POWER OF MONEY....

Words of wisdom by Singapore’s youngest millionaire; a writer…..

(Singapore’s youngest millionaire at 26 yrs.)

Some of you may already know that I travel around the region pretty frequently, having to visit and conduct seminars at my offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Suzhou (China). I am in the airport almost every other week so I get to bump into many people who have attended my seminars or have read my books.

Recently, someone came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, 'How come a millionaire like you is traveling economy?' My reply was, 'That's why I am a millionaire. ‘He still looked pretty confused. This again confirms that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book 'Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires’). Many people have been brainwashed to think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first class in air travel. This is why so many people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.

The truth is that most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so much faster.

Over the last 7 years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60% (because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support). Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (If they are lucky).

I refuse to buy a first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to Julia Gabriel for Speech and Drama classes without thinking twice.

When I joined the YEO (Young Entrepreneur’s Orgn) a few years back (YEO is an exclusive club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own business), I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of them with net worth well over $5m, travelled economy class and some even drove Toyotas and Nissans - not Audis, Mercs, BMWs.

I noticed that it was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were also a few ministers' and tycoons' sons in the club) who spent like there was no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch, you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family's wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation.

Thank God my rich dad foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my business.

Then some people ask me, 'What is the point in making so much money if you don't enjoy it?' The thing is that I don't really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewellery or sitting in first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only for a while; it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just gives you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled life…

Instead, what makes me happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast. What makes me happy is when I see my companies and trainers reaching more and more people every year in so many more countries. What makes me really happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have touched and inspired someone's life. What makes me really happy is reading all your wonderful posts about how this blog is inspiring you. This happiness makes me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do for me.

I think the point I want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life's work (be it teaching, building homes, designing, trading, winning tournaments etc.) and the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that you are living a life of meaninglessness.

Lets face it. Life is not a bed of roses. There are hurdles to get over and mountains to climb. In numerology, the roadblocks faced in life is called the challenges. The Challenge is a weak point in our Life Path. It is the weak link in the chain of life which must be overcome for us to grow and develop properly. We learn by meeting the challenge, and dealing with it effectively. The nature of the challenge is shown in the Life Path.

Actually, there are three challenges included in your life path. Two that will be called sub-challenges and then a main challenge. Each challenge is represented by a number, and the number reflects the tone of the confrontation. We will again use the month, the day and the year of birth in this calculation. The first step will be to reduce each of these components to a single digit base number. Thus, December 14, 1968, would become month 3 (1+2), day 5 (1+4), and year 6 (1+9+6+8=24; 2+4=6).

The first sub challenge is derived by finding the difference between the month and day of birth. In our example, this would be 5-3=2 first sub challenge.

The second sub challenge is identified by finding the difference between the day of birth and the year of birth. The example would be 6-5=1; the number 1 for a second sub challenge.

The final challenge is identified by finding the difference between the first and second sub challenge. Our example would have a 2-1=1 challenge.

The numbers behind the final challenge will each be a potential problem during half of the life. The first sub challenge during the first part of the life, and the second sub challenge during the second half of the life. The Final Challenge is a potential weakness and problem throughout the entire life.

If you correctly reduced the month, day and year to a single digit (no master number), the difference between the two numbers must be a number from 0 to 8. Here are readings of each of the challenges:

Challenge 0

The obstacles life during this period may not be many, or they may be coming from all directions. The challenge of the number 0 is called the challenge of choice. You are likely to have difficulty acting on your preferences. You are perfectly capable of analyzing a situation and realistically comparing possible solutions. The challenge of 0 may make bring this decision to requisite action very difficult for you. To overcome the challenge, it should be understood that you must have the faith in your own abilities to the extent that you can analyze, make a choice, then act with ease and comfort. This challenge is one that is normally found on in a highly evolved individual and an individual who can be expected to make your own decisions about life and know where the pitfalls lie. To meet the challenge of 0 you must have control of all of the numbers; the independence of 1, the diplomacy of 2, the optimism of 3, the application of 4, the understanding of 5, the adjustment of 6, the wisdom of the 7, the constructive power of 8, the universal service of 9. In other words, to meet the challenge of 0 in your life, you must be a very gifted person.

Challenge 1

The challenge of the number 1 suggests you are likely to feel dominated by others with strong influence, probably parents or others with whom you compete. The challenge of the number 1 is avoidance of being dominated, but doing so in a fashion that does not impose upon or dominate others. With the challenge of the number 1 it's extremely important to control the ego, and avoid the negative aspect of individuality. False pride, pomposity, egotism are issues to be guarded against now. You are now in a period of learning about self-reliance and how to solve your own problems independently. Learn to rely on your wit and your intelligence, avoiding argumentation and resentfulness.

Challenge 2

The challenge of the number 2 suggests you are likely to be extremely sensitive and more or less brimming with feelings. You find it hard to work with people because your are afraid of being criticized or, worse yet, ignored. You have a good deal of self-doubt and a definite lack of self confidence. There is a tendency to constantly worry about the opinion that others have of you. There is likewise a tendency to use this sensitivity in a negative way. Used more positively, your keen sensitivities can be a significant strength, allowing you to be acutely aware of so much of with others rarely perceive. But during this period it will be hard for you to assert yourself and make decisions. You will shy away from positions of authority and responsibility. This can be a time for accumulation of wisdom, as you show patience and pay close attention to detail. Try not to take things too personally. Friendships are a source of deep satisfaction to you during this time. Respect your ability to compromise and grow in a quiet way. Do not let details overwhelm you and keep you from seeing the big picture. Plan for slow growth rather than immediate gain.

Challenge 3

The challenge of the number 3 suggests a tendency to scatter talents and try to do too many things at once during this period of your life. You may have a fine imagination and a gift for words, but you find it hard to express yourself effectively. Though you know you should cultivate friends and be sociable, you tend to be somewhat reclusive and defensive. You may have a talent for writing, acting, or speaking, but you are reluctant to involve yourself with these sorts of activities because you do not like to face the prospects of criticism. You are expressing yourself with a negative emphasis, hiding your creative talents behind a wall of shyness. You must strive to develop yourself in a social and in a creative sense. It's hard to just relax and have a good time.

Challenge 4

The challenge of the number 4 suggests a difficulty with work. Either you simply don't like to work, don't like the work your are forced to do, or you have difficulty completing tasks and working efficiently. You may be careless and lack a sense of practicality. Often this challenge makes it hard to see the forest for the trees when it comes to work and obligations. It is important for you to learn patience, understanding and the practical, common sense way of dealing with mundane responsibilities. You may also need to learn the importance of working within the parameters of a time schedule.

Challenge 5

The challenge of the number 5 suggests that your challenge is to overcome the desire and the demand for freedom at any price. This challenge number is very difficult to handle because, with it, you are apt to be extremely impulsive; you want to try everything at least once, and you are rather unstable in many ways. Change may be necessary for you, but it must be handled in an intelligent and controlled manner. Make certain that the desire for change is not associated with a desire to escape responsibility. In any event, this challenge requires that you learn as early as possible in life to control your impulses.

Challenge 6

The challenge of the number 6 suggests that you may have difficulties because of your insistence on extremely high standards. You are apt to appear authoritarian, intolerant, and a little self-righteous. It is hard for others to live up to your standards of expectation. Many of your considerable talents for balancing situations are used with a negative emphasis. Avoid creating friction in relationships and strive for harmony. You must learn that your diplomatic approach will only be appreciated if others feel that their needs are met, their desires understood, their point of view respected. You must learn to allow others to set their own pace, make their own rules. This challenge requires learning unconditional love and acceptance.

Challenge 7

The challenge of the number 7 suggests difficulties brought on by your discomfort with your own inner feelings; feelings of a reserved attitude and unexpressed emotions. You may feel unable to better your situation, or to change and improve circumstances. There is a tendency with this challenge to be a chronic critic and complainer, while offering little or nothing as a suggest to correct the faults that are found. The sense of discrimination is strong, but it is expressed in a very negative way. A sense of false pride tends to keep your real feelings buried beneath the surface. Avoid a tendency to approach people in a very reserved and aloof way, and develop faith in your own abilities rather than dwelling on your limitations. Marriage is apt to be delayed until this challenge is overcome, or if married, this can be a difficult time.

Challenge 8

The challenge of the number 8 suggests an early life assumption that satisfaction can only be gained and safeguarded by adequate material accumulation. There's likely to be considerable effort exerted to attain money, status, and power, sometimes to the exclusion of almost all else. The number 8 challenge indicates that you are/were using your concern with material matters with negative emphasis. You must learn to use your ability to gain money, status and power with a sense of proportion and an awareness of the relation of material affairs to other matters, and deal with the material world in a comfortable manner.

Now we'll look at your name with respect to the number of times that the same number repeats, or when certain numbers fail to be represented in your name. The repetition of numbers may show special talents that you possess. The absence of numbers suggests an issue relating to the nature of the number. Some numerologists suggest that the absence of a number reflects a karmic debt carried over from a previous lifetime. The norm in distribution of numbers in the name is somewhat hazy because some names are very short and others are very long. The average name has 15 to 19 letters in it. If this is you, then the following averages should work for you:

If your name is significantly longer or shorter than 15-19 letters, you must make adjustments accordingly. Now, make a count of each of the numbers in your name. I have used my full name below to set up the above example:

D A V I D M I C H A E L M c C L A I N

4 1 4 9 4 4 9 3 8 1 5 3 4 3 3 3 1 9 5

As you can see, I have the average number of 1s, 8s, and 9s. I have more than the average 3s and 4s, and I have fewer than average 2s, 5s, 6s, and 7s.

Be aware that if a missing or less than average number is represented in the subject's core numbers (the Life Path, Expression, or Soul Urge), the karmic deficiency is diminished, if not completely eliminated. For example, if an individual did not have the number 5 in her name, but her Life Path number was 5, she would have little difficulty handling the deficiency shown by the absence of the number.

Here are my delineations of each of the numbers as they would reflect average occurrence, and fewer, or more than average occurrence in a name:

1

Average. With 3 ones in your name, it appears you have sufficient leadership skills, initiative, and ample individuality to get along fine in life.

No 1s or fewer than average. With few or no ones in your name, you may find it hard to stand up for your rights and leadership may be a very difficult trait for you to develop.

More than average 1s. With more than the expected number of ones in your name, you may be very headstrong and even overly assertive in your will to lead. Avoid being too quick to demand your own way.

2

Average. You have a normal and natural desire and ability to associate with others. You are tactful and diplomatic enough to get along fine in the world. Cooperation is no problem for you.

No 2s. You lack patience with people and you may be insensitive sometimes because of this. Cooperation is a trait that must be learned.

Many 2s. You're very considerate of others and have a flair for compromise. Harmony and agreement making may be a major career advantage. You are faithful and adaptable, even to the extent of giving too much. You have a significant appreciate of the arts.

3

Average. If you have a pair of 3s in your name, your imagination and creative talents most likely are in the normal range. You express ideas and feeling with natural ways. Although you may not be described as the life of the party, you know how to have fun and enjoy good company.

No 3s or less than average. This doesn't say that you are dull, but it does suggest that you may have to be stimulated into enjoying yourself. You are not a romantic and one to base decisions of fanciful ideas. Creative ideas may be rare. Of course, if you have a 3 Life Path, Expression, or Soul Urge, this may not be such a problem.

Many 3s. You have more than your fair share of creative talent. You have the kind of imagination that makes you special in music, painting, writing, design, or other artistic endeavors. Indeed, you may tend to scatter yourself a bit at times. You have a "gift for gab," and express yourself well.

4

Average. If you have at least one 4 in your name, your ability to concentrate and apply yourself to a task will allow you to get along well in the world much of the time. The number 4 gives us common sense and the desire to build or develop things. The number 4 needs order and structure.

No 4s or less than average. If there is no 4 in your name, you will not likely be famous for your common sense and focus on mundane tasks. This trait will be well hidden if you have the number 4 as one of the core numbers, but if this is not the case, you may be a very unstructured and disorganized person. The concept of steady building and developing will be something that you must learn the hard way.

Many 4s. If you have more than the average of one 4 in your name, your ability to engage yourself in concrete plans will be a strong trait. You know the value of things and have the willingness to work toward long range goals. You understand details and respect law and order. You may tend to become too rigid and narrow in your thinking.

5

Average. If you have the average of four 5s in your name, you enjoy the human trait of having change and variety in your life, at least to a normal degree. You get along well in day-to-day public contact with the world, and adjust to meeting new people, travel, progress, and all of the changes that are part of living.

No 5s or less than average. It is very unusual to have no 5s in a name. If you if you have less than the average number of 5s, you may have a varying degree of difficulty meeting and dealing with people. You will not feel at ease in a crowd, and indeed, you will want to be left alone much of the time. A limitation of 5s makes it hard to face changes. Hopefully, this number will appear in your core so that this absence will merely be viewed as introspection.

Many 5s. With 5 or more 5s, you may have a very restless nature needing much stimulation. It may be hard to apply yourself to any one project because you tend to get too many things going on at the same time. If this number become too heavy in a name, there is a lessening of attention to detail and less respect for law and order. Properly channeled, this excess of 5s aids salesmanship and promotion.

6

Average. The average of two 6s produces normal instincts to protect and cultivate those close to us and even in the larger community. The traits inherent to 6 yield caretakers, teachers, caring parents, and responsible citizens. The number 6 stands for responsibility and nurturing.

No 6s or less than average. With just one 6 or with a name not containing a 6, your sense of duty to those around you is not strong. Indeed, the sense of obligation to fix the world is not strong in many of us. In daily living, the absence of 6s suggests a certain detachment, and problems large and small are handled without becoming very emotional or concerned. Parenting is often too loose and less than demanding.

Many 6s. A more than average number of 6s in the name produces strongly possessed beliefs and emotions. Ideals are strongly held and seldom surrendered. Your humanitarian spirit and sense of generosity may be outstanding traits in your nature. But your leadership and parenting may be too strict and unyielding sometimes. Loyalty is often consider an absolute necessity. Traditions are strong.

7

Average. The average of one 7 gives the abilities to analyze, investigate, and learn easily. You have a questioning mind which stimulates reading, study, observation and development of the mind. You have the ability to question and discriminate constructively.

No 7s. The qualities of the 7 are missing in many names making the mysteries of life more difficult to understand and grasp. Without a 7 in your name, you may be less cautious, less analytic, and perhaps not the top of the class when it comes to study. You are less apt to be overly skeptical and demanding of those around you.

Many 7s. If you are that rare individual who has many 7s in your name, it may be said that you "dance to a different drummer." Your mind is highly scientific and proof oriented. You take nothing on faith. Many of your ideas will be considered odd and out of step with most of the world around you. Emotions are very controlled.

8

Average. If you have the average of at least one 8, you are generally businesslike and self-sufficient in your affairs. You have average abilities to lead, direct and control others if you choose to develop these traits. With an 8 in your name, you can weigh and balance. Business, management, supervising people, and managing money are traits shown by the number 8.

No 8s. Without an 8 in your name it will be more difficult to manage and direct even your own personal affairs. Power, wealth, and leadership roles in life may not be your primary goal. Yet you are apt to suffer less stress because of your attitudes about these issues.

Many 8s. With 2 or more 8s you may have an intensity in your nature that drives toward power and control of others. You have a strong drive to accomplish, work, guide and command. Life may hold many tests and be frustrating at times, but the rewards can be high. Be aware of the stress in your life.

9

Average. With the average three 9s (or perhaps with only 2) in your name, you have the sense of compassion, goodwill, and tolerance for your fellow man that is necessary to live in our complicated world. The number 9 is associated with mankind and brotherhood. It produces our willingness to accept different races, colors, religions, and beliefs, and life comfortably in our environment. There is a spiritual understanding and acceptance that is normal and healthy.

No 9s or only one 9 in your name. The lack of 9s in the name, though rare, makes it hard to understand and accept others that are different. There is little feeling of universal or spiritual connection.

Many 9s. With many 9s in your name you may be overly sensitive to the world and become an idealist in some aspect of society. You may be generous to a fault. You may take such issues as religion or philosophy to an extreme.

What is leisure?

Leisure is that portion of time not obligated by subsistence or existence demands. It represents discretionary or free time, time in which one may make voluntary choices of experience.

Leisure is usually regarded as a synonym for frivolity. The things you do when you have nothing useful to do are called leisure activities. To do something slowly, ploddingly or inefficiently is described as doing it in a leisurely manner.

Yet the old definition of leisure (from the Oxford English Dictionary), "the freedom or opportunity to do something specified or implied," should alert us that leisure is extraordinarily important. "Something specified or implied" can be any action whatever. This degree of generality tells us that leisure is a fundamental of action.

That was Aristotle's view. Aristotle, who was certainly not given to rash and thoughtless hyperbole, repeatedly emphasized the importance of leisure (schole). "As I must repeat once again, the first principle of all action is leisure." (Pol., Bk VII, 3) Indeed, "we are busy that we may have leisure." (Nich. Eth. Bk X, 7.) According to Aristotle, leisure is the goal of busy-ness, of what we call labor. Aristotle is the first, and so far the only philosopher, to have held the doctrine that I call scholism: the view that leisure is a fundamental human value. He did not, however, give a formal account of its nature.

The common definition of leisure as "time off work" or "time for play" points out an important aspect of leisure: time. It specifies the nature of the freedom or opportunity which is involved in leisure: leisure is time available for action. Unfortunately, to define leisure as time off work is like defining money as a commodity which can be exchanged for useless luxuries. Such a definition of money would blind us to the practical uses of money, and the common definition of leisure blinds us to the profoundly practical uses of leisure.

To grasp the full significance of leisure, we must recognize it as time available for any action whatever. When you set aside an hour, day or decade for a particular project, you are devoting an hour, day or decade of your leisure to that project. Whether your project is utterly frivolous or profoundly serious, you require leisure for it. Leisure is a basic resource which is necessary for, and which is used up in, the performance of any action whatever, and therefore in pursuit or enjoyment of any value whatever.

So, what is leisure? To devote your leisure to some action means to devote your mental and physical powers to that action for that period of time. It means to devote your life to that action for that period of time. A minute or hour of your leisure is a minute or hour of your life. Your leisure is your life. Formally, leisure is an individual human life as measured by time. Informally, leisure is the time of your life.

Leisure is a value because life is a value. Leisure is just life regarded as a series of measured portions.

What is Leisure Sickness?

If on weekends, you have trouble sleeping, feel nauseous, exhausted, get cold or flu symptoms or headaches, and particularly if you get ill on vacations, you may be suffering from leisure sickness. In the late 20th century, Ad Vingerhoets and Maaike van Huijgevoort, psychologists at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, first studied the syndrome of leisure sickness. Essentially, Vingerhoets and van Huijgevoort found that many people seem to get ill on weekends and vacations, not from viral based diseases, but from the fact that they are not working.

In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, leisure sickness is associated with aches and pains and an overall feeling of fatigue. Those who suffer from the condition may also have lousy vacations, because they frequently feel ill or lack the energy to enjoy the activities they planned to do. Leisure sickness is considered psychosomatic, because most people in the midst of it are not suffering from any viral or bacterial illness.

In the early studies done by these psychologists, it appeared that certain personality types are most likely to encounter leisure sickness. People who typically are overworked, expressed a lot of stress around working, or who rarely took time off from work were often leisure sickness victims. Others who tended to be affected by leisure sickness were those for whom planning vacations was viewed as especially stressful. In contrast, those people who did not report leisure sickness were likely to exhibit healthy attitudes toward work, had a balanced work and social life, and enjoyed vacation planning, not viewing it as stressful.

For some people, the sudden transition from job orientation to leisure orientation brought on symptoms of leisure sickness. It is as though people really did not know what to do with themselves, even when they had plans, because their central focus was generally on working. This manifested in the body as symptoms of stress, which in turn manifested symptoms of illness.

When people took long vacations, many reported feeling better from leisure sickness symptoms after about a week. Still some reported always being sick on vacations, no matter the length. In the first scenario, it appears that some people are able to shift their focus into a leisure instead of working mode and recover from leisure sickness after being off the job for a while.

It does appear that addressing attitudes toward work can help leisure sickness. Many who reported leisure sickness also reported thinking about work much of the time when they were not working. Some people also noted that they felt guilty for not working in their off time. It’s fairly easy to draw lines between preoccupation with work, stress, and illness.

The suggestion, however, is that curing leisure sickness means changing attitudes about work. This might mean allowing yourself to feel entitled to vacations, and during your workweek, still participating in social activities so that there is a better balance between work and relaxation. From a stress standpoint, many people are able to feel less stress when they deliberately focus on the present, not allowing their jobs to “come home with them.” This can’t always be mastered, but if every vacation represents another bout of leisure sickness, it might well be worth investigating how to change your attitude toward work.

QUOTES: Leisure

"If, then, it seems to you that our investigation is in a satisfactory condition, there must remain for all of you the task of extending us your pardon for the shortcomings of the inquiry, and for the discoveries thereof your warm thanks."
-Aristotle, On Sophistical Refutations

"Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions."

- Mark Twain

"Few Americans even know what 'leisure' really means, and commonly confuse it with recreation or time off from work, even if that time is spent doing chores."
- Shannon Mullen, "Millenium Changes Definition of Leisure", USA Today (5/27/99)

"The individual, in our society, works for profit; but the social purpose of his work lies in the consumption of what he produces. It is this divorce between the individual and the social purpose of production that makes it so difficult for men to think clearly in a world in which profit-making is the incentive to industry."
- Bertrand Russell
"In a society that enforces a schizoid split between Work and Leisure, we have all experienced the trivialization of our "free time", time which is organized neither as work nor as leisure."

- Hakim Bey

"[Play] comes to be viewed by its participants as pleasurable but inessential, except as an interstice between sleep and productive labor. [But] the substance of human liberation may be realized in the play element...play represents the flowering of the imagination unfettered by the constraints of material necessity."

- Stanley Aronowitz, False Promises

"The creative and rewarding use of leisure should be at least as central a concern as the need for meaningful work."
- Paul Wachtel, The Poverty of Affluence

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