10 Tips to Avoid a Default on a Car Loan and Bankruptcy

According to a news item in The Star, there were more than 500 bankruptcy cases every month due to the failure of people to service loans for their hire-purchase of motor vehicles during the past five months this year. How can you prevent such a thing from happening to you?


1. Factor the monthly repayment amount into your monthly budget: The big question is: Do you think there is room to accommodate the monthly installment in your monthly budget? If the total cash outlay including the car installment is more than your inflow, you can forget about getting a new car, bankruptcy will be the only outcome.

2. Hold on to your gratification: Don’t follow others just because one of your friends has got a new car. Exercise self -discipline to live within your means.

3. Get a smaller c.c. car: Opt for a smaller cc car so that you are comfortable with your monthly budget. Don’t overstretch.

4. Save more for a bigger down payment and a smaller monthly installment: This is the most sensible thing to do so that the monthly amount fits nicely into your monthly budget.

5. Wait for the next pay increment to buy a new car: Perhaps now you are not in a position to get a new car. How about the next pay increment? Can you hold on to it?

6. Wait for your next bonus to make the down payment: Bonus time is a good time to consider making a down payment for a new car.

7. A used car: What do you think of a used car? It should not be more than three years old and free from accident.

8. A shorter installment period: Just imagine an interest rate of 3% for a loan of 50,000 the amount of interest for one year is 1500, for 2 years it is 3000, for 3 years it is 4500, for 4 years the amount will be 6000 and for five years it will be 7500. Go for a shorter duration. Besides, the future is unpredictable; the sooner you complete the installments the better it is

9. Get the basic model: Get the basic model with manual transmission minus the leather seats and wood paneling. It costs very much less.

10. A need or a want: A country like Singapore with an effective public transportation system such as MRT and buses, going from one place to another is a breeze. You don’t really need a car. Ask yourself: Is it a want or a need? It is easy to purchase a car, but maintaining a car is a different story. The cost of petrol, parking fee, maintenance cost, insurance and not to mention depreciation and accidents, will burn a big hole in your pocket.


You get a good feeling to show off your new car among your friends, but if you fail to catch up with the monthly installments just for three consecutive months your car will be repossessed. If you still owe more than RM30, 000 after disposing of your car, the bank will make you bankrupt. Where are you going to hide your face?

Happiness Checklist

Here is the daily checklist to be happy and stay happy:


1. Start a new day with positive emotions. Be cheerful, hopeful, delightful, and feel good about yourself.

2. Solve a problem creatively and be motivated instead of dwelling on the problem and be unhappy.

3. Look at the bright side of things. Response to negative events positively. See the light at the end of the tunnel.

4. Count your blessings. Be grateful, appreciative, and contented of what you have got out of life.

5. Perform random acts of kindness. Bring out the best in others by saying words of praise, compliment, and encouragement to people you meet.

6. Perform daily exercise to keep you in top form. A healthy body and happiness go hand in hand.

7. Smile at people you meet. Spread happiness around and make others happy too.

8. Do daily meditation to stay cool, calm, and composed.

9. Sleep well to rejuvenate and regain your energy and feel fresh

10. Spend quality time with family members to stay close to them. Fill the house with laughter and happiness

11. Contact and express your loving feelings to someone who means a lot to you

12. Take time to unwind and relax

13. Read a motivational quotation or a chapter of an inspiring book

14. Accomplish the most important task of the day according to your to-do list.

15. Go slow to marvel the wonders of nature such as the rushing waves to the shore, the full moon in a cloudless night, and the cloud in all shapes and colors in the evening.


Please comment and add more to this list and spread happiness to more people

10 Reasons Why You Don’t Get Things Done

When you don’t get things done your hopes, dreams, ambitions, and happiness will be shattered: Here are the ten reasons that you are unable to achieve what you want in life and what you can do about it:


1. Without a to-do list: It is an important tool that highlights things to be done according to their importance. The list allows you to get things done smoothly and it gives you a sense of urgency to do it. Without it, you will just get busy doing things that come along and you miss the important tasks

2. Not doing the most important thing first: It is counterproductive to do the small or easy tasks when your energy is at your best and do the important but difficult tasks when your enthusiasm ebbs.

3. Procrastinate: When you think of doing it later and allow the work to accumulate and it becomes overwhelming to get things done or even get started. Just take action immediately.

4. No benefits: You don’t find the incentives or satisfaction of getting something done quickly. Boost your self-confidence by being a self-starter and complete a task on time

5. No will power to start: It takes 21 days to form a new habit. It is important to carry on daily in order for the new habit to take root. See the advantages of new habits to stay motivated.

6. Do not take advantage of your natural rhythm: Start work at a time when your enthusiasm and energy are at your peak to do a difficult task. Usually, the morning is the best time.

7. Take too long to think and decide instead of just do it: Don’t look for perfection to get things done. Just do it and make improvements along the way.

8. Low self-esteem: You are not sure of getting success as you have no confidence to carry out a task. The fact is that when you try to avoid or dodge a job it gets formidable, but .when you tackle it head on the problem seems smaller.

9. Trying to do too much: You will notice it will not take too much time to do the most important thing. According to the rule of 80/20, you just work on 20% of the tasks and you will get 80% of the results. It means accomplishing the most important task and ignoring all other minor issues.

10. Too many distractions: There is too much interference to disturb your concentration at work. Turn off your mobile phone and do work at a time and place that you can fully concentrate


Getting things done is to get fulfillment and satisfaction out of life. It is also to spend time effectively.

11 Great Ways to Kill Time Every Day

God is fair. Each and every one of us is given 24 hours in a day to do our own things. What you do in a day will affect your life profoundly. Here are 11 things you can do to bring you happiness and success in life.


1. Get an important thing done: Do something which is meaningful to you. It is relating to your interests, passion, and your goals in life. Get fulfillment, satisfaction, and happiness when it is done.

2. Do random acts of kindness: Do something uplifting for others that costs you nothing. Say words of encouragement, praise, and compliment. To those that you speak to, they are motivated and delighted.

3. Move your body: It is time well spent to keep your body in shape. You will be fit and full of energy to work under stress:

4. Do the household chores instead of watching TV: Watching TV makes you lazy and saps your energy. Take out the trash, water the plants, and walk the dog. Get some fresh air outside which is good for you.

5. A time to be alone and get peace of mind: It is important to be yourself and get detach from the outside world. To feel calm, free from worry and get peace of mind and soul

6. A time to be grateful and appreciative of life: The joy of simple living is not to attach too much to material things. It is making the best of what you have and be happy.

7. A time to spend with your family members: The core value of relationships is your family unit. Treasure the harmonious life at home. It will impact other areas of your life positively.

8. A time to read: Read to be knowledgeable, enlightened, motivated, and moved to take appropriate action

9. A time to be creative and innovative: Excite and stimulate your brain to generate new ideas. Challenge yourself to be more efficient and productivity

10. A time to get connected: Someone needs to be contacted and you just got to do it right away. Don’t miss a chance to express your feelings to someone who means a lot to you.

11. Get a good night’s sleep: Not everyone in this world can get a good night’s sleep. A lot of people are suffering from a sleep disorder. Be thankful when you can sleep soundly to rejuvenate your body


Do the right things every day to create a positive impact on your life.

Tortoise’s Way of Making Money

You must have heard about the story of the race between a hare and a tortoise and eventually the tortoise won the race slowly but steadily. Similarly, you can’t get rich quickly in investment. Making money is for the long-haul:


Long-term investment: As an example, Genting Singapore (G13) is a winning stock (gamblers are generally losers) in gaming. Invest early and keep the shares for the long term. Over time the stock will appreciate in value You will also reap the reward of a bonus issue, rights issue, and regular dividend payments.

Trusted brands: Invest in shares of companies (if public listed) with trusted brands. What are the trusted brands? Just look at the annual report of the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands. Among the trusted brands voted by consumers in 2010 by the Reader’s Digest, Asia’s Trusted Brands Survey are Acer, Carlsberg, Canon, Great Eastern, Honda, Maybank, Panasonic, Petronas, Prudential, Public Bank, Samsung, Sime Darby, Sony and Yeo’s

Dollar-cost average: You invest at regular intervals at an equal amount to take advantage of a lower total average cost for the shares purchased over time. It is because when prices are high you get fewer shares and when prices are low you get more shares.


Prudent investment is a combination of picking trusted brands, investing regularly, and going for the long term.

10 Tips to Start Early and Stay Ahead to Achieve Your Goals

This is a competitive world and you have to take one step ahead of others and also to keep yourself ahead of the competitions. How do you start early and stay ahead to achieve your goals? Here are the 10 tips:


Start early

1. Decide early: What are your interests and passion? What can you do with ease and better than others? Set your goals according to your inspiration and what you do best. The sooner you do it the earlier you can prepare for the journey of life.

2. Plan early: Taking time to map out a journey is to embark on the actual trip smoothly. Likewise, making early preparation and plan ahead to reach your goals is half a battle won. Put your goals and the steps to be taken in writing so that you know your objectives at each stage of your life.

3. Prepare to-do-list early: Make the to-do list in the evening for the tasks to be done the following day. It is prioritized according to the importance of each task. The daily tasks are so important because when you achieve your daily goals you will achieve your weekly, monthly and yearly goals over time.

4. Get up early: Start a new day early to be way ahead of others to tackle the tasks for the day with enthusiasm and full of energy

5. Start early: Get things done according to the to-do list. An attitude of just-do-it is the way to beat delay and procrastination. Do not be distracted by interruptions


Stay ahead

1. Stay innovative and creative: The only way to stay ahead is to have original and unique ideas and do things differently.

2. Stay out of the comfort zone: Always ask yourself this question: What is the better way to get this thing done? This will put your mind in an inquisitive mood to generate ideas.

3. Stay focus: Be mindful, work on the task at hand with full concentration.

4. Stay healthy: Look after your health, be physically, mentally, and spiritually fit so that you can work under stressful situations longer and to stay ahead of the competitions.

5. Stay educated: Continue to look for new ideas because accepting changes is the only way to stay ahead and continuous learning is the way to stay updated.


Achieving goals is a long-term process of persistence and consistency over a long period of time. Start early and stay ahead are the ways to achieve success.

15 Tips to be Happy at Work

To be happy at work does not start at the moment you step into your workplace. It starts with the moment you wake up. Also, happiness has more to do with what you are and what you do outside the workplace. These will impact your feelings and well-being positively or negatively at work. So, how to be happy and stay happy at work?

1. Start a new day with the right frame of mind: When you wake up think of happy thoughts to start a new day cheerfully and feeling good about yourself. Look at yourself in the mirror with a broad smile. Be hopeful and ready to take on a new day confidently. 
2. Fit and healthy:  A healthy body gives you more than just happiness, it supplies you the energy and the stamina to work under stress
3. Homelife: Are you happy at home? Happy home life will create a positive influence on your mood at work. You will just think about your job when there is nothing to worry about at home.
4. Personal finance: Are you in debt? Clear your debt as soon as possible. Don’t allow people to look for you at the workplace asking for money. It will disturb you mentally and spiritually.  Can you be carefree and happy when you are in debt?
5. Plan ahead and work ahead: One major factor of happiness is when you are in control at work. With the to-do list, you know the very first thing to do and without further delay, you just get into action. Happiness is getting things done smoothly.
6. Tidiness: You spend one third or even more of your life at work. It makes sense to feel comfortable at work. Maintain a tidy work environment which will contribute to better efficiency and productivity.
7. Think of positive aspects of a job: You have a positive image of yourself when you are holding a job. This is the place where you learn and grow your career and secure your future financially. You will also find meaning in life when you are working. You have a high self- esteem
8. Enjoy and like what you are doing: Do you enjoy doing what you are doing at work?  If you don’t, most likely you are not happy at work. Look for another job to exhibit your talents and enjoy doing it.
9. Personal development: Happiness is about learning new ideas and getting knowledgeable about the latest news and information. It is important to update yourself  to remain competitive  at work and be happy
10. Be creative and innovative: It is a fun thing to create new ideas and better ways to do things. You will be more effective, efficient, and productive. Keep challenging yourself  to find improvement  at work
11. Take breaks between tasks: Don’t work continuously. It is counterproductive and put yourself under unnecessary stress. Have a coffee break or chat with your co-workers. Get away from your work station to have your lunch outside. It is an effective way to declutter your mind, feel relaxed, and also recharge your battery.
12. Mindful: Happiness promotes mindfulness. You just concentrate your mind on the task at hand. You get things done right the first time to avoid frustration and get you on your nerve if you keep making mistakes.
13. Avoid negative emotions from entering your mind: Feeling angry about something or someone? Do not allow thoughts of revenge to disrupt your peace of mind. Replace your hostile thinking with forgiveness to regain your balance and be composed. 
14. Take charge of your career advancement: Be proactive to achieve your objectives. Happiness is following your dreams to achieve your goals. You lead but not to be led.
15. A balanced life: You are happy at work. It does not mean that you can do more or bring work home. Leave the work at the workplace and spend quality time with your family. Happiness is about a balanced life.  

Happiness is within your reach and you can be happy. Just do the right things every day to be happy and stay happy at work.

30 Great Habits to Adopt Every Day

These are some of the wonderful habits to have every day:


In the morning

1. Be an earlier riser.

2. Think of positive thoughts when you wake up.

3. Meditate to be calm, relaxed, and composed.


At work

4. Follow your to-do list.

5. Take the opportunity to walk more often

6. Work smart, work less, be more productive. Follow the 80/20 rule.

7. Be mindful and focus on the task at hand.

8. Take breaks between tasks.

9. Manage and control your own emotions to avoid an outburst of negative feelings.

10. Know the mood of other people and approach them at the right time to get things done.

11. Promise to deliver and deliver as promised

12. Being a trusted brand

13. Be innovative and creative and think of better ways to get things done.


In the evening

14. Do your favorite exercise after work.

15. Talk to your children about school

16. Talk to your spouse about things of mutual concern.

17. Watch less TV and do more household chores.

18. Read a motivational article.

19. Get the to-do list done in the evening for the following day.

20. Count your blessings and be grateful and appreciative.

Always

21. Be happy

22. Follow your passion and interests to realize your dreams

23. Eat less, but more often at regular intervals.

24. Drive with care. Don’t rush. Let the other vehicle go first.

25. Smile and greet people you meet.

26. Do random acts of kindness.

27. Connect and network with the right people.

28. Be interested in other people so that others will be interested in you.

29. Live within your means and be debt-free.

30. Enjoy what you have and be contented.


These habits will bring you more energy, productivity, financial freedom, and happiness in your life.

10 Reasons to Get Things Done Now

Consider the following situations:

• An opportunity is knocking at your door.
• You have just conceived a bright idea.
• There is a marvelous plan waiting for you to be executed.

Will you do it now? Do you seize the chance or you wait for the right time to implement? There are 10 reasons to do it now:

1.      The habit of just do it: Be energetic and take the initiative and plunge into action. Prompt action cures inaction. The longer you delay the more likely you will not do it.

2.      Enthusiastic: There are benefits to do it and there is an urgency to get things done. You will do it  right away  to beat procrastination

3.      Don’t wait for the right time: There is no ideal time, change is the only constant. The main point is to get it going and adjust accordingly along the way

4.      The idea may not be good later: Situation changes and conditions are different and the idea may be good now but not suitable if you delay

5.      It’s now or never:  The most important thing in life is to show you love and appreciation now. You may not be able to express your feelings later. Perhaps the person is no longer around in this world. You will regret it profoundly.

6.      Grab the opportunity: The same golden opportunity may not present itself a second time. Make the best out of it now.

7.      Before it is forgotten: An interruption at the workplace should be handled immediately if it does not take you more than five minutes. When you think of doing it later, it could be forgotten and you are to be blamed.

8.      Don’t accumulate your work: Instead of piling up your work just do it now so that it is not overwhelming and it can be done easily and quickly.

9.      Time-sensitive: Most things carry a deadline. It is better to do it now rather than at the last minute. You never know, you will be rushing to beat the deadline and it may interfere with an important job to be done at the same time. It’s nerve-wracking

10.  Live the moment: This moment, which is precious, is within your control. The future is out of your reach. You can get something done now that is for sure but you can’t be too certain of the future.

The present moment is hard cash for you to spend the way you want it. The future is a post-dated cheque with many uncertainties. If there is something meaningful to be done, do it now. There will be no sorrowful regret later.

10 Advantages of People with Positive Emotions

Thoughts generate emotions. Negative thoughts generate negative emotions and positive thoughts generate positive emotion. You have a choice and it is within your control. The sensible thing is to think of positive thought to produce positive emotions. Positive emotions are beneficial to you in many ways. Here are the top ten:


1. Happy: Positive people feel good about themselves and they are cheerful, joyous and they look at the funny side of things. They find happiness in everything they do and they make others around them happy too.

2. Healthy: They are more relaxed and they sleep well at night. In fact, happiness and health go hand in hand. A person cannot be truly healthy without being happy and they are healthy physically, mentally and spiritually. They are more resistant to stressful situations and adversity

3. Work: They enjoy what they do and they are resilient and tolerant. They bounce back from defeats quickly. They build on their intellectual resources to overcome setbacks in life. They take full responsibility of their own lives and they don’t blame others when they cannot meet their objectives. They are more productive and happier at work than those with negative emotions. Positive emotions boost success in whatever they do

4. Live the moment: Their mind is on what they do at the moment and not thinking of something else. They take time to explore and discover the awesomeness of nature and they enjoy doing it.

5. Positive self-image: They value themselves as what they are with all their strengths and weaknesses with confidence.

6. Creative: They are resourceful and do not react to problems negatively. They are in the mood to find ways to resolve difficulties.

7. Calm: There is a feeling of peacefulness in them. They are not easily disturbed by negative events which are beyond their control.

8. Positive perspective: They are optimistic about life. They are hopeful and they are able to see light at the end of the tunnel.

9. Getting along with others: Their positive outlook attracts the attention of others and they have more friends. Their cheerfulness and friendly approach interact better with people.

10. Think better: They have a broader perspective of life. They are receptive to new ideas and so they made better decisions and do the right things more often.


Create positive emotions to live a happier and healthier life.

10 Ways to Go Slow and Enjoy life

You must have encountered this situation: You try to get something done in a hurry, in the end you make a lot of mistakes and spend more time to get it done. It is frustrating and it drives you nuts. Your blood pressure also goes up. The best thing in life is to go slow and enjoy what you do. Here are the top ten ways to do so:


1. Enjoy your work: Don’t do things in a hurry to produce shabby work. Be pain-taking, meticulous, and do it slowly once and for all. Plan your work and work your plan. Get things done smoothly according to your to-do list without stress.

2. Enjoy your meals: Chew your food well because digestion starts with the saliva in the mouth. Enjoy each mouthful by eating slowly. Switch off the TV set and enjoy your food fully.

3. Enjoy your drive: Don’t go fast, let the other fellow overtake you. Do not risk your life and other people’s lives by driving recklessly. Listen to music or motivational CD and enjoy your trip.

4. Enjoy your leisure: Don’t switch from one station to another or change from one channel to another. Take the time to enjoy and appreciate one program in full. Understand the story and get some meaning out of it.

5. Enjoy the moment: Get the flow of things. Don’t think of something else while you are working. Indulge in the pleasure of doing the task at hand. and don’t worry about the future or regret about the past

6. Enjoy the connection: Stop and chat and don’t be in a hurry to leave. You never know when you will be able to meet your friend again. Enjoy the precious moment.

7. Enjoy your exercise: Weight lifting is not to be done in a hurry. Do it slowly to get the full benefits of building your strength. Jog at a pace you enjoy the most and don’t run out of breath. Enjoy the exercise, the fresh air, and the sunshine

8. Enjoy as an early riser: Early riser enjoys the most out of a brand new day. There is no need to rush about to get things done. There is time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and there is plenty of time to get things done because you are way ahead of others who are still in bed.

9. Enjoy your interests and passion: Have the time of your life to enjoy doing things that are meaningful to you such as writing, teaching, or helping the poor.

10. Enjoy your happiness: Happiness is here and now. Don’t wait for a special occasion in the future to be happy. By the way, will you be happy when the time comes? Discover happiness in everything you do every day. Listen to the falling rain, watch the cruising boat in the river, smile the flower in your garden, these are some of the simple things to enjoy every day. Go slow and make the journey of life enjoyable.


The best thing in life is to avoid getting into a stressful situation by doing things in a hurry. Go slow, enjoy life, and be happy.

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Into Debt

Debt is a dangerous thing because it can destroy your reputation, career, family, make you a bankrupt and ruin your whole life. Here are 10 ways to avoid getting into debt


1. Live within your means: Live a lifestyle that is in line with your income levels. When you go overboard it means incurring debt to live a life you want but unaffordable.

2. Follow your budget: A budget is an advance planning to allocate your income to meet all expenses within a month and including savings as well. It is fine on paper but you have to be disciplined enough to follow the budget faithfully not to overspend.

3. Save for a big-ticket item: It is the most sensible thing to do to avoid debt and interest when you pay in cash

4. Avoid material wants: Don’t get tempted by advertisements. Something may be nice to have, but it is not an essential item. Exercise your will power, be happy, and appreciate what you have and be grateful to live.

5. Factor hire-purchase and housing loan into your monthly budget: A car or a house is a major purchase and most likely it can only be obtained by getting a loan and pay in monthly installments. However, the monthly amount has to be included in your monthly budget. If it is out of whack you need to postpone the purchase until you can pay a bigger down payment with a smaller monthly installment

6. Use a credit card as cash: The easiest way to get into debt is by using a credit card. Exercise the utmost caution and control not to use your cards to obtain items on credit. Back up the amount you charge with a similar amount in the bank so that at the end of each month you can pay credit card bills fully and promptly.

7. Emergency fund: To meet unexpected expenditures like hospitalization and major medical expenses which are not within your monthly budget always set aside an amount for such purposes.

8. Avoid impulsive spending: Follow your shopping list to avoid buying things you don’t need at all.

9. Avoid gambling: This is a bad habit to be avoided like the plague.

10. Avoid greed: Don’t listen to get-rich-quick schemes and investment with very quick and high returns. Don’t part with your hard-earned money. You may even borrow and incur debt to invest more in such schemes.


The happiest person is someone who is contented and debt-free

10 Simple and Effective Ways to Be Positive and Happy in Life

Everything in life starts with a thought or an idea and the right-thinking will create a positive frame of mind especially when you start a new day. As you are in full control of yourself you can choose (you should) to be happy and adopt a positive mental attitude. By feeling happy and thinking positively you will act, react, do things, and express yourself in a delightful way. The best time to think of positive thoughts and be cheerful is when you wake up in the morning. Here are the 10 ways to be positive and happy about life:

1. Early riser: You know you are in full control of your life when you can wake up and get up early especially when you do not need an alarm clock to do so. You are way ahead of others who are still in bed. Doesn’t it impact you positively? Early risers have many advantages besides getting you into the right frame of mind to start a brand new day.

2. Morning rituals: Another way to enhance your positive outlook in life is your routines in the morning. When you wake up you fill your mind with encouraging thoughts: Tell yourself that it’s going to be a wonderful day and you are looking forward to another great day at work. Furthermore, when you get up, do Tai Chi or yoga to give you a calm and peaceful mind. All these will create positivity in your mind right from the beginning of a new day.

3. Behavior: Be zestful and smile at people. Do things with enthusiasm and full of energy. Focus on the task at hand and ready to overcome problems with creativity and resourcefulness. Talk energetically and convey your messages with conviction and determination.

4. Think of your successes and progress: Your success and progress in life are confirmation of your capability to do what you want to do in life. It will boost your self-image and your positive outlook in life.

5. Live in the moment: The past and the future do not worry you. You are mindful and you live the moment. At work, you concentrate on the job or you go slow to enjoy life when you are not working.

6. Read: Be motivated by words of encouragement in books and articles. Learn the success stories of great people in history. Be inspired and motivated to live life positively.

7. Exercise: One good thing about exercise is that it suppresses depression and puts you in a good mood. Besides shaping you up, you will be alert and in top form.

8. Advance planning: A positive mindset will prevail when you don’t have to do things in a hurry or in a panic situation. In other words, you are in full control. The only way to do it is to plan your day well by having your to-do list ready and follow accordingly

9. Hopeful: Positive thinking means there is always something good to look forward to in life; it may be about your career, your family, or your well-being. You are upbeat about life.

10. Something to do: What interests you? What is the thing that makes you jumpstart a new day? It is your passion and interest. It is your goals and objectives in life. Your enthusiasm and eagerness to work on your project will boost your energy levels and also your positive mental attitude.


The most important thing is to start a new day with positive thoughts and cheerfulness to bring out the best in you positively.

7 Positive Emotions to Make You Happy and More

Every once in a while you need something to lift your mood and make you happy. Develop these 7 uplifting positive emotions to cheer you up:

1. Abundance: You don’t believe you are living in abundance? You are perfect in physical features and you enjoy good health. You have a job with decent pay. You are happily married with children. You may not be rich but you have some savings and you have no debt. You have friends and relatives. You are blessed. Be appreciative and thankful for your circumstances.

2. Calm: To be in a state of peacefulness and calmness in you, do meditation such as Tai Chi or yoga in the morning. You will be able to be composed and get a relaxed feeling of serenity around you.

3. Cheerfulness: Smile inside your heart and smile at people you meet. Feel light-hearted. Be mindful and live in the moment and feel  good  about yourself

4. Hopefulness: Life is meaningful when there is hope. Be confident that you will get what you want out of life. Be optimistic about the future and be excited to live life because you have high hope and a positive outlook

5. Simplicity: Avoid clutter at home to allow a free flow of positive energy. Go slow in life to marvel and appreciate nature.  Attach less to material things and want less. Just be happy to enjoy what you have.

6. Success: Are you making progress in life? Have you accomplished your objectives?  Do you think you are always lucky? If so, be motivated by your achievements and be more productive.

7. Purposeful: Life is about purposeful living. Find out your passion and interests and set meaningful goals. With a direction in life, you will be eager to jump-start a new day every day to do your favorite things.

Positive emotions give you more than just happiness. You will be healthier, more creative, and more successful in life.   

10 I’s to Boost Your Competitive Edge

The Prime Minister of Malaysia is a firm believer in innovation and creativity. He believes that these are the foundation of a productive, high-value, and high-income economy. On a personal level, your success in life depends on these qualities to stay ahead of the competitions. Here are the 10 I’s:


1. Initiative: You are a self-starter and put an idea to work immediately. You make things happen.

2. Innovative: The way to do it is to get out of your comfort zone and think outside the box to look for new ideas to get things done

3. Intuitive: Believe in your gut feelings and willing to take risks and try new things. Even if an idea does not work, it is a valuable lesson.

4. Imaginative: When you can conceive an idea, let it incubate and illuminate so that you can see clearly the concept. The most important thing is to put the idea to work.

5. Improvement: Kaizen is the Japanese way of saying continuous improvement. Seek improvement to simplify your work and make it more effective and efficient

6. Inquisitive: Get to the bottom of things and get to know fully how something works. The more you know the more resourceful you will be to solve problems.

7. Intelligence: The ability to look at things differently based on information and knowledge acquired to develop your own ideas. This is the way to cultivate your intellectual capacity.

8. Inspiration: Do things in a unique and original way, associate with successful people, talk to people who are creative and inspiring, listen to music, read inspirational quotes and success stories. Find out what inspires you and get a flow of ideas.

9. Interest: Interest and passion are the starting point to be creative and resourceful. You are willing to learn and accept new ideas and make changes for the better

10. Inventive: Read widely, do research, and do continuous learning in order to be creative. An inventive or creative mind always thinks that there must be a better way to do a thing.


In order to survive in this competitive world develop and harness your creativity.

10 Money Matters to Teach Your Children

We, as parents, have made many gains and losses in personal finance. It is our duty to share what we know so that our children can take advantage of the knowledge to invest wisely and also to avoid the pitfalls. I think the following are the 10 most important things our children should know and follow faithfully.

1. The power of compound interest: Start to save early and take advantage of compound interest Just look at the following illustration taken from Money Sense Getting Smart with Your Money, a book published by Credit Counseling And Debt Management Agency:



2. The danger of credit and credit cards: Credit cards are double-edged swords. They can serve you or ruin you financially. The most important thing is to avoid credit. Credit means incurring debt and paying very high interest. It can easily lead to bankruptcy. Treat your credit cards like cash. Keep a dollar for every dollar charged to your card so that at the end of a month you can pay the credit card bills fully and promptly.


3. Avoid get rich quick schemes: It is always too good to be true. Why should the person approach you? He could have made more money by himself instead of asking you to join in.

4. The importance of working hard for financial success: To be successful and ahead of others it is necessary for you to be innovative and creative. You can run your own business or you can be employed, you need to have unique and original ideas and work hard at it. The money will follow. Money is the by-product of your productivity.

5. Long-term investment: It is important to invest and hold an investment for many years. It will even out the rise and fall of the market Landed property is one of the best investments Land is scarce; it appreciates over time, it is good to rent out and collect rental or as a roof over your head. Be careful to choose a good location. Invest and hold shares of companies that are trusted brands. Collect dividends, get bonus and rights issues and let the value of shares appreciates over time

6. Avoid gambling: The root cause of this problem or bad habit is greed, one of the human weaknesses. Once you are addicted, it is a one-way ticket to hell.

7. The power of networking: Get to know professional people in the field of finance. Learn a thing or two from them. The more you know the more resourceful you are to make wise decisions pertaining to financial issues.

8. Save up for a big-ticket item: Instead of getting it on credit and incurring interest, save up and buy in cash. .In a way, it is to avoid impulse buying and on second thought you may not want the item after all.

9. Live within your budget: Children should budget their pocket money or live within their means when they have started working. The budget should include an amount set aside as savings besides the normal monthly expenses. The most important thing is to avoid overspending. It means incurring debt. It is very difficult to get out of debt.

10. Cultivate the habit of savings: Inculcate the habit of savings. The amount is not important but the habit is. Savings serve many purposes. The money can be put aside as an emergency fund. You can also save up to buy a big-ticket item. When you have saved up sufficiently you can also invest and build your wealth.


What are the other important things to teach our children about money? Share with us.

10 Advantages of a To-Do List

A to-do list is a simple yet powerful working tool. The list consists of your routine daily tasks and the tasks relating to your long-term goals. It is even something that you have promised your son to do. It may not be important but you have to keep the promise. The list has a far-reaching positive effect on the list maker. A to-do list is beneficial and useful in many ways:


1. It is in writing: All the tasks are listed and nothing has been left out. You will not forget to do; unless you have not taken out from your shirt pocket and looked at it. It is a constant reminder of the things to do. The same list can still continue to be used until all tasks are done with.

2. It is prioritized according to the importance of each task: You will attend to the most important task first thing in the morning. With the list, you stay focus on the right thing to do

3. No need to remember: It is to free your mind for creative thinking. It is more productive than committing the list to your memory and you may forget one to two things in the end.

4. The satisfaction of a job accomplished: When you tick or cross out a task as soon as it is done, it gives you a sense of achievement and you will be pleased to know that you can get things done.

5. Boost your confidence: By following the list faithfully, it confirms that you are a self-starter. You don’t procrastinate and you get things done right away

6. An organized person: When you follow the list you don’t rush about to get things done but you execute the work smoothly and there is no panic situation or stress.

7. Do less but accomplished more: You may not have spent a lot of time to complete the most important task but you have achieved the desired results. You are productive by following the 80/20 rule.

8. Advance planning: Making a to-do list every day is actually carrying out advance planning. It is, in fact, an effective and efficient way to GTD.

9. A good night’s sleep: The list is usually done in the evening to plan for the following day. When the list is done, it gives you peace of mind and you can go to sleep soundly as you have taken care of the tasks ahead of you.

10. Better time management: It means there will be time for you to take breaks between tasks. You will also have more time to do things you enjoy doing


Start making a list tonight. Don’t be too ambitious and make a long list. It should be manageable, attainable, and meaningful to you.

Story of a Gambler in 5 D’s

Gabriel Lee was a senior officer in a local bank. He was happily married with 4 children.
He believed he had money luck. Lately his luck was not as good as expected.


1. Debt: Gambling is a big business and it is a winning business or else Singapore would not have opened two casinos recently. The odds are very much against the gamblers. How do you continue to gamble without money? You borrow from your friends and relatives. You make advances from your credit cards and you get personal loans from the banks and even loan sharks. At this early stage your credit worthiness is still good. This was the situation of Gabriel now. He was in debt, but it was still manageable.

2. Delinquency: As he continued to follow his bad habit of gambling, he needed more money to bet one last time to cover all his losses. That was what he had been thinking about. But he couldn’t quite make it. By this time his finance was getting from bad to worse. He couldn’t meet the minimum payment for his credit cards and he missed repayments for his bank loans and not to mention the harassment from loan sharks. His friends and relatives are also after him for money he had borrowed.

3. Desperation: By now he was desperate because he received frequent calls and personal visits to his house and at the office about his long outstanding debts. He decided to take one drastic action but a very wrong move by misappropriating fund from the bank where he was working. He was thinking that just one lucky strike he would be rich and out of all debts. How wrong he could be. Luck was never with Gabriel.

4. Destruction: Now he was really in deep troubles. . The bank had discovered the fraud and he was sacked and his career was ruined.

5. Death: He had no job and he had no money and he was in debt. His family had deserted him because he was stubborn not to listen to stop gambling. No one was willing to help now because he had turned a deaf ear previously to their kind words not to carrying on gambling. He had destroyed his reputation and his future. Life was hopeless and there was no one to turn to. He had no choice but to take his own life away.


Take-home messages:

• Do not take up gambling as luck is not always on your side.

• Avoid greed as it is one of the human weaknesses.

• Be grateful and appreciate what you have got out of life.

• Live within your means and be happy.

7 Tips to Avoid your Children from Taking Drugs

According to a newspaper report, youths in Malaysia between 14 and 16 and for some even much younger have their first experience of drugs and here are the findings in 2009 about drug addicts:

What can you do to avoid your children from taking drugs? Here are the 7 tips:


1. You don’t smoke so that nobody at home is smoking. It is this bad habit of smoking that leads to drug-taking.

2. Help your children to choose friends wisely. It is also important for parents to find out more about your children’s acquaintances.

3. Do not expect too much from your children, let them grow up and be happy at their own pace.

4. Promote regular exercise among children to relieve stress.

5. Children can be curious but they should not touch drugs. They can gain knowledge by reading books or finding out more on the Net.

6. Spend quality time with your children, when they face problems they will turn to you easily.

7. Love your children so that they feel wanted and they know that home is the place to find comfort, warmth, and solace.

10 Tips to Manage Your Career

Managing your career is an on-going process and it is a challenging one. There are many areas to pay attention and take care of. The following aspects are important for your career success:


1. Manage your time: It is important to spend some time every day, preferably, in the evening to prioritize your daily tasks for the following day. When you follow the to-do list faithfully you will get the most important things done smoothly. A to-do list also helps you achieve a balanced life. You l get things done without working overtime and you have time to pursue your personal interests and passion.

2. Manage your goals: Have you got your written goals? Your goals are the road map of your life. It tells you what and when to do in order to accomplish your objectives. You follow your daily tasks without fail so that you will reach your weekly objectives, your monthly goals, and your yearly plan.

3. Manage your productivity: Get away from your comfort zone and think creatively to find new ideas to get things done more efficiently and effectively. Work smart and follow the 80/20 rule to do less, but more productive.

4. Manage your boss: Get to know the objectives and pressure of your boss and coordinate closely to get things done. Be aware of his or her working style and follow accordingly. Get into the good book of your boss by showing what you can do for the company.

5. Manage your image: Dress smartly and be meticulous to let others know that you care about yourself and to project an image of self-confidence. Be approachable and friendly when dealing with others.

6. Manage your health: A robust health gives you the drive and energy to perform at your peak. Exercise daily to sustain your alertness and concentration at work under stress.

7. Manage your habits: Beware of your bad habits such as not paying attention to details, coming to work late, and the like. The key is to eliminate your weaknesses and fortify your strengths.

8. Manage your relationships: Think more about other people. Think of their interests and find out what you can do for them. Others will notice that you pay attention to them and in return, they will help you when you ask for it.

9. Manage your emotions and also other people: Keep your problems at home and be happy at work. Smile at people and make others happy too. Get to know the feelings and moods of others. Approach another person at the right time so that you will get things done easily and quickly.

10. Manage your finance: Spend within your budget and use your credit cards as your own money. The most important thing is not to get into debt. Build your creditworthiness by paying your credit card bills fully and promptly.


To manage your career is to manage changes in life. Be open-minded to new ideas and always update yourself through continuous learning.

10 Situations to Avoid Getting a Loan

It is unwise in the following situations to obtain credit and get into debt. It will jeopardize your finance during an emergency situation like when you are out of work


1. No regular income: When your income fluctuates from month to month there is no way to do a budget and include the repayments of the loan into your monthly outlay. It is also unlikely for you to obtain a loan without a regular source of income

2. Not within your budget: Don’t get a loan when there is no extra fund to meet monthly repayments

3. Live a more expensive life style: When you can ill-afford to eat out at high end restaurants and buy branded goods, you still can satisfy your hunger in a less expensive way. The cost of branded goods includes frequent advertisements and a higher margin for profit. A less expensive brand is just as good without the high cost of advertisement and lower profit margin.

4. Replacing household items which are still in good working order: When you have the means there is no problem but don’t get a loan to replace electrical appliances or TV which are still in good working conditions.

5. Change a three-year old car to the latest model: The car is in tip-top condition, why raise a loan and incur unnecessary debt and pay interest?

6. Getting things you want: Borrow money to satisfy your ego? It’s stupid thing to do.

7. Sending your children overseas for further education: If it is within your means to study locally why incur a debt to send them overseas? Do you think it is a good thing to pledge your house to finance your children’s education abroad?

8. Throw a party to celebrate an occasion: Who cares about your celebration? Just do it among family members. Don’t get a personal loan just to spend it.

9. Holiday abroad: Have a good time locally instead of getting into debt and paying interest. Malaysia is one of the top ten destinations for holiday makers. Discover more about your own backyard.

10. Renovate your house: Don’t beautify your house when it is in good repair even though the bank encourages you to take a loan as the value of your property has appreciated over time.


The only good thing to raise a loan is to get a roof over your head.

7 Areas of Personal Development

Personal improvement is an on-going process in life. The most important thing is to keep making improvement and getting better in the following key areas of your life:


1. Improve your health: Walk more and drive less, watch less TV, and move more. Improve your health by getting more aerobic exercise, weight training, and stretching. Watch what you eat and take breaks between tasks and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

2. Getting more positive emotions: Think more about happiness and act more cheerfully. Feel good about yourself and be more confident Associate more with positive-thinking people and smile more often at people to make them happy too.

3. Continuous learning: Learning is a delightful thing. It broadens your mind, stimulates your thinking, and provides you with more resources to solve your problems. It is also essential to update yourself and make changes to keep up with the current trend. Read more and learn more new things every day.

4. Improve your personal finance. The money will not give you 100% happiness but without money, there will be no happiness. Managing your financial resources is a balancing act. The more you spend the less you will save for your retirement and the less you spend you will have to sacrifice some enjoyment at the moment. Be more cautious about money matters.

5. Improve your relationships with others: We always think of ourselves more when we deal with others. Thinking more of the other person is an effective way to get along well with others.

6. Improve your work: It is about making yourself more effective, efficient, and productive at work. It means you will have to get out of your comfort zone and try new things and make the necessary changes for the better. Work smart, do less but achieve more.

7. Improve your family ties: Spend more time at home with .your loved ones. Talk more often about anything and everything. Find out more about your children’s school life and their homework. Go out together more often for more fresh air, sunshine, and laughter.


Remember these 7 key areas in your life to seek constant improvement and to live a more satisfying and successful life.

4 Pillars of Human Weaknesses

Newspaper headlines are more or less the same. The following are the usual ones you see every day:


• Half a million life savings cheated by a share scam

• Failed to overtake - 4 killed

• Committed suicide for $25,000 due to loan sharks

• 20-year jail for criminal breach of trust.


These headlines are the outcome of human weaknesses in the following four areas:


1. Greed: It is human nature to believe in getting rich without putting in an effort. They are gullible to get rich quick schemes, excited about things which are free and cheap, and believe in getting things the easy way. In life, the only sure way to be wealthy is through your blood, sweat and tears, and nothing else.

2. Impatience: Youngsters are thrilled to beat the red light, excited to overtake more cars in front in a reckless manner. They are satisfied to risk their lives and the lives of others by driving very fast on the road. Life is precious and you only live once. Live and let live. Go slow on the road and practice tolerance.

3. The 4 vices: They are gambling, drinking, smoking, and womanizing. The habit of gambling can only lead to debt, delinquency, and bankruptcy. Smoking is not only a health hazard it is a fire risk at home as well. You can light a cigarette and lie on the bed and without realizing it you snooze off with the lighted cigarette. By the time you wake up the whole room is already ablaze. Drinking and driving are the quickest and surest way to hell. Such reports are always in the news about fatal accidents relating to drunk driving. Prostitution is closely linked to venereal disease and the break-up in marriages

4. Wrongdoings: These include tax evasion, cheats, stealing, lies, fraud, adultery, corruption, rape, murder, harassment, misappropriation, cover-up, and many more. Doing the wrong things will not pay, sooner or later the truth will be out and the law will catch up with you. Go straight and be conscientious of what you are doing.


In life, you have to believe in cause and effect, go slow on the road, give up all the bad habits, and avoid doing the wrong things.

10 Characteristics of a Good Employer

Prospective employees and young graduates are looking for the following positive pointers for their first job:


1. Matching individual skills to a relevant job: It means an employee is able to use his degree, skills, and knowledge on the right job to do things that he or she is passionate about and interested in.

2. Job security: It is a well-established company with a proven track record. The company is viable and profitable and is able to offer employees long-term employment

3. Staff development: It is a win-win situation to develop and train existing staff to be more knowledgeable and skillful to do a better job and raise productivity. Staff is motivated by their personal development and positive contributions and achievements.

4. Staff advancement: They can see clearly a career path in the company for those who are ambitious to move up the ladder and it is the policy of the company to promote from within.

5. A balanced life: Management encourages working smart and the importance of the personal life of employees. There is a balance between work and other things in life to reduce stress at work to the minimum.

6. A competitive pay package: The company is able to offer a better than average starting pay to attract talents and retain them to be potential leaders.

7. Challenging work: The job is stimulating and challenging so that it gives an employee a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. This is one factor of happiness at work.

8. Conducive working environment: The setting of the company is able to boost productivity and creativity among the employees. Teamwork is encouraged.

9. Management style: Top managements are always on the lookout for potential leaders to be groomed for promotion. These potential talents are offered a differentiated pay package to keep them motivated and engaged on the job.

10. A trusted brand: The company is a reputable and successful brand. Employees are proud and happy to be associated with an innovative and forward-looking establishment.


Is your company able to match your offer with the expectations of potential candidates?