Are There Secrets to Success?

Some people feels that they achieved success through sheer hard work and determination while others may say it was due to being at the right place at the right time.


Some people believe there are indeed secrets to achieving success. To be successful, one needs to acquire the following skills:

• Ability and humility to learn from the learned and experienced so that you don't repeat their mistakes.
• Increase your visibility, by networking and attending social events and forums, physically and online in cyberspace.
• Learn to communicate effectively.
• Develop an effective network.
• Have a balance lifestyle, able to juggle and balance between work and home.
• Know when to take risks.
•  Understand the politics of the organization they are in.  

Do you think you possess the above skills? You can always learn to acquire them. To do that you must get out of your comfort zone and change the way you do things.It is never too late to start changing for the better.




 

Success and what it means

Everyone wants to be a success. Successful biographies will boast of how so and so achieved his dreams working from rags to riches. You frequently encounter the same themes:-unfailing commitment to achieve, drive and ambition, and the ability to overcome hurdles and obstacles. Success often come after failure and lessons learnt. Persistence and patience are common attributes too. For some people success does not come from luck. Often they learn from the experience of others.

How do the average person define success? Some define it as having amassed a great amount of wealth. While some say success is having a good quality of life and a good balance of health and happiness.Still, some people define it as achievement and recognition for a job well done, whether in the professional circles or in their personal lives.

The meaning of success depends on each individual's needs, aspirations, perception and abilities. Not everyone wants to succeed as the boss or as the Prime Minister. Neither does everyone wants to be an acclaimed genius or superstar.

For someone like me, success would mean that I have found personal contentment and an easy life whereby I do not need to worry about what to do to get an easy and relaxed lifestyle, no more sprinting in the rat race; and with having raised winners in my children.

I still have a long way to achieve my goals of success. I still need to wake up using the alarm clock. My guru says having achieved wealth means you can wake up naturally in the morning. And to know whether you have the means to lead a naturally relaxed lifestyle you need to calculate how long you can last monetarily, if you stop working today.

So folks, get cracking. Have you got the nest egg to retire yet?

THE LIFE OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS

Click for more: When you are a billionaire

Most people don't make US$47,000 in a year -- but Friday afternoon one Russian billionaire dropped that much cash on LUNCH!!!!!


For those who want to be rich and live like Abramovich, remember, $47,000 can feed more than 10 families for a year in a developing country.

The Science of Getting Rich

Wallace D. Wattles may be long gone but his book 'The Science of Getting Rich' written in 1910 has made many wealthy.

His concepts are evergreen and can still be applied to the present.It is still going strong and many people still find benefits from it.

One concept that comes to mind is: Everyone has the right to be rich. This concept is very powerful as it states that the resources in the universe is abundant and infinite and in getting rich you do not impinge on the rights of others as everyone has that given right. So that means that if your friend becomes a millionaire by practising certain laws which govern the process of acquiring riches, you should not be envious or jealous of him. He has not taken from you anything to acquire his wealth. You should be friends with him so that you too can learn a trick or two on the actual science of getting rich.

It is interesting to note that there is abundance of opportunity for the man who will go with the tide instead of trying to swim against it.

If one follows the natural law that 'like causes always produces like effects', therefore anyone who learns to do things in 'the certain right way', will definitely achieve his goals. It is the same in studies. The better students have found the way on how, when and what to study to ace in exams. 

A man's way of doing things is a direct implication of how he perceives things. To do things in a way you want, you will have to acquire the ability to think the way you want to think; that is the first step.

Look out for more tips from Wallace D Wattles's book.

Putting Time to Good Use

Traffic Hoopla sent me this email. It is useful for everyone to ponder and apply.



THE TOP TEN HIGH-VALUE USES OF YOUR TIME

1. Things that advance your overall life purpose.

2. Things you have always wanted to do.

3. Things that others say can't be done.

4. Things that help you grow to your maximum potential.

5. Things that develop other people's ability to achieve and lead.

6. Things that multiply - rather than merely add - value to
yourself and others.

7. Things that harness your creativity.

8. Things you can delegate to others.

9. Things that promote teamwork and synergy.

10-Things that are now or never opportunities.



You can join trafffic hoopla by clicking:


http://traffichoopla.com/r.cgi/69313/

Motivation of the day

I wish to share the following message I received in my email recently.


1. Laziness
Time put to no useful purpose, not even relaxation.

2. Procrastination
Putting off things that should be done now.

3. Distraction
Time frittered away on the details of side issues, to the detriment
of the main issue.

4. Impatience
Lack of preparation, thoroughness, or perseverance, usually
resulting in time-consuming mistakes.

DO IT TODAY

Do the right thing ;
Do it today ;
Do it with no hope of return or promise of reward ;
Do it with a smile and a cheerful attitude ;
Do it day after day after day .

Do it, and someday ,
There will come a day
That will be a payday
For all the yesterdays
You spent focused on the current day-

That will not only give value to today,
But will make each future day
Outshine each yesterday.

And what more could you ask of a day?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE MESSAGE?

IT IS TIME TO DECIDE WHAT OUR HABITS ARE.

IT IS TIME TO TAKE ACTION AND GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE.

Know Your Goals And Go For It Consistently

The most important thing to getting what you want out of life is to know what you want in the first place. Some people drift through life aimlessly and do not set goals. Anything that happens is blamed on fate. You have to remember that your fate is determined by the choices you make. Make bad choices, of course the effect is bad or undesired results.

What do you want out of life? To live the life of the rich and famous? Most people only dream but does not take action or have strategies to achieve their goals.

Once you know what you want, set your goals. Learn from those who have succeeded. Read motivation books and join groups of people with the same goals as yours. Keep away from negative minded people who would only discourage and put you down.

Believing in yourself and changing strategies mid way if your plans don't get the results that you want is also something you should consider.

Persistence is also the way to go. Losers run out of steam and do not reach their set goals.

We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough...Helen Keller, deaf and blind American author.

Remember, one goal may not be enough. The more goals you set, the more you empower yourself to fully use your creativity, passion and resources. Make a commitment to yourself to do something each day that will move closer towards your goal. All the little steps add up and soon you will be there. The important part is the first step. Get started. Don't delay. It is never too late. It is only too late if you don't start.

Believing in Yourself

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities!Without humility and reasonable confidence you cannot be successful or happy---Adapted from Norman Vincent Peale-a bestselling author and speaker.

All our actions happens twice, so says my motivation guru. First we visualize it our minds, then we make it a reality, if we take the right action. For dreamers, it only happens once-in the mind and not followed through by positive action.

Why do winners bother to take up a challenge?It is because they truly believe in themselves. They believe that they are capable of making things happen. Our beliefs comes before our actions. If you want to make your dreams come true you must believe it is possible and it will happen.

To believe in yourself is an attitude. It is also a choice. You must take charge of your self and your beliefs. If you belief that you will never succeed, of course you won't. Your belief will prevent you from taking action to make it happen.

Realize that belief in yourself is more powerful than your natural ability or skill. Whatever the mind conceives and believe, it can achieve.

Use the power of belief to transform your life. The more you believe in yourself and in your abilities, the more faith and support will come your way. Confidence is contagious. Don't give up . There will be someone who will support you. You only have to work harder to seek your support.

Here are quotes from 2 well known women:

You only have to believe that you can succeed; that you can be whatever your heart desires. Be willing to work for it, and you can have it.
-Oprah Winfrey, Emmy Award winning host of the Oprah Winfrey Show, the top talk show in television history.

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner.
-Venus Williams, Olympic gold medalist and professional tennis champion.

Economic Scenario-Boom or Gloom?

Despite, businesses complaining that sales are receding, a certain survey in the US shows double digit growth in certain sectors. In fact, there are some products showing double digit sales growth despite the worst economy ever. You might not believe this but it is true. You may be wondering, ‘What are the products that are still selling and command a high demand?’

Women keep the economy going with their vanity! Things that make women feel good are seeing a boost in sales. You know, small ways that women can treat themselves and escape from the grim reality for just a few minutes.

Some women will never be caught without their make up on. So here it is....The number one hot buy is LIPSTICK and FOUNDATION.

It is believed that after the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers, New York, Estee Lauder found that its sales of lipsticks skyrocketed while sales on other products fell. L'Oreal reported that its foundation sales went up 15%, and lipstick up 3%.

Guess what is at Number 2 on the list? Right! Chocolates. Chocolates help soothe the nerves when things get tough. Hershey's reported a 20% jump in sales as consumers turn to a little chocolate for a pick me up. Makes sense – chocolate is a relatively cheaper way to enjoy a treat without much guilt.

Even in tough times, the Americans would still enjoy a glass or two of wine. Wine sales based on the number of gallons sold are actually up 2% in 2008. However, they are buying the cheaper bottles as the average cost per bottle has dropped.

The next hot items are a continuity of the above top items. It is related to romance and dating.

Next come comfort foods. To feel good and comforted, most turn to comfort foods. Macaroni and cheese are leaders here. Kraft Foods saw a double digit growth in its macaroni and cheese sales.

After comfort foods, certain healthcare products have seen a jump in sales. Laxatives went up 11.5% and gastric tablets have increased 8%. Dentists have also reported that they are treating more people for tooth-grinding injuries (which are often caused by stress).

More people are cooking at home and eating in. Many items that fall into the category of "savings" also saw a jump in sales. Restaurants have been hit hard in this recession as money-conscience consumers stay home and cook their own meals.

This big shift has been a boon for many other items. For starters, ready to cook meals are a hit. The maker of Spam and Dinty Moore Stew, reported that profits were up 6% in the first quarter of this year. Meat sales rose 7.3% as people eat more at home and buy that nice steak at the grocery store rather than in a restaurant. Plus, sales of basic food ingredients like flour, sugar, dough, etc. are up as people make more of their own food and buy less prepared food and mixes.
'
Soaring grocery bills and the overall trend to save money has driven many people to get back to basics when it comes to food. Sales of canning and freezing supplies were up 11.5%.

It was also forecasted that 40% more Americans will tend their home gardens this year. Seed giant Burpee reported that the sales of basic vegetable garden seeds were up by 30%.

The economic downturn also saw a rise in sales of Running Shoes. Even in tough times, peoplw want to look and feel their best. They are just figuring out how to do it for less. People might be cancelling gym memberships to save money, but they are still planning to keep in shape on their own. Sales of running shoes are up 2%. As people cancel their holiday trips, to the beach or an island getaway, they may still want that vacation tan. Self-tanning product sales have jumped. Also, instead of getting tanned at a salon they are doing it themselves! Sales for hair colouring kits were up 7% and nail polish sales were up 11.2%.

During these scary and uncertain times, it's not surprising that people are still willing to spend money on things that make them feel safer. The common themes for all of these increased product sales is saving money and finding small ways to enjoy life without breaking the bank during this recession. A big jump in sales of home safes and guns (up 27.5% in four months) is seen.

I could not find a similar consumer survey done in Malaysia yet. But we could learn a thing or two from the American experience.

Looking at the way things are, Malaysians will only get a taste of the recession by the end of this year.

The latest economic statistics reported Malaysia experienced a negative growth of 6.2% in the first 3 months of 2009. Malaysians are either in a state of denial of the impending gloom or they are confident that the government economic stimulus packages will save them.

From what I see, the shops and supermarkets in Kuala Lumpur are still crowded especially during weekends and the restaurants are packed too. I had to wait for more than half an hour when I went to a satay restaurant for a takeaway last Sunday. I observed that takeaways were not only being ordered by walk-in customers, but also by the normal customer who dine in. Luckily, the system was orderly (we were given numbers slips with our order details) and the workers were very efficient. The owner must be laughing all the way to the Bank.

This was just the Satay Kajang restaurant. If you visit the big franchisees like MacDonalds and KFC, you will see a similar thing happening. There was hardly a place to sit.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

YOU must take personal responsibility. YOU cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but YOU can change yourself-Jim Rohn (self-made millionaire, success coach and philosopher.

It is normal for us to start blaming everything and everybody except ourselves, if things do not go as desired. The truth is, we are often scared to really find the true source of our situation. Often, it starts from within.

Once you have accepted that you are the primary source of the problem, stop making excuses. Excuses will slow you down and nobody benefits from them.

You must understand that life's formula is event plus response will result in the outcome. How you respond to a certain situation will result in the outcome. Instead of blaming for your lack of results in your present situation, you have to change your responses to the events that happen until you get the outcomes that you want. This is the option that promotes creativity, opportunity, freedom and ultimately, wealth.

Start believing that you are capable of to make things better and produce better than mediocre results from your actions. You must decide to take control of your life.

First you need to analyse where you are, meaning your current situation. You need to find out what your strengths and weaknesses are.

Next you have to visualise where you want to be and what you want to have, 5 years from now. You can start taking responsibility for the outcome of future endeavours. You have to learn to be responsible for your level of achievements, emotions, results of actions and state of health

The results of your actions depend on the input you make in the first place. If you keep doing the same things that do not give the results that you want,perhaps it is time to change strategies and line of action.Find out who can help you to reach your destination. Finding a role model and a mentor would cut the time needed to reach your destination.

For students, seeking your teacher and your better achieving peers for help and pointers are effective lines of action. Being in the company of like minded people is also another way of keeping you on track to your destination in your journey of success.

Continuously seeking knowledge by reading relevant books are great motivation tools and could change the way you understand things. So,you should be spending more time at libraries, bookshops and book fairs. Nowadays, the Internet has proven to be an immense source of knowledge. So sitting at your computer and doing useful things is another way of seeking new information.

Since joining the Money Mastery community, I have started to take responsibility for my life. No more blaming circumstances and others for my inaction. I have started to be more positive in my outlook and more proactive. I needed to change myself since I have control of myself. I cannot change others around me because I have no control over them. At the end of the day, who I become is due to me and me alone. I decide and take action. The outcome will follow. It will be a positive outcome if I had made the right choice and taken the right step.

(For those wanting to know more on Money Mastery please leave your email in the comments.)

Book Bonanza

Early Sunday, my husband was alerted by one of his Facebook buddies on a warehouse book sale in Petaling Jaya and was given a link to the said sale.The sale was only for 3 days and one day had gone by.

Without much delay, armed with the cyber information, we set out to find the point of the sale at Section 13 PJ.

Even though it was only advertised over the Internet, the response was great. There were so many book lovers browsing, collecting the books and placing them in boxes when we got there. One European woman collected 4 boxes. I wonder how she carried them to her car.

Over 100,000 imported fiction, motivational, business and non-fiction books and magazines were offered at the lowest price of RM3 and the highest price of RM 10. Imagine buying a RM50-RM 60 hard cover book for only RM10. We even bought an Australian interior decor magazine for RM5.

We purchased 11 books on Sunday and went again on Monday to collect more Steve Berry books to complete a collection.

We left the sale only after leaving my email so that I may be alerted of more sales bonanza in the future.

The above picture shows all the books that our family has collected in 2009. That does not include some which are currently being read. Meanwhile, the television will remain off for a while as we go through our new toys. That is our contribution to saving electricity for now.

Now where are we going to put all these books?

Winner or Loser

Excerpts from a book on winners and losers by Sydney I Harris.

1. A winner makes commitment, a loser promises
2. A winner listens, a loser waits for his turn to talk
3. When a winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong".When a loser makes a mistake, he says, "It was not my fault"
4. A winner feels strong enough to be gentle, a loser is never gentle-he is either weak or pettily tyrannous by turns
5. A winner says, "there might be a better way to do it". A loser says," that's the only way it has always been done"
6. A winner respects those who are superior to him. A loser resents those who are superior and tries to find chinks in their armour
7. A winner paces himself. A loser has only two speeds; hysterical and lethargic
8. A winner has a healthy appreciation of his abilities and a keen awareness of his current limitations. A loser is oblivious to both his true abilities and his true limitations
9. A winner takes a big problem and separates int into smaller parts so that it can be more easily solved. A loser takes a little problem and rolls them together until they are unsolvable
10. A winner knows that people will be kind if given a chance. A loser feels that people will be unkind if given a chance
11. When a winner works harder than a loser, he has more time. A loser is always "too busy" to do what is necessary.
12. A winner isn't nearly afraid of losing as a loser is secretly afraid of winning.
13. A winner goes through his problem. A loser goes around it and never gets past it
14. A winner knows when to fight and what to compromise on. A loser compromises on what he shouldn't fight for what isn't worth fighting about
15. A winner says he's sorry by making up for it. A loser says" I'm sorry" but does the same thing next time
16. A winner would rather be admired than liked, although he prefers both. A loser would rather be liked than admired, and is willing to pay the price of mild contempt for it.
17. A Winner learns from his mistakes. A Loser learns not to make mistakes by not trying anything different.
18. A Loser believes in Fate. A Winner believes that we make our fate by what we do or fail to do.
19. A Winner stops talking when he has made his point. A Loser goes on until he has blunted his point.
20. A Winner in the end gives more than he takes. A Loser dies clinging to the illusion that winning means taking more than you give.

Are we winners of losers?

What Has Happened to REAL REWARDS?

Do you know that Petronas, the national oil company, is introducing a new loyalty programme (effective from May 2009) with a new Mesra Card in place of its collaboration with Real Rewards previously?

When applying for the new card, we were given the option to either redeem our existing points or transfer them to the new Mesra card. But the catch was, Petronas would only redeem or transfer points earned through its Petrol Stations. So what happen to points earned elsewhere, e.g at Carrefour?

To get our answer, we drove to the Boulevards at Mid Valley with the intention of finding out from Real Rewards itself as there were no response to all our phone calls. After about half an hour, going up and down and asking around as to the location of the Real Rewards outlet, we were told that it had moved to Carrefour, Wangsa Maju.

We had been to the desk at Wangsa Maju a few times before (both during and after office hours) but there was no one manning the desk at any time.

Today, we went again and sadly, there was no one at all. However, there was a note saying that they could not redeem as they had run out of stock.

Back at home, we log in the Real Rewards website. Business seems to be as usual here but some pages are under construction.

We have tried to redeem our points online and are now anxiously waiting to see if the company will indeed honour our request.

Banking Online

For the past year, we have enjoyed paying for certain credit card bills online and at night too, directly from our account with the Bank.

Last night on logging in the Bank website, we were surprised to see that the prepayment instructions for the payment of a credit card had been reversed. This bank allows you to book payment at a certain date. We have been doing this for a few months now. How come, no payment was made last month when our account was in a healthy credit balance?

A phone call to customer service was promptly made. They will look into it.

So this morning a trip had to be made to the bank, despite the difficulty in getting a parking spot.I had to wait in the car while my husband went in to inquire. We received a call from the Bank about half an hour later and was informed that the instructions were not carried out because the amount was more than what was owing on the credit card.

This did not happen in the previous months. Someone had added a program that the client can pay less than or equal to the amount owing but if a bigger amount is paid they have to reject it. It is so preposterous. Even, it they want to do it, they could at least have informed us when we make the payment, like some online credit cards do.

So we managed to get them to cancel the late interest and finance charges and paid the exact amount owing, online at the present date and not at a future date. Funnily, if you pay at the ATM, you are allowed to overpay. Actually the brilliant programmer could have programmed to refund the excess back into the savings or current account of the client.

Or, the bank purposely want us to pay more, reject it and charge penalty for late and non payment so that they will earn more. That's something else then...

Swine Flu

2009 thus far has not been very good for the world. With the economy of most countries taking a dip, then came an outbreak of Swine Flu. In the late 1990's, when the economic crisis started in Asia, the 'SAR's and Avian Flu epidemic followed.

This time around, the economic crisis started in the American continent, followed by the Swine flu. As people becomes more mobile, it did not take long for the flu to spread toUnited States, UK and Spain.

Before the World Health Organization could investigate the root of origin of the flu, the flu has spread beyond Mexico where it started.

Poor Mexicans, an earthquake has followed the heels of the flu epidemic.Looks like Nature is vindictive of them.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, US(CDC) reported that as of Monday, April 27th, 2009, 40 human cases of this virus infection have been identified in the United States with 28 from New York and 7 from California. CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes the deployment of CDC personnel to aid epidemiological efforts in California and Texas and to support Mexico's Ministry of Health.

This time around, government around the world are taking pro-active steps to prevent a full blown outbreak.

So, just as in previous epidemics, we have to be vigilant in keeping to good hygiene habits.The CDC has issued the following advice (with Italics my own): 'Wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Eat nutritious, clean and well prepared foods and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid cold food and dubiously prepared hawker food. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active and manage your stress levels. Try not to touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick '.(Tough luck if you work in a hospital).

Legal Crime Busters

The depressed economic situation certainly takes a toll on the people.Desperate conditions are fertile grounds for the seeds of crime to flourish. Shoplifting and robberies at knife point are no longer the purview of drug addicts.

It was reported in the Daily Mail, Great Britain that due to the high unemployment and hard economic times,crime rates in Britain has increased significantly.House burglaries went up by 4% in the final quarter of 2008.It was also reported that 4,283 burglaries were made at knife point every 30 minutes, up by 5% from the previous quarter.Personal thefts jumped by 25%. Personal thefts include pickpocketing when the victims were unaware that they were being robbed. Often no force is used.

Closer to home, the Star reported yesterday, that the Police started a crime blitz in Kuala Lumpur last week and will extend operations to Selangor, Penang, Perak and Johore this week. (Maybe because of this, we were caught in a police road block on Monday along the MRR2 near Kepong for nearly an hour ).

It seems that the Police will conduct crime deterrent patrols round the clock to catch criminals at work and also to drive away bad hats.The Immigration and Road Transport Departments will also be roped in to catch illegal immigrants,Mat Rempits ( illegal motorbike racers)as well as overloaded lorries.

I guess we have to bear with the inconvenience as it is for our common good in a long run.A safe city is conducive for business. We can sleep better knowing our neighbourhoods are safe too.

We can also prevent petty theft by being more vigilant.Make sure we don't open our wallets and purses and count our cash in public.We must also take good care that our personal bank account particulars do not fall into the wrong hands. Our Credit Cards,Cash ATM Cards, prepaid cards and all personal documents should be kept close to our chest, so to speak.It is better to be safe than sorry.

Cheating Cabbies

http://www.mmail.com.my/content/use-meter-rm6-use-coupon-rm18

Check out the latest scam exposed by the Malay Mail.

Personally I'd rather walk than take a cab in Kuala Lumpur or Petaling Jaya.The last time I took a cab,the driver told me that he was from KL and didn't know PJ roads.At first I wanted to go to the nearest LRT station in PJ but changed my mind when the taxi driver said he was from KL, and asked him to take me to the nearest LRT in KL instead.Because it was a Saturday and the roads were jammed, I ended up paying three times more.

I remember reading in the papers how the cabbie would click on a hidden button to speed up the meter.My heart would jump every time the meter tripped.You see, it tripped at every lamp post which was not even 50m apart.

Often I take a cab because I have no other choice.

I do not know whether it is the system or the cabbies themselves who paint a bad image of Malaysian taxis.Even with the 'Welcome and Please Enter" sign on their taxis, passengers are often denied access into the taxis for 'the roads leading to the destination is jammed','it is my lunch break', or 'the taxi don't go that way' excuses.

I am still waiting for the day when catching a taxi in Malaysia is like taking a cab in Singapore or London.Not the fares,of course. Just the courtesy and the confidence that you won't be fleeced.Maybe, it is like waiting for the cat to grow horns, quoting a Malay proverb.Not in this lifetime, perhaps.

Asian Stimuli Packages

Everyone was eager to see the outcome of the Asean+3 summit in Pattaya, Thailand last weekend but it was not to be. (Asean + 3 are the 10 South Sea Asian countries plus China, Korea and Japan). The Thaksin's (the former Thai Prime Minister) supporters created a mayhem and caused the Asian leaders to evacuate from Pattaya. The Malaysian Prime Minister on his debut summit as PM had to take the flight home too.

The protesters succeeded what their counterparts in London failed to do at the G20 Summit earlier this month. Now what will happen to Thailand? All the intending tourists will seek alternative vacation places and the Thai economy will surely not see a quick recovery soon.

Prior to the failed Summit, I learned that consumers in Asia saves more than they spend. For Japan, being the largest economy in Asia and second in the world, its private spending in 2007 was US$2 trillion, followed by China, a miserly US$1 trillion.Compared to US$10 trillion and US$9 trillion for the US and Euro countries respectively.My, my,my the Americans and Europeans sure are big spenders!When they go broke, the whole world suffers. Asking the Chinese with their over 1.3 billion people to increase their private spending could not offset the loss in spending from the Westerners.

Looking in another way, the Asians have perfected their economy by depending on their exports.Asia became prosperous by selling to the West. The export-drive model is no longer useful. Now, Asia has to look inwards to stimulate their economy, hence the need of the Asean+3 Summit in Thailand. All countries have come out with their own stimulus packages to boost their domestic economy as stability would depend on a strong domestic market. And the Asean+3 countries need to forge for greater regional cooperation to ensure that their stimuli would succeed.

However, Asia's recovery would not succeed if Europe and the US do not put their act together courageously, to synchronise their packages to stimulate and stop the global economy from slipping into a deeper recession.

The Grand G20 Recovery Plan

I watched with interest Gordon Brown's speech followed by Barack Obama's speech at the G20 press conference a few days ago.

The British PM did not have a Q&A session but Obama was very accommodating. As this was his first official trip to Europe, he wanted to create a good impression that his administration is willing to listen and work with the rest of the world unlike his predecessor who was very kiasu.

The 20 richest nations on Earth were there to dole out a $5trillion fiscal stimulus package to bring the world out of the current economic downturn. They promise to help poorer countries through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. No specific details were drawn out. In fact the leaders will meet again in New York in the autumn to finalise finer details.

Generally, the plan was to restore confidence, and create more jobs through a radical change to the rules of capitalism. The IMF and World Bank will be restructured to open up credit lines.

The leaders believed that the ailing banks must be bailed out. They will do what Malaysia did by creating Danaharta to which all bad assets are transferred out from the Banks. The NPL(non-performing loans) are termed toxic assets(Everyone wants to use green terminology these days!) and toxic assets must be detox from the Banks in order for their health to be restored.

No direct measures were proposed as the G20 wanted the task of detoxing the banks to individual countries.

All nations are to conform to universal laws and /or change national laws in order to strengthen the banking and financial systems and rebuild trust. They would have to regulate and tighten loop holes that led to the collapse of the banking and securities structures.

Internationl financial institutions would be reformed and additional funds would be injected. This would go to fund emerging markets and poor economies.

IMF will receive an additional $850billion to stop meltdowns in developing markets such as Ukraine and smaller advanced economies such as Iceland.

A reorganization of the IMF will see countries such as China getting some say in decisions.

The G20 is putting forward $250billion to promote global trade and has pledged to avoid protectionism.

The last agenda on the G20 summit was to build an inclusive, green and sustainable recovery

Leaders are promising to ensure that public spending projects are focused on green sustainable investment and are offering $50billion of help to poor states such as Africa to alleviate poverty. This coincidently is the 'Enrich Thy Neighbour' concept practised by Asean countries taken from our former Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir's idea. Previously, the rich countries would advocate the 'Beggar Thy Neighbour' concept because by doing so, they will be dependent on the rich nations which in turn will 'enslave' them after giving Foreign Aid. The rich nations then continue to exert their power over the poor nations.

The euphoria over the G20 communique, however was shortlived.

People were wary that individual parliaments will not ratify the IMF and World Bank reform in due time. They were also uncertain as who will be the watchdog to oversee compliance.

There remain doubts as to whether the G20’s bold words will translate into firm measures in national parliaments and are fully adopted by regulators.

Even in the U.S., winning the approval of Congress – with its historic aversion to international institutions – could be difficult.

A financial stability board could be set up to oversee the world financial system, and a crackdown on tax havens is planned.

Personally, I need the world situation to heal quickly so that trade can be up and about. All projects can get the green light to proceed. Malaysian companies will get to export again and people who lost their jobs will work again. Crime rates will diminish when the economy is good.

But, alas, no one can predict confidently when the economy will pick up.

However, the symbolism of 20 nations coming together to lend their support to radical international action was indeed a good psychological booster. Meanwhile, we wait impatiently for the measures to take shape.

Bloody Siege at the Bank Of England

Watching the news on BBC and CNN earlier today gave me the shivers as our local media only give one sided reports of street demonstrations if it happens in Malaysia, and always play down what actually happens.

Blood spills in the streets of London today as US President Obama had tea with the Queen. Earlier he was at Downing Street having breakfast with PM Gordon Brown.
The mob had converged at the Bank of England and branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland earlier after emerging from the Underground.At first it was like a carnival but when people get drunk and high on drugs, bad things follow.The intense situation turned ugly and as the crowd got bigger, the people shoved and pushed. Their anger were directed at the Banks for bringing the economy to the brink of collapse. Some were frustrated and had lost their jobs.

Meanwhile the G20 summit starting tomorrow must be seen to agree on solutions to the world's messy economic situation. The last crisis in 1997 originated in Asia and stayed in Asia, but this year's crisis was caused by unscrupulous, greedy, corrupt and imprudent bankers and business leaders in America and Britain. The result of their ills easily spread to the whole world.

Meanwhile, Malaysians are not feeling the impact of the world economic chaos yet even though there are lay-offs at Dell, Intel and other manufacturing concerns as exports dwindles. Malaysians are still caught in the political turmoil caused after the General Elections in March last year. With the eyes focused on 3 bi-elections come 7th April and a new Prime Minister, Malaysians have not really come to terms with the realities of the economic downturn, let alone unite to brace themselves to face the situation with the right, honest and incorruptible strategies.

Your Job is Still Safe if you are in the Right Industry

News on the economic front is rather gloomy these days.Every day, it is not good news at home or abroad. It has frequently been reported that many countries in Asia which depends on trade, is experiencing a contraction in its manufacturing sector. China has laid off 10 million workers due to the economic slowdown.The situation is also happening in the US, where a total 1.8 million jobs were lost in the last three months. It is also happening in Europe.

With the United States facing its worst jobs cuts since 1974, the fear is that a prolonged recession might begin to spill over into the services sector, which provides a major source of employment for a number of emerging economies.The Star, however, reported that there are still employment opportunities in the education, healthcare and oil and gas sectors
While companies prefer not to hire, opting to conserve cash during the downturn, the education and healthcare industries are still hiring people as are companies in the oil and gas industry despite the contraction in the mining sector over the past quarters. Manufacturing jobs would still continue to be reduced over the next one to two quarters but a silver lining might be the off shoring of jobs from North America and Europe to countries with cheaper labour costs. Malaysia may see an increase in outsourcing jobs from these countries.
Companies are retaining talent and retraining staff. In times of recession as had happened in the last financial crisis of 1997 -1998, the number of training companies grew overnight. It was lamented by the Member of Parliament for Pasir Salak that in the last recession, these companies reaped a lot of profits from the HRDF set up by the Ministry of Manpower Resources without really training the workers.
In the healthcare sector, things are not as gloomy as elsewhere.Even though the locals are now flocking to the government hospitals, private hospitals expect to receive the benefit of patients who previously seek treatment in developed countries to look for cheaper destinations like Malaysia.Even the local rich who usually went to Australia or Singapore would get treatment at local private hospitals.

Saving Tips

With the economy expected to remain in the doldrums for some time it makes great sense to be sensible in your spending habits. Most economists advise to stash any extra cash for the rainy day. Now is not the time to splurge. Here are a few tips which we can keep in mind and follow.

Some of the savings you can make at home:

• Switch off all lights and power points when not in use.Do not keep equipment (computers, micro wave oven and television sets) in standby mode when not in use. You can also use a timer to automate the switching on and off of your porch and night lights.
  
• Switch off fans and air conditioners when there is no one in the room or when the room temperature has cooled down. It is best to have an automatic timer to switch off after a set time.
• Use energy saving lamps
  
• Iron a bundle of clothes at a time as ironing one article wastes a lot of electricity when heating up the iron
• Use a thermos flask to keep hot water instead of reboiling
• Don't put hot food into the fridge and don't overstock it
• Take everything you want from the fridge in one go instead of opening the fridge several times
  
• Turn off taps when brushing and flossing teeth
• Machine wash clothes only when there is a full load
• For those who recycle water, used water from your kitchen can be used to water plants or wash outside floors and drains
  
• Shower instead of taking long baths
• Use a loofah or a sponge to minimize soap or shower foam
  

When shopping you can save if you:

• Look up and down at the top and bottom shelves at the supermarket,to find comparable products at lower cost.These stores are very smart about making sure that the products with the highest prices are also the easiest to see and find. That's why they put them at eye-level. Some stores place the same little things all over the store in the hope that you will eventually pick them up on your way to the checking counter
  
• You can save big money by buying store brands and generics.
• If you haven't looked at the price difference between brand-name and store-brand products, prepare to be amazed. Brand-name products can cost 10%, 20%, even 30% or more than their store-brand counterparts.And what are you getting for all of that extra money? Nothing more than perhaps a prettier label and some expensive marketing and advertising.Just look at the ingredients and see for yourself. Often, the list is 100% identical, especially in the pharmacy section
• Everything at the salad bar is usually the same fixed price, but sometimes they have foods there that would cost much more if you bought them in the aisles.Generally, you want to avoid heavier items, such as cheeses and fruit cocktail. However, if you're making stir-fry and need just a handful of red peppers, broccoli and other vegetables, the salad bar might be the perfect answer.
• Before you start your shopping trip check out the ads from competing stores and bring the list with you. You can compare the prices of the things you wish to buy in your shopping list. Having a shopping list is good but you must be flexible enough to change your plans if the things you wish to buy are expensive, not on offer or not available.
• Do not go shopping on an empty stomach as you would tend to shop for things you don't necessarily buy.
• Do not buy things you don't need even if they are on offer. You may regret later after indulging in impulse buying
• Do not buy more than you need just because they are cheap

When considering to refinance your housing mortgage loan at a lower rate:
While refinancing at a lower rate can lower your monthly payment, that doesn't mean you're going to save money.You have to consider your closing costs, which can be substantial.

If you're saving RM50 a month with a new loan but closing costs are RM3,000, you need to stay in the house for 60 months just to break even.

If you're not sure how long you'll be in the house, refinancing may not be right for you.

To figure out if refinancing makes sense for you, check out how much the new monthly repayment will be and how much penalty you have to pay for prepaying your present loan.

If you own a car:

• The Minister Dato Shahrir is right. Sure, the oil companies and the petrol stations absolutely love to sell you premium fuel because it costs a lot more and they will earn more commission. The reality, however, is that most cars don't get much benefit from the higher octane.Most cars do not require premium fuel (Ron 97), so if your car doesn't, switch to either a regular or mid-level fuel grade (RON 95) when it becomes available.Your car won't know the difference, but your wallet sure will.
• Keeping your tyres properly inflated will increase petrol mileage and lower your costs.Experts say that for every one pound per square inch (PSI) that your tyres are underinflated, you could be decreasing your gas mileage by one-half percent.That means that if your tyres are supposed to be inflated to 32 PSI and you're only at 22 PSI, you're cutting your mileage by 5% and using more fuel than you need. Check your tyre pressure at least once a month.
• Plan your journey before you start. If possible, follow a less congested route
• Plan your errands all in one trip
• Best of all, use public transport to save time on the road and save money on parking bills

The list continues. Let us start being conscientious and disciplined in order to have a better and safer future.

Have You Got What It Takes To Be Successful?

Somebody pointed out that to be successful one needs to adopt the following traits:

1. Enjoy what you do
2. Have high self esteem and a positive attitude
3. Becomes stronger after an adverse experience
4. Have integrity and willing to assist others
5. Persistent, changing proposals to avoid rejection
6. Take calculated risks
7. Have good people relations and problem solving skills
8. Competent, responsible and supportive people are his clique
9. Healthy, have great stamina and takes time to exercise regularly
10. Believe in God being a Higher power always on his side
11. Have a sense of mission to help society
12. Does not conform to traditional concepts
13. Innovative and creative
14. Does not see age as a barrier
15. Committed to continuous self re education

Are you as successful as you would like yourself to be? Have you got these traits? Be honest.

If you want to succeed in whatever you do, you must reexamine and ask yourself, am I on track?

IDENTITY THEFT

Dolans.com has a few tips of identity theft which I find interesting.

Remember the television series "Angela Bennett"? How the lady tried to convince others of her lost identity? How she was deleted and given another identity?

An identity theft incident occurs every TWO SECONDS in the US.In Malaysia you hear of it once in a while. Here in Malaysia, normally it happens because you lose you identity card and end up as a borrower in car loan agreements and other legal complications follow.

The Malaysian identity card and birth certificates are very valuable. It they are stolen, they fetch a very high price in the black market. With the identity card and birth certificate, one can get a passport issued. For a multi-racial country like Malaysia, its citizens' identification papers could be sold to foreigners like the Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Chinese (from China or Taiwan) who work either legally or illegally in this country.

Malaysians are wary of using their credit cards on the Internet due to the suspicion that some unscrupulous characters will steal their information and clone new credit cards in their name for sale to others.

There ARE things you can and must do to protect yourself.

The following may be useful:

Shred your bills and credit card or bank statements!

If an identity thief wants to find your credit card number or even your identity card number, he can do it-easily – by simply running through your rubbish especially if you throw all your bills unshredded?!
So shred any and all solicitations you receive- not just credit card bills and personal papers. The smaller the pieces, the less likely would a scavenger find your bank account number and credit card information.
Even if you have never lost a credit card or had your wallet snatched, your personal information-identity card number, bank card number, birth dates and more-could end up in the wrong person’s hands.

Identity thieves are lurking EVERYWHERE.

Ever worry when you give your credit card to a waiter at a restaurant or cash teller at a supermarket?You’d better start because more and more crimes happen during normal everyday shopping and dining then you may imagine.
Sift through your receipt with a fine tooth comb and do NOT, under any circumstances, accept a handwritten note as a receipt. It must be run through a machine for you to know its genuine.
Check your credit card bill THE MINUTE you receive it.
Check each charge listed to make sure they are all yours. If you don’t already have an online account with the credit card company, it’s time to open one! You can check your statement throughout the month.
Remember: The less thorough you are, the more likely a thief will infiltrate at the “holes” you have opened in your life.

Become a computer thief’s worst nightmare.

It is very easy these days for a computer whiz to hack into your PC files and grab your PC passwords, bank account information, credit card numbers and more!
Always, SHUT DOWN your PC daily when not in use and make sure you have a security program installed and working at all times. Plus, don’t forget to update your software patches, firewalls and virus protection on a regular basis.
The more rigid you are about these protective measures, the tougher it will be for an intruder to steal your private information.

Are Your Computer Passwords Safe?

Have you ever changed your computer password? You should automatically change the password every 6 months to a year for security purposes.
Experts advise that the safest passwords don't use common words or personal information like birthdays, family member names or family pets. Hackers can easily guess and then gain access to your files.
The best and safest computer passwords combine numbers, letters and characters like ampersands and dollar signs.
Try to create something you can easily remember that a hacker would find difficult to guess.
But it had better be easy to remember because you should never write your password down. And under no circumstances should you store it in your purse or wallet. Also avoid taping it to the underside of your keyboard.

It is better to be vigilant than to cry over spilt milk. It's time to start protecting yourself before you become a sad statistic.

RED MERANTI BLOG

My Red Meranti blog has migrated to URL at http://gogreenwithredmeranti.blogspot.com.I have done so to rebrand the site to easily identify with green, eco-friendly issues.

Alternatively, you can surf to my other blog at http://chilliesandcilantro.blogspot.com and click on the GO GREEN title in the blog list column.

Please feel free to visit my new blog site. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.