Bob Parsons® 16 Rules for Success in Business and Life in General

1.  Get and stay out of your comfort zone.
I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up.
Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.
There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.
Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time.
No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward.
Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide.
Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance.I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.
If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.
When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around.
In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair.
Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems.
You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don't take yourself too seriously.
Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There's always a reason to smile.
Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"

"Copyright © 2004 Bob Parsons - http://www.bobparsons.me. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission."

Capital Maharaja Group (CMG) - The journey across nine decades

Since opening it's doors nine decades ago, CMG has become an integral thread in the fabric of Sri Lankan life. CMG's numerous partners and subsidiaries supply a diverse array of products and services ranging from PVC piping to Ceylon Tea. CMG's media arm, the nation's first total entertainment solution, provider touches the lives of everyone in our island nation. Gammadda, CMG's CSR programme, is unique in being the most comprehensive initiative of its kind.

 
Here's the 90 year journey of CMG, through the generations, the innovations and the courage to be different.

Source:www.youtube.com

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7 Personal Growth Steps Even When Everything Is Falling Apart

By Hannah Hutyra

Growth is especially difficult when everything around you is in decay. A bad environment and negative influences are hard to break away from. It can be done, though.

A gardener follows some specific steps to see their garden bloom. You should follow similar advice to enable yourself to grow, even while everything in your vicinity is withering away.

1. Have Strong Roots

When everything around you is crumbling, your roots matter more than ever.

The best case scenario is that you already have strong roots to hold on to so that you barely waver in the first place. If your roots need some work, however, there are measures you can take to deepen them. Start by recommitting yourself to your core values and principals.

If you’re feeling defeated, remind yourself of all that you have going for you. If you’re struggling to be a good Christian, study the Bible. If you’re an addict in danger of relapsing, read the Big Book and walk the twelve-step program one more time.

Return to the resources, whatever they are, that gave you your power, so that they can empower you once again.

2. Pull Out The Weeds

Weeds are defined as plants with virtually no redeeming value. They grow fast and leave seeds to keep expanding and infiltrating. They’re often poisonous if eaten, leave a bad taste in your mouth and are tough to remove from your garden.

Weeds are very similar to the negative influences in your life. Like weeds compete for nutrients, bad influences stand in your way when you’re trying to thrive. Make sure your relationships aren’t holding you back.

Excise the weeds from your life as quickly as possible, but with the least amount of damage to the surrounding foliage. If you cut out the things holding you back too haphazardly, you risk severing some of the ties that can prove useful later. So be careful when doing something like ending a romantic relationship or breaking up with a friend.

Carefully, precisely remove what you don’t need in your life while keeping everything else intact. If you do, you open yourself up to new possibilities.

3. Live With The Thorns

Every rose has its thorns; you just need to avoid getting pricked.

There are always obstacles and inconveniences in our lives, especially when everything surrounding us is in decay, but we don’t have to be defeated by them. Instead of giving up when things aren’t perfectly smooth, make your way up the stem until you reach something beautiful.

4. Give Your Life Careful Attention

A good gardener doesn’t leave their garden unattended for long. Likewise, someone who wants to grow carefully monitors their progress.

Every so often you need to analyse where you’re at and where you can go next. Goals are a cornerstone to success, so set, meet and surpass them as often as you can.

Make sure you’re not becoming complacent and growing too slowly. Be positive that you’re not slipping out of your roots. Know how to set the right goals so that you can keep those kinds of things in mind.

Also regularly give yourself the nutrition you need such as self-affirmation, healthy habits and plenty of rest. With that kind of care and a constant eye on the headway you’re making, you’ll be that much closer to blooming.

5. Let Yourself Grow At A Natural Pace

While you want to grow fairly quickly, if you start forcing it artificially then you risk undoing all that you’ve already accomplished.

You might see some temporary progress if you, for example, push yourself too far and try to get to that next milestone too fast. But doing that will deplete you of your energy, and you will suffer a long period of stagnation or even start to wither away yourself.

Grow at a reasonable and steady rate. That way, you’ll know that the progress you’ve made is going to stick.

6. Watch Yourself Bloom

Once you’ve made significant progress you should look in a mirror and take pride in the reflection. You’ve earned this, so enjoy it before moving on to the final stage of growth.

7. Lay Down New Soil

Don’t settle for being successful once. Move on to another patch of soil where you can grow again. Follow the same steps until you bloom, and then move on to yet another goal.

Or better yet, help the people you love bloom as well. Helping others is a reward unto itself, and you shouldn’t deprive yourself of it if you’re at a place in life where you can afford to turn your attention on the less fortunate.

Life is what we make of it, and it means more if we keep giving ourselves fresh challenges. Expand your garden, and you’ll find yourself simultaneously ever-active and increasingly at peace.

Source: www.keepinspiring.me

10 Famous Failures That Will Inspire You to Be a Success

By Elizabeth Andal

Failure occurs everyday, in school, jobs, housework, and within families. It is unavoidable, irritating and causes pessimism. While the thought of flinging your hands in the air and walking away is all too appealing, take a second to connect with the people who have been there and survived.

Here are a few successful failures who all failures around the world should consider.

1. J.K. Rowling

During a Harvard commencement speech, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling outlined the importance and value of failure. Why? Simply because she was once a failure too. A few short years after her graduation from college, her worst nightmares were realized. In her words, “I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.” Coming out of this failure stronger and more determined was the key to her success.

2. Steve Jobs

The now revolutionary Apple started off with two men in a garage. Years later we all know it as a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. Yet, almost unbelievably, Steve Jobs was fired from the very company he began. The dismissal made him realise that his passion for his work exceeded the disappointment of failure. Further ventures such as NeXT and Pixar eventually led Jobs back to the CEO position at Apple.

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” Jobs said in 2005.

Lost your job today? Keep kicking and you could be just like this guy!

3. Bill Gates

Bill Gates was a Harvard dropout. He co-owned a business called Traf-O-Data, which was a true failure.

However, skill and a passion for computer programming turned this failure into the pioneer of famous software company Microsoft ,and the then 31-year-old into the world’s youngest self-made billionaire.

In his own words: “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

This isn’t to say that dropping out of Harvard will make you into a billionaire, but maybe that shiny degree isn’t worth as much as the drive and passion to succeed.

4. Albert Einstein

The word ‘Einstein’ is associated with intelligence and synonymous with genius. Yet it is a famous fact that the pioneer of the theory of general relativity, Albert Einstein himself, could not speak fluently until the age of nine. His rebellious nature led to expulsion from school, and he was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School.

His earlier setbacks did not stop him from winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. After all, he believed that “success is failure in progress.” To this day, his research has influenced various aspects of life including culture, religion, art, and even late night TV.

Just because you haven’t achieved anything great yet, doesn’t mean you can’t be an Einstein yourself.

5. Abraham Lincoln

Failing in business in 1831, suffering a nervous breakdown in 1836, defeated in his run for president in 1856, Abraham Lincoln was no stranger to rejection and failure. Rather than taking these signs as a motivation for surrender, he refused to stop trying his best.

In this great man’s words: “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.”

Lincoln was elected in 1861 as the 16th President of the United States of America.

The amount of rejection you receive is not a defining factor. Success is still within your reach.

6. Michael Jordan

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” This quote by retired basketball legend Michael Jordan in a Nike advertisement speaks for itself.

It would be an easy misconception that Jordan’s basketball skills revolve around natural talent. In fact, in his earlier years, basketball coaches had trouble looking past the fact that Jordan didn’t reach the minimum height. It was years of effort, practice, and failure that made the star we know today.

7. Steven Spielberg

Regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Steven Spielberg is a familiar household name. It is surprising to realise therefore that the genius behind Jaws and E.T. had poor grades in high school, getting him rejected from the University of Southern California three times.

While he was in college, he caught the eye of executives at Universal, who signed him as a television director in 1969. This meant that he would not finish his college degree for another 33 years.

Perseverance and acceptance of failure is the key to success, after all. “Even though I get older, what I do never gets old, and that’s what I think keeps me hungry.” Bad grades in high school aside, there is no questioning the genius involved.

To date, Spielberg has directed 51 films and has been awarded three Oscars.

8. Walt Disney

Mickey Mouse creator Walt Disney dropped out of school at a young age in a failed attempt at joining the army. One of his earlier ventures, Laugh-o-Gram Studios, went bankrupt due to his lack of ability to run a successful business. He was once fired from a Missouri newspaper for “not being creative enough.”

Yet today, The genius behind Disney studios is responsible for generations of childhood memories and dreams. From Snow White to Frozen, Disney will continue to entertain the world for generations to come.

The logic behind this is simple: “… we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

9. Vincent Van Gogh

During his lifetime Vincent Van Gogh suffered mental illness, failed relationships, and committed suicide at the age of 37.

He only ever sold one painting in his life, pinning him a failure as an artist. However that did not put a damper on his enthusiasm and passion for art.

He would never know that years and years after his death he would become known as a key figure in the world of post-impressionism, and ultimately, one of the greatest artist that ever lived. He would never know that he became a hot topic in art classes and his image was going to be used in TV, books and other forms of popular culture.

In the words of this great, but tragic man, “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”

10. Stephen King

As a paranoid, troubled child, tormented by nightmares and raised in poverty, it is no surprise that Stephen King grew up to the title: “Master of Horror”.

An addiction to drugs and alcohol were his mechanisms to cope with the unhappiness he felt with his life. The frustration he felt towards multiple rejections by publishers in combination with illicit substances caused him to mentally contemplate violence towards his own children.

These intense emotions were those that he focused onto his writing. This became his new coping mechanism, and this is how the master author we know today grew to success.
Source: www.lifehack.org

Difference between a Guru and a Teacher

A teacher takes responsibility for your growth.
A Guru makes you responsible for your growth.

A teacher gives you things you do not have and require.
A Guru takes away things you have and do not require.

A teacher answers your questions.
A Guru questions your answers.

A teacher helps you get out of the maze.
A Guru destroys the maze.

A teacher requires obedience and discipline from the pupil.
A Guru requires trust and humility from the pupil.

A teacher clothes you and prepares you for the outer journey.
A Guru strips you naked and prepares you for the inner journey.

A teacher is a guide on the path.
A Guru is a pointer to the way.

A teacher sends you on the road to success.
A Guru sends you on the road to freedom.

A teacher explains the world and its nature to you.
A Guru explains yourself and your nature to you.

A teacher makes you understand how to move about in the world.
A Guru shows you where you stand in relation to the world.

A teacher gives you knowledge and boosts your ego.
A Guru takes away your knowledge and punctures your ego.

A teacher instructs you.
A Guru constructs you.

A teacher sharpens your mind.
A Guru opens your mind.

A teacher shows you the way to prosperity.
A Guru shows you the way to posterity.

A teacher reaches your mind.
A Guru touches your spirit.

A teacher gives you knowledge.
A Guru makes you wise.

A teacher gives you maturity.
A Guru returns you to innocence.

A teacher instructs you on how to solve problems.
A Guru shows you how to resolve issues.

A teacher is a systematic thinker.
A Guru is a lateral thinker.

A teacher will punish you with a stick.
A Guru will punish you with compassion.

A teacher is to pupil what a father is to son.
A Guru is to pupil what mother is to her child.

One can always find a teacher.
But a Guru has to find and accept you.

A teacher leads you by the hand.
A Guru leads you by example.

When a teacher finishes with you, you celebrate.
When a Guru finishes with you, life celebrates.

When the course is over you are thankful to the teacher.
When the discourse is over you are grateful to the Guru.

Let us honor both, the teachers and the Guru in our life.

Source: http://www.lovingsilence.org/

10 Rules Of Success Andrew Carnegie Used To Become One Of The World's Richest Men

Andrew Carnegie arrived in the U.S. in 1848 with barely a dollar to his name. By 1901, he was the richest man in the world.

At the height of his power, he was approached by a young journalist named Napoleon Hill who was interested in telling the stories of successful people.

Carnegie saw a special drive in Hill and in 1908 decided that Hill would document all of the strategies that made him a legendary businessman and philanthropist.

Together, they helped pioneer the self-help genre, and Hill's 1937 book "Think and Grow Rich" has gone on to become one of the top-selling books of all time.

When Hill began his career writing about success, Carnegie gave him his "10 Rules of Success" that provided a foundation for much of Hill's work. 

Here's a synopsis of the rules, which appear in the forthcoming collection "The Science of Success":

1. Define your purpose.
Create a plan of action and start working toward it immediately.

2. Create a "master-mind alliance."
Contact and work with people "who have what you haven't," Hill says.

3. Go the extra mile.
"Doing more than you have to do is the only thing that justifies raises or promotions, and puts people under an obligation to you," writes Hill.

4. Practice "applied faith."
Believe in yourself and your purpose so fully that you act with complete confidence.

5. Have personal initiative.
Do what you have to without being told.

6. Indulge your imagination.
Dare to think beyond what's already been done.

7. Exert enthusiasm.
A positive attitude sets you up for success and wins the respect of others.

8. Think accurately.
In Hill's words, accurate thinking is "the ability to separate facts from fiction and to use those pertinent to your own concerns or problems."

9. Concentrate your effort.
Don't become distracted from the most important task you are currently facing.

10. Profit from adversity.
Remember that "there is an equivalent benefit for every setback," Hill writes.

http://www.businessinsider.in/

10 Real Steps to Wealth

There are principles to wealth just like there are things that will leave you broke with little or no money. Money flows from those that consume to those that create. The world is a big cash flow chart and employees, investors, traders, business owners, and consumers are all part of the flow. Money flows from those that do not know how to manage it to those that do. Here are ten ways to position yourself on the right side of the flow of capital. It is a combination of self control, discipline, and math that will help you grow your wealth.

1. A job is when you work for money. Wealth is when money works for you.

2. An hourly job will not make you rich; owning businesses, real estate, and stocks can make you wealthy over the long term.

3. Assets make you money while you sleep. Liabilities cost you money while you sleep.

4. Ethical wealth creates jobs, products, innovative technology, online platforms, and wealthy investors. Unethical wealth just takes.

5. If you believe money is unethical you will never have much.

6. Money flows from those that consume to those of create what others want to buy.

7. The growth of compounded returns is the biggest secret to wealth. Don’t eat the seeds that can grow into an abundant harvest. Let your capital grow don’t spend it all.

8. Don’t let losers into your life. They will drag you down through negativity.

9. Learn and grow in one direction for 10 years to become an expert in some industry.

10. Your net worth is the difference between the value you created, how much your assets grew in value and the quantity of products you consumed.

Source: www.newtraderu.com

6 Powerful Questions That Will Change Your Life Forever

By James McWhinney

“Information is not knowledge.” ~Einstein

A few years ago I was lost. Frustrated. Scared. Unsure. Anxious. Trapped. Unfulfilled. Stuck in a dead-end job. Smothered by society’s expectations. Didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do with my life.

I cared for myself enough to change my life, but I didn’t have the slightest clue where to start. I spent my days wishing that things would change—that I could escape a life that my soul could no longer bear.

The worst part of all, I was living the life that society had always told me to live. “Find a secure job, work hard,” they would say. “Get a solid job and work your way up the ladder.”

I don’t know about you, but it turns out that for me, the “right thing to do” sucked the joy out of life.

Imagine feeling trapped in an unsatisying existence. Wasting your precious time doing things that you really don’t want to be doing. Being afraid to express your uniqueness. Having fun on the weekends then dreading the upcoming week. Maybe you don’t have to imagine it; maybe your life is just like mine was, few moments of satisfaction drowned out by a constant grind of work that doesn’t fulfill you.

Then something hit me. It was a proverbial hammer to my head. I’d heard it before, but it had never sunk in. Then, as if out of nowhere, a voice in my head spoke loudly and clearly.

“Discover who you truly are and fully give every aspect of your uniqueness to the world. This is your path to an extraordinary life.”

I followed this wisdom as if my life depended on it. And I can tell you that my life has changed for the better since I followed this guidance.

I can tell you without any doubt that the greatest piece of wisdom that I’ve discovered in my life thus far is this:

If you want to live an extraordinary life it is imperative that you know who you truly are, and to do so you must explore who you truly are.

These 6 questions changed my life forever. They will also change your life forever by allowing you to find your true self, and in doing so, discover why you’ve been born into this great world.

I’m not talking about the “self’” that others demand you to be or the self that acts a certain way to fit in and conform with what society accepts. I’m talking about the true you—the you who wants to authentically express your special and unique qualities to the world.

By answering these questions you will discover your unique passions, strengths, values, desires, and motivations, which are all yearning for your expression.

You have a unique purpose. Discovering the answers to these questions will allow you to align yourself with that purpose and bring real magic into your life.

Self-knowledge is the greatest knowledge that you will ever acquire. Why? Because your ability to fulfill your unique internal drive will determine your ability to fulfill your potential, which in turn determines the quality of your life.

The questions below are designed to help to know yourself deeply and find what is truly important to you. We all have an unexpressed potential; the exercises are specifically designed to help you find yours.

1. What do I absolutely love in life?

List anything that you love about the world and the people in your life. Think about any activities that get you excited and enthusiastic and make you feel most alive. This can be absolutely anything: music, sports, cooking, teaching others, learning, watching movies—anything. Within your love for these things lies deep passion.

2. What are my greatest accomplishments in life so far?

List all of the moments that you are proud of as well as the times that you’ve succeeded. To have accomplished these, you would have used some of your key strengths. See if you can identify why you succeeded. Also, list any activities, hobbies, or anything else that you do that you complete with ease. Within these lie greatest strengths.

3. What would I stand for if I knew no one would judge me?

List everything that you would do if you weren’t afraid, even your wildest dreams. This will help you discover your greatest values.

4. If my life had absolutely no limits and I could have it all and do whatever I wanted, what would I choose to have and what would I choose to do?

Describe your ideal lifestyle. List what you would do throughout the day if you knew that you were bound to be successful, what kind of person you would be, how much money you would earn, and where you would live.

This question allows you to realize who you would truly want to be if there were no limits. By aligning with this you can begin working towards the life that you truly want to create. Know that you wouldn’t have a desire if you didn’t also have the ability to fulfil it.

5. What would I do if I had one billion dollars?

List everything that you would really love to do if you had all the money in the world. Okay, so you would probably travel the world, buy a house or two, and give some money to your family. Then what would you do with your time?

This question helps you to think without limitations. When we are able to remove limitations and boundaries, we can discover what we really want to do.

6. Who do I admire most in the world?

List your greatest inspirations and the qualities that you admire about these people. Think about what really inspires you in this world. What you admire about others is also a quality that is in you. Know that you admire someone because they have similar qualities to you.

Taking the time to answer these questions will change your life. The more that you can implement your passions, strengths, values, desires, and motivations into your days, the happier your life will become!

You can study to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or anything else, but this knowledge will only take you so far. Meanwhile, discovering the deep wisdom of self-knowledge will ensure that your life is far more meaningful and fulfilling. I’ve got a feeling that is what Einstein meant when he said “Information is not knowledge.”

The most valuable knowledge that you will ever discover is, and always will be, within.

Source: www.tinybuddha.com/

18 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Socrates

By Luminita D.Saviuc

If I have learned something from Socrates is that you cannot teach people anything; you can only make them think. You can only draw out of them the wisdom which is latent within them. And by doing so, you help open their eyes, making them realize that they were born with wings and that they can fly, as high as they want to fly…

Anyway, I gathered what I thought to be some of Socrates best quotes and compiled them into 18 life changing lessons that you might want to learn. 

Here they are:

1. True wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.” ~ Socrates

“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” ~ Socrates

“I know that I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing.” ~ Socrates

“True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” ~ Socrates

2. Be as you wish to seem.

“The shortest and surest way to live with honour in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be; and if we observe, we shall find, that all human virtues increase and strengthen themselves by the practice of them.” ~ Socrates

3. Nothing changes until you do.

“Let him that would move the world first move himself.” ~ Socrates

“Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity, or undue depression in adversity.” ~ Socrates

4. Virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private.

“I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person.” ~ Socrates
5. Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings.

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for.” ~ Socrates

6. Those who realize that they have enough, are truly rich.

“He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature.” ~ Socrates

“Contentment is natural wealth, luxury is artificial poverty.” ~ Socrates

7. Thou shouldst eat to live; not live to eat.

“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” ~ Socrates

8. Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~ Socrates

“The really important thing is not to live, but to live well. And to live well meant, along with more enjoyable things in life, to live according to your principles.” ~ Socrates

9. Everything in life changes, nothing ever stays the same.

“If you don’t get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don’t want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can’t hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is law and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.” ~ Socrates

10. Being busy is not enough. It’s what are you busy with that counts.

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~ Socrates

11. God knows best what is good for us.

“Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for God knows best what is good for us.” ~ Socrates

12. Don’t confine yourself to certain parts of the world, explore it all.

“I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.” ~ Socrates

13. Don’t let other people do your thinking for you.

“To find yourself, think for yourself.” ~ Socrates

14. Don’t rush into friendships.

“Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” ― Socrates

15. Be impeccable with your word.

“False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” ~ Socrates

16. Never return evil for evil. You will hurt yourself in the process.

“One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him.” ~ Socrates

“The end of life is to be like God, and the soul following God will be like Him.” ~ Socrates

17. All men’s souls are immortal.

“All men’s souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.” ~ Socrates

18. Never stop wondering.

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” ~ Socrates

BONUS

“The easiest and noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves. ” ~ Socrates

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” ~ Socrates

“If you want to be a good saddler, saddle the worst horse; for if you can tame one, you can tame all.” ~ Socrates

“In all of us, even in good men, there is a lawless wild-beast nature, which peers out in sleep.” ~ Socrates

Source: http://www.purposefairy.com/

Lost in Life? Here’s Some Inspiration.

Lost in life? Not quite sure what to do next? Feel like you are doomed to failure in everything you do?

Well, everyone starts from somewhere. Here are some success icons, who up till their 30s — some 50s — did not make much out of their life. It was later in life that they start blossoming into their vocations. After all, success takes time to brew sometimes, doesn't it?

15 reasons Warren Buffett is $72 billion richer than you, in one chart

By  Stephen Gandel , Analee Kasudia

What has made Buffett the most successful investor of all time? Many things.

If you've always wanted to know who Warren Buffett is and how he got so rich, this was the week for you!

Valuable Lessons From Warren Buffett’s 2014 Letter to Shareholders

The education of any business person is incomplete if it doesn't include a thorough reading of Warren Buffett's annual letters to shareholders. I often say that I have learned more from reading his annual letters than I have reading anything else. And I spend much of my days reading! That said, this year’s letter was no different than usual. In fact, it was even more jam packed than normal because Buffett spends more and more time these days focusing on Berkshire AFTER Buffett. So his life lessons are more widely discussed than ever.You should go read the letter yourself, but in case you don’t have the time I’ve jotted down some of the key takeaways:

Macro Matters. As much as Buffett focuses on the micro (specific companies) he’s always mindful of the macro. And he certainly understands that his success couldn't have happened without riding the biggest macro wave of the last 100 years – the amazing growth of the US economy:

“Who has ever benefited during the past 238 years by betting against America? If you compare our country’s present condition to that existing in 1776, you have to rub your eyes in wonder. In my lifetime alone, real per-capita US output has sextupled. My parents could not have dreamed in 1930 of the world their son would see.”

As I always say, it’s easy to look like a great swimmer if you can figure out the direction of the current. Figure out the macro and the micro more easily falls in place.

Accounting, accounting, accounting. If you read a Buffett letter you’ll notice that it’s filled with accounting tables. I’ve stated in the past that the language of economics is accounting. It is the way we communicate the health of our economy, our institutions and our people. Buffett knows this. Buffett’s a masterful businessman because he understands the language of economics. If you’re not well versed in accounting do yourself a favor and spend more time learning the language of economics – accounting.

Stocks are tremendously good assets for protecting your purchasing power. I think of portfolio construction as serving two primary goals – protecting against the risk of permanent loss and protecting against the risk of purchasing power loss. This is a concept I've called the “Total Portfolio Approach”. While many investors think of “real” commodities as the best way to protect against inflation it’s actually better to think of stocks as a protector of purchasing power. Buffett says:

“Our investment results have been helped by a terrific tailwind. During the 1964-2014 period, the S&P 500 rose from 84 to 2,059, which, with reinvested dividends, generated the overall return of 11,196% shown on page 2. Concurrently, the purchasing power of the dollar declined a staggering 87%. That decrease means that it now takes $1 to buy what could be bought for 13¢ in 1965 (as measured by the Consumer Price Index).

There is an important message for investors in that disparate performance between stocks and dollars. Think back to our 2011 annual report, in which we defined investing as “the transfer to others of purchasing power now with the reasoned expectation of receiving more purchasing power – after taxes have been paid on nominal gains – in the future.”

The unconventional, but inescapable, conclusion to be drawn from the past fifty years is that it has been far safer to invest in a diversified collection of American businesses than to invest in securities – Treasuries, for example – whose values have been tied to American currency. That was also true in the preceding half-century, a period including the Great Depression and two world wars. Investors should heed this history. To one degree or another it is almost certain to be repeated during the next century. “

Yes! Think of equity as a claim on underlying output. If that claim is a contractual obligation tied directly to the profitability of productive firms then we can and should expect the real value of those claims to rise over long periods of time because they are essentially a form of currency issued directly by corporations themselves. And if output is what gives our currency real value in the first place then we should expect a diversified portfolio of claims on output to grow in real terms over time. Stocks are the ideal way to gain access to purchasing power protection.

Risk is not volatility. Buffett understands the limits of textbook models of the world. One of the more dangerous concepts in modern finance is the idea that risk is synonymous with volatility. As Buffett notes:

“That lesson has not customarily been taught in business schools, where volatility is almost universally used as a proxy for risk. Though this pedagogic assumption makes for easy teaching, it is dead wrong: Volatility is far from synonymous with risk. Popular formulas that equate the two terms lead students, investors and CEOs astray.”

Risk is the potential that we won’t meet our financial goals. And for most investors that means protecting against purchasing power loss and the risk of permanent loss. Focusing on risk as volatility often leads investors into an unbalanced perspective where why they actually believe they can take far more risk than is appropriate simply because stocks tend to be skewed towards positive returns over the long-term. But this totally ignores the fact that most investors also desire balance between generating high returns and creating stability in their savings. Misunderstanding risk is often the biggest mistake we make in the process of portfolio construction.

Stop paying high fees. Buffett rightly calls out the high fees that are often so unfriendly to investors. I've noted on several occasions how much a 1% recurring fee will hurt total returns over the long-term. But we can do even better than that. A smart portfolio can be built with a fee structure that is well below 1%. Chasing returns in exchange for high fees is what Buffett calls a “fool’s game”:

“The commission of the investment sins listed above is not limited to “the little guy.” Huge institutional investors, viewed as a group, have long underperformed the unsophisticated index-fund investor who simply sits tight for decades. A major reason has been fees: Many institutions pay substantial sums to consultants who, in turn, recommend high-fee managers. And that is a fool’s game.”

Collies are the best dogs. As the proud owner of a Border Collie/Aussie Shepherd mix, I can appreciate Buffett's comment on collies:

“Charlie and I frequently get approached about acquisitions that don’t come close to meeting our tests: We’ve found that if you advertise an interest in buying collies, a lot of people will call hoping to sell you their cocker spaniels.”

Buffett has stated in the past that he prefers to surround himself with people who are smarter than himself. This is as true with people as it is with dogs. My collie is one of the many women I live with who regularly outsmarts me, but more importantly, teaches me consistently on how best to live my life.

We are our biggest enemy. The biggest mistakes we make in the investment world are often due to the fact that we try to make too many decisions. We are prone to mistakes because we are prone to be biased. When you understand your flaws you can prepare your portfolio against its biggest enemy – ourselves:

Decades ago, Ben Graham pinpointed the blame for investment failure, using a quote from Shakespeare: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

Learn from your mistakes and never stop learning. This year’s letter was filled with life lessons. I always say that we can never stop learning in this world. And the best lessons often come from understanding our mistakes. A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it. Never stop learning. And never be afraid to make mistakes so long as they turn into good lessons.

Source: http://www.pragcap.com/

How Bill Gates Started – The Life of Microsoft’s Founder

Bill Gates started out in a highly-educated family. But they were not programmers, not even engineers. Or technical people at all. So how did he start to be a genius hacker?

Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

11 Quotes That Illustrate The Strange, Relentless Genius Of Alibaba Founder Jack Ma

Alibaba, the enormous Chinese e-commerce company, is expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange this Friday.

At its helm is founder Jack Ma, a charismatic leader who started the company with 18 friends out of his small apartment in 1999. Although Ma is no longer CEO of Alibaba, he's still the face of the company.

Ma has succeeded because he is relentless, and some of his more memorable quotes — "Today is cruel, tomorrow is crueler" — illustrate how that relentlessness has formed his thinking.

On not giving up: "Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueler. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful."



On past mistakes from "the dark days at Alibaba": "If you don't give up, you still have a chance. And, when you are small, you have to be very focused and rely on your brain, not your strength."



On teamwork: "If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat 10 of them."



On having a larger mission: "It doesn't matter if I failed. At least I passed the concept on to others. Even if I don't succeed, someone will succeed."



On perseverance: "We will make it because we are young and we will never, never give up."



On work: "If we go to work at 8 a.m. and go home at 5 p.m., this is not a high-tech company and Alibaba will never be successful. If we have that kind of 8-to-5 spirit, then we should just go and do something else."



On competition: "You should learn from your competitor but never copy. Copy, and you die."




On Alibaba.com's 2007 IPO: "Alibaba is not just a job. It's a dream. It's a cause. Let the Wall Street investors curse us if they want."



On starting a company: "If you want to grow, find a good opportunity. Today, if you want to be a great company, think about what social problem you could solve."



On the benefits of his technological ineptitude: "Intelligent people need a fool to lead them. When the team's all a bunch of scientists, it is best to have a peasant lead the way. His way of thinking is different. It's easier to win if you have people seeing things from different perspectives."



On growth: "In carrying out e-commerce, the most important thing is to keep doing what you are doing right now with passion, to keep it up."

Source: www.businessinsider.com

6 $25 Billion Companies That Started in a Garage

Every new company has to begin somewhere. These 6 world-famous ones--worth more than $25 billion each--started in garages.

All of these renowned companies have proven that success truly depends on determination, faith, and hard work. No matter where you start your business or how much money you originally put into it, passion, commitment, and courage are often all you need to make your company a success.

In case you need objective proof, here are some of the biggest companies in the world, all of which were started in their founders' garages.

Google
Yes, the world's most famous search engine was actually started in a garage. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, graduates of Stanford University, rented a garage from a friend, Susan Wojcicki, in September of 1998. They worked day and night for a number of months and developed what would be known as Google. Their main goal while creating the website was to organize and maintain all kinds of information on a single platform accessible to common people all over the world. Today, Google is the most commonly used search engine in the world and has also launched other useful websites and applications like Gmail, Google+, and Google Drive.

Apple
Apple is another insanely popular international brand, but few people realize that it was started in a California garage by three young men. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne developed the first Apple computer in 1976 in the garage of Steve Jobs' parents' house.

The Apple I was sold as a motherboard to a local store for $500 and shortly thereafter, the team continued on to create the Apple II computer. The founders' products and company became famous when they got a break from their Macintosh line of products, from which they earned millions of dollars. Now, Apple is leading a technological revolution with its various devices, including Mac computers, iPhones, iPods, and iPads.

Microsoft
Every computer user knows the Microsoft brand. It's the remarkable and famous software that was once created in a small Albuquerque garage by Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen. Both of them gave more importance to programming language and software operations and worked in collaboration with IBM. They got their first operating system licensed for $80,000. They kept working hard and some years later they developed their most impressive and exceptional operating system, called Windows. Today, Windows is the most widely used software on the globe. About 80% of computers worldwide are running this operating system.

Amazon
Amazon.com is a well-known online shopping website that was created in 1994 as an online bookstore by Jeff Bezos. He created the website in his garage in Washington, originally investing nearly $40,000 to enable him to order, sell, and deliver books to 48 different countries. He succeeded in selling his first book in July 1995, and since then has built Amazon into the largest online shopping store in world.

Disney
Walt and Roy Disney created their first films in their uncle's garage in 1923. They started their career by creating "Alice Comedies," which were actually a part of the original Alice in Wonderland animation series. Disney faced a lot of hardships in the journey toward success and was only accepted by investors after enduring plenty of struggle and strife. Now, Disney is one of the most popular and highest-earning media houses and franchises in the world, and is the leading name in producing cartoons, children's movies, and animated films.

Hewlett-Packard (HP)
Two friends, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, founded HP in Packard's garage in 1939 with an initial investment of only $538. The product that eventually boosted their career was an audio oscillator (HP200A), which was sold to Walt Disney to improve its sound system for the movie Fantasia. Walt Disney bought eight oscillators and gave HP the biggest break of its life. Today, the Packard's garage in Palo Alto is famous as the birthplace of HP and Silicon Valley. Since its inception, HP has developed into a powerful and active company, developing various computers, laptops, and other computer-centric accessories with advanced technologies.

All of these companies started with little investment capital and small physical space, but hard work and unwavering dedication led them to huge success. With the same type of passion and determination you, too, could be the founder of the next $25B+ enterprise.

Source:http://www.inc.com/

17 Facts About Warren Buffett And His Wealth That Will Blow Your Mind

Warren Buffett has been incredibly successful, and he's extremely wealthy. Warren Buffett's wealth jumped by around $12.7 billion in 2013 alone. But how much is $12.7 billion anyway?

And how good an investor is Warren Buffett really? We've put together some facts that really put him in perspective.

1. 99% of Buffett's wealth was earned after his 50th birthday.

Buffett made $62.7 billion of his $63.3 billion net worth after his 50th birthday.

$60 billion — nearly 95% — is from after his 60th birthday.

Talk about long-term investment strategies.

Source: Fool

The World’s Top 10 One-Person Startups

One person with a vision and the tech skills to make it happen is the winning formula used to create some of the world's best Internet Startups. The following tech-savvy minds began by working alone to solve a problem, fill a need, or simply ran with what they believed was a bright idea. All are achieving what their founders wanted: making an impact!

Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

10 Amazingly Awesome Warren Buffett Quotes to Live By

Source: http://www.visualistan.com/

Everyday Life Lessons From Billionaires

Billionaires have a fair amount of useful advice when it comes to building a solid lifestyle. Whether it’s reading voraciously like Warren Buffet or learning to diversify like David Koch, you’ll find that one thing is true: all the billionaires maintain a pigheaded discipline when it comes to following their own rules.

From Warren Buffett to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to Microsoft’s Bill Gates, the infographic below has a strong cast of people that you can’t help but respect in some shape or form.

Take these practical titbits and apply them to your life and see how they affect your future.

15 Billionaires Who Were Once Dirt Poor

By Vivian Giang

Wealth tends to create more wealth, but a rich background is not the only way to the top. Some of the world's wealthiest people started out dirt poor.

All from humble beginnings, these 15 people not only climbed to the top of their industries but also became some of the richest people in the world.

Although the rich do get richer, these rags-to-riches stories remind us that through determination, grit, and a bit of luck anyone can overcome their circumstances and achieve extraordinary success.


1. Kenny Troutt, the founder of Excel Communications, paid his way through college by selling life insurance.



Net worth: $1.7 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

Troutt grew up with a bartender dad and paid for his own tuition at Southern Illinois University by selling life insurance. He made most of his money from phone company Excel Communications, which he founded in 1988 and took public in 1996. Two years later, Troutt merged his company with Teleglobe in a $3.5 billion deal.

He's now retired and invests heavily in racehorses.

2. Starbucks' Howard Schultz grew up in a housing complex for the poor.



Net worth: $2 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

In an interview with British tabloid Mirror, Schultz says: "Growing up I always felt like I was living on the other side of the tracks. I knew the people on the other side had more resources, more money, happier families. And for some reason, I don’t know why or how, I wanted to climb over that fence and achieve something beyond what people were saying was possible. I may have a suit and tie on now but I know where I’m from and I know what it’s like."

Schultz ended up winning a football scholarship to the University of Northern Michigan and went to work for Xerox after graduation. Shortly after, he took over a coffee shop called Starbucks, which at the time had only 60 shops. Schultz became the company's CEO in 1987 and grew the coffee chain to more than 16,000 outlets worldwide.

3. Investor Ken Langone's parents worked as a plumber and cafeteria worker.



Net worth: $2.1 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

To help pay for Langone's school at Bucknell University, he worked odd jobs and his parents mortgaged their home.

In 1968, Langone worked with Ross Perot to take Electronic Data Systems (HP) public. Just two years later, he partnered with Bernard Marcus to start Home Depot, which also went public in 1981.

4. Born into poverty, Oprah Winfrey became the first African American TV correspondent in Nashville.



Net worth: $2.9 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

Winfrey was born into a poor family in Mississippi, but this didn't stop her from winning a scholarship to Tennessee State University and becoming the first African American TV correspondent in the state at the age of 19.

In 1983, Winfrey moved to Chicago to work for an AM talk show which would later be called "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

5. At one time, businessman Shahid Khan washed dishes for $1.20 an hour.

Net worth: $3.8 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

He's now one of the richest people in the world, but when Khan came to the U.S. from Pakistan, he worked as a dishwasher while attending the University of Illinois. Khan now owns Flex-N-Gate, one of the largest private companies in the U.S., the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, and Premier League soccer club Fulham.

6. Mega-resort owner Kirk Kerkorian dropped out of school in the eighth grade to become a boxer.



Net worth: $3.9 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

To financially help his Armenian-immigrant family, Kerkorian dropped out of school in the eighth grade and later would become a boxer called "Rifle Right Kerkorian." During World War II, Kerkorian worked for Britain's Royal Air Force. He eventually turned his interest to constructing many of Las Vegas' biggest resorts and hotels.

7. John Paul DeJoria, the man behind a hair-care empire and Patron Tequila, once lived in a foster home and his car.



Net worth: $4 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

Before the age of 10, DeJoria, a first generation American, sold Christmas cards and newspapers to help support his family. He was eventually sent to live in a foster home and even spent some time in a gang before joining the military.

With a $700 dollar loan, DeJoria created John Paul Mitchell Systems and sold the shampoo door-to-door while living in his car. He later started Patron Tequila, and now invests in other industries.

8. Forever 21 founder Do Won Chang worked as a janitor, gas station attendant, and in a coffee shop when he first moved to America.



Net worth: $5 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

The husband-and-wife team — Do Won Chang and Jin Sook — behind Forever 21 didn't always have it so easy. After moving to America from Korea in 1981, Do Won had to work three jobs at the same time to make ends meet. They opened their first clothing store in 1984.

Forever 21 is now an international, 480-store empire that rakes in around $3 billion in sales a year.

9. Ralph Lauren was once a clerk at Brooks Brothers dreaming of men's ties.



Net worth: $7.7 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

Lauren graduated high school in the Bronx, N.Y., but later dropped out of college to join the Army. It was while working as a clerk at Brooks Brothers that Lauren questioned whether men were ready for wider and brighter designs in ties. The year he decided to make his dream a reality, 1967, Lauren sold $500,000 worth of ties. He started Polo the next year.

10. Luxury goods mogul Francois Pinault quit high school in 1974 after being bullied for being poor.



Net worth: $15 billion (as of March 2013)

Pinault is now the face of fashion conglomerate Kering (formerly PPR), but at one time, he had to quit high school because he was teased so harshly for being poor. As a businessman, Pinault is known for his "predator" tactic, which includes buying smaller firms for a fraction of the cost when the market crashed. He eventually started PPR, which owns high-end fashion houses including Gucci, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and Yves Saint Laurent.

11. Leonardo Del Vecchio grew up in an orphanage and later worked in a factory where he lost part of his finger.



Net worth: $15.3 billion (as of March 2013)

Del Vecchio was one of five children who was eventually sent to an orphanage because his widow mother couldn't care for him. He would later work in a factory making molds of auto parts and eyeglass frames.

At the age of 23, Del Vecchio opened his own molding shop, which expanded to become the world's largest maker of sunglasses and prescription eyeware with brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley.

12. Legendary trader George Soros survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary and arrived in London as an impoverished college student.



Net worth: $20 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

In his early teens, Soros posed as the godson of an employee of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture in order to stay safe from the Nazi occupation of Hungary. In 1947, Soros escaped the country to live with his relatives in London. He put himself through the London School of Economics working as a waiter and railway porter.

After graduating, Soros worked at a souvenir shop before getting a job as a banker in New York City. In 1992, his famous bet against the British pound made him a billion dollars.

13. After his father died, business magnate Li Ka-shing had to quit school to help support his family.



Net worth: $31 billion (as of March 2013)

Ka-shing fled mainland China for Hong Kong in the 1940s, but his father died when he was 15, leaving Ka-shing responsible for supporting his family. In 1950, he started his own company, Cheung Kong Industries, which manufactured plastics at first but would later expand into real estate.

14. Harold Simmons grew up in a shack with no plumbing or electricity.



Net worth: $40 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

As one of the richest people in the world, Simmons grew up in a "shack" without plumbing or electricity. He managed to get accepted to the University of Texas where he earned a bachelor's and masters in economics.

Simmons got his first big break buying a chain of drugstores, which would later sell for $50 million. He went on to become an expert in corporate buyouts.

Simmons recently passed away at the age of 82.

15. Oracle's Larry Ellison dropped out of college after his adoptive mother died and held odd jobs for eight years.



Net worth: $41 billion (as of Sept. 2013)

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to a single mother, Ellison was raised by his aunt and uncle in Chicago. After his aunt died, Ellison dropped out of college and moved to California to work odd jobs for the next eight years. He founded software development company Oracle in 1977, which is now one of the largest technology companies in the world. 

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com