Keep out of debt

"The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. "- Proverbs 22:7

Many people are one paycheck away from bankruptcy because they have no savings and spend every dime they make. If you're servicing debt you don't have any money for yourself and your family! You are then working whole life not for yourself and your family but for the bank.


Below is an advice from Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the world.

“Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and remember:

1. Money doesn’t create man; it is the man who created money.
2. Live your life as simple as you are.
3. Don’t do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel good.
4. Don’t go for brand name; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.
5. Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on those who really are in need.
6. After all it’s your life so why give chance to others to rule your life.”

Your discipline today will govern you tomorrow. Do you agree?

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Have faith in unseen things

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary.
To one without faith, no explanation is possible.”
- St. Thomas Aquinas

Some people said they could only believe in things they can see. However, there are many things we cannot see and yet we do believe they exist. For example, though we cannot see the air, we are indeed breathing in air.

We also cannot see the wind but when we see the trees blowing back and forth, we realize that the wind must be blowing.


Isn't it true that...

Before a book, there must be an author.
Before the architecture, there must be an architect.
Before a garden, blooming in beauty, there must be a gardener.
Before a work of art, there was an artist.
And before the creation, there was a Creator.

You may have come across many blogs with unknown author. However, you can usually tell whether the author of such blogs are uplifting, edifying, wholesome, or unsound from their posts or reply to comments.

"For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:44-45

I had chosen to reveal some of my personal information. That is why many of you know something about me. In addition, being the author, I can choose to delete this blog if I find that it is not beneficial to keep. On the other hand, if this blog is valuable and beneficial, many people and I will make every effort to save or make a backup copy.

Similarly, the Mighty Creator of all things had chosen to reveal to us through the Bible; otherwise, nobody will know the Creator. And the Bible teaches us that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus Christ to save us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16

May we all be enlightened with wisdom to understand and have faith in unseen things.

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Don't fail to read good books

"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." - Sir Francis Bacon

"The road to knowledge begins with the turn of the page."

"The books that help you most are those which make you think the most."

“The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them” - Mark Twain

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

Good books are indeed great source for information and knowledge. However, you need to spend time reading to acquire the necessary information and knowledge. Anyway, remember that it is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.

Read books. They are good for us.

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Live with Passion!

"One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested." - E. M. Forster

It is vital to find out things that you're passionate about. When you are passionate about certain things, you tend to talk about it all the time! A lot of great thing in the world were accomplished by those with great passion. True happiness comes when you do what you're most passionate about.

“We're constantly striving for success, fame and comfort when all we really need to be happy is someone or some thing to be enthusiastic about.” - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” - Oprah Winfrey

"You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing." - Dale Carnegie

“Enthusiasm releases the drive to carry you over obstacles and adds significance to all you do” - Norman Vincent Peale

“A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means” - William Hazlitt

“Never underestimate the power of passion.” - Eve Sawyer

"Waste no more time talking about great souls and how they should be. Become one yourself!" - Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

I believe that passion must goes with wisdom. Wisdom is not worth acquiring if we could not live with passion. However, if we just live with passion without wisdom, we might end up living foolishly without integrity. So it is very important that we acquire wisdom and live with passion.

Have you uncovered your true passion? Well, what one thing you want to do because you love to - not because you have to?

If you are not pursuing your passion, find out what is stopping you and do something about it.

It's time to stop wishing, find out how and start living!

Photo 1 by sixs†eps taken from this source
Photo 2 by steveharris taken from this source

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Emotional Intelligence versus I.Q.

In this last decade, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that emotional awareness and the abilities to handle feelings are much more important than I.Q.

Either you control your emotions, or they control you.

Studies have shown there was very little correlation between a child's success in examinations and his/her success in adult life.

At best, I.Q. contributes 20% to the factors that determine life's success, which leaves 80% to other forces - Emotional Intelligence.

"Emotional Intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act. It shapes our interactions with others and our understanding of ourselves. It defines how and what we learn; it allows us to set priorities; it drives many of our daily actions." - Freedman et al.

"What really matters for success, character, happiness and life long achievements is a definite set of emotional skills - your EQ - not just purely cognitive abilities that are measured by conventional IQ tests." - Daniel Goleman, Ph.D.

Below is an I.Q. game. If you are interested, try it out. Do share the lessons you had acquired from this IQ game!

Can you help them cross over the river?

(I had adapted this IQ game post with permission from this source)

Below are the rules that apply for this IQ game.

1. Only 2 persons on the raft at a time
2. The father can not stay with any of the daughters without their mother’s presence
3. The mother can not stay with any of the sons without their father’s presence
4. The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member if the Policeman is not there
5. Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft
6. To start click on the big blue circle on the right.
7. To move the people click on them.
8. To move the raft click on the pole on the opposite side of the river.

Click the above screen to load the game and then 開始 button to start the game.

Photo by slark taken from this source

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Live a balanced life

Nowadays, in our lives, we are taking on so many roles that we ought to constantly remind ourselves to do our best to find the right balance. As for me, I am a Husband, Father, Son, Manager, Employee, Friend, Christian, Preacher, Blogger and the list can just go on.

"People with great gifts are easy to find, but symmetrical and balanced ones never." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"At times, it is difficult to keep a proper balance in our lives. But, over time, an improper balance will lead to problems." - Catherine Pulsifer

“Just as your car runs more smoothly and requires less energy to go faster and farther when the wheels are in perfect alignment, you perform better when your thoughts, feelings, emotions, goals, and values are in balance.” - Brian Tracy

“Wisdom is your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles apply and relate to each other. It embraces judgment, discernment, comprehension. It is a gestalt or oneness, and integrated wholeness.” - Stephen R. Covey

"In fact, everyone should take time out once in a while to recharge and revitalize their energy. The key is to have a balanced life." - Michael Lee, CPA

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony." - Thomas Merton

Bill Gates says "In my 20s, I worked very, very hard. I have a much more balanced life now."

Check out: The Interactive Wheel of Life - maybe it can help you to find and map your life balance.

Well, what is your balance? Is it family, work and service?

Photo 1 by Sipula taken from this source
Photo 2 by bubblestar taken from this source

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How to Acquire Wisdom?

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it” - Albert Einstein

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.” - Confucius

“The key to wisdom is knowing all the right questions.” - John A. Simone, Sr.

"To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe." - Marilyn vos Savant

“A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance.” - Gian Carlo Menotti

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are” - C.S. Lewis

"Understanding is the foundation of wisdom and wisdom is acquired from experiences and lessons understood. A primary way to acquire wisdom is to seek the company of those who have it!."

Each day is a new beginning and another opportunity for learning, growth and increased wisdom for you and me.

Photo by »°WingMan°« taken from this source

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The Wisdom to Know the Difference

Pray not for things, but for wisdom and courage.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference." - Reinhold Niebuhr

You can't do what is right until you know what is right. But knowing and doing are not necessarily the same thing.

"Understanding is knowing what to do; Wisdom is knowing what to do next; Virtue is actually doing it." - Tristan Gylberd

"If you only do what you know you can do - you never do very much." - Tom Krause

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” - Robert Frost

Well, is it necessary for one to accumulate enough experience personally to have the wisdom to know the difference - to accept things as it is or change it? What do you think?

Photo by 顔なし taken from this source

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Source of All Knowledge - QA Exchange

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” - Thomas Berger

“There are no foolish questions and no man becomes a fool until he has stopped asking questions” - Charles P. Steinmetz

Although many of us know that there is Wisdom in Asking Questions, we still at times do not ask questions when we do not understand. Why? The following excerpt could be one of the reasons:

"Researchers have found that a fascinating change takes place in schoolchildren. When they begin their studies, strong and weak students show an equal willingness to ask questions when they do not understand. However, as they get older and begin to understand their relative position in the class, students, especially weaker students, become reluctant to ask questions and reveal what they do not know." - Source: 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People by David Niven

“If there is something to gain and nothing to lose by asking, by all means ask!” - W. Clement Stone

The following are typical problems that some of us are facing:

• There are just too many blogs or websites to search through; thus it is difficult to find solutions or answers
• One needs to spent a lot of time to sift through thread of messages; yet still could not find the solution
• One may not or don't know how to post questions; thus have to live with the problems unsolved
• One could not find or could have posted to the wrong forum; thus nobody answer questions posted
• One find it difficult to get somebody to visit or read their blogs or websites

To resolve the above problems, I am starting a blog for QA exchange. I had posted the Rules and How this works at Solutions Repository (http://solutions-repos.blogspot.com).

Although this may looks like a meme but this project is different from meme where anybody can post questions and anybody can answer questions posted. Thus, there is no need to tag somebody who might not be interested at all. Only those interested will be participating in QA Exchange! Besides, preferably only unique questions (can still have different version if necessary) will be posted and questions are moderated and stored at Solutions Repository for those seeking answers or solutions.

Below are some of the benefits of having QA exchange:

• You can get a lot of answers (by different bloggers / websites owners) to your question
  
• Answer comes to you instead of you having to search for it
• Those that don't ask question can still get answers to questions posted by somebody
  
• Those participate in Questions or Answers (QA Exchange) can get a lot of good link exchanges because of related topics
• Your blog got publicized and thus can get a lot of good traffics from interested readers
  
• Questions can suggest more interesting topics for blogs / websites
• Different answers can promote more interesting interactions among bloggers
  

What do you think?
Do you want to participate in this QA Exchange project?

Photo by ArnorBogason taken from this source

The Never Ending Education

"Instruction ends in the schoolroom, where real education starts."

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” - Tom Bodett

“The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.”- Robert M. Hutchins

“Life will teach you the lessons, it is up to you to learn them”

“Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” - Helen Keller

"Life is like riding a bike. It is impossible to maintain your balance while standing still." - Linda Brakeall

Photo by coolmonfrere taken from this source

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Get Wisdom! Get Understanding!

“It is better to listen in order to understand than to listen in order to reply”

"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change." - Thich Nhat Hahn

“There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it” - Charles F. Kettering

“To realize that you do not understand is a virtue; Not to realize that you do not understand is a defect.” - Lao Tzu

Philip Wheelwright is right!, "Much learning does not teach understanding."

There is a Chinese Proverb that says: “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.” and Confucius says “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Thus, we can understand better by getting involve and do the necessary things!

Proverbs 4:5-7 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Photo by idealterna taken from this source

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You need to look within

“The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs” - James Allen

"Look within!... The secret is inside you." - Hui-neng

"Seeing within changes one's outer vision." - Joseph Chilton Pearce

"When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct."

“The superior man will watch over himself when he is alone. He examines his heart that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause of dissatisfaction with himself.” - Confucius

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” - Mark Twain

"The unexamined life is not worth living." - Socrates

Photo by justindc taken from this source

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Know yourself well

Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-improvement.

"It is wisdom to know others; It is enlightenment to know one's self." - Lao-Tzu

"Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing." - Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan

"What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." - Abraham H. Maslow

"You can live a lifetime and, at the end of it, know more about other people than you know about yourself." - Beryl Markham

The key to success is knowing yourself.

Photo by evansent taken from this source

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Grow and move forward wisely!

“You can't keep blaming yourself. Just blame yourself once, and move on.” - Dan Castellaneta

"Youth is when you blame everything on your parents. Maturity is when you learn that everything is the fault of the younger generation." - George Bernard Shaw

You're not fully mature unless you're prepared for the unexpected.

Wisdom is when you accept the blame and embrace the learning.

“Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness” - Jean Vanier

He that never corrects his mistakes will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.

Photo by Meredith_Farmer taken from this source

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Develop Good Qualities

See the good in people and try to develop those qualities.

Ten Success Qualities Most Wanted by Business Leaders:

1. Ability to lead and communicate with others.
2. Ability to compete.
3. Ability to plan and schedule your activities.
4. Versatility in your dealings.
5. Loyalty to your business.
6. Responsibility for time, money, property and opportunities.
7. Honesty in all things.
8. Truthfulness.
9. High moral character.
10. Adaptability to mental and physical pressures with the ability to bounce back.

“The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.” - Ray Kroc

“Persons are judged to be great because of the positive qualities they possess, not because of the absence of faults”

“Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men - Confucius

Photo by Spitzgogo_CHEN taken from this source

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Your Precious Time

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A life is Too Precious to Waste - To spend on Anything But the Best.

“Wisdom doesn't automatically come with old age. Nothing does - except wrinkles. It's true, some wines improve with age. But only if the grapes were good in the first place.”

Spend your time wisely!

Photo by S Ryo taken from this source

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Learn from Wise Sayings

“Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.” - Sandra Carey

A short saying often contains much wisdom.

"Wisdom is not the product of schooling but the lifelong attempt to acquire it." - Albert Einstein

"Every man like myself, who never went to college, can largely make up for that lack by reading the wise sayings of the great men of the past, who gladly left their wisdom and experience in proverbs for us who follow them." - Winston Churchill

Photo by Khya taken from this source

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Continuous Learning is a must

"Books and schools give us knowledge. Wise sayings give us wisdom - tell us how to use knowledge - tell us how to live." - Sidney Smith

Today, information and technology change constantly. To be ahead of the competition, we must develop the ability to absorb, process and apply information very fast. We must constantly learn, unlearn and relearn to be number one.

However, it is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.

Photo by Kolya taken from this source

What the Bible Says about Wisdom

Let's check from the New King James Version (NKJV) Bible:

Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility

Indeed, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Photo rogiro by taken from this source

So much to learn

The more I think I had learnt the more I know I still have to learn. Everyday when we face problems, we are actually learning. How we tackle problems determine whether we are acquiring Wisdom or getting more stress that kills.