The Story of the Frogs Race

There’s a story about a group of frogs that arranged a running competition. The ultimate goal is that whoever reaches the top of a very high tower first wins. So, on the day of the competition, a big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheered for their favorite runners. As the race began, the groups of frogs immediately hop their way into the race.

As they were hoping their way to the finish line, they could hear the rumbling and mumbling of the crowds. The heard statements such as “Oh, the race is way too difficult!!”.. “They will never make it”…”Not a chance a frog would be able to finish this race. The tower is too high!!”.. As the race pursued, the tiny frogs began collapsing, one by one, leaving several frogs that were very determined to finish the race. The crowd continued to mumble “This race is way too difficult!!”..”It is impossible for any frog to finish this race!!”..

More and more frogs get tired and gave up.. But strangely, only one frog was left in the race who continued higher and higher and even higher. At the end, the crowd who was following the frog gave up as the frog continued to reach to the top of the tower.

Finally, that one frog managed to reach the top of the tower and win the race. All the other contestants was amazed by the frog and naturally wanted to know how the frog managed to do it. A contestant asked the tiny frog. It turned out that....

The winner frog is deaf

The moral of this story is:

• Never be influenced by people’s negative and pessimistic attitude
• Words have powers, so always beware of what words that enters your head because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!
  
• Therefore:
  ALWAYS be… POSITIVE!
• And above all:
  When people say you can’t do it, be deaf and ignore completely the statement
  Always think:
  I can do this!
  

What to do with $1,000?

Once you start earning a living,you quickly learn that you always seem to need more money, no matter how much you make. You can easily spend $1,000 in a day, perhaps to update your wardrobe, book a holiday or buy the latest iPod.

However, the money can be wisely invested in your future. As a young adult, you know it is time to get serious about money, especially if you have been living from pay cheque to pay cheque. You may be keen to start investing but do you have a rainy day fund to see you through the unexpected? Here are a few things to consider

1. Start paying off your debts
2. Cultivate a saving habit
3. Invest in a growth fund
4. Build a cash cushion
5. Buy peace of mind
6. Get financially savvy
7. Enhance your earning power
8. Invest in a hobby

Article excerpted from Personal Money, November 2006 issue

Solving Problems

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them." - Albert Einstein

We face problems in our everday life. The only difference is the magnitude of the problem. The only time that we are not burden with problems are when we are dead. So, it is imperative that we should learn on how to tackle our problems than just to avoid it. As Albert Einstein once quoted that we should not solve problems based on the mindset and level of thinking when the problem occurs. You must be ahead one level as to know what exactly the possible solutions that can be. Be above your problem. Be ahead of your problem. Break out of the box. You will tackle your problems more efficiently as ever before.

What is defeat?

"What is defeat? Nothing but the first steps to something higher." - Wendell Phillips

Failure or defeat has no meaning unless it is define by us as something negative and destructive to ourselves. For a man whose spirit is high as the mountain, failure is just things that happens for him to go even higher. The larger the failure, the larger the lessons he learns and therefore the larger the improvement that he will make to improve further. He knows that for every hardships, dissappointment, obstacles and roadblocks will only brings him closer to success.

Either you control money, or it will control you

Actually, it does not matter how much you own, but it is really on how much do you spend. One critical step in your journey to financial freedom is to know your current status of money spending. How much do you pay yourself and how much do you pay others? How much do you save and how much do you spend it on debts? You can only know these information if you track your spending daily and summarise it all monthly. By doing this, you will have greater control on your money and be more alert on where did your money go. Get control of your money first before you can even think of becoming financially free.

Rich people constantly learn and grow, Poor people think they already know

One thing that I learn from observing the lifestyle of the riches are that their house is usually full of books. Tons of them. These groups of people usually love to read. But, in the other hand if you go to a 'not so rich' people, you can hardly find any books. So, I think the statement 'Rich people or success people constantly learn grow, poor people think they know it all' is quite true. The more you read books, the more you know how limited knowledge you have and therefore the more hungrier you become for acquiring knowledge. This is a pattern that will lead you to the key of success.

The Roots Create the Fruits

Imagine a tree. Let's suppose this tree represents the tree of life. On this tree there are fruits. In life, our fruits are called results. So we look at the fruits (our result) and we don't like them; there aren't enough of them, they're too small, or they don't taste good.

So what do we tend to do? Most of us put even more attention and focus on the fruits, our results. But what is it that actually creates those particular fruits? It's the seeds and the roots that create those fruits.

It's what under the ground that creates what's above the ground. It's what invisible that creates what's visible. If yu want to change the visible, you must first change the invisible.

Excerpt from "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker