Faith is You Imagining a Higher Purpose

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Let me, Tony Robbins, ask you a question:

Do you believe that there’s something greater, something beyond ourselves?

Whatever you want to call that —God, or the universe, or infinite intelligence, or the divine mind, or energy—I truly believe God is a loving energy. And I believe that it only responds to absolute FAITH. Another word for absolute CERTAINTY.

I’ve seen in every aspect of life—whether its sports, performance, relationships, health—bringing certainty, a faith beyond what you see, to a situation that is uncertain, is one of the greatest resources you can have.

And of course, there are still no guarantees in life.

There’s always a test of faith. Every one of us, regardless of your age, gender, wealth or lack thereof, every one of us will be tested in ways we’re not ready for, multiple times, true or false?

Life tests us to see if we can find certainty in uncertain times. And the ultimate certainty is not that you get what you want. The ultimate certainty is the FAITH that life is benevolent, even when it looks like it’s not. It’s trust & patience to give it time to show us. It’s knowing that somehow everything has a higher meaning.

And I believe it’s our job to find it… If we can find the higher meaning in the midst of our pain & in spite of our fear, we become a source of love & inspiration for others. A source of certainty & safety for others, and that strengthens us for our own journey and service.

Life is always happening for us. If you develop that level of faith, you have an advantage in this game. We don’t get big muscles from the easy stuff. We become more because we’ve been through life’s difficulties.

So what’s the difference between fear & faith? Well, they are both made up—they are both energies in our imagination. The only difference is, FEAR is imagination undirected, running to the worst case scenario. FAITH is when our imagination is directed to higher purpose.

So, I choose faith. When you realize grace is always there, no matter what the outcome, that gives you a different level of faith in life itself, & a different love & appreciation for life and for every day we get on this earth.

Keeping the Roots Stronger

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Once upon a time, there were two neighbors living next to each other. One of them was a retired teacher and another was an insurance agent who had a lot of interest in technology. Both of them had planted different plants in their garden. The retired teacher was giving a small amount of water to his plants and didn’t always give a full attention to them, while the other neighbor interested in technology, had given a lot of water to his plants and looked after them too well.

The retired teacher’s plants were simple but looked good. The insurance agent’s plants were much fuller and greener. One day, during the night, there was a heavy rain and a wind due to a minor storm. Next morning, both of the neighbors came out to inspect the damage to their garden. The neighbor who was an insurance agent saw that his plants came off from the roots and were totally destroyed. But, the retired teacher’s plants were not damaged at all and were standing firm.

The insurance agent neighbor was surprised to see it, he went to the retired teacher and asked, “We both grew the same plants together, I actually looked after my plants better than you did for yours, and even gave them more water. Still, my plants came off from the roots, while yours didn’t. How is that possible?”

The retired teacher smiled and said, “You gave your plants more attention and water, but because of that they didn’t need to work themselves for it.  You made it easy for them.  While I gave them just an adequate amount of water and let their roots search for more.   And, because of that, their roots went deeper and that made their position stronger.  That is why my plants survived”.

Moral:  This story is about parenting where children are like plants.  If everything is given to them, they will not understand the hard work it takes to earn those things.  They will not learn to work themselves and respect it.  Sometimes it’s best to guide them instead of giving them.   Teach them how to walk, but let them follow their path.

Source: https://www.moralstories.org/keeping-roots-stronger/

Mindset and Financial Freedom

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Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of and the filter through which you see the world and yourself. It is composed of your beliefs, attitudes, emotions, and perceptions that inform your thoughts, habits and decisions. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation. It means that what you believe about yourself impacts your success or failure.

Mindset encompasses both your conscious and unconscious thoughts as well as how you view yourself. Your mindset determines how you spend your time, who you spend your time with, what decisions you make, and where you invest your resources (time, talent and treasure). “The most important opinion you have is the one you have of yourself, and the most significant things you say all day are those things you say to yourself, “ argues author and self-help guru Zig Ziglar.

Choosing not to spend money on goods or services you ‘want’ when you have the financial means to do so is a transformative change in mindset.

A positive financial mindset sets you on a path towards greater aspirations, such as achieving financial freed or retiring early. By prioritizing your financial health through savings over frivolous spending, the opportunities available to you become limitless.

 

Go For It

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“What will you create? Whatever it is, run after it like we [Nvidia] did. Run. Don’t walk.

Remember: Either you’re running for food, or you are running from becoming food!

And oftentimes, you can’t tell which. Either way, run.”

Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of Nvidia. He encouraged students to be agile for the opportunities brought by the AI revolution, to have the humility to admit failure and ask for help as well as to endure the needed pain and sacrifice for realizing their dreams in his commencement speech at National Taiwan University (NTU) on May 27 in Taipei.

Story – The Lion and the Clever Fox

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Long ago, there lived a lion in a dense forest. One morning his wife told him that his breath was bad and unpleasant. The lion became embarrassed and angry upon hearing it. He wanted to check this fact with others. So he called three others outside his cave.

First came the sheep. The Lion opening his mouth wide said, “Sheep, tell me if my mouth smells bad?” The sheep thought that the lion wanted an honest answer, so the sheep said, “Yes, Friend. There seems to be something wrong with your breath”. This plain speak did not go well with the lion. He pounced on the sheep, killing it.

Then the lion called the wolf and said, “What do you think? Do I have a bad breath?” The wolf saw what happened to the sheep. He wanted to be very cautious in answering a question. So, the wolf said, “Who says that Your breath is unpleasant. It’s as sweet as the smell of roses”. When the lion heard the reply, he roared in an anger and immediately attacked the wolf and killed it. “The flatterer!” growled the lion.

Finally, came the turn of the fox. The lion asked him the same question. The fox was well aware of the fate of the sheep and the wolf. So he coughed and cleared his throat again and again and then said, “Oh Dear Friend, for the last few days, I have been having a very bad cold. Due to this, I can’t smell anything, pleasant or unpleasant”.

The lion spared the fox’s life.

Moral:  Do not involve yourself in a bad company or a bad situation else you may end up getting punished for no fault of yours.  Sometimes, It’s wise to stay away from certain situations.

Source:  https://www.moralstories.org/lion-clever-fox/

Popular Financial Advice

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Here are some of the most liked comments for personal finance:

  1. Most money issues have less to do with saving and investing money, and more to do with your mindset, your lack of patience and discipline, and your poor financial behavior and literacy. Too many people focus on what’s shiny rather than actually thinking long-term.
  2. If the housing prices where you live are too expensive and keep you from saving/investing money for the long term, you need to move and reduce your expenses.
  3. You should be able to enjoy your money. Once you have built strong financial habits and your saving/investing 20%+ on a monthly basis, you should take the vacation or buy the car you have been wanting (as long as you are able to pay with cash and still hit savings targets/sufficient emergency fund). Some focus too much on minimalism that they forget to enjoy life in the process. No one is guaranteed tomorrow!
  4. The most important financial decisions you make is who you marry and building wealth over the long term.
  5. Debt, taxes and excess spending destroy wealth. 
  6. You should spend less money than you earn.  Living within your means is crucial for financial freedom. Avoid debt by spending only what you’ve already earned, and prioritize saving and investing. This mindset promotes discipline, reduces stress, and sets you on a path to a financially secure and prosperous future.
  7. You should have an emergency fund for the unexpected expenses that will arise.  
  8. Utility bills are debt and a liability. Treat them that way. Get an asset to pay them.
  9. Don’t focus all your time, talent and treasure on investing by sacrificing living. There’s a lot more to invest in than finances. Be smart and plan for your future, learn from the past, and enjoy today. The most valuable asset you have is your time and your health, The only time that is guaranteed was yesterday. And, your health is an essential aspect of wealth.
  10. Patience is essential when investing in order to build long-term wealth. Markets are volatile in the short term, but staying the course and maintaining a disciplined approach will often lead to the power of compounding returns and greater rewards. Trust the process and watch your wealth grow.

The rich and the wealthy have different mindsets regarding building wealth. The rich and others think about how to make money, while the wealthy think about how to keep it and managing risk. 

Maybe, Maybe No

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The Zen story “Maybe, Maybe Not”. It goes like this:

A farmer’s horse ran away. His neighbor came over to express his sympathy, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses. The neighbor came over to congratulate the farmer, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

Then the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses, but he fell off and broke his leg. The neighbor came over to express his sympathy, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

A few weeks later, the army came to the village to draft young men into the army. The farmer’s son was exempted because of his broken leg. The neighbor came over to congratulate the farmer, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

The story teaches us that we cannot always predict the outcomes of events, and that what may seem like a misfortune may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Practicing Mindfulness

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