@wiki 18863 2008-03-31T13:51:07Z @wiki::29/ 2008-03-31 2008-03-31T13:51:07Z

book

@wiki::28/ 2007-08-04 2007-08-04T15:20:45Z

A True Story John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:. Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange... very strange. Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected! to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, "Do you think I'll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically. "Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, "Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!" He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line --- He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy.! But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. "Tommy, I've thought about you so often.. I hear you are sick," I blurted out. "Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks." "Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked. "Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied. "What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying?" "Well, it could be worse." "Like what?" "Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real 'biggies' in life." I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.) "But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!) "But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out..In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.'" "So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. "Dad." "Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper. "Dad, I would like to talk with you." "Well, talk." "I mean . . . It's really important." The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?" "Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me." "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to." "Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give You three days, three weeks.' Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him." "Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that.He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.' Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell them." "Ooh .... I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class." "Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call. In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. Before he died, we talked one last time. "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said. "I know, Tom." "Will you tell them for me? Will you ... tell the whole world for me?" "I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best." So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could. Exercise daily -- Walk with the Lord!

@wiki::27/ 2007-08-04 2007-08-04T13:37:22Z

Work hard and you will achieve the success you dream about by Ramesh Nambiar, performance coach creator of MindEnrich, International speaker and business consultant Everyone dreams of what they want to become when they grow up, but not everybody turns their dreams into reality. Lack of family support, the ever-changing environment or lack of finance can mean that you have to shelve your dreams. But in most cases, dreams fail because people do not work hard enough to achieve them. For example, you may have wanted to become a scientist but are now a policeman. Or you may have wanted to be a doctor but are now a beautician. Perhap you were indulging yourselves in non-productive “fun-life” activities, when you should have spent some serious hours studying enough to get through your exams. You may have not made a proper plan and activated it accordingly. But the good news is that it is never too late to start working toward a brand new goal. Everyone wants happiness in life. You just have to work for it. Stop dreaming that somebody is going to drop riches in your lap. You have what it takes to become whatever you want, if only you put your heart and soul into developing the aptitude to change your attitude. It is important that you have an aim in life. Many successful people have achieved their goals through hard work, lots of “heart” and smart work. They know what they wanted, and how to get what they wanted. They understood the fact that they needed to increase their knowledge, acquire the necessary finances and have a master plan to be achieved in a given time-frame. They also realized that their plan had to be drafted in a practical manner, based on understanding their abilities and shortcomings. They created realistic targets as small stepping stones towards achieving their ultimate goals. They understood the fact that they would have to change their immediate ways of working ad thinking to suit the changing environment, and yet not lose sight of their pre-set goals. Get rid of the “I am just another employee” attitude. Tell yourself: “I am the owner of my very own business – my life”. Here are some questions which you could ask yourself: o What is the higher purpose of my life? o What should my immediate goals be? o Do I have the necessary resources to meet my short-term and long-term goals? o What are my shortcomings? o What are my strengths? o Who can help me with my doubts and improve the way I think? Then create an action plan, with weekly targets and a work plan to help you achieve those targets. Do not waste your time or life. You possess valuable resources such as your life experiences, loved ones and your career. Make full use of what you have to get the best out of life. This realization is your first stepping stone to achieving greater things.

@wiki::26/ 2007-07-24 2007-11-15T14:58:34Z

Plans/details for a Surprise Birthday Party Date/Time : Friday, Oct. 12, 2007 from 7pm to 11pm Venue : Ballroom 3&4, Sheraton Towers 2nd Floor, 39 Scotts Road, Singapore 228230 (access from Newtown MRT Station) Contact: Nelson Quek, Snr Biz Dev. Manager Tel: (65) 6737-6888 email: nelson.quek@sheraton.com SignBd : Private party Tables : 12x10 with 1 reserve Menu : $750++/table including soft drinks Carpark coupons : available (25%+) Cake : 1 kg provided; would need 4 kg for party of 130 pax Cockage: $20/bottle or will provide wine list Podium, stage, piano, etc. (available upon request) Guest List: see attached. RSVP: to Lucy at xxxx xxxx / lucygoh@ippfa.com.sg Vivien at 6451-3230 / vmark@singnet.com.sg

@wiki::25/ 2007-07-04 2007-07-04T08:04:08Z

Protect Yourself From Identity Theft by Lomit Patel   Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in theUnited States. More than 100 million United States residents have had personal information stolen since early 2005, according to a Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) survey. While not all data breaches result inidentity theft, approximately ten million people fall victim to identity thieves every year. In 2007, identity theft will continue to grow unless consumers become more aware and proactive. The good news is that there are many things you can do protect your identity in theNew Year. Making and keeping our recommended resolutions will help ensure that 2007 will be a fraud-free year for you. Resolution #1: Educate Yourself While most people know the basic rules for protecting their physical well-being and possessions, too many do not know the basics of protecting their identity. Identity theft occurs when a criminal uses your personal information-such as your name,Social Security number, bank account number-to commit fraud. With stolen information, identity thieves can obtain credit cards, utilities services, loans, medical services, and even jobs. Identity thieves use many methods, including: • dumpster diving • stealing wallets • posing as legitimate companies in e-mails and on phone calls to entice you into sharing sensitive data • hacking into corporate databases A thief can steal your identity with as little information as your name andsocial security number. Once you've been victimized, it can take years to restore your credit and name. However, if you know what to look for and how it happens, you can detect identity theft before it happens, minimizing losses. To find out if your personal information has been compromised, conduct a search on StolenID Search, a free service that scans more than two million pieces of compromised personal information. Your search results will tell you if your credit card, driver's license,Social Security, or bank account numbers have been used inappropriately. Resolution #2: Check Your Credit Checking yourcredit reportregularly is the best way to detect new, unauthorized account activity. Resolve to keep an up-to-date watch on your credit throughout the year and report any suspicious activity as soon as you see it. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies --Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion -- to provide you with a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months. Since your credit report impacts everything from loans to job offers, take advantage of this opportunity to make sure your report is accurate. Resolution #3: Exercise Your Right to Opt-Out A significant amount of stolen personal information comes from "pre-approved" credit and insurance offers. Thieves often steal these applications to apply for credit in your name. Exercise your right to "opt-out" of receiving these offers by calling (888) 5-OPT-OUT or opting out online athttp://www.optoutprescreen.com/. Resolution #4: Transact Safely Identity theftis often associated with online buying and unsecured Web sites that compromise your personal information. Even if shopping sites are secure, Web sites often leave personal information and financial data on a computer's hard drive after a purchase is made. Viruses and spyware -- software that covertly gathers your information over the Internet connection without your knowledge -- can be used to steal passwords and account numbers from your computer. Safeguard your online transactions by following these simple tips: • Protect your computer with essential security software, including a software firewall and antivirus protection. • Enable your browser's privacy settings. • Never give out your personal information in response to an e-mail, a Web site you've come to through an external link, or a pop-up screen. • Don't get pressured into providing personal information. Online scams often use scare tactics, and may threaten to disable an account until you update your account information. Be sure to contact the organization directly to confirm the authenticity of their request. Resolution #5: Invest in Proactive Protection The best way to avoididentity theftis to stop it before it happens. Adding a "Credit Freeze" or "Fraud Alert" on yourcredit reportat the three major credit bureaus can help you avoid identity theft. This stops identity thieves in their tracks by locking your credit down and preventing lenders from offering new credit in your name unless they verify your identity via phone or e-mail. By knowing the basics of identity theft, you can go a long way towards fighting fraud. However, no matter how good your knowledge, maximum benefits will only be achieved if you make prevention a life-long habit.

@wiki::24/ 2007-06-08 2007-06-08T14:12:17Z

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the one who'll decide where you'll go." Theodor Seuss Geisel, popularly known as Dr. Seuss. I PROMISE MYSELF - by Christian D. Larson To be so strong that nothing can disturb my peace of mind To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person that I meet To make all my friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them To look at the sunny side of everything and make my optimism come true To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only of the best To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as I am of my own To forget the mistakes of the past and to press on to the greater achievements of the future To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature I meet To give so much time to improving myself that I have no time to critize others To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but in great deeds To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side, so long as I am true to the best that is in me.

@wiki::23/ 2007-06-07 2007-06-07T08:50:59Z

MCST MC Members as at 26/5/07 PDLow/KCLim/CTang/RFoo/PChua/Vtan/ATan/BHLee 6/6/07 by PDLow ADDITIONAL WORKS FOR THE 8TH TERM MC 1) REPLACING OF DOORS AT: a) Common Toilets (Male / Female) b) Store Room (in-between both common toilets) c) Meeting Room d) Sliding & folding door in-between Function room 1 & 2 e) Staircase door at Level 1 for all blocks 2) REFURNISHING OF MANAGEMENT OFFICE: a) Provide an opening viewing & counter facing the Clubhouse b) Provide more cabinets for documents filing c) Replace worktop and tidy-up the existing wiring and cable. d) Repainting all walls and washing the floor tiles 3) CONSTRUCT HIGH CONC. KERB ALONG SLOPE TURFING & SURFACE DRAIN (BASEMENT) a) To construct 300 – 450mm high conc. Kerb with c/s plastering with paint finished (to prevent turfing soil sliding down into the drain that causes choke to the drain outlet and the rainwater unable to discharge that caused mosquito breeding. 4) REPAINTING OF TRAFFIC DIRECTIONS, PARKING LOTS AND LOTS NUMBER IN THE BASEMENT CAR PARK a) To repaint all traffic directions, parking lots, lots numbers and area of bicycle parking, etc.. (wear and tear condition) 5) REPLACING OF BY-LAWS BOOKLET a) Update all new By-Laws incorporate with the existing by-laws b) New By-laws shall include the date of resolution passed and approved c) Booklet’s cover shall be in hard cover with CG condo building photo as a background d) Rules and Regulations of By-Laws Booklet (e.g. Owners required to pass the booklet when they rent-out their unit to the Tenant. Charges shall be implemented should the owner lost or requesting additional booklet. Existing owner shall hand over the booklet to the new owner. 6) TO REVISE ALL APPLICATION FORMS AND POLICY INCLUDE PROCEDURE This shall include inside the New By-Laws Booklet. 7) REPAINTING OF FITNESS CORNER EQUIPMENT a) Existing paint must completely remove and apply anti-rust paint follow with 2 coat of enamel paint 8) MINOR REPAIRS FOR THE MALE & FEMALE TOILET a) Repair or replace all pipes’ leakages b) Replacing of wear and tear condition toilet seats’ covers, shower hose and shower head c) Sauna rooms need water-pressure washing on the floor tiles and sauna system to be overhaul maintenance 9) CLEANING OF ALL A/C LEDGES a) Removing all rubbish found on the ledge

@wiki::22/ 2007-05-31 2008-02-25T13:26:34Z

Hi Ladies, This is your page to write as you please. No need to sign in, just click 'edit' and add your piece. It's similar to wikipedia where anyone can add to the information for everybody's benefit. So far, since creating this page, I have not had any outside visitors so not to fear that you will be spammed or bothered with any unnecessary advertisements, etc. However, to be doubly sure of non-disclosure, it would be best not to add your email address, phone no. or anything that you consider private as this site is open to public eyes. If anyone of you would rather have a site that is password protected I could create one but it would mean that those who do not know the password would not be able to add their two-bits worth. Anyhow, this is just another way of easing the effort to gather more of our KC girls, now ladies, to the fold and hopefully, as Martha suggests, get a celebration going to commemorate our 50 years' anniversary before we too 'are diminished'. Oh dear, if you don't mind, I'd rather use the words 'have passed on' or 'reached our final and inevitable destination' ..LOL !! To start the ball, or call for more participation, rolling here is Martha's initial email, to which you could add your own comments or say how many you have managed to contact and invited to this site which is dedicated to the Katong Convent Class of ' 61 although I do not think anyone would object to any other ladies who belong to another year wishing to join the celebrations along with us... Since I am not one too a-feared of my email address being spammed since I use the delete button a lot, just write to me at my email address anytime you feel like it, if you want to know how to navigate this site or have any questions you need answered. with a call to be still Simple in Virtue and Steadfast in Duty, sincerely, your classmate, swee neo/vivien, email to: vmark@singnet.com.sg June 1/07 (From Martha) Hi Girls, This is just to touch base and confirm email addresses. We were in the graduating class of Katong Convent (now known as CHIJ Katong Convent) way back in 1961. In 2011 we will be celebrating 50 years since we left school. Only 4 years more. We should think of some kind of celebration. Yesterday, (29/5/07) 13 of us got together for lunch and it was great to renew old ties. There were one or two whom we did not recognise or whose names we had forgotten. Old age?? By the end of the lunch we were like school girls again, talking and laughing loudly! Thanks to Penny and Kwee Wah for organising the lunch. Some of the email addresses to which this message is sent are from an old contact list and may not be in use any more. We have 4 years to add to the list of email addresses and phone nos. Those of you who have the emails of other girls could perhaps forward this email to them. BTW the school where we had so much fun (Did we?), is no longer standing. It has been demolished and will be replaced by another. Before we are demolished, let's try to get together once a year. In the mean time, when we are not looking after grand kids, aging parents or grouchy (but somewhat still happy husbands, otherwise they won’t be with us), perhaps we can keep in touch by email. Take care and God Bless, Martha Scully/Shepherdson (Ladies, please add your comments here, not forgetting to save at the end, or it won't show)

@wiki::21/ 2007-05-14 2007-05-14T15:02:38Z

10 KEYS TO HAPPINESS by Lynn Fowler. Don't pursue happiness as an end in itself. When it is chased, happiness becomes ephemeral, like a mirage that disappears as soon as you approach it. Happiness prefers to sneak up on us while we are focused elsewhere, and surprise us when it is least expected. That said, there are a number of things we can do to bring happiness into our lives. So here are Ten Keys to Happiness. 1. Cultivate an "attitude of gratitude." Yes, I know it's trite, but it's also true. Instead of looking at all the things you don't have in life, look at the things you do have. In Nepal several years ago, I was taken to meet a group of people who earn their living breaking stones. They quarry rock by hand using sledgehammers, carry it on their backs in huge wicker baskets to their work place, then sit all day in the open using an ordinary household hammer to break large chunks of rock into gravel. That is all life holds for them. It struck me forcefully at the time that any of us who have comfort, joy, meaning, hope or a future in our lives should be continually grateful, because a very large part of the world's population knows nothing but drudgery, hopelessness and pain. Gratitude is important for another reason. We draw toward ourselves the things we focus on most: if we focus on the negatives in our lives, we draw more of them to ourselves. When we focus on the positives, we draw positives to ourselves. 2. LEARN CONTENTMENT. This follows from number one. It does not mean that we should forget our dreams and goals, but that we should learn to enjoy the journey. Stop along the way to "smell the flowers". Aiming for a better job? Great, go for it. But take time to seek out the good things about the job you have now, and enjoy them. Want a nicer house? That's fine, but first enjoy the one you have now. I live in a friend's granny flat. It is far from my ideal accommodation. I could spend all my time fussing and fretting about not having any space. Or I can delight in the fact that I have a warm, comfortable, pleasant home; that my view from the breakfast table looks out over seven acres of bushland where I regularly watch kangaroos and wallabies and all manner of beautiful parrots come and go; and that our "mini community" situation means that there is almost always someone nearby if I need them. By doing the latter, I am not giving up my dream of owning my own home with lots of space, but while I am on the way there I am enjoying the journey. 3. LEARN TO LIVE IN THE PRESENT. Again, this follows on from 1 and 2 above. Yesterday is past. Don't let its hurts or failures drag you down. Regret is one of the most wasteful emotions we can possibly have. We all make mistakes. In some cases, we will get a chance tomorrow to rectify them. In every case, we will have opportunity to learn from them. But we can never change the fact that we made them in the first place. The successes of the past can also hold us back. We found something that worked, and we don't want to change it. We found a place that was comfortable, and we don't want to move on. But unless we let go of the joys and successes of the past, as well as its hurts and failures, we will never be free to move forward and take hold of the things tomorrow offers us. I suggest a "good night" prayer: "Lord, today is over. I will never live this day again. With all its pleasure and pain, all its failure and success, I commit this day into Your hands. Tomorrow is a new day." As much as the past can hold us back, the future can cripple us if we focus on it instead of the present. Worrying about tomorrow will not change it. There is a very good chance that the things we worried about will never happen. If they do, we are better to face them with a mind that is fresh, rather than one that is bleary from worry. 4. ACCEPT THAT YOU ARE NOT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. Life does not revolve around you. The world does not owe you a living. And, as surprising as it may seem, everyone is not wondering what you think, feel, want. Accepting this frees you from performing to the expectations of others. It also frees you from imposing unrealistic expectations upon others, and being disappointed when they do not meet those expectations. 5. LEARN TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE YOUR PROBLEM, AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT. The reality is, you will never be able to change another person. If you are in a problem relationship, the only person you can change is you. You are responsible for yourself. You are responsible for your choices. You do not do the things you do because your mommy spanked you or didn't spank you, or because she got potty training wrong, or because you were abused, or because of any of a million other factors in your life history. You do the things you do because you choose to do them. You are responsible for your choices. You are not responsible for someone else's choices - no matter how close the "someone else" may be to you. You may point out to them the error of their ways. You may suggest a better way of doing things. But if they still choose to do something of which you disapprove, it is not your problem. Learn to let it go and rest on their shoulders, nor yours. 6. FIND WHO YOU REALLY ARE. In counseling, I am amazed by the number of people who really have no understanding of themselves, their personalities, and the things that make them tick. They are trying to live life as somebody totally different to who they are. Visit your library and get some good books on personality types. One I recommend is True Colors by Roger Birkman. The aim is not to become focused on ourselves and end up pushing true happiness away from ourselves, but to become naturally the true person God created us to be. When you are applying for a job, for instance, ask yourself, "If I have to pretend to be someone I am not in order to get this job, how happy am I going to be doing it if I am successful?" 7. PRACTICE FORGIVENESS. That grudge you hug so closely to yourself is not hurting the other person. It is hurting you. Thirty years ago I used to minister in a nursing home in Sydney. As well as conducting a weekly service, my work involved going around the wards and talking to the ladies. Sadly, there were some who, on every visit, would regale me with stories of the great injustices done to them fifty years before by their children/ neighbors/ friends. They had never forgiven, and the pain of those events was as fresh as it had been when they first happened. When we hold unforgiveness, we give the person who hurt us the power to go on hurting us for the rest of our lives. When we forgive and release them, we also release ourselves to receive healing for those wounds. 8. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. That means being prepared to be a little vulnerable. Each of us has a deep-rooted hunger for meaningful personal relationships. Sadly, many people have been hurt and have put up walls to protect themselves from further hurt. The problem is, when we put up walls to stop people from hurting us, we also cut ourselves off from that intimacy of relationship we need. Take the time to really get to know people. Listen to their heart. Don't be anxious to jump in and give your thoughts, feelings or experiences. Really listen. Then allow yourself to step into their shoes and begin to understand them. Then go further. Touching people will only take us so far. It is possible to touch someone - even deeply - then move on and never have contact again. We need more than that. Humans are communal beings. We are not designed to be islands. We need other people. Relationships take work. They take time. They take selflessness. There is no such thing as a 50/50 relationship. In any relationship there will be times when you have to give 99%. Yet for all that, the rewards of genuine relationship far outstrip the costs. 9. GET ACTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. In every community, and every organization, the bulk of the work is carried out by a very few people. Volunteers are needed in all sorts of areas, there is sure to be a match for something that interests you. If you are not sure what opportunities are available, contact your local library or the local government authority. 10. FIND SPIRITUAL REALITY. If you remove the reality of eternity, life is pretty depressing. If life here on earth is all there is, no matter how great it is, it will eventually end and there will be nothing left. This is true not only on a personal level, but on a planetary level. If there is nothing beyond this life, then no matter how much we try to improve life on this planet, one day it is all going to go bang, and all our effort will be gone. Without spiritual reality, any happiness we find is but a fleeting pleasure. The good news is, this is not all there is. God is real, and in finding Him we can find not only temporal happiness, but eternal joy.

@wiki::20/ 2007-05-10 2007-05-10T12:58:18Z

Some of you may have heard of these ideas before, others may be entirely new to you. But whether you are familiar with these super secrets or not, it will be well worth your while to put them into effect in your own life. The magic they will work on your financial life is guaranteed. These money-making ideas are just waiting for you to bring them to life. We urge you to put them to work for you - any one of these could change your life! Let's get started! Amazing Money Tip #1: The great scientist Albert Einstein once said, "It takes a genius to see the obvious." What he meant by that is that sometimes the simplest things in life are the most powerful ... but because they are so simple, we tend to ignore them, and not let them work for us. One of the simplest but most powerful money making ideas is this: Keep a daily log of everything you spend. Go to the dime store and buy a little notebook. Carry it with you wherever you go. Write down every penny - every single penny - you spend every day. It's as simple as that. If you do this, you will find something magic happening in your financial life in just a few weeks. There is something incredibly powerful about writing down all your expenditures. It makes the flow of money through your life more real and exact. It shows you simply and clearly just where you are spending your money, on what and why. Once you know that, it becomes much easier to control your spending. Many people who have taken up this practice have not only learned something about themselves which they never knew before, but they are often astounded. Amazing Money Tip #2: Stop deficit spending! We all know how much trouble Uncle Sam has been creating spending more money than our country takes in. It's called deficit spending. Well, don't fool yourself. The same rules apply to you. Using those evil little plastic cards may be the "American Way," but it's a poor way. Today, the average credit card holder is carrying $7,000 in plastic debt! Spending yourself into debt with a credit card is unbelievably easy, as many of you already know. The reason is psychological. When you give that clerk a credit card, it's just not the same as handing over a stack of green dollar bills. Would you as readily hand over a fistful of ten dollar bills as flip a credit card across a counter? Probably not. Credit cards put you in the hole and keep you there. Even for people with good incomes, paying your credit card debt down to zero is amazingly difficult. And make no bones about it, credit card debt will sap your financial strength just as readily as an open vein will deplete your physical body of its very life force. Using a credit card by choice can quickly turn to using it for need. Once you get to that point, you are already in trouble. Amazing Tip #3: Sell your junk. That's right, it's high past time for a major garage sale. If you don't have a garage, it's time to search through your house or apartment for every single item you don't need, and could convert quickly to cash at a flea market or garage sale. Take an inventory. The truth is, most people are astounded by what they own - and how much money they have tied up in useless stuff. Why let it collect dust in your attic while it could collect interest in a savings account. You could easily be $500, $1,000 ... even $3,000 richer by the end of the week. As an added bonus, you'd have your place cleaned up, and you will have a fresh feeling of starting over. A garage sale is an excellent way to not only clean out your house, but it often gives a psychological boost that helps people get control of their life and money. Amazing Tip #4: Ben Franklin said it long ago: "A penny saved is a penny earned." Yes, it's still true, and still one of the most powerful money-making tips in all history. Implied within Franklin's famous statement is the difficulty of saving. It's tough to save and easy to spend! You know that! That's why every penny saved truly is earned - because it takes so much effort to hold on to that cash! But if you can do it, it will work magic in your life. Here are some tips to help you save: * Don't settle for interest checking. Have a separate savings account that can't be as easily accessed as a checking account. * Keep your savings in another bank - one that's off your regular route, or perhaps even in another town. That way you won't be tempted to dip into it every time you visit the bank to make a checking deposit. * Buy short-term savings bonds, which have 6-month to one-year maturity dates. That way you will get a higher rate, while at the same time keeping your money close in case of real emergencies. * If you can, open the account under two names and require that both signatures be required to make a withdrawal. Two people can debate each withdrawal and keep each other in line. Amazing Tip #5: Visualize wealth and abundance everyday. What we are actually suggesting is that you practice some sort of airy-fairy mysticism that will make you into a "money magnet"? Maybe yes, maybe no. Call it what you will - a mind game, mysticism, New Age ga-ga -- but the solid fact is that behind every wealthy man and woman is a positive attitude toward money. Here's a quick demonstration: (1) Person One with a negative money attitude has daily thoughts which go this way: "Jeez! $20 bucks is hard to come by! I seem to work so hard and get so little for it. Money just slips through my fingers. It's amazing how much money you have to earn to just get by these days. I'm never going to be able to afford that new car on my limited salary, but this job is still the best thing going for me right now. It's easy for some people to make a lot of money, but I'm not one of those people ..." and on and on. (2) Person Two with a positive money attitude has daily thoughts which go this way: "You know, I bet if I work my butt off I can get a raise next month, and then I'll take half of the extra money I make and toss it in a savings account. There must be a 100 other ways I can bring in some extra cash. Money is not all that hard to earn if you work hard, watch your spending and save a little at a time. There's enough wealth for everybody in this country, and I can easily get my share, and more ..." and on and on. Okay. Which person do you think will have a better chance of success? Look at it this way: It costs nothing one way or the other to have either negative or positive thoughts. So why not have positive thoughts? Amazing Tip #6: Do what you love and the money will follow. I think there's a book by that title. At any rate, it's true. One of the primary reasons that many people live paycheck to paycheck and are broke despite working very hard at their jobs is the fact that they hate what they do. If you hate your job, you will not have a positive attitude toward money. You will associate money with that dreadful sound of the alarm clock every morning. Once you tie up your source of wealth and income with slavery, that's truly what you will become: a slave. Starting today, you should begin planning your escape. The first thing you should ask yourself is: "If money were no object, what would I be doing? What do I like to do most for fun, and is it possible that I could get paid for it? Sound ludicrous? It's not. In fact, if your work is not also your play, you are fighting against yourself. You will eventually burn out and hate the world. On the other hand, if you get up every day being exciting, positive and looking forward to what you are going to be doing - and making money at it - you will automatically move toward doing more and more of what you love, and making more and more money at it. Amazing Tip #7: You must get organized. Being a tidy, efficient person has more influence on how much money you make more than you can ever imagine. A lot of us are accustomed to associate a messy desk with genius because we have seen so many photos of great scientists sitting behind stacks and stacks of junk. But guess what? Great scientists don't get paid squat! They are not worried about making money. Their university or the government takes care of them. You, however, want to have a lot of money, so you can't afford to be a slob. Think about it. Let's say you are at your desk trying to get some work done. You need to find the stapler, but because your office is such a pit, you spend 15 minutes looking for it. You've just spent 15 unproductive minutes. Next you may need to locate a file, and that takes you 20 minutes of sifting through paper. Another 20 minutes down the tube. By the end of the day, you may easily burn up two or three hours doing something as trivial as looking for things. The same goes for any kind of job you might have. The fact is, time is money. The more time you spend unproductively, the less time you are earning money. Clean up your office. Organize your tool shed. Get your bookwork organized. Think of every minute saved as a buck in your pocket. Amazing Money Tip #8: Make your own daily top 10 list. Speaking of getting organized, you should sit down every morning with your cup of coffee and list the top 10 things you would like to get done that day. Then organize them in priority of importance. Start at item No. 1 and go down the list as fast as you can. Make no doubt about it - this is a powerful way to get work done. It will put hoards of cash in your pocket. The reason is that making money is all about movement - forward movement. As the famous novelist Ayn Rand told us, in a capitalist society the most important things a person can do is move forward every day! Having a top ten list will ensure that you accomplish something every day. You may not get through the whole list every day, nor should you necessarily try. Just do your best. At the end of the day, you should be able to look at your list with pride, examine the scratched off items and say: "That's what I got done today! I did something to better my life and create wealth!" Amazing Money Tip #9: You must set short-term goals and long-term goals. If you don't know where you are going, how do you expect to get there? It's simple but powerful logic. When you have a target sitting out there somewhere in the future, a target which is your goal, it can almost act like a magnet that pulls you toward it. Setting solid, reachable goals which are attainable, yet a challenge, have proved time and time again to be one of THE most powerful methods of achieving wealth and success ever developed. This has even been demonstrated in psychology laboratories with small furry animals. It has been demonstrated in corporate training schemes. It has been used successfully again and again by countless individuals. Setting both short term goals and long-term goals has the effect of focusing your mind like a laser beam. It pulls you along toward higher and better things. It gives solidity to what you are trying to accomplish, and thus makes that which you want more real and likely to come into your life. Amazing Money Tip # 10: Invest your money and make it work at multiplying itself. Saving money in a savings account is important as we said above, but the 2.3 percent interest rates most banks give you is not even enough to keep pace with inflation. You must do more than save your money -- you must invest it. That means financial vehicles with super-high rates of return, such as mutual funds and stocks, or the more risky commodity markets. A $5,000 investment in commodities can return you 10 times that amount -- $50,000 --in just a few weeks, although you could easily lose it as well. The bottom line is, you should also take a portion of your savings and put them in high interest or high risk investment plans. That's the way to really get ahead fast. Amazing Money Tip #11: Have fun! Yes, this tip easily makes our Top Ten list because it is so essential to your success. The great writer Ray Bradbury once said in an interview: "If you are not having fun, you might as well forget it. Do everything you do with joy and you'll be successful." You need to be having fun to stay positive, and you need to stay positive to make money. So come on! Get out there: laugh, clap your hands, live! Have a blast and rake in the cash! The world is waiting for you!