Metta : Loving Kindness

Today I learn a new word "Metta". Metta is a Pali word meaning loving-kindness. I learn this word from a song called "Metta Chanting". It is radiation of loving-kindness towards all beings, and may they all be happy, peaceful and sound.

This song is chant by Imee Ooi. Metta Chanting is a very soothing, uplifting, joyful and a great healing for the world; pervading it with waves of love. Truly, may all beings be happy. May they live always in peace and harmony.... How wonderful !

The Great news is this song can be downloaded for FREE. I found a great website that offer it for FREE and lyrics and translation in English. What a wonderful "Metta" act.... ;)

http://www.geocities.com/mettagarden/audios/metta.html

For more similar songs by Imee Ooi... Click here.

Is Mutual Fund for us?

New Year 2006 is approaching. Happy New Year to all of my friends and blog readers who has supported me and encourage me to write more blog. Perhaps, by contributing more in my blog, the more i learn about life.

During the weekend, I read some finance news about mutual funds return for the year 2005. Out of 20 mutual funds only 1 fund is generating positive return. I feel glad that I'm not a mutual fund investor, however i do have a few thousands invested in the Saving Fund.

Few years ago, I read a book on financial freedom, the author has encouraged me to look for the stock itself instead of investing in mutual fund as 95% of the mutual fund is losing money. We can easily get strip off by the upfront fee of 6%, and annual fee of 2% charged by most Mutual Funds in Malaysia. Regardless of whether the mutual fund performance, we are charged 2% of our total capital for the management fee. Therefore, the breakeven for us is 2% growth excluding the inflation rate.

In Malaysia, our inflation rate is around 4% (some said the actual figure maybe higher). In other words, if our money grow less than 4% a year, they are losing the value every year. By investing into mutual funds, we will be paying the professional to loss money for us. Perhaps, it might sound illogical to do this, but this is the fact most of us do thinking this is the easy way to earn extra money, and mutual funds sales personnel has pretty good sales pitch. Yes, it's sales pitch and not financial advice.

For me, I do my due dilligence on strong fundamental stock and strong growth stock with 3 to 5 year track record. Most importantly, what i found out that is, the company should take care of shareholder value, besides company management. I can't illustrate everything here, however, my return every year is more than 10%. Therefore, after inflation, perhaps 6% or more for the past 3 years.

Perhaps, you think investing stock is very risky. But, the mutual fund is investing stock anyway, you better do your homework and invest on your own. If you lose, at least u can learn for the experience, and what's better is u will not be charge extra for losing money. As Rich dad always said, "Driving is not risky when u have learnt how to drive... investing in stock market is the same."

Happy New Year

How to Gain Joy?

Got this newsletter by Jon Gordon on the topic "More Joy". Speaking of Joy, I just experienced the joy of sharing the positive energy on my blog, when a reader of my blog (yup! I have a fan ;p) told me that how she has benefited from my blog sharing. To me, Joy is everywhere, but only for those who really seek will find it. Live with gratitude can create joy or inner peace, giving a helping hands, create some special gift for your love one, etc etc. Especially in this holiday seasons, may more joy coming to all of us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Below is some sharing of "More Joy" by Jon Gordon....

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Do you ever wonder why just about every child, without direction from an adult, will draw or paint a sun at the top of their pictures? I do. Just the other day as my five year old son was showing me his picture he said, “Oh wait, I forgot to put the sun in it.” It was as if he was saying the picture would not be complete until he symbolically expressed the joy that flowed through him as he created his work of art. My guess is that the sun symbolizes the joy, love, and goodness children feel in their heart.

Joy is something I have been thinking a lot about ever since my wife bought me an ornament with words JOY on it. As we all know, Joy is not easy to describe. It’s like trying to describe Love, God, and Peace. They are spiritual in nature and so they are beyond words and live in the spiritual realm that is better understood as a feeling in our heart rather than words in our head.

Joy is a feeling and it is like experiencing a sun shining brightly inside of us and having this light fill up every cell in our body. While basking in the sun on a beach can make us happy, Joy is felt when we bask in our light from within.

Joy is also more than a feeling. It is spiritual energy that moves through our heart and is radiated to every cell in the body and then outward, shining on every one who comes within our glow. Joy is the energy that moves a child to skip, inspires a Mom to sing in the shower, causes a belly laugh and energizes a musical, theatrical, athletic or business performance. The fact is that you can eat all the healthy organic foods in the world and you can exercise every day and be as fit as a tri-athlete but if you have no Joy your power supply will be very limited and so will your energy. Just as my son’s picture was not complete without the sun in it, our lives will not be fulfilled or complete without Joy flowing through it. Because where there is Joy, there is God and if there is no Joy in it, God isn’t in it either and if God isn’t in it then something is missing.

So today I encourage you (please know I am also saying this to myself) to find and create more Joy in your life. Seek out activities that bring you Joy. Take time for silence each day to remove the stress and busyness that blocks your Joy. Engage yourself in the present timeless moment where Joy lives. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing ask, “Where is the Joy,” “Do I feel it,” and “How can I experience more Joy?” If you are not sure where the Joy is and you don’t feel it then think of a time when you felt Joy. Perhaps it was when your child was born or when a sunset took your breath away or when you just felt really spiritually connected. Then sit there and close your eyes and focus on your breathing while you recall how you felt during this time of Joy. But don’t just think it. Try to recall and experience this feeling. Then say, “I accept all the Joy and love in my life. I am open to it and I allow it to flow through me. I am Joy.” My hope is that this will open you up to the Joy that wants to express itself through you. And just as children include the sun in all their pictures you will decide to weave Joy into the fabric of your life.

I want to wish you a Happy Holidays and tell you how thankful I am to have you as part of this online community. Sending positive energy and JOY your way,

-Jon

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The Feeling Has Lost?

Yesterday night, I have a leisure chat with my friend, Sam. “How’re you doing recently?” I asked. Then Sam answered, “I just broke up?”, “How come?” I asked out of curiosity. Without much thought Sam answered, “The feeling has lost.”

“The feeling has lost…” This was the answer Jane, another friend of mine, received when her ex-boy friend broke up with her no long ago.

After further conversation with Sam, he told me that he doesn’t have the joyful feeling he used to have when he was just started dating with his ex-girl friend. He felt that to continue the relationship it will make both of them unhappy. “Short term pain is better than long term pain,” as we Chinese used to say, he decided to break off and move on even though it will hurt both of them emotionally.

Sam felt that he started to have uneasy moment when he had to think pretty hard to decide where to go for dating; where for him this should come pretty naturally without much thinking. He doesn’t feel like dating for the sake of dating and then the process become part of the routine. Perhaps, dating has become boring or a burden for him.

This has guide to ponder and think, “Is this social syndrome for new generation in this modern society?”, and “Is there a solution for this The Feeling has Lost syndrome?”

Could it be because both of them don’t have the same goal to work on together, and then they lost focus for the purpose for staying together?

Would it be helpful, if both of them can find something that is interest for both, and work together to improve their skills on their interest subject? Since as human being, we need to have the feeling that we are growing and learning, like the plants or trees seek for more sunshine to grow taller in natural process.

Would it be helpful, if both of them can express their real feeling that hide deep inside to each other, and help each other to move to a more joyful and happy feeling? Since most of the time, when the hidden bad feeling of ours has been expressed, it will be released out of our body.

Most important of all, that I learnt from Anthony Robbins, for both lovers to maintain their relationship in long term, he or she must find the “hot button” that trigger the love in the first place. When the “hot button” has been identify, whenever the relationship is down, just click the “hot button” and the relationship will be re-vitalized.

As a regular human being like myself, I felt that we are really forgetful. When we are depressed, we tend to find all the pictures in our mind and prove ourselves that we are really depressed, and forget to appreciate the happy moment that we have been through.

Perhaps, by making the choice to play the happiest moment video in your mind, and seek for solutions to a problem would help much better then just breaking up… just my 2 cents thought though… What do u think?

** Names above are created for illustration purpose. As it is not good to reveal their real name without their permission.

Feel the Fear and Do it anyway

Yesterday, I went through a blood bath with my trading all showing red. This signals my wrong entry point even I’m confidence that my long term view must be right. However, the feeling of going negative even in paper loss is not a comfortable feeling. Sometimes, the longer view will be over-covered by the short term danger. Even, in my dream I can see my portfolio going south proving me my wrong decision making. (Why is it not the other way round?) This is definitely the beginning of roller coaster ride to the end of another gold pot. Where I know I won’t die of riding, however, it just not a good feeling when I have to go through the sharp slope going downwards for this second time. Perhaps, I just have to ride more to train my body to overcome the FEAR.

Then I grabbed a book by Jack Canfield on The Successful Principles and Read the 15 Chapter: Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway to make myself feel better.

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We come this way but once. We can either tiptoe through life and hope that we get to death without being too badly bruised or we can live a full, complete life achieving our goals and realizing our wildest dreams. –Bob Proctor.

As we move forward on our journey from where we are to where we want to be, we are going to have to confront our fears. Fear is natural. Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself our there, there is usually fear. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams. Successful people, on the other hand, feel the fear along with the rest of us but didn’t let it keep them from doing anything they want to do—or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledge, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests, to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Where are we so Fearful?

Millions of years ago, fear was our body’s way of signaling us that we were out of our comfort zone. It alerted us to possible danger, and gave us the burst of adrenaline we needed to run away. Unfortunately, though this response was useful in the days when saber-toothed tigers were chasing us, today most of our threats are not all that life-threatening.

Today, fear is more of a signal that we must stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway. Think of your fear as a 2-year-old child who doesn’t want to go grocery shopping with you. You wouldn’t let a 2-year-old’s mentality run your life. Because you must buy groceries, you’ll just have to take the 2-year-old along with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don’t let it keep you from doing important tasks.

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Something always changing, Something do not....

In the Information Age we living in nowadays, everything around us change everyday. And, this will make most of us lost easily if we do not know where we are heading. When I graduated from University, the life presented to me was so confused since most of our parent used to tell us that if we study hard, everything will be easy in the future. And the life I in seems not as easy as I have expected. Perhaps the world keep changing, and the advice we get from our parent no longer valid in the future.

I often heard most parent or friends told me that, if you go into this field, can earn a lot of money one, so on so who is in this field earn a lot of money every month or every year. And of course, there are so many field that can earn a lot of money and everyday I'm listening to different ppl telling me different things, and then you guess it right. I'm so confused.

Then I finally realize something, I cannot keep looking to do something just to earn the money, or because it can earn me a lot of money. That's one saying "Money got 4 legs (corner in mandarin) and we have only 2 legs, how can we chase after money, you'll never going to get it."

Then I learned that first I must found my purpose of life, and improve myself and contribute to others, then the money will follow. In our society, they are a lot of takers, therefore we are trained to protect ourselves. If we learned to be givers, perhaps everything will turn around andwe'll be so amazed that we will not only get more in terms of money, but the most important of all spiritually we will get a lots of happiness.

Perhaps, it just like the Energy Rules that I have shared in my earlier posting, others things like happiness, time, money work as well. It just depends on how we apply it, just like exercise the right way or the wrong way.

Everything around us will keep changing, but the wisdom, truth and spirit that empower us will be the same from ancient time until now. Perhaps it's time to look within ourselves to seek for the answer.

Wonderful Kid with Wonderful Spirit.

I just got back from Singapore attended Freely Graduate Gathering where all the graduates from Freely Options Trading Seminar from different batches meet each other and share our experience of trading and learn from each other... and also the most importantly learn more from our Guru, Dr. Clemen Sharings on what he found in the market.

This time, Dr. Clemen also invited a wonderful kid with wonderful spiri, Jeremy Lim, to share his inspiring life with us. Jeremy is a kid who was diagnosed with 'Osteogensis Imperfecta'since he was born. It is a condition in which his bones break easily because his body lacks the collagen required for a sturdy bone structure. A tiny sneeze or a cough can cause his bones to snap.

However, regardless of his unfortune life most of us would see it, he is taught to see it as an advantage. Now, not only he's journalist who frequent write on his webiste www.jeremylim.com , he's also the Young Ambassador of the CMF (Children Medical Fund). For Jeremy autobiography click this link.

The Greatest of all would be the parents of Jeremy who have taught Jeremy to be strong and live a positive life. Looking back to our own life, there would be so much to ponder for ourselves when difficulties come to us.... Be Positive ! and Live with Passion !

Lesson to Learn from the Story.

I got an email from jarjar sharing on a meaning story. It again shows the [Event + Our Reaction = Outcome ] that I share in my earlier posting. I glad the husband has chosen not to blame her wife, otherwise he'll not only loss his baby but her wife too. Often times, that's the one decision we made that will decide our future. I remember that in one of the seminar i have attended, it taught us that if we wanted to be successful, we must not "Blame, Justify, or Give Excuses".

Below is the story, and let's learn from the Story...

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A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning
the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital. He died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how she was going to face her husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.


QUESTIONS :

1. What were the five words ?
2. What is ! the implication of this story?

Scroll down to read....


ANSWER :

The husband just said "I am with you Darling". The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle
away, this would not have happened.

No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child.

What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

MORAL OF THE STORY

This story is really worth reading. Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.

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What's in You?

Often times, we'll come across meaningful article presented the some same good concept but in a special ways. Most of the time, good ideas come to go the moment we read the article. We seems to be forgetful most of the time. Unless the one article really hit us hard deep in our heart, and create the resonance effect in our memory, then it will stay with us forever.

The following article by Jon Gordon presents a very good concept in a very different way (at least to me it is). I have come across the same concept quite a number of times, and currently practicing it, and the way Jon present the concept has made me realize more. It's all about the journey on our quest on our on life. Somethings always changing, and something doesn't. It's all depends on ourselves.

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When You Feel Squeezed Like a Nut

When you squeeze a peanut, peanut oil comes out of it. Olive oil won’t come out of a peanut nor will vegetable oil. Whatever is on the inside is what will come out when something is squeezed and pressed.

The same rule applies to us. In the course of our daily busy lives when we are being pressed for time and energy and squeezed by deadlines and demands the question is, “What is coming out of us?” Is it anger, fear, negativity or trust, patience, joy and love? The answer will determine what is inside you.

When we feel pressed and squeezed we often feel like it’s the squeezing that causes us to feel negative and stressed but like the peanut, fear and stress and negativity can only be squeezed from us if it is inside us. Negativity can’t be squeezed from you if it is not cultivated inside you.

I know this very well. A number of years ago I literally felt like a nut being squeezed between two vices. Each day the stress and pressure grew stronger and what was coming out of me wasn’t good. My life was filled with anger, fear, hopelessness and negativity.

After several life changing experiences, I realized that there will always be pressure in life. I will always be squeezed. But instead of blaming others and external events for my situation I needed to focus on changing what was inside me. I needed to let go of the negative and fill up with the positive so no matter how hard I was squeezed and pressed the only thing that would come out would be positive energy. This would be the way to overcome life’s pressures and change my life.

In this spirit, I invite you to join me in cultivating positive energy within. You’ll find that when you let go of the negativity and fill up with positive energy you not only change what’s on the inside but you also change the energy you project and attract on the outside. So the next time you feel squeezed like a nut, make the choice to laugh, sing, smile, dance, play, breathe, or pray and please know that I’m sending positive energy your way.

- Jon

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