boss, but rarely spot an opportunity to do so – and this desire is what prompted Annah Stretton, 48, to take a risk.

Twenty years ago, Stretton was working as a product sourcer for a clothing company. She flew around the world, spotted fashion trends, brought samples back to New Zealand and sold redesigned replicas in bulk to department stores. "I was really good at it," she says. "I knew how to pick styles and wheel and deal."

Then when the opportunity arose, Stretton decided to set up her own wholesale clothing business. She converted buildings on her family’s farm in Tatuanui, on New Zealand’s North Island, and her father guaranteed an overdraft of $24,500. Stretton then got busy contacting business connections and before long, she started getting orders – her first being for 20,000 dresses. "It was a hell of a task for one woman sitting on a farm," says Stretton. "But I never doubted I could do it."

There were times when Stretton couldn’t make monthly payments, but she communicated with her creditors, telling them why, and when she’d have the money. "I was very upfront with them," explains Stretton.

By the end of its first year of trading, Stretton Clothing Company had turned over $817,000. However, Stretton was too consumed with the business to enjoy her new-found success. She worked hard, driving around in her Mitsubishi L300, sourcing fabrics and visiting customers. But as the Asian import market started to grow, many of the big retailers began buying through their parent companies rather than independently for the New Zealand market. "I wasn’t prepared to follow the same path," says Stretton.

To strengthen her business, she broadened her product line and launched a boutique collection line of clothing, Sam & Libby. Stores were paying a wholesale price of about $33 a garment and selling them for about $150. Eventually, she decided to open her own boutique. "I planned to go into rural areas that were fairly affluent, and offer them services that they would expect from a city store, such as a quality tailor and exciting visuals."

Within two years, she had seven stores. Today, there are 32 Annah S. and Annah Stretton stores in New Zealand, her company exports to around 150 boutiques throughout the world and generates over $8.17 million in revenue a year. As her business grew, so did Stretton’s public profile and she started writing a monthly column in Her Business magazine. One day the editor of the magazine e-mailed her saying the future of the magazine was uncertain, cheekily adding, "You don’t want to buy it, do you?"

Stretton made the snap decision to do precisely that. "I didn’t know much about publishing, but I quickly became passionate about it," says Stretton. Her publishing company now produces three magazines.

Today, the mother of two runs both companies, is heavily involved in charity fundraising and mentors women on how to succeed in business. Stretton’s top tip: "If you don’t love what you are doing – get out and find something you do!"

4. Set your sights on where you’re going

At the age of 40, Paul Counsel from Leederville in Western Australia hardly seemed on the road to wealth. A potter and ceramics artist, he was used to scraping by on whatever work was on offer. Then in 1994 he was invited to a major art exhibition in Perth, where he exhibited 40 beautiful pieces. The show was a success, but still he only sold seven, coming out with just $1500 – not including the cost of the materials.

"I thought, Hang on, I want be wealthy," Counsel recalls.

Thinking like a millionaire is a crucial first step to becoming one. "Most people retire financial underachievers," he says. "You have to see the world differently from the way other people see the world." Counsel borrowed enough money for a deposit on a house, fixed it up and invested the money he made in the share market. In just three years and eight months he’d made his first million.

What counts most, he says, is mindset: freeing yourself from society’s conditioning and becoming economi­cally and personally free.

"As soon as we earn an income, we’re encouraged to buy things we can’t afford," says Counsel. "Credit and buy-now-pay-later schemes lull us into a life of debt servicing rather than experiencing the freedom that income should provide." Today he has more money than he’d like to mention, but still lives in the same Californian bungalow in the suburbs and shuns the trappings of luxury that so many of us aspire to. "My neighbours don’t have a clue how much money I have," he says. "Everybody teases me about my Hyundai car… but it’s bloody comfortable."
From Reader's Digest Magazine - October 2008

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All Fished Out

Human greed may spell the end for the magnificent Mediterranean tuna-

by fen montaigne

No more magnificent fish swims the oceans than the giant bluefin tuna, which can grow up to 4m in length, weigh more than 250kg and live for 30 years. It can streak through water at 50kmh and dive to over a kilometre in depth. Warm-blooded, it roams from the Arctic to the tropics. Another extraordinary attribute may prove to be its undoing: its buttery belly meat is considered to make the world’s finest sushi. Over the past decade, a high-tech armada, often guided by spotter planes, has pursued bluefin from one end of the Mediterranean to the other, annually netting tens of thousands of the fish, many of them illegally. The fish are fattened offshore in sea cages before being shot and butchered for the sushi and steak markets in Japan, America and Europe.

Once, giant bluefin migrated by the millions throughout the Atlantic Basin and the Mediterranean Sea. So many have been hauled out of the Mediterranean that the population is in danger of collapse. Meanwhile, European and North African officials have done little to stop the slaughter.

“My big fear is that it may be too late,” said Sergi Tudela, a Spanish ­marine biologist with the World Wildlife Fund. “We are witnessing the same phenomenon happening to giant bluefin tuna that we saw happen with America’s ­ buffalo.”

The decimation of giant bluefin is emblematic of everything that is wrong with global fisheries today: the vastly increased killing power of new fishing technology, the shadowy network of international companies making huge profits from the trade, negligent fisheries management and enforcement, and the in­difference of consumers to the fate of the fish species they buy.

The very act of procreation now puts the giant bluefin at the mercy of the fleets. In the spring and summer, as the water warms, schools of bluefin rise to the surface to spawn. Planing on their sides and exposing their massive silver-coloured flanks, the large females each expel tens of millions of eggs, and the males emit clouds of milt (sperm). From the air, this turmoil of reproduction can be seen from many kilometres away by spotter planes, which call in the fleet.

13 Green Questions and Answers

In public toilets, is it better to use a paper towel or an electric hand dryer?

Go for the hot air. The energy needed to heat and blow air at your hands is far less than the energy needed to make and transport paper towels and haul waste away. One US study found that nine fully grown trees are cut down to supply an average fast-food restaurant with paper towels over a year; the tossed towels then create over 450kg of landfill waste. The hand dryer is also more hygienic. Doctors at the University of Ottawa claim the hot air gets into more crevices in the skin, killing off germs quicker.

Should I do the dirty dishes by hand or use a dishwasher?

This one’s not so crystal clear, since it all depends on how you hand wash and on the model of dishwasher. According to Tanya Ha, the author of Greeniology, old-style washing, using one sink for washing and one for rinsing, consumes 15-20 litres of water. “However, the amount increases considerably if you rinse dishes under running tap water instead of using a filled sink or bucket.” Research by the British government’s Market Transformation Programme last year found that dishwashers get items cleaner and use about 75% less water. The key is having a modern model. Dishwashers built today use around 95% less energy than those built 30 years ago, says Ha. Older models can use up to 90 litres of water a load; modern two-drawer dishwashers use as little as nine litres. To be even greener, stick to full loads and use the no-heat or air-dry option.

Should I do my laundry in a front-loader or top-loading washing machine?

Front-loaders win, hands down. Top-loaders have faster cycles but they use much more water, energy and detergent. When you are buying a new machine, look for the labels listing its energy and water ratings. Also choose a machine size that suits your household. Even if you’re not planning on buying a new machine, you can still make your current washer more eco-friendly. Clean the filter, use the minimum amount of detergent, stick to cold water and stick with full loads.

What should I eat for dinner tonight?

Out of everything you do, what you choose to eat has the biggest impact on the environment, says Rebecca Blackburn, author of Green is Good: Smart Ways to Live Well and Help the Planet. “Farming uses more resources than any other industry: two-thirds of Australia’s land and more than two-thirds of our water. It also produces one fifth of our greenhouse gas emissions.” In fact, one third of the average person’s carbon footprint is due to their intake of animal-based food, which is far more than the impact of driving a car or the energy used in our homes.So should we turn vegetarian? Blackburn says you’ll be surprised at how much you can help the environment simply by reducing your red-meat intake even slightly. In fact, eating 3kg less red meat each year is equivalent to reducing household water use by half! Blackburn’s handy tip: go for Meatless Monday.

Is it correct that flicking fluoro lights on and off uses more energy?

Actually no. New data suggests frequent switching doesn’t shorten the life span of bulbs or waste energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs are basically energy-efficient versions of the strip lighting we used to put in laundries and bathrooms. Manufacturer Osram is now selling a bulb that it claims can be switched 500,000 times – equivalent to 91 times per day over its 15-year life.

When it comes to grocery shopping, should I do a big shop each month or fortnight, or should I shop every few days?

Australians admit to throwing out a whopping $5.3 billion worth of food a year. Not surprisingly, the majority of the wasted food is fresh: $2.9 billion worth. “It’s not just money that’s being wasted, it’s the resources that went into making the food,” says Blackburn. “Do an audit of the fridge before you go shopping and figure out what’s left behind, what went off and why you didn’t eat the food.” So by all means do a big monthly shop of durables and non-perishables, but buy your fresh fruit and vegetables every couple of days so they don’t sit in the crisper unused.

Are the new hybrid cars that much better than small, fuel-efficient, conventional cars?

Hybrid cars are not the be-all and end-all. “Choose the smallest car that you can manage and choose the most fuel-efficient car in that range,” says Blackburn. New vehicles are rated by website http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/based on greenhouse and air pollution emissions. “You can make a big difference without buying a hybrid,” says Blackburn. “If money’s an issue, you’d be far better off spending the extra money on a rainwater tank, solar hot water, insulation and energy-efficient appliances.

”What’s best: curtains or venetian blinds?

When it comes to keeping your house insulated, curtains win hands down. Venetian blinds don’t reduce heat transfer at all; a close-fitting, lined, floor-length curtain with a pelmet will reduce heat loss in winter by one third. To keep the radiant heat out in summer, install outdoor shutters, awnings or miniature louvres. Window films provide some protection from summer sun but are less effective than external blinds, and they also don’t protect against heat loss in winter.

When it comes to baby, what’s best: disposable nappies or cloth nappies?

Let’s call this a draw. Several independent studies – taking into account all the environmental factors such as raw material and energy usage, emissions of air and water pollution, and even waste management – conclude that both have roughly the same environmental effect. But the dollar cost is another equation.

I’m thirsty. Bottled water or tap?

Australians drink 150 million litres of bottled water each year. And Clean Up Australia reckons just 35% of all plastic bottles are recycled – the rest end up as landfill.When it comes to tap water, there are no transportation costs or carbon emissions. Buy your own water bottle. Instead of spending $2 per bottle, factor in just 2c and decide now if the taste is OK.

Solar hot water and solar panels: what’s the difference?

A lot of people get confused about this. One is taking the sun’s energy and heating up hot water. The other is taking the sun’s energy and producing electricity.If you can imagine going camping with a big black barrel filled with water sitting in the sun, when you had a shower from the barrel, the water would be warm, says Blackburn. That’s essentially the same as the process in a solar hot water system. Solar electricity is more complicated. It’s still quite expensive so the federal government has introduced a rebate of up to $8000 if you install solar panels, which practically halves the cost. Says Blackburn, “It’s not cost effective to install solar panels as a way to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. For much less money, you can install energy-efficient appliances, lights and insulation and reduce your emissions by about half.

”Rechargeable versus disposable batteries?

Rechargeables. No question. They work out better on the hip pocket, too. “You buy them once for about $4, versus a normal alkaline battery for $1, but get to use them about 1000 times.” And for those who think rechargeable batteries are too fiddly to use and take too long to charge: remember, you’re already using them in your mobile phone and laptop. “If you were using throwaway batteries in your mobile, it would cost more than your phone bill.

”Scraps. Should I compost them or throw them straight in the bin?

Up to 50% of domestic waste is food scraps and garden waste that could be composted. Make it easy for yourself: keep a little plastic bin on the kitchen bench, or use a stainless-steel cooking pot and line it with newspaper so it cleans more easily.You can compost the strangest things: vegetable oil, tea bags, coffee grounds, vacuum dust, eggshells, hair clippings or hair removed from a brush, ash from wood fires, shredded paper and cardboard, even dried flower arrangements. If you live in an apartment, consider a Bokashi bin. It sits under your sink and the fermentation process doesn’t produce smells. When full, visit the communal garden or enrich a friend’s garden

Driving Towards a Greener and Cleaner Future

Converting water into fuel is one solution, but making sure we get from A to B as efficiently as possible is the true future of transport

Widespread concern for the environment and record fuel prices add up to one thing – healthy profits for companies that can make cars which are less polluting and cheaper to run. Manufacturers are acutely aware of the opportunities. "Oil consumption is not sustainable right now, plus, we’re compounding the problem with growth," says J. Gary Smyth, director of powertrain research at US carmaking giant General Motors. "We [the car industry] are the major contributor, we are the problem, we have to solve this problem." The likely solution would not please Henry Ford, who famously wanted all his cars to be black, to suit mass production. Instead, variety will be spice of life on the road this century. The number of different fuels, engines, body shapes and materials is set to multiply.
"It is likely that vehicle types will diversify, broadening our concepts of the recent past," says Professor John Heywood of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Size and weight may well change too." Some of the innovations are already on the road, and others will be in a showroom near you very soon, displaying imaginative ways to reduce petrol consumption. Lighter cars burn less fuel so alloy frames and plastic bodies are on the cards – and cutting four wheels down to three is a growing trend on urban run-abouts like the Clever (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport) two-seater designed by a European engineering consortium, which includes German industry titan BMW. Eliminating internal combustion engines altogether is another approach. Take electric vehicles: They emit no pollution where they are used and are very quiet, which is precisely why the historic French port of La Rochelle has a fleet of electric cars for hire and why most of its municipal vehicles run on amps not octanes. Nissan plans to start selling battery-powered cars in Japan and the United States within two years and the Port of Los Angeles has already introduced a heavy-duty electric truck to haul cargo containers. The prototype cost US$527,000, but plans for an assembly plant to build a fleet of the electric trucks are at an advanced stage. All being well, the truck will be sold worldwide. Paradigm shifts like this always allow smart players to enter the game and there’s a host of eager innovators keen to plug in and switch on. Venturi, from the Mediterranean principality of Monaco, aims to start selling its $40,000 Eclectic threeseater next year. It has solar panels on the roof to turn sunbeams into electric power and a crowd-stopping optional extra – a wind turbine to top up the batteries

Earth-friendly eating

Food that’s good for your body also turns out to be good for the environment

Substitute chicken, fish or vegetables for red meat and dairy just one day a week, and your family of four will eliminate greenhouse gases similar to the amount produced by a 1200km car trip, say researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, who studied the impact of dozens of foods. Other ways to do your part:

Buy local and fresh Local isn’t better if the food is stored for long periods, using up more energy. Fresh-picked fare not only avoids long trips in fume-spewing trucks, planes and boats, but it also packs more nutrients and requires no preservatives.

Choose sun-ripened fruits and vegetables They generate fewer emissions than produce raised in heated greenhouses.

Cut back on processed foods A lot of truck kilometres go into foods with artificial sweeteners, additives, and preservatives because these ingredients are often shipped to the manufacturer from other locations.

Tiger Woods is Back

Tiger Woods needed just three tournaments to prove he’s still the hottest property in world sport – and worth every cent of the $3m it usually takes to persuade him to play events which don’t figure on the US PGA Tour schedule.
The hard-pressed governors of Victoria must have chuckled into their cornflakes as Woods sealed an astonishing fightback with a 16-foot putt for birdie and victory on the final hole at Bay Hill.
Their decision to underwrite Tiger’s invite to next November’s Australian Masters raised howls of anger and derision Down Under – but it doesn’t look so dim now.
Meanwhile, Tiger’s rivals face a sobering question in the run-up to next week’s US Masters. What if Woods brings his ‘A’ game to Augusta National?
Get the calculators out. Should Tiger marry the ball-striking and shot-making we saw from him at Doral to his unworldly chipping and putting at Bay Hill, his record 12-stroke winning margin at the 1997 US Masters could come under threat.

No question, Woods, on his ‘Second Coming’ is stronger mentally and physically at age 33 than the toothy youngster who took the sporting world by storm 12 years back.
It’s a big ask. No normal human could be expected to win a Major on only his fourth outing after eight months on the injury list.

And at Augusta National next week, Woods won’t get away with the errant shots which frustrated him at Arnie Palmer’s place. Yet with venues like Bethpage, Pebble Beach and St Andrews on the roster over the next 16 months, don’t bet
against Tiger achieving his lifetime ambition and equalling Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 professional Majors.
Of course, the weekend’s sixth win at Bay Hill is an enormous boost to Tiger’s morale as he heads home to prepare for his first Major since June’s staggering US Open success.
Standing on Bay Hill’s first tee on Sunday, Woods, the defending champion, was five strokes behind Sean O’Hair, yet he posted a final-round 67 to clinch his 66th win on the PGA Tour and 90th worldwide.
Though his 26-year-old opponent held out stubbornly to the last, the self-assurance which had underpinned O’Hair’s performance over his first three days at Bay Hill had evaporated.
In truth, Tiger wasn’t playing well enough to obliterate his opponent with one of those famous final-day charges – but he’d still close to within one stroke by the par-three seventh, where the jittery O’Hair three-putted for a telling second bogey in four holes.
Of course, it cannot have helped when several spectators, as keen as the rabble at the Roman Colosseum for the Tiger to spill blood, cackled audibly at O’Hair’s misfortune there.
Sunday would be the fourth time O’Hair failed to seal the deal after leading into the final round on the PGA Tour, including last year’s Arnold Palmer Invitational when he also played in the final group with a rampant Tiger.
Yet Woods had to scramble hard on occasions, most notably on 14 when he sank a phenomenal 14-footer for par after his approach shot had plugged under the lip of a greenside bunker. His magical putter then helped Tiger draw level for the first time at 15, where he holed from 25 feet for an unlikely birdie and the bell tolled ever louder for his opponent at the next when O’Hair’s approach fell short into the water. O’Hair’s bogey put Woods ahead but Tiger dropped a shot out of yet another plugged lie tight to the lip of a greenside bunker at 17.
So they were all-square, until Woods rolled home that clutch putt for birdie and victory on the final green. For the second year on the trot, Bay Hill witness an explosion of elation from Tiger, only this one had been eight months in the making.

Hibakusha

Japanese man wins recognition for surviving two atom bombs

Tsutomu Yamaguchi, 93, was caught in second world war atom bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,93-year-old Japanese man has become the first person to be certified as a survivor of both US atomic bombings at the end of the second world war, officials said today.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi had already been a certified "hibakusha," or radiation survivor, of the 9 August 1945 atomic bombing in Nagasaki. Now it has been confirmed that he also survived the attack on Hiroshima three days earlier.

Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on 6 August 1945 when a US B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city. He suffered serious burns to his upper body and spent the night in the city. He then returned to his hometown of Nagasaki.

"As far as we know, he is the first one to be officially recognised as a survivor of atomic bombings in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki," said Nagasaki city official Toshiro Miyamoto. "It's such an unfortunate case, but it is possible that there are more people like him."

Certification qualifies survivors for government compensation including monthly allowances, free medical checkups and funeral costs. Miyamoto said Yamaguchi's compensation would not increase.

Japan is the only country to have suffered atomic bomb attacks. About 140,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and 70,000 in Nagasaki.

Yamaguchi is one of about 260,000 people who survived the attacks. Bombing survivors have developed various illnesses from radiation exposure, including cancer and liver illnesses. Details of Yamaguchi's health problems were not released.

Thousands of survivors continue to seek official recognition after the government rejected their eligibility for compensation. Last year, it eased the requirements for being certified as a survivor, following criticism the rules were too strict and neglected many who had developed illnesses that doctors have linked to radiation.

China Takes Aim at Dollar

China called for the creation of a new currency to eventually replace the dollar as the world's standard, proposing a sweeping overhaul of global finance that reflects developing nations' growing unhappiness with the U.S. role in the world economy.
The unusual proposal, made by central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan in an essay released Monday in Beijing, is part of China's increasingly assertive approach to shaping the global response to the financial crisis.

Mr. Zhou's proposal comes amid preparations for a summit of the world's industrial and developing nations, the Group of 20, in London next week. At past such meetings, developed nations have criticized China's economic and currency policies.
This time, China is on the offensive, backed by other emerging economies such as Russia in making clear they want a global economic order less dominated by the U.S. and other wealthy nations.

However, the technical and political hurdles to implementing China's recommendation are enormous, so even if backed by other nations, the proposal is unlikely to change the dollar's role in the short term. Central banks around the world hold more U.S. dollars and dollar securities than they do assets denominated in any other individual foreign currency. Such reserves can be used to stabilize the value of the central banks' domestic currencies.

Monday's proposal follows a similar one Russia made this month during preparations for the G20 meeting. Like China, Russia recommended that the International Monetary Fund might issue the currency, and emphasized the need to update "the obsolescent unipolar world economic order."

Chinese officials are frustrated at their financial dependence on the U.S., with Premier Wen Jiabao this month publicly expressing "worries" over China's significant holdings of U.S. government bonds. The size of those holdings means the value of the national rainy-day fund is mainly driven by factors China has little control over, such as fluctuations in the value of the dollar and changes in U.S. economic policies. While Chinese banks have weathered the global downturn and continue to lend, the collapse in demand for the nation's exports has shuttered factories and left millions jobless.

In his paper, published in Chinese and English on the central bank's Web site, Mr. Zhou argued for reducing the dominance of a few individual currencies, such as the dollar, euro and yen, in international trade and finance. Most nations concentrate their assets in those reserve currencies, which exaggerates the size of flows and makes financial systems overall more volatile, Mr. Zhou said.

Moving to a reserve currency that belongs to no individual nation would make it easier for all nations to manage their economies better, he argued, because it would give the reserve-currency nations more freedom to shift monetary policy and exchange rates. It could also be the basis for a more equitable way of financing the IMF, Mr. Zhou added. China is among several nations under pressure to pony up extra cash to help the IMF.
John Lipsky, the IMF's deputy managing director, said the Chinese proposal should be treated seriously. "It reflects officials' concerns about improving the stability of the financial system," he said. "It's interesting because of China's unique position, and because the governor put it in a measured and considered way."

China's proposal is likely to have significant implications, said Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University and former IMF official. "Nobody believes that this is the perfect solution, but by putting this on the table the Chinese have redefined the debate," he said. "It represents a very strong pushback by China on a number of fronts where they feel themselves being pushed around by the advanced countries," such as currency policy and funding for the IMF.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury Department declined to comment on Mr. Zhou's views. In recent weeks, senior Obama administration officials have sought to reassure Beijing that the current U.S. spending spree is a short-term effort to restart the stalled American economy, not evidence of long-term U.S. profligacy.


"The re-establishment of a new and widely accepted reserve currency with a stable valuation benchmark may take a long time," Mr. Zhou said. In remarks earlier Monday, one of his deputies, Hu Xiaolian, also said the dollar's dominant position in international trade and investment is unlikely to change soon. Ms. Hu is in charge of reserve management as the head of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange.


Mr. Zhou's comments -- coming on the heels of Mr. Wen's musing about the safety of China's dollar holdings -- appear to be a warning to the U.S. that it can't expect China to finance its spending indefinitely.

The central banker's proposal reflects both China's desire to hold its $1.95 trillion in reserves in something other than U.S. dollars and the fact that Beijing has few alternatives. With more U.S. dollars continuing to pour into China from trade and investment, Beijing has no realistic option other than storing them in U.S. debt.

Mr. Zhou argued, without mentioning the dollar by name, that the loss of the dollar's de facto reserve status would benefit the U.S. by avoiding future crises. Because other nations continued to park their money in U.S. dollars, the argument goes, the Federal Reserve was able to pursue an irresponsible policy in recent years, keeping interest rates too low for too long and thereby helping to inflate a bubble in the housing market.


"The outbreak of the crisis and its spillover to the entire world reflected the inherent vulnerabilities and systemic risks in the existing international monetary system," Mr. Zhou said. The increasing number and intensity of financial crises suggests "the costs of such a system to the world may have exceeded its benefits."

Mr. Zhou isn't the first to make that argument. "The dollar reserve system is part of the problem," Joseph Stiglitz, the Columbia University economist, said in a speech in Shanghai last week, because it meant so much of the world's cash was funneled into the U.S. "We need a global reserve system," he said in the speech.


Mr. Zhou's idea is to expand the use of "special drawing rights," or SDRs -- a kind of synthetic currency created by the IMF in the 1960s. Its value is determined by a basket of major currencies. Originally, the SDR was intended to serve as a shared currency for international reserves, though that aspect never really got off the ground.
These days, the SDR is mainly used in the IMF's accounting for its transactions with member nations. Mr. Zhou suggested countries could increase their contributions to the IMF in exchange for greater access to a pool of reserves in SDRs.


Holding more international reserves in SDRs would increase the role and powers of the IMF. That indicates China and other developing nations aren't hostile to international financial institutions -- they just want to have more say in running them. China has resisted the U.S. push to make an immediate loan to the IMF because that wouldn't give China a bigger vote. Ms. Hu said Monday that China, which encourages the IMF to explore other fund-raising options, would consider buying into a bond issue.

The IMF has been working on a proposal to issue bonds, probably only to central banks. Bond purchases are one way for the organization to raise money and meet its goal of at least doubling its lending war chest to $500 billion from $250 billion. Japan has loaned the IMF $100 billion and the European Union has pledged another $100 billion.

Cuba develops energy saving technology

PTI Mon, 23 Mar, 2009,11:43 AM
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Cuba has developed an engine that automatically switches on and off multiple and high-tech TV broadcast and in the process saves a lot of energy, Radiocuba has said. Experts in Camaguey, east Cuba, developed and fitted the engine to the broadcast chain helping improve reliability by commuting for better quality signal if there is a glitch.
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So it helps keep services in the region regardless of the weather conditions, Radiocuba specialists said. Cuba is now ready to extend the innovation nationwide, in use in Camaguey since 2006, to help enhance the life of equipments. The engine has helped introduce scientific innovation and is currency and fuel saving, Radiocuba director Luis Riveron said. The device has helped automate the switch on/off system at TV and radio broadcast stations.
It has also helped install data transmission systems to monitor and operate transmitters and generators and create an energy-saving technology via intelligent control of the bearer.

Zen Stories

To Go With The Flow:

Taoist story has an old man who by accident fell into the speeding waters of a river that lead to a dangerous waterfall. The people who witnessed the mishap feared for his life. But miraculously to the wonderment of all, the man emerged alive and unscathed, downstream at the bottom of the falls. The astounded crowd asked the old man as to how he survived such an accident. The old wise man said "I accommodated myself to the water and not the water to me. Without giving a thought, I let myself to be shaped by the currents. Plunging into the swirl, I emerged alive with the swirl. This is how I survived."

Maintaining Silence

Four monks decided not utter a word for two weeks in order to indulge in silent meditation. One the very first day by night fall the flame of the candle flickered and went off throwing them into darkness. The first monk voiced out : "Oh, no! The candle is out." The second said : "Aren't we not suppose to talk?"The third followed the second, "Why must you two break the silence?" The fourth laughed and proudly made a statement : "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

The Self
A man approached a Zen Master in a distraught state. He implored the Master thus : " Master I feel totally lost and desperate. I do not know who I am? I plead you to show me my true self!"The master was nonchalant and did not respond. The man was dismayed and started begging and pleading with the master but of no avail ! The frustrated man, giving up hope, turned to leave when the master called out his name. The man responded "Yes!", spinning around to face the master when he exclaimed "There it is!"

Acceptance: The Key to Transcendence

Acceptance: The Key to Transcendence
Naren :Spiritual hub

A man walks into a hair salon to get his hair shampooed and braided. The hair dresser, at first, takes it as a joke because the man has only three hairs on his head. Without saying anything, the hairdresser proceeds with his job. But before he finishes combing, one of the hairs falls off.

The hair dresser, instantly, apologizes out of embarrassment only to be surprised again as the man replies, “Don’t be worried. Now I just have to part my hair in the middle! No big deal!”
The hair dresser realizes that he has to be careful as the man has only two hairs remaining. He cannot mess up this time. As he was drowned in such thoughts while carefully trying to braid the hairs, one falls out. OOPS! The hair dresser feels really bad and starts apologizing again, and offers a free service. But the man answers calmly.

“Oh! Well, don’t be worried. Now I just have to run around with my hair all ruffled up. No big deal! What to do? Such is the way.” This is the attitude of total authentic acceptance. The man is not even slightly bothered or upset that now he has only one hair left. Now, when you carry such attitude, you cannot remain miserable. Instead you are perfectly content and happy in whatsoever you have. The man had three hairs; now only one. So what? He has embraced the situation with acceptance without any complaint or grudge.

I guess it may be really difficult these days to find such a person. Another man in that situation might sue the hair dresser and reap lots of money. Anyway, this is simply an anecdote, a joke, and may not be a reality. But it makes sense if we look into it deeply.

Troubled Mind, Agitating Heart
There is so much joy and beauty in life, yet our lives seem like a burden, a huge load of pain and suffering, which keeps on dragging us down from cradle to grave... What is it that is keeping us from discovering the inner beauty of our lives? What is it that is preventing us from achieving total contentment? Every individual has the utmost potential to be profoundly happy, and enjoy this ultimate existential gift called life in full ecstasy and eternal bliss. Yet, we miss this divine opportunity to rejoice life in its fullest, like an emperor. Instead, we end up like a beggar, reducing life to a sad tale of misery and suffering. Our life becomes a desert, dry and lifeless, and simply wilts just like a flower at the end of the day. The only difference is that a flower achieved its full blossoming and radiance, and its fading is simply the way of nature. But, look at us, we neither bloomed nor shone fully, despite having the tremendous potential to achieve the ultimate flowering. Why?

These questions have severely troubled my mind while agitating my heart and finally leading me to write this article. I am hoping it will bring some light of understanding to all, including myself.
Life is a big mystery in itself. We cannot predict what is next. Any moment anything can happen. Today you may be riding on the wave of success, and tomorrow you may be swept by the current of failure. Your life may be an oasis of happiness and tomorrow, it may turn out to be barren as the desert.

The unpredictable nature of life makes it tremendously dangerous. But, in that danger lies the deep beauty of life. This is why it’s better to squeeze the juice out of life as much as we can. But, do we really do so? Do we really accept life moment-to-moment, as it is, without any conditions, fear, or worry? Most of us do not.

Why is it so difficult for us to accept life as it is, with joy and celebration? Why the word acceptance has become so inconceivable and hard to accept? Just the mentioning of the word, provokes some people – why? I would say that it is not because of the word itself, but because of us. Because, whenever we accept, we don’t accept with a joyous heart. Our acceptance is stemming from a reluctant heart. It’s coming out of compulsion.

It seems like we have been compelled to accept. Our acceptance is not a melodious song coming out of the innermost feeling of our rejoiceful heart. Even when we accept, we don’t quite accept totally. It’s simply a self-deceiving act because inside we haven’t fully agreed. The ego still tries to find a way to escape, and make things work out without acceptance. It is very hurtful for the ego to accept something especially if it disagrees with it.

Hence, acceptance has become a very heavy word, and it is just because of us, not that there is anything wrong with the word. Acceptance can be a beautiful and enlightening experience in your life, if it arises out of your authenticity. If you accept things with a welcoming heart, if you accept things with dance, song and music, then your acceptance becomes a celebration. It becomes an enjoyment, a total ecstasy. It can help you go beyond, out of your past. It can totally transcend you. But what to do, we accept only when we feel helpless, and under pressure. We don’t accept out of strength and understanding. And that’s why we suffer so much in life, and we don’t transcend.

If we go back and ponder over the anecdote in the introductory paragraph, it clearly reveals that the man is blessed with a great art –an art of purely authentic acceptance. The man could have complained, caused a big fight, or made a huge fuss, but he simply accepted the grave situation by saying, “What to do? Such is the way.” A person who carries this attitude remains happy in any situation. Nothing and nobody can shake foundation of his inner peace and contentment – because his foundation is built strongly from his simple approach, an approach of accepting things in their totality. His approach is commendable. Let’s dissect the situation here. The two hairs from his head have already fallen off, and the poor hair dresser cannot stick them back. However, the man hasn’t accepted the situation just because nothing can be done, but his acceptance is coming purely from a cheerful heart. His acceptance is not half-hearted. His acceptance is not out of helplessness, but out of sheer clarity and contentment, and that’s what makes the difference, and makes his attitude commendable.

Buddha's Term "Tathata"

Bhagwan Buddha has mentioned a simple word “tathata” and the whole Buddhist practice of meditation revolves around this term. It has been translated as thatness, thusness, or suchness in English language. This is the only problem with translation. The word loses it authentic substance and meaning during the course of translation. But, according to my understanding and background, the closest translation for the term “tathata” would be “suchness.” I like the term “suchness” and it makes more sense in this article, so let’s proceed with that one. Suchness simply means such is the way, such is the way of the nature of things, simply accept it.
Buddhism depends on this word in such magnitude that it becomes the way of their lives, and eventually the word disappears and simply “tathata” or “suchness” remains. Moreover, one adopts this practice of suchness to the extent that eventually one becomes the suchness.
Let’s say, you are not feeling good, or you have a terrible headache, or suffering from some kind of illness. Then you say to yourself, such is the way, such is the way of nature, and such is the nature of things and calmly accept the situation. Nothing can be done. The key is that you not only say these things to yourself, but also feel them deeply inside. Furthermore, the suchness not only remains as thoughts or philosophy, but it becomes a lifestyle. The whole way of living becomes suchness. One becomes so conscious and attuned with this term that he is not even worried about when to think about it. The term becomes embedded so deeply inside that you ultimately become suchness. Then you do not fight with the illness or any pain or discomfort. You just accept it. In fact, acceptance descends by itself. It need not be forced. This actually can be a very powerful healing force in itself. Because, while you are simply accepting the sickness, then your energy becomes one. If you are fighting, then your inner energy gets divided into halves, half is being used to fight the illness and the other half is wasted in the pain and constant complaining about the illness. But if you simply accept without any fight or conflict, then inner energy can act as one single healing force.

The attitude of acceptance with suchness functions not only on a physical level, but also on mental and spiritual levels as well, and ultimately leads you to transcendence and total contentment.

When Worry becomes the Central Core of Our Life

All through life we are constantly worrying, running here and there, in deep anguish, anxiety and stress. It seems like worry continues until the end of life. So, what is worry anyway? Worry is our inability to accept things the way they are. Worry exists when we enforce our own ideas, dogmas, and philosophies, and do not agree with the reality of the things. We don’t like things happening in their own way as we want them to follow our way. Just remember the saying, “My way or the highway.” But, in life that’s not possible. It’s either “life’s way or the highway” because life does not follow your footsteps. Remember: no matter how much you wish or want, life has its own natural course. It cannot agree with your philosophies and ideas. It does not follow your beliefs, faith and religion. Life remains aloof from these things and flows on its own. It does not follow your desires. One has to accept the way of nature one day.

Fear of Death
If you are born then you die as well. Life and death complement each other. But, we do all we can to secure ourselves from death, clearly knowing that one day our physical body has to die. Such is the way of nature. Such is the way of existence. Nothing can be done, and we cannot deny this existential truth. All we can do is simply accept. But how many of us accept? Very few. Those who accept this truth will transcend. For example, even like Buddha dies. He is Buddha but that does not mean things are different for him. He is no different than an ordinary individual, and existence has no special preference for him. The only difference is that he accepts his death with a welcoming and joyous heart and dies happily. There is no fear of death on his face, while we shiver just from the name of death. Enlightened Masters like Buddha, Lao Tzu, or Bodhidharma die so cheerfully that it seems as if no death exists. Acceptance thus leads to transcendence. Once you understand this simple truth, then you can also transcend like every Buddha, and even when you die, you die transcended.

Desire to be Young Forever
Let me give you another example. Who does not want to be young forever despite knowing the fact that one day we have to grow old. However, we are constantly worrying about getting old, longing and wishing to be young forever. These days, people are doing all they can to remain young. This is simply ridiculous. People have lost their authentic individuality in their plastic dreams of remaining young forever. You may change your outer layering but you cannot change the inside. And this is the worry. You may look young outside, but you clearly know that it’s not the real you. You have traded your individuality in, while trying to gain some plastic beauty outside. No matter how much you try the feeling of getting old and the fake consolation that you wear on the outside, will haunt your mind and torture you soul forever. All because you cannot accept that getting old is a natural phenomenon. Just like you get hungry or thirsty, one day you will grow old as well. But we don’t want to accept this truth. We just cannot accept it. And even when we accept, we accept with utmost difficulty and reluctance. With such attitude, misery is bound to follow in life.

The Disease called Love
Furthermore, people worry about pretty much everything, work, money, finance, love, relationships, sex and the list goes on and on. Let’s talk about love. Love is beautiful and in the meantime painful. But that’s what love is. It is beautiful because it gives you a glimpse of ecstasy and bliss, while it’s painful because there is fear that it may not last forever. It slips out of your grasp and you simply can’t do anything. Such is the way of nature. It’s hard to accept this truth when it comes to love, but those who understand will transcend. Because love can easily lead you to meditation. Because in love, you see that glimpse of truth, beauty, and eternal bliss which mediation can offer. Love awakens your inner thirst ultimately leading you to the path of seeking and inquiry, and which is meditation.

You love your wife and your wife loves you. You have been married for years. The relationship is strong, and unbreakable. Still, there a fear lurks around in the back of your mind that one day your partner may leave you for somebody else or some other reason. Or, the day might come when your partner may not love you. The love may simply disappear from his/her eyes. Now there is the worry. You wanted to live your life together, but she decides to leave you. You have sacrificed your whole life for him, and he has dumped you for some other woman. Now, what can you really do? You may force him or her to stay with you. You may plead, beg, cry, weep and wail. But one thing that needs to be understood is love cannot be forced. It happens on its own. You may force your partner to stay, but if there is no love than both of your lives will be a tale of deep misery and suffering.

Problem: You expect love to be forever. You wanted it to be permanent. But we all know that there is nothing permanent in this world. And certainly you will be worried. Everything mundane and belonging to the world falls into the law of impermanence. Now if love has deserted you or vanished, leaving you in a dark well of sadness, certainly you will be crushed and fallen. Nothing can be done. The attitude of suchness says, accept this situation. Such is the way. If you feel like crying your heart out, do so, but do not resist or suppress your feelings or emotions. This applies to both man and woman. Let your feelings well out. If you are worried, be worried. What can you do? But accept all these totally without fear or putting on a mask.

But the question that troubles my mind is that, “Do we really accept these events that constitute our life, totally?” I am not just talking about being crushed in love, but also in all other situations.
Life is moment-to-moment, and every moment there is something happening. The sunlight comes into your house and moves onto another. The breeze of happiness comes into your life and then moves onto another. Love also acts the same way. One moment it’s with you and another moment it’s gone. Life is in the flux, and nothing is permanent.

However, we don’t see these things because our eyes are blinded with worry, stress, and ego. On one hand, there is a constant worry and on the other hand there is a deep longing, desire, and expectation to achieve. An individual is torn in so many directions and there are so many divisions within him that his whole life becomes muddled with clouds of confusion. The energy is divided into so many directions that there is always tension. There is always conflict. The mind becomes chaotic like a crowd, thoughts running this direction, that direction, everywhere.

Existence has given us the most precious gift through which we could attain profound happiness and ecstasy, but we seem to have taken things for granted simply by not lighting the lamp of intelligence. And how to light the lamp of intelligence – it is simple, through understanding. Yes, understanding is the master key that unlocks the Pandora’s Box of contentment.

The Lost Key
But, we keep on missing continually. We have the key but we keep on forgetting that we have it. We carry it with us all the time, but we assume it’s not with us. Have you ever locked your key inside the house and then had to call a locksmith? But when the lock was broken, you remember that the key was in your pocket. The key was in your pocket all the time and you kept on waiting for the locksmith worrying and panicking. You could have simply looked into your pocket. But, you didn’t. Because you are so worried, how can you? Similarly, this is what’s happening to our lives. The cloud of worry and discontentment have covered our eyes so much that we are unable to see things clearly. And we have completely missed the tremendous beauty and grace that life can offer.

Then what do we do? Exhausted, crushed, and defeated --- eventually we accept things, but grudgingly, half-heartedly. We accept only when we run out of options. Yes, in a state of complete helplessness we accept. I don’t call this authentic and pure acceptance. This is simply surrendering or giving up. And it makes a big difference. The difference is that the acceptance is not happening by itself or coming out of a welcoming heart, it is being forced on us. We had to force ourselves to accept the reality. There were no other doors for an exit. We gave a good fight, but we got defeated. We got crushed and crippled under the harsh wheel of reality. Again, we’ve missed the point. We accepted but not with the attitude of suchness. Our ego hasn’t disappeared, it is just wounded. It will bounce back. Only with total acceptance, will there be no ego. With partial and half-hearted acceptance, ego is always there. It may seem gone, but it is submerged, deep down, wounded. It has simply gone into hibernation. On the right climate and season, it will resurface and haunt you again.


Our misery, problems, and our sufferings will continually exist because we are unable to accept the way things are happening in its nature, but also because we wanted to enforce our idea and logic. And now, all the reasoning, explanation, and logic have failed, so what to do? Then we accept, but still deep down we have left a little aperture of hope open.

Not a Hollywood Ending
Acceptance is not an open ending like in a Hollywood movie where there is always some clue for the protagonist to escape; acceptance should be absolutely total and authentic. Outside we have accepted grudgingly but inside we still wish that things could have gone the other way. We wish that we could go back in the past and change things. We wish to undo many things and change the present situation of turmoil in our life. We are not accepting with the richness of an emperor’s heart, we are accepting like a beggar. Our heart is not open and smiling. Because we still have left the light of hope alive inside us. We have still left the wound inside of us to grow. With the flow of time, we may forget the pangs of break-ups, misfortunes, loss, failures, divorce etc... But, the wound is still there. Time has healed and covered the wound.

Let’s say a person has a tumor. If the surgeon leaves even a small piece then there is a chance of the tumor growing back again.

Likewise, out of sheer helplessness you accepted, and time cured, but not through your understanding. This is where you missed again. One thing we need to understand is that, only through total acceptance, which is by simply accepting things the way they are and not providing any resistance, transcendence is possible. This understanding is the ultimate key that will help you achieve the inner treasure of your life. No one and no situation can make you miserable. You will be happy and cheerful in any condition. Remember the guy with three hairs from the opening paragraph. Yes, your life will be total contentment then.

So, allow acceptance of its own accord and do not force or embrace it out of helplessness. Let me repeat again, do not accept half-heartedly or grudgingly. Welcome it with an open and cheerful heart. Simply try looking at things with clarity. Wipe off the dust of hope and desire that has covered your eyes, and look at things the way they are. Remember Buddha’s term “tathata”. Such is the way of nature. You cannot force unnatural on something that is natural.

For example, no matter how much you wish, you cannot change the direction of a cool breeze that blows into your garden, you cannot make flowers blossom, or have the moon shine only in your roof.

Life also has its own way, on natural path. Don’t try doing something unnatural. Flow with it, why create so much nuisances by creating resistance. Why create unnecessary troubles. Why you want to hurt your head, if it’s perfectly fine?” This is acceptance with an attitude of suchness.

Final Words
I am perfectly aware that I have dwelt on many topics in this article, but my main effort is on growth and understanding. Having said so let me give you another small story:

A villager was traveling on a train on his way to the city, and was carrying a big load of luggage on his head. Everybody was staring at him in awe. This was his first time on the train, and the villager was innocent and ignorant. In villages, people are used to carrying stuff on their head, and so was this villager. He simply didn’t see that the he could drop his load as it would make no difference to the train. But the villager was simply not aware out of his ignorance.

Similarly, we haven’t really dropped the load – a load full of misery, pain, dreams and desires, beautiful, or ugly past. We haven’t fully accepted things in suchness. We have been carrying the load of wounds, dreams and hopes all along. Because of this load, we have been ruining our present as well. Not only the present, but also the future. Because, the more load you acquire right now, your future will be heavier. That means more misery and more suffering. Okay, let’s leave the future far, but look at us, we barely live in the present. We are swinging in the duality of past and present. On one hand, the past haunts us and on the other hand, the future is pulling us. This is called traction. We are being pulled from both sides. Torn, we drag our lives in the present. Why wouldn’t we be miserable then? How can we be happy in such condition, when we have no idea what’s going on, when we are living a chaotic life, swinging back and forth like a pendulum? We can drop the load. It’s totally up to us. All we need is to imbibe the attitude of acceptance with suchness. It is not any kind of compulsion; it is simply looking at things with clarity, and full of awareness. It is simply clearing all the dust that we have accumulated on our path towards contentment. But again, our acceptance should be out of understanding and strength, and not out of helplessness, compulsion and reluctance. Our acceptance should rise from a welcoming and cheerful heart. Only then transcendence is possible. Buddha, Lao Tzu, Osho, Gurdjieff, Boddhidharma have all transcended, why cannot we?

The Joy of Being Realistic

There are many people who have either positive or negative approaches in life, but how many of them are realistic? Realistic means to look at things as they “really” are.
Do you look at things as they are?
Do you only look at the positive side or only the negative side?
Are your thoughts influenced by positive thinking or by negative thinking?
Let me start by sharing my thoughts:

Italian Neo Realism
After having read my articles you might have already presumed that I have a great passion for movies. In college I used to spend most of my time in the library engrossing myself in film books, than in the classes. As I was learning about films and filmmakers, I came across The Bicycle Thief, directed by one of my favorite directors, Vittoria De Sica. This film made in 1948 has made an indelible impact in my life. The film is an example of Italian Neo realism in the history of cinema. Films which belong to this movement were shot mostly in locations, with non-actors in the lead role, financed in a shoe-string budget, and typically featured the story of the working class family.

The Bicycle Thief is one great example of the realistic cinema. The protagonist needs a job to support his family, but jobs are scarce. He finds one, which requires a bicycle. He manages to buy one by pawning the family’s bed sheets. Unfortunately the bicycle is stolen on the first day of his work. Heartbroken, the protagonist, with the help of his young son, tirelessly and desperately searches for the bicycle all day, but with no success. Tired, frustrated and scared the protagonist steals a bicycle in the end, gets caught, and is beaten by the mad crowd in front of his son. Embarrassed he could not look into his son’s eyes. The film ends showing father and son walking along the way with their future lying in uncertainty.

This film renders universal emotions in a simple way, paints the grim picture of reality, and translates the story on the screen as it is, maintaining its universally comprehensible theme. It does not force on the viewer a message like “Oh! You have to be positive and good things will come along the way. Don’t think of negative, be always positive.” The story is a depiction of a sharp and poignant reality of the struggling family, the most profound portrayal of father and son relationship, and thus stands out as one of the best films of all time

Positive Thinking -- A Sweet Candy
Those who say that you have to be positive are simply giving us false consolations and hopes. They are simply deceiving us. I am not into hope, I am into reality.

You can keep on hoping to build a castle in the air and stay positive, but do you think your positive thinking will produce the outcome you are hoping for.

Absolutely not! These are false dreams. You can keep on thinking about being as rich as Warren Buffet or Bill Gates and be positive about it, but do you think you will be rich as they are just by thinking positively.

Positive thinking is just like handing candy to a weeping child. When you give him a sweet candy, he will stop crying for the moment and then when it’s finished he will start crying again. How long can you keep on giving the child sweet candies? The very notion that: You have to be positive whatsoever happens to you, is wrong. And, by thinking positively do you think it will solve your problems. Do you think your miseries will disappear into thin air right away? Do you think by denying the negative, the negative will not be there. NO. By being positive, you are simply attempting to hide the negative. You are just being evasive and not acknowledging the other half of the truth.

Hence, we have to understand that, positive thinking is just one way of looking at things.
Similarly, negative thinking is the other way of looking at things. It is as wrong as positive thinking. I am not for or against either side. To me, both positive and negative are equally important as they comprise the whole. Just like every coin has two sides, there is day and night, there is life and death, there is joy and pain, there is beauty and ugliness –all of these things are complimentary to each other. This is the truth and this is the reality. Reality cannot be changed. A lie changes, but truth always remains the same. This is the way the Existence has planned things. There is nothing we can do about it. We just have to accept it. Total acceptance leads to understanding.

Final Thoughts
Have you ever seen the beauty of reality? Have you ever realized the joy of seeing things as they are in their whole or totality, instead of looking at only one side? There is so much joy in adopting a realistic approach in life – neither being positive nor negative – just accepting the way things are with grace and love. If you start practicing this holistic attitude from now onwards, you will see the result. You will be astounded to see how both positive and negative support and are interdependent to each other.

Let me conclude with one example: The lotus is a beautiful flower that blooms out of the mud. This is the positive way of seeing it. But, if there wasn’t mud for the lotus flower in which to grow, then it wouldn’t look so beautiful. This is being realistic, looking at both the mud and the lotus flower.

A Simple Secret to a Fulfilling Life

Who doesn’t go through an occasional feeling that life is meaningless and empty, and living is totally worthless? My certainty is coming from my own experiences, and I know it’s tough especially when things are not going according the way you have always wanted. Feelings as mentioned above are bound to well up as you have always given a path to high hopes and then suddenly you realize that life is not as simple as you may have thought. The pangs of reality, inability to attain desired things, and the struggle to survive can easily wear down your motivation and spirit, and leave you completely hopeless and frustrated. Why does life seem meaningless, empty, and worthless? What are the reasons behind such feelings? Is there a way to cope with such feelings and find meaning and fulfillment in life again?
In this article, I will be answering the above questions to my best.

Desire
The number one reason why life seems so empty, meaningless and purposeless is our desire itself. The very desire of wanting more, asking more, and craving for more is the main culprit behind all our despairs and anxieties. This is a truth and cannot be denied or overlooked, and one has to acknowledge it. You may have a nice job and be living comfortably, or you may be struggling to get nice job, but your mind is not content. It is constantly nagging and asking for more. No matter how much you have, it does not really matter, the only thing that truly matters is that you ought to have more in life to fill up the void that you have inside. Honestly, your desiring for more is creating more void and emptiness inside you. Because -- unless and until you drop your desire, your inner being will never be full. It’s like filling water in bucket with a hole. You can keep filling it, but do you think it will ever be full. No, certainly not. Similarly, by asking for more, your wish will never be fulfilled, and emptiness is bound to reign in your heart. Why? Because, emptiness is an outcome of desiring too much. Stop unnecessary desiring and you will find no trace of emptiness. It will disappear like a shadow. Emptiness was simply following you because you were making more and more demands. And once you come to realize this, there will be no emptiness. On the firsthand, there was never emptiness in you; it seemed real only when you were caught up in your own obsession of desiring more than you need in life.

High expectations, big dreams and unquenchable hopes! The price you pay is a life full of misery and sorrow. Let me provide my own example. I always desired to make movies. My dreams were big. Breaking into Hollywood, gaining name, fame and money, and winning an Oscar was my desire. There were times when I couldn’t sleep a wink at night. I even used to dream about a speech that I would give after winning an Oscar. See, why I wouldn’t be miserable then. I am not saying it is not possible for me achieve what I wanted but dreaming night and day about it and getting obsessed is not healthy. I am not implying that you shouldn’t have a goal or passion in life. You should, but look from a realistic point of view to see if your dream is viable.

But look at today’s society. People have become neurotic. In a mad race of hoarding more and more, people have burdened themselves with high expectations, and big dreams that haunt their moment of happiness throughout their life. For instance: Mr. A just bought a Toyota Camry, I should get a BMW. Mrs. Y walks off, flashing her big diamond ring sending a fire in Mrs. Z’s heart. Now, Mrs. Z will pester her husband for a bigger ring than Mrs. Y’s. Comparison of any sort is not good whatsoever. Comparing will give rise to unnecessary competition and encourage jealousy. And that’s why people are so miserable. Why can’t we be just alone and be happy with whatsoever we have. But see that’s the most difficult thing to do. If we all are content with what we have already then there won’t be a desire of wanting more. But, our mind won’t let us do that, it has to keep us under its control. It will keep on inventing desires, alluring us with golden dreams. And we easily fall into its trickery.

Desiring Success
This can also be deemed as an important reason that contributes to our feeling of life as meaningless and empty. Many of you may not agree with me, but that’s the point. I don’t want you to agree with me, because my intention is not to persuade or convince you. I don’t want you to follow me blindly. I want you to find your own eyes and look at things with clarity. Because, people have become lop-sided and they only look from their own perspective. They are so caught in the net of their ego that they have lost the ability to view things clearly and intelligently.

Now, what is a success? How do you define it? Success to me is subjective. My view on success can be totally different than yours. For some people success could be to become wealthy and prosperous. For others it might be power, prestige, happiness, contentment, a peaceful life, and family, or mastery into meditation, yoga or to attain enlightenment. Some want to excel in the inner world and some want to succeed in the material world. But, how can desiring success shove you into the world of misery and frustrations? As I have been reiterating, desiring as a whole is the main cause. Either you desire success, money, enlightenment, anything. Desire itself can be a barrier. Desire is a wall that’s hindering your growth. Enlightened masters like Buddha, Lao Tzu, Bhagwan Rajneesh have said even desiring desirelessness is a problem. Because with that also, desire is still there. Now, aspiring for success also gives rise to many problems. It will propel cut-throat competition, and selfishness, jealousy and deception. How many successful people in this world have taken the moral path?

In a spiritual world, desire has to be totally dropped. While, in the material world, what would you do without desire, passion, goal, or that hunger to be successful and achieve all that you have always wanted in life? Yes, all the comforts, a dream -- less work, more money, and that so called, “Think Rich” mentality. You need a goal. A strong goal that will give a direction to your life. Otherwise you will wander and wonder all around. In fact, this wondering and wandering of yours is your seeking of an inner peace and contentment, but how many of us know this. Do you think all rich and successful people are happy and content? Do you think their success is soaked in fulfillment? Why are these successful Hollywood stars, celebrities, rock stars are so miserable that they fall into drugs and alcohol? Aren’t they successful, but then why aren’t they fulfilled? Why aren’t they happy in life? What makes them so miserable despite having all the comforts and luxuries that they could ever imagine or dream of? Their dreams have been fulfilled yet misery eclipses their lives. Why? Because, success without fulfillment is worthless and ultimately makes you feel that life is meaningless and empty.

Fear of Failure
Now, with success, lurks a feeling of failure as well. Many people are afraid of failure. On one hand they desire success and the other hand they are afraid of failures. This fear can eat your soul as you desire too much to climb to the highest rung of the ladder of success. You want to attain success, so badly that it would steal the peace of your mind day and night and if you cannot achieve it, there is frustration and failure. Then you would start thinking life as meaningless and empty. You tried so hard. You worked with diligence, passion, dedication, you took moral paths, and you didn’t budge from honesty and integrity, yet you couldn’t taste the fruit of success. You have failed miserably. What to do? Is it your destiny or fate? (Please read The Fallacy of Fate. I have talked more on this topic). Or, is life simply meaningless and empty? Obviously, if the question arises in your mind then why go on living? You had a goal, a dream, a passion, and look what happened. All went in down the drain. Some might say life is such a bitch, a nightmare. You just wanted to have a comfortable living, and you couldn’t get it. Your goal, your intention, your motive was pure and came from a truthful heart; still, you couldn’t get it. While other people who have cheated and taken the immoral route have prospered, thrived and succeeded. Then undoubtedly you will start thinking life as meaningless, empty, and purposeless.

What can be done? What should be done then?
There is a secret -- a simple one, and it is to drop your desires, whatsoever. To say, drop your desire is easy but to implement it into a reality is a difficult task. Following is a list that will help you do so:

1. Deep Understanding: An understanding releases your intelligence. An understanding that desiring more, hankering for more, hoarding more, demanding more are all leading you to frustrations as all the expectations cannot be fulfilled. Nobody has forced you to become miserable. It’s your own choice. The more you desire then the more you are missing of life. We already have so much, yet we are not satisfied. Our forefathers used to travel on foot, and now we can fly all over the world in a day. Advanced technologies, inventions and discoveries in science have given humanity all they wanted. It has given more hopes, meaning more misery. No wonder why we think life is meaningless and empty. The inner thirst cannot be fulfilled by outer materials. But it takes a long time for a man to arrive to this understanding. All his life, he keeps on desiring to possess more. Yes, advances in science and technology have provided more power, more safety, more comfort and luxury than ever, but it has also pushed humanity into deeper misery; because man’s desire has no limits. Remember: The very nature of desire is to remain unfulfilled.

2. Witness your desires: When desire is dropped, there will be no urgency to achieve it, and hence no misery and no emptiness. You just cannot drop desires that you have accumulated for so long. You have invested so much hope, emotion, time and passion in collecting this junk. It would be painful. Surely you would be offended, if somebody walks by you and says: “Just drop your desires. You would be just fine.” It’s not as easy as it sounds. But, you have to make a decision sooner or later. And trust me; you will awaken to this realization. It may take quite a time, but you will arrive to your awareness. Master Gurdjieff used to say ‘self-remembering,” yes, you will remember all that you have forgotten that life is full of beauty and significance, not full of anxiety and anguish. But there is a way to drop desires that have been building your whole life. It is by simply watching the desires that arise on your mind, and being a complete non-doer. Gradually this process of witnessing and watching will lead you to deep fulfillment. You will then fully understand the futility of desires and the disease of wanting more.

3. Give and share: Instead of wasting of life, running here and there in circles, turning your life into a tale of misery and woe, why don’t you start giving and sharing? Just give for the sheer joy of giving. Just share for the sheer joy of sharing. When desiring disappears, your whole being will be filled with so much bliss that you cannot contain the surge of contentment inside and you will start sharing them. You will have no control, sharing and giving will occur on its own when you are so full within. It’s like a flower which has just blossomed. It cannot hold its fragrance anymore. It does not matter who is passing by, but the flower will keep on giving its fragrance all around and to everyone unconditionally. The flower won’t make any distinction whether the passerby is a friend or stranger. Its fragrance is for everyone who is receptive and open. This happens only when you are full of contentment.

4. Watch your emptiness: People who keep on chasing dreams, money and power also suffer miserably inside. They may succeed in the outer world (I gave an example of many movie stars, celebrities, rock stars, politicians and more), but they remain empty, frustrated, and constantly pursuing happiness. To fill up their emptiness, they keep on collecting materials such as big cars, expensive jewelry, big houses, donating to charities and buying good virtue; but their lives meander in frustration and futility. No matter how hard you work to stuff your inner emptiness, it won’t be full. Because -- the whole approach is wrong. The right way is take a meditative path, that is, adopt the way of the meditators. Simply watch the inner emptiness without any desire to fill it up, but with a welcoming and truthful heart. The revelation would be miraculous. You would discover that your inner being is already so full – full of blissfulness, grace, beauty, ecstasy, love, and compassion. It’s a reservoir in itself, and you were stuffing it with mundane things. This revelation will become your liberation as well. This revelation will give you new eyes to look at things now. Before, you were looking things through your mind that was full of your desires. Now, you have tossed your mind and you have started seeing things differently. Now, life is not meaningless, empty, and purposeless, it is so full, that it is overflowing with bliss.

Final Words
There has always been meaning in life. Life is full of significance. But, your eyes are blinded with desire, and ego. Your behaviors are soaked with aggression because you are in a great hurry as you are afraid that your wishes may not be fulfilled. You want more -- that is aggression, you actions are influenced by subtle aggression. Be receptive instead of aggressive. Be a giver instead of greedy wisher. You looked outside. The thirst was inside yet you keep on looking outside. Thus, life seemed meaningless and empty. Let this sink deep into you that once you look inside yourself, the eyes that have missed outside will be amazed to find the source of bliss all within. You will find that life is full of meaning, beauty and grace. Then will you be presented to all the miracles that are offered by the existence. Now you have no desires to wish over, now you are just happy with yourself in whatsoever condition. And you will find meaning and fulfillment in life. Your life will have a direction. Your life will dance in an eternal bliss. Your life will be green again. It will bloom and blossom. There will be poetry, music and dance, and life becomes a moment-to-moment triumph and celebration.

The Joy of Being Yourself

Do you know that out of 6.6 billion people in this world, nobody looks alike? Even an identical twins have different thumbprints. Not only humans, but also plants and animals differ from each other. Isn’t this amazing? Do you think this is merely a coincidence? Absolutely not… Existence has purposefully made us different from each other – but why? Because no other joys are comparable to the ones by being your own true self. Only through your own originality, you can experience the eternal joy of life.

But the question is if there is so much ecstasy and joy in being oneself, then why cannot we be so? What are we so afraid of? What is keeping us from this source of ultimate blissfulness that could flow into our lives any moment?

In this post, first I am going to highlight some crucial factors behind our inability to accept the way we are, and then I will present some remedies to those factors

Society
From the very beginning of our life, we are instilled with the notion by the society in which we live in that we have to become somebody else. A child has no choice of his own, he is only a child – what can he do. He is too weak to resist or fight back. Even if he does so he will be kept quiet. Take religion for example. A child is imposed with the values of the religion of his family. He is forced to adopt the ideologies of that religion. He is not allowed total freedom to grow into his own self and broaden his horizon of knowledge; instead he is constrained to follow a narrower path that causes a negative effect on his growth. For instance, why does a child have to become like a Buddha, a Christ, a Mohammad, a Rama, a Gandhi and so on… Why isn’t he allowed to be himself? Why isn’t he allowed to explore his own immense possibilities?

Family/Educational System
Our family and the educational system that we grow up with also play an important role on molding our future. I was myself fortunate enough to have a family who never tried to impose upon me what they desired me to be. Part of the reason was because they were themselves uneducated. One should know that education gives you knowledge, which in turn strips your innocence, inflates your ego, and makes you more corrupt. Educated or uneducated, it does not really matter, if a person is unaware, then no matter how many degrees he amasses, he remains a knowledgeable and intellectual fool throughout his life. He can never enjoy the sunlight of awareness.

I am thus grateful to have parents who cared more about their children then their own selfish desires. Yes, this is true that many parents want to fulfill their dreams through their children. If a father could not become a doctor, he wants his son to go to medical school. But, the son does not want to be a doctor. He would be happy if he could become an actor. But again, NO, a son has to listen to his father. If he doesn’t listen, then it’s an insult to his father’s love and sacrifices.

This kind of emotional bargaining has created a big rift in our society. This is why the new generation is always rebelling against the older generation. The older generation does not seem to understand that this is not their age any more, time has changed, people have changed.

The example of my parents is a rare exception in the eastern society – because drawing from my experience of growing up there I have seen that almost every parent wants their children to become either a doctor or an engineer or a person of great respect and authority. I don’t particularly blame parents for this because it is coming out of their unawareness. Since they also grew up in the same blind society and were conditioned as such for centuries – what can they offer to their children but the same thing that they learned from their parents?

Media
Forms of mass media especially television, film, and music have been imparting a negative influence upon people mostly, in the western society, but now it is spreading to all societies wherever accessible. Pop culture is so pervasive, that it can reach huge masses of people and influence them in no time. By creating unnecessary hype and giving birth to role models, celebrity figures, superstars, rock stars, superheroes –young teens are forced to believe that if they look or act like these models, only then they will have a place and gain attention among their friends. Teens these days, instead of focusing on developing their own self, would prefer to be like their media created role model. Young girls want to look like some movie star, and boys also aspire to be like their favorite superhero. How is your own growth possible with such a mentality?

Do you know how far a person can go to become like somebody else? On TV we can see there are guys impersonating celebrity women, girls imitating guys, men using various medical procedures to become women, and women seeking plastic surgeries to look more young and beautiful. What has happened to us? What is wrong with people? Why cannot we accept the way we are? Why cannot we be happy with the way we look? Nope. We have to look like some movie star, celebrity, role model, political figure, or some religious figure. Everybody wants to become a Gandhi. Everybody wants to become a Buddha. Jesus, Buddha or other great human beings are all different and lived their lives on their own way. They are all unique expression of the divine, God, Tao, Zen, or the Existence. Why do we need to become like them? Why do people want to be somebody else, when they are so beautiful themselves? Everybody is running in this race from the very beginning of their life. No wonder we are so unhappy and miserable in our lives – because in this need to pretend and imitate somebody else, we have ignored ourselves, we have forgotten the beauty of our own inner being, we have completely strayed from our path that could lead us to our own original individuality. We have been outbid by this unconscious auctioning of our own soul – in trying to be a Xerox copy; we have lost our own true face. Such is the condition of humanity… then how can we be happy in life?

The damage has already been done to a degree that it would take quite some time for people to comprehend the consequences. Sooner or later, people will realize what has gone wrong in their lives – because no matter how beautiful you pretend to be outside, inside you cannot hide the truth of your real self. In society, you might be respectable and you might portray a powerful image, but in your own eyes, you know your true image. And, when you come to know that all your life you acted as somebody else and kept on changing masks, then you will sink low in your own eyes, and resent missing all the joys you could have had by just being yourself.
So, what can be done? How can we be ourselves?

First, you need courage. Yes, a tremendous courage to fight back and resist those factors that have been prohibiting you from becoming your own person. Yes, you need to stand up for your rights and protest against all the impediments that have been posing threats to your growth. You need to act on your own. Don’t think that someone will come and rescue you. You are your own messiah. You have to show tremendous courage to make your own decisions. You might be condemned, you might be ridiculed, you might be threatened – but you should not give up your fight. You are fighting for your own inner freedom; you are fighting for your own individuality, and your own originality. Be a rebel and start your inner revolution before it is too late. Your original self is the most beautiful, highest and eternal gift that has been given to you by your own existence. So don’t give up, and don’t compromise for something lesser and temporary.

Second, you need to drop your fear. Society has been instigating fear among people for centuries, and so far, has succeeded in creating a wall between you and your growth. It’s about time that you bring that wall down. This can only be done, when you are not afraid. Yes, you will face challenges. Yes, you may be mocked, you may be rejected, you may be condemned. Others and society will do all their best in preventing you from achieving your mission. They will keep creating a wall of guilt and fear in you, but you shouldn’t be afraid anymore. Remember, you have already begun an inner revolution; its fire will conquer all the hurdles in your path. Don’t surrender. Face all the insurmountable difficulties with great courage. Others may try to bring you down, run you over, and topple you, but be strong. You have to be as strong as the trees that do not fall in a heavy storm. The trees which fall in the storm are themselves responsible for their death as they were too weak to face the strong wind. Yet, the wind wasn’t strong, instead the trees were weak. So drop you fear and be ready to face any storm in your way.

Third, is by accepting your responsibility. Yes, this is a very daring step. All the problems, all the source of our misery, is our own incapability to accept the way we look, act, and represent ourselves. The moment you accept this, you become responsible. By accepting yourself, you have embraced this responsibility, and you have given birth to a deep love for yourself. Once you start loving yourself the way you are, joy will shower you from everywhere. You will feel happier and blissful. Only then growth will blossom in your soul, and you will become the flower of your own self. A flower that radiates with its original fragrance that lives in freedom, and dies in utter satisfaction and glory…

Fourth, awareness is needed. People have to become aware of a fact that every individual is unique and he/she has is meant to grow differently than others. Society, the parents, religion, politicians, and the educational system should be conscious of this fact, and allow freedom to every individual to choose their own path, support and motivate each individual to become their own flower. People should be provided enough love and nourishment to fully develop to their enormous potential. The individual should not be imposed, threatened, and swayed to become somebody they don’t want to be, as we all know the negative impacts of this approach. The child could have been a great poet, but his family forced him to become a doctor. The child could have excelled as an actor, but he was persuaded to become an engineer. This is why the child remains unhappy all his life – because he is not what he was supposed to be.

Hence, the society, the media, and the family should become aware and conscious, and create an environment for the individual where he can prosper and blossom to be utterly himself.

Final Thoughts
Remember that a lily seed can only produce lily flower, not marigold no matter how much you wish or try. Similarly, you can mold a child to become the way you wanted, but you cannot mold his inner self, instead you make his life miserable when it could have been utterly joyful.
To those grown up unconscious individuals brainwashed by the media and the pop culture, who want to look young forever or look like somebody else, open your eyes and peek once into your inner being. Do not waste your precious life in plastic hopes, be conscious of yourself, it is the most beautiful gift. Don’t be persuaded by people who simply want to exploit your vulnerabilities. Be strong, and learn to accept the way you are. You are already so beautiful. Only once you start loving yourself, you will be loved by everybody. Just be yourself, there are so much joys and beauty waiting ahead for you to make your life a celebration and full of bliss.