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2010-04-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

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2010-04-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

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2010-03-05T17:43:00.001-08:00

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Wishing You a Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-01T11:51:00.001-08:00

May the new year bring you Happiness, Success & Prosperity!

Essence of Bhagavat Gita

2007-03-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

Why are you unnecessarily worrying?
Whom do you fear?
Who can kill you?
Soul is not born, nor does it die.

What has happened has happened for the best. What is happening is happening for the best. What will happen will happen for the best.

Do not brood over the past. Do not, worry about the future. The present is on.

What have you lost, that you are weeping? What have you brought, that you have lost? What have you made, that has been destroyed? You brought not anything. What you have, you got from here. What was given, was given here. What you took, you took from this universe. What you gave, you gave unto this universe. You have come empty handed and shall go empty handed. What is yours today was somebody else’s in the past and will be somebody else’s in future. You think it is yours and are deeply engrossed in it.
This attachment is the cause of all your sorrow. Change is the Law of Life. What you call Death is Life itself. In a moment you are a millionaire in the very next you are poor. Mine-Yours; Small-Big; Ours-Theirs; Remove this from your mind, then everything is yours and you are: everybody’s.

This Body is not yours, nor you are of this body. Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether comprisee this body and unto this shall it turn. But the Soul is Immortal, then what are you? Surrender unto the Lord, he is ultimate support. He who experiences this is completely free from Fear, Worry and Despair. Whatever you do, offer it unto Him. By this you shall forever experience Eternal Bliss.

–Bhagawan Shri Krishna

Your 12 Point Plan for Personal Success

2006-12-26T07:37:00.000-08:00

No one becomes successful by accident. Success requires making a plan and sticking to it. It is simple, but does require commitment; it is not hard to do, but does require hard work. The good news is that once you begin, the results start coming almost instantly. The miracle of successful living is that the smallest step towards success attracts more success! Here is a very brief outline of the key points that will help you achieve the highest levels of success.

1. Look into the nearest mirror - the person staring back at you is the only person responsible for your success. Smile! No one else is the cause of your success or to blame for your short comings. Successful people take full responsibility for their actions.

2. Smile back at your reflection. Successful people are cheerful, optimistic, and forward thinking. If you think you don't have anything to smile about, smile anyway. Positive thoughts drive out negative thoughts. It's hard to have a negative thought while you are smiling!

3. Positive self-esteem is the foundation for success. Feel good about yourself and your abilities, achievements and potential. Don't dwell on your mistakes. Remind and praise yourself on your past accomplishments. Congratulate yourself for taking positive steps toward a more successful future.

4. Believe in yourself. You are here for a purpose. God doesn't make extras just to fill in the scenery. Find your mission and begin working to fulfill it.

5. Desire to be a success. Decide right now that you will be successful. Commit to being successful.

6. Associate with successful people. Do what they do. When faced with choices, make the choice a successful person would make. Blow your bonus check on a gambling trip or invest it?

7. Avoid unsuccessful people. Do not under any circumstances associate with negative people. Negative people are toxic; they destroy, they do not build. They are vampires that can live only by draining the life from others. The odds are greater that they will pull you down faster than you can lift them up. You can choose to stay away from all the negative people in your life. Avoid all the whiners, complainers, blamers and thumbsuckers.

8. Do what you are best at and what you get the most satisfaction from. There is no reason to stay stuck doing things that are frustrating, boring, unhealthy, unproductive, demeaning or unfulfilling.

9. Write down a vision of how you want to live your life. Be specific. Where you want to live, what kind of carpet, who your friends are, the pony's name, what the new church rec hall you donated looks like, etc. Make a Future Scrapbook; paste in pictures, drawings, essays, clippings. Make up news headlines about your achievements. Every day visualize yourself as you would like to be - and then act that way!

10. Write down your biggest goal, the one you most want to fulfill. Write it in the present tense, "I am...", "I have...", "I contribute...". Success is the result of a personal decision, so start your goal with "I". Read your goal aloud every morning and night. Tell people your goal. Make a plan to achieve your goal and stick to it.

11. Study the science of success. Read books, listen to tapes, watch videos and positive TV programming. Talk to successful people and ask them how they became successful. Fill your mind with positive thoughts and give yourself positive self- affirmations.

12. Every day do something that brings you closer to your goal. Never give up. You can only fail if you quit trying. Keep on keeping on and you will succeed. Achieving success requires following a system. Begin today by putting these 12 points into daily practice.

Everybody experiences fear of failure, uncertainty, insecurity, low self-esteem, indecision, depression, nervousness and embarrassment. Successful people master these temporary conditions by taking positive action, by sticking to their plan, by maintaining their vision of the future, by learning from setbacks and by redicating themselves to the pursuit of their mission. By following these simple steps you will become successful and achieve all that you desire.

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Having trouble becoming a crorepati?

2006-11-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Having trouble becoming a crorepati?

These are days when multiplication of wealth by shrewd investments in properties is within the reach of even a middleclass investor. K Sukumaran, takes us through, the once garden city now hi-tech city's booming realty market

All of us need to have set plans in life. Our faculties need to be applied properly in order to chalk out a reasonable course in our lives, such as, education, job, family, health, savings for old age needs, etc.

All these require financial support for which a systematic saving and investment plan is a must. In our grand parents' time, very few had serious thoughts about such plans.

As against this, our parents' generation had the foresight to lay out plans though many did not execute them. The current generation is not only fully aware of the fool proof requirements, but also implements their plans successfully.

In fact, one's knowledge and financial strength are things that cannot be ignored today. Money is the 'live-wire' for leading a happy life!

Role of money

Everything is expensive these days, may be because, inflation has pushed up prices of all commodities of everyday use and it is common knowledge that price levels are going to increase further — an everlasting phenomenon. How do we insulate or at least insure against such eventualities? Insurance against calamities and accidents are available from insurance companies.

Such cover for reduced value of money is possible only by countervailing investments in such portfolios which will grow sufficiently well to balance the gap.

A balancing act

For most part of the nineteenth century, gold and bank deposits were considered safe investments. During the last few years, from the 1970's, investment in company shares gained popularity—till perhaps the Harshad Mehta security scam. When did the interest in real estate investments pop up?

There was always an indirect interest in 'mother earth' for every human being. Men have fought many a war on this planet for centuries! Alexander the Great and Babar did not cross the Afghan mountains and come to India for nothing; the British did not set up the East India Company for trade alone! Vasco de Gama's case too was, perhaps not very different.

Land lords retained a large chunk of land for agricultural purposes. Capitalists acquired land for business and industry.

The middleclass wanted land for building a shelter of their own. Other than these sections, a new breed of "investors" surfaced when bank interest made its reverse journey southwards - both as developers and as 'sharks.'

The small and middle class started trying their hand by buying small sites under the guise of building a roof over their heads and for resale when the prices go up, so as to make a 'cut.'

Big money

Developers and landlords lured investors with the increasing prices of sites/ plots, and apartments consequent to the large influx of migrant population in the wake of globalisation and economic growth.

Places like, Bangalore, Pune, Gurgaon, where IT companies set up shop revelled in this sudden spurt in demand for buildings. The modus operandi is something like this:-

* Buy a site or apartment in a developing area located in and around an industrial belt, residential townships etc. Either invest own savings or utilise loans from banks and other real estate financiers.

* Sell the site/ apartment after a few years when the prices go up.

* Buy 'gramatana' land outside the Municipal Corporation

* Buy even 'revenue' sites initially and get them legalised by paying the conversion charges or other levies.

* Follow the development plans of local bodies and identify possible growth centres outside the visibility of ordinary investors and encash on the political and implementation delays by buying small bits of land in and around 'future gold mines.'

An example of how to convert one's investment to cash?

In the garden city of Bangalore, there can be many instances. Take one case from Bannerghatta or Sarjapur road:

*Investment in two 60'x 40' plots in 2003 @ Rs 200 per sq ft Rs 9,60,000

*Sale price of the above plots in 2006 @ Rs 2500 per sq ft Rs 1,20,00,000

*Profit out of the transaction Rs 1,10,40,000

How does it look?

Does this look unbelievable? Maybe, some 10-15 years back. But today, there are many who have made it a reality.

Of course, there can be some risks like, BDA notification acquiring the land for layouts, roads or rail lines. But we all know that one can't make money without taking a risk.

Coimbatore Realestate

2006-10-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Learn to be more assertive!

2006-10-14T23:09:00.000-07:00

Learn to be more assertive!

Richa Pant

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September 26, 2006

Let's say it's 5 pm on a Friday and you are hurriedly collecting your bag to go home, as you have big plans for the weekend. Suddenly, your boss asks you to report to work on Saturday morning. All you manage to say is a meek "Okay." And, with that, you ruin your entire weekend.

Sounds familiar? It probably does if you are like most people who, at some time or another, exhibit 'unassertive behaviour'. That is, they are not able to stand up for themselves and convey their thoughts or feelings in an appropriate manner.

What is assertiveness?

Assertiveness refers to being able to express your thoughts, beliefs and feelings in a confident, open and honest way. "It increases self-confidence and facilitates the communication of ideas at work. With increasing competition, the importance of being assertive at the workplace is being realized to a greater extent. It's not just seen as a matter of survival, but as an indirect, powerful tool to increase productivity and efficiency," says Gaurav Agarwal, a 28-year old executive in Noida.

Assertiveness, aggressiveness, passiveness

These are different categories that are part of the behaviour continuum.

Passiveness: You are uncomfortable expressing yourself honestly. You feel you don't have the right to be heard. You back down easily to avoid conflict.

Aggressiveness: You force your point of view, even at the expense of another's. You always want your way, and use strategies like loud talking, sarcasm, desk pounding and forcefulness.

Assertiveness: You are comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings. You can put forth your views without compromising on your own needs or provoking others. You aim for a win-win solution.

Although people interchange the terms assertiveness and aggressiveness, you can see there is a difference between the two. "Assertive people exhibit a positive, open style of communication that is neither submissive nor aggressive," says Harish Srivastava, a 29-year old sales manager. When you're being assertive, you are not attacking someone else. You are not being rude. You are simply standing up for your rights.

Being assertive is essential for those who want to learn how to stand up for themselves in different situations, such as responding to putdowns, handling and expressing anger, speaking up to a rude salesperson, asking the boss for a raise, asking for a better table at a restaurant, etc.

"I was not assertive before and didn't feel good about myself, either because I couldn't get things I planned done efficiently, or because I couldn't fulfil everyone else's requests and felt guilty," says Dipti Srivastava, a housewife from Lucknow. "I then made attempts to change myself and can now say I am an assertive woman."

Assertiveness affects your life

A culture of assertiveness is especially important if you deal with a lot of pressure in your personal life or at work, or if you have direct contact with customers or clients. Not only will you be able to recognise problem behaviours when they occur, you will also be better equipped to deal with them.

Assertiveness helps you plan and carry through difficult encounters more effectively. It helps you make requests, say 'No' effectively, give and receive criticism appropriately, cope with put-downs, communicate effectively, express your feelings (whether positive or negative) in a confident manner, and set self-imposed limits and boundaries so you don't lose out on account of others.

Setting self-imposed limits refers to sometimes having to say 'No' to people. "Sometimes, it is necessary," says 28-year old banker Anupam Misra. "For example, when doing someone else's work may actually result in your own work not being completed in time." Saying 'No' can be very difficult for an unassertive person, since such people find it difficult to even stand up for themselves. They also usually find it hard to ask for what they want, or express their opinions effectively.

Why say Yes when you want to say No?

"One reason is such people want others to like them. They are afraid of losing their friends, or afraid their boss may use their refusal as grounds for negligence. They might also want to be known as the 'go-to' person, who is dependable and can always accomplish the task. It makes them feel wanted and more valuable," says Harish.

Unfortunately, this inability to say 'No' can be harmful. It builds up stress hormones, such as adrenaline. Consequently, your heart will beat faster than normal, your blood pressure will rise and blood vessels will become narrow. According to doctors, these conditions can contribute to your risk of heart attack, stroke, and even cancer.

10 tips that can help

According to Harish, "What employees must learn to inculcate is a confident, open and honest tone of voice that leaves no room for doubt and puts across the intended point in a healthy manner." The following tips can help:

1. When you need to say something, speak clearly and with confidence. Your body language should also give the impression that you are calm and confident.

2. Learn to strike up and carry on conversations with ease. Practice your conversation skills in different social situations. You can also consult books on etiquette.

3. Use "I feel" statements to put across your thoughts. For example, "I feel ____when you ____".

4. Learn to say 'No'. Saying 'yes' to everyone and everything is impossible. Figure out your priorities. If saying 'No' seems too blunt at first, say you'll think about it before answering.

5. Accept compliments with a smile. Simply say 'thank you' instead of making excuses.

6. Express your worries and concerns. Otherwise, they will gnaw into your mind and create tension. Also, tackle minor irritations before your anger builds.

7. Develop self-esteem. Be around positive people who make you feel good about yourself.

8. Don't dilute your words or beat around the bush. "People often make excuses or give long explanations and the person listening gets a mixed message," explains Gaurav. Be concise and direct. Use the first person part-of-speech. For example, 'I feel frustrated when my work is not acknowledged.' The lesser words you use, the bigger the impact.

9. Do not speak apologetically. Stand your ground if you know you are correct. Ask questions whenever you need clarifications. You shouldn't accept rules or practices without understanding them.

10. Express negative emotions in a healthy manner. For example, if someone has hurt your feelings, let them know without escalating the situation. It doesn't help to take out your aggression or frustration on others. Express valid feelings in time, instead of bottling things up until you explode. Sometimes, it is better to walk away until you feel calmer and more in control. Make sure your body language is not aggressive. Avoid pointing at people, banging the table, raising your voice, or making other aggressive gestures.

When to say Yes when you mean No

There are some situations that may actually warrant your saying 'Yes' even when you want to say 'No'. For example, certain entrepreneurs claim they do in fact have to "go out of their way" and say yes when they want to say no, to cultivate new clients and maintain existing ones. "Sometimes, you have to learn to say Yes even when you mean No, just to get clients to go along with you," reveals Rohit Jha, a 27-year old entrepreneur from Pune.

It is also common for employees to do it to survive in the corporate culture, where cutthroat competition exists. Even on the domestic front, it is quite possible that, at some time or another, you will have to carry out family obligations or responsibilities even though you want to refuse.

In effect, whether to say Yes or No in a particular situation is a decision you must use your judgment to make.

2006-09-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

A motivational gem I stepped upon. Anyone can use this in real life..

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I c ould choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctor s and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday ...

Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Invest

2006-09-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by Invest ( rajks2@hotmail.com )
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/iw/2006/04/16/stories/2006041600381000.htm)

FUND TALK

I have invested in the mutual funds mentioned in the list. I want to reduce my exposure from 32 funds to 10. Please suggest Top 10 Funds for further investments (after selling my current holding). Also suggest from the list 1. What are all the funds I need to hold, 2. What are on the funds for further investments.

My investments: ABN Amro Opportunities Fund, ABN Amro Equity, Birla Sun Life Infrastructure Fund, Birla Sun Life Top 100 Fund, Chola Mid cap Fund, Chola Multicap Fund, DSP ML Equity Fund, DSP ML India T.I.G.E.R.Fund, DSP ML Opportunities Fund, DSP ML Top 100 Equity Fund, Fidelity Equity Fund, Franklin Templeton India Flexi Cap Fund, Franklin Templeton India Prima Fund, HDFC Top 200 Fund, Kotak Mahindra Midcap Fund, Kotak Mahindra Opportunities Fund, Principal Infrastructure & Services Fund, Principal Large-cap Fund, Prudential ICICI Discovery Fund, Prudential ICICI Emerging Star Fund, Prudential ICICI Infrasture Fund, Reliance Growth Fund, Reliance Vision Fund, SBI Blue Chip Fund, SBI Magnum Multi-cap Fund, SBI Magnum Multiplier Plus 93, Sundaram CAPEX Opportunities Fund, Sundaram India Leadership Fund, Sundaram S.M.I.L.E. Fund, Sundaram Select Midcap Fund, Tata Equity Opportunies Fund, and UTI Leadership Equity Fund.

R. Sathiyamoorthy

Coimbatore

To prune your portfolio to ten funds, we will suggest the following approach:

Of the list of funds you own, DSP ML Opportunities, Franklin Prima, HDFC Top 200, Reliance Growth, SBI Magnum Multiplier 1993 and Sundaram Select Mid-Cap should form part of the core portfolio of ten.

You can add HDFC Equity, HDFC TaxSaver, Franklin Bluechip and SBI Magnum Contra to complete the core portfolio of the funds

You will get a good mix of large- and mid-cap funds with this portfolio.

We prefer funds with a track record of at least five years. The following funds have been around for a shorter period; we do, however, like their performance and investment approach. Prudential ICICI Discovery, Prudential ICICI Emerging Star, Sundaram Capex Opportunities, DSP ML Top 100 and Kotak Midcap. We suggest you own these dark-horse funds over at least a couple of years and cut your portfolio size by phasing out exposures in the others.

You should prune your portfolio over two years, as rushing to complete the process will not be a proper choice.

Even as you attempt this exercise, make sure you do not invest in new fund offers (unless there is a compelling theme) or belured by dividend announcements.

If you invest in so many funds and then decide to cut the portfolio to size, you will suffer sizeable costs. These will cut into your returns.Owning a laundry list of funds will make tracking and managing difficult. The quality of entry and exit decisions will suffer. In this backdrop, your idea to whittle the portfolio to ten appears right.

You can enhance exposures in the `chosen ten' through systematic investments plans. In the five dark horse funds (those with a track record of less than five years) indicated, do not add exposures; retain them.

Review the performance of the `chosen ten' at regular intervals. We believe the chosen ten plus the five dark-horses will deliver attractive returns over a five-year period.

S. Vaidya Nathan

Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu

Discipline

2006-01-22T11:47:00.000-08:00

That is the definition of discipline given by MSN Encarata.

To develop the habit of taking action regularly requires self-control.

In order to feel motivated to take regular actions you will need a sense of purpose and a clear vision.

Even thinking about what you do want and refusing to think about what you dont want requires discipline.

Your personal growth, career growth and improvement in all areas of your life happen when you are willing to do something today and everyday.

Lack of discipline in one area will affect other areas of your life.

Success comes after taking consistent efforts not once in a while but everyday.

"Failure occurs each time we fail to thinktoday, acttoday, care, strive, climb, learn, or just keep goingtoday." Jim Rohn

You face many choices daily and you have control over your actions. But failing to do the right thing can lead to failure.

And when the failures accumulate over time your life can turn disastrous.

Imposing self-discipline requires courage. You may have to leave a familiar ground because it involves change.

You would have to fight against your inner cravings, your emotions, compulsions and routines.

When you are determined to make your life a success you will create a plan of action each day.

Success will show up from the many tiny efforts that you put in.

You have to maintain and stay focused until your vision becomes a reality.

Otherwise the simplest task can seem challenging and you will eventually stop yourself.

So if you want something badly you must take continuous action to make it happen. Though the road may seem far and long you can take one step today.

When what you do does not work use that as a learning experience and further development.

Look for a different way to do it. The number of different things you attempt will affect the results.

Persistence is important. Whatever it is that you desire to accomplish will take continuous efforts and time before you feel comfortable.

If you keep doing something each day you ability to do it will improve.

So whether you like it or not, doing what you should do when you should do it is what discipline is all about.

"Discipline is the master key. It unlocks the door to wealth and happiness, culture and sophistication, high self-esteem and high accomplishment, and the accompanying feelings of pride, satisfaction, and success". Jim Rohn

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Changes in your life

2005-12-29T17:28:00.000-08:00

© Accept change as a fact of life. - Nothing stays the same. As human beings we are constantly in process. Our world is changing at a pace never experienced before…change is our only constant….accept it!

© Commit yourself to lifelong learning. - If change is constant, then learning must also be constant. As long as we are learning we’re on the road to an exciting, fulfilling, meaningful life.

© "Eat Right and Get Plenty of Exercise" - Change, even positive change, is stressful. To keep stress from getting us, we must stay physically healthy with proper nutrition, enough rest and regular exercise.

© Look at change as an opportunity. - Adopting a positive attitude about change is one of our best management tools. Change, can often bring about a chance for progress and advancement. Look for opportunities in every change in your life.

© Develop and maintain a strong network and support team. - Many changes in our lives require us to lean on others for emotional support and/or advice. Have your team in place…ready to see you through the inevitable significant changes in your life.

© Develop your spirituality. - Being centered within yourself grounds you for the changes you’re required to face every day. Take a moment to spend time by yourself and relax. Quiet your mind, your body, and your soul.

© Engage in rituals. - Performing a task or celebration in the same way week after week or year after year gives us a sense of stability. The ritual of eating dinner as a family, having lunch at a special restaurant on Fridays, or writing daily in a journal can be significant in dealing with change. Performing rituals and celebrating holidays in a certain way, gives us the satisfaction that not everything is changing.

© Eliminate those small irritations that drain your energy - Constantly looking for a misplaced set of keys, robs you of the energy that is needed to successfully manage change.

© Keep a daily journal. - When change is viewed over a period of time there is more sense to it. Seeing this historical perspective of past change in our life can give us more objectivity to meet the current changes that are facing us.

Believe in Yourself

2005-12-20T17:46:00.000-08:00

Believe in Yourself

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were
meant to be there. To serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or
help figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be but when you lock eyes with them, you
know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.
And sometimes things happen to you at the time that may seem horrible,
painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming
those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, will
power or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of
good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer
stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small
tests, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere.
Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet affect your life. The successes and downfalls that you
experience can create who you are, and the bad experiences can be learned
from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them because
they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious
to whom you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they
love you, but because they are teaching you to love and to open your heart
and eyes to little things. Make every day count.

Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can,
for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Let
yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high.

Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a
great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in
yourself, no one else will believe in you. Create your own life and then go
out and live it.

"If you take your eyes off your goals, all you see are obstacles."

Managing relationships

2005-11-04T19:01:00.000-08:00

Managing relationships

When you live in this world, there are various types of complex interactions happening. As your field-of-play increases, the complexity of interaction also goes on increasing. If you�re just sitting in a cubicle, working on your computer with only one other person, you need only a little understanding; but if you�re managing a thousand people, you need a vast understanding of everybody.

Now, suppose you�re managing a thousand people and you want all these people to understand you, then you�re not going to manage anything. You need to understand the limitations and the capabilities of these thousand people and do what you can; only then will you have the power to move the situation the way you want it to go. If you�re waiting for these thousand people to understand you and act, it is only a pipedream; it is never going to happen.

The closer the relationship, the more effort you should make to understand them. Somebody becomes closer and dearer to you only as you understand them better. If they understand you, they enjoy the closeness of the relationship. If you understand them better, then you enjoy the closeness. It is not that the other person is totally bereft of understanding. With your understanding, you can create situations where the other person would be able to understand you better. If you�re expecting other person to understand and comply with you all the time while you don�t understand the limitations, the possibilities, the needs and capabilities of that person, then conflict is all that will happen. Unfortunately, the closest relationships in the world have more conflicts going on than between enemies.

In your relationships, you have fought many more battles than this and are still fighting; isn�t it so? This is because your line of understanding and theirs is different. If you cross this LOC, this Line of Control, they will get mad. If they cross it, you will get mad. If you move your understanding beyond theirs, their understanding also becomes a part of your understanding. You will be able to embrace their limitations and capabilities. In everyone, there are some positive aspects and some negative aspects. If you embrace all this in your understanding, you can make the relationship the way you want it. If you leave it to their understanding, it will become accidental. If they are very magnanimous, things will happen well for you; if not, the relationship will break up.

All I am asking is: do you want to be the one who decides what happens to your life? Whether they are intimate relationships, professional, political, global or whatever, don�t you want to be the person who decides what happens in your life? If you do, you better include everything and everybody into your understanding. You should enhance your understanding to such a point that you can look beyond people�s madness also. There are very wonderful people around you, but once in a while they like to go crazy for a few minutes. If you don�t understand that, you will lose them. If you don�t understand their madness you will definitely lose them. If you do, then you know how to handle them. Life is not always a straight line; you have to do many things to keep it going.

If you forsake your understanding, your capability will be lost. Whether it�s a question of personal relationships or professional management, in both places you need understanding; otherwise, you won�t have fruitful relationships.

The way you are right now, the very quality of your life is decided by the type of relationships you hold. You better make the needed effort to understand the people around you.

Managing Your Time

2005-11-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

Time Tips

1.Count all your time as time to be used and make every attempt to get satisfaction out of every moment.

2.Find something to enjoy in whatever you do.

3.Try to be an optimist and seek out the good in your life.

4.Find ways to build on your successes.

5.Stop regretting your failures and start learning from your mistakes.

6.Remind yourself, "There is always enough time for the important things." If it is important, you should be able to make

time to do it.

7.Continually look at ways of freeing up your time.

8.Examine your old habits and search for ways to change or eliminate them.

9.Try to use waiting time-review notes or do practice problems.

10.Keep paper or a calendar with you to jot down the things you have to do or notes to yourself.

11.Examine and revise your lifetime goals on a monthly basis and be sure to include progress towards those goals on a

daily basis.

12.Put up reminders in your home or office about your goals.

13.Always keep those long term goals in mind.

14.Plan your day each morning or the night before and set priorities for yourself.

15.Maintain and develop a list of specific things to be done each day, set your priorities and the get the most important

ones done as soon in the day as you can. Evaluate your progress at the end of the day briefly.

16.Look ahead in your month and try and anticipate what is going to happen so you can better schedule your time.

17.Try rewarding yourself when you get things done as you had planned, especially the important ones.

18.Do first things first.

19.Have confidence in yourself and in your judgement of priorities and stick to them no matter what.

20.When you catch yourself procrastinating-ask yourself, "What am I avoiding?"

21.Start with the most difficult parts of projects, then either the worst is done or you may find you don't have to do all the

other small tasks.

22.Catch yourself when you are involved in unproductive projects and stop as soon as you can.

23.Find time to concentrate on high priority items or activities.

24.Concentrate on one thing at a time.

25.Put your efforts in areas that provide long term benefits.

26.Push yourself and be persistent, especially when you know you are doing well.

27.Think on paper when possible-it makes it easier to review and revise.

28.Be sure and set deadlines for yourself whenever possible.

29.Delegate responsibilities whenever possible.

30.Ask for advice when needed.

The Importance of Exercise

2005-11-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Importance of Exercise.

Exercise should form an important part of everybody's life. A good goal to aim for is 30-60 minutes four times per week.

There are so many advantages you gain from exercising:

* It's fun (It is really!!).

* Increases your energy levels.

* Burns body fat.

* Reduces insulin output (the hormone that makes you store fat and crave carbohydrates).

* Increases lean muscle.

* Reduces stress.

* Reduces the risk of many serious diseases (cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes).

* Increases sense of well being.

* Your resting heart rate will decrease and more blood will circulate to the heart muscle.

* Fat is burned from all body stores. Not only the fat we see in the mirror but the dangerous fat that accumulates around our internal organs such as heart and liver.

Why we don't exercise:

* Laziness

* Lack of time (poor time management)

* Poor organization or motivation skills

* Ill health or poor physical condition

Biodiesel Blog

2005-10-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

Biodiesel Blog

India together - Oraganic farming

2005-10-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.indiatogether.org/agriculture/organic.htm

Honey - A Reference Guide to Nature's Sweetener

2005-10-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Reference guide ->

http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/HoneyReferenceGuide.pdf

Honey in Health and HealingResearch -> http://www.nhb.org/health/MedResearch.html

Arise, Awake, and Stop Not Till the Goal Is Reached!

2005-10-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

Arise, Awake, and Stop Not Till the Goal Is Reached!

- Swami Vivekananda

This clarion call of Vivekananda is essentially a mantra for the modern man. Vivekananda placed great emphasis on awakening; so what exactly does this awakening constitute? The fact that you are reading this article indicates that you are awake, right? Nay, that is being awake at the physical level. Real awakening is when one wakes up to the beauties of ones own inner self. It is the realization that ones body is a temporary shell and the real self, the inner you, is Atman [soul].

To attain self realization, one has to awaken to truthhigher levels of wakefulness. There are four such levels. The first is the apparent wakeful attentiveness with which we move about and busy ourselves everyday. We are very much like others, alert and aware, when thus awake. But Vedanta reveals four categories of wakefulness: the fully awake, the wakefulness of the mind only (as while dreaming), the wakefulness of the self alone (as in deep sleep), and the illumination of the self (awakening into the Over-self). These are named as Sthoola, Sookshma, Kaarana, and Mahakaarana [The Gross, The Subtle, The Causal, and the Super-cause].

The Upanishads say, Get up, arise, awake; time is fleeting fast. Use the moment while it is available, for the best of uses, the awareness of the Divine in all. When you die, you must not die like a tree or a beast or a worm, but like a man who has realized that he is Maadhava [God]. This realization is the consummation of all the years you spend in the human frame.

In the mirage of modern life, when one is forced to fulfill never-ending obligations and when responsibilities and burdens weigh on man with all force, how can one even think of realizing the indwelling spirit? The answer lies in realizing the fleeting nature (temporariness) of worldly objects. When man realizes that all he does is perishable and will not lead to real happiness, the burdens will cease to hold weight any further.

Baba often quotes a beautiful illustration: There was once a man traveling by train. While seated in the train, in the foolish assumption that the responsibility of carrying the luggage was on him, he placed the luggage on his own head. Would it have mattered if he had put the luggage on the trains floor? The train was already bearing the burden of the man and his luggage. Modern man can be likened to such a traveler. While traveling through the journey of life, he places all worldly burdens on his own head. While in reality God is carrying both man and his burdens, he assumes all burdens on himself and invites worries and unhappiness.

It is mans incessant desire to run after worldly objects that has caused the burdens to increase in the first place. When desires are controlled and work is done in a spirit of dedication to God, work then becomes worship and burdens lighten automatically. When God blesses man with a Volkswagen, he wants a Lexus. When he gets a Lexus, he wants a BMW. These desires are endless and with the progressive fulfillment of every desire, man unknowingly increases burdens. At first, man makes objects, such as cars, work for him, but when he has acquired them, these objects start making a man work (for their upkeep).

So do we need to throw away all our work and sit in laze? NO! Baba, through his own life, has shown us the value of work. He is working every second to teach us the importance of seva [selfless service]. The work done by Swami, however, is suffused with love and is performed with a selfless motive. He does not seek any reward for his deeds. He is demonstrating that we too can work the same way. All our work can be done in a spirit of dedication to God.

A beautiful story comes to mind: One night a man had a dream. He dreamt that he was walking with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there were only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, youll walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there are only one set of footprints. I dont understand why when I needed you the most, you would leave me.

The Lord replied, My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

The story illustrates Gods infinite compassion. Let us from this day make a commitment to ourselves. We will perform all our actions as if they were for God; let us spend our time in performing sadhana [spiritual exercises]; let us arise from our present states; awake to the beauties of our inner selves; and tirelessly march toward God until we achieve the GOAL (self realization).

Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

Financial Planning

2005-10-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

Basic Financial Planning

A step by step financial plan for Non Resident Indians (NRI) planning to return back to India

1. Basics
2. Setting Goals
3. Establishing an Emergency Fund
4. Funding Short Term Goals
5. Asset Allocation Plan for Long Term Goals
6. Maintaining Your Asset Allocation
7. Common Investor Mistakes

1. Basics
Introduction

No one would rush to buy building materials for a house without first planning and developing a detailed plan for it. Yet investors frequently buy and sell stocks without having any plan. This is exacerbated by sheer quantity of advice of questionable quality from a vast financial services industry with deep conflicts of interest. Often the interests of the financial services industry and investors are in direct conflict with each other. This makes investors vulnerable to a variety of poor investment decisions with disastrous financial consequences.

Fortunately investing is a simple process despite frequent attempts by wall street to convince investors otherwise.

Saving vs Investing
Saving and Investing represent two distinct ways of managing money. Understanding the difference helps you make informed choices for your financial needs.

Saving means seeking to preserve assets that you accumulate over time. Stability of principal is a higher priority than return potential. Principal is guaranteed but offer only very low return potential. There is a risk of principal not keeping up with inflation resulting in loss of purchasing power.

When you invest your money, you are seeking growth. Investing usually involves greater risk to principal than saving and offers higher return potential. Principal is not guaranteed but it offers possibility of higher returns with greater inflation protection.

Why Should You Invest?
Investing is a good tool for building up the funds needed for buying a house or putting children through college. Long-term investing is an essential element of retirement planning, since most people do not have pension plans or cannot accumulate enough savings without some long term growth of principal.

Risk and Reward
One of the more basic relationships in investing is that between risk and reward. Investments that offer potentially high returns are accompanied by higher risk factors. There is no free lunch. This is the cornerstone of modern finance and forgetting this often gets investors in trouble. High returns and low risk just don't go together. Don't waste your time looking for any such investments. If you do find one, it is a scam.

Basic Investment Options
There are three basic asset classes that one can invest in are
1. Cash
2. Bonds
3. Stocks

Asset Class Comparison
Asset Class	Historical Returns	Maximum loss in one Year	Comments
Cash	3-4%	NA	The risks are low and principal is preserved, but cash equivalents generally do not provide returns high enough to outpace inflation especially after tax.
Bonds	4-6%	-15.5	Bonds represent loans to a government or business. They offer limited potential for increasing returns. Rising inflation can cause substantial losses.
Stocks	10-12%	-38.6	Stocks represent ownership of a company and are a claim on the corporation's earnings and assets. Historically, stocks have provided the best opportunity for long-term growth of principal. Very volatile in short term.

Risk
Risk is part of the investment process. Risk is never going away and any investor who thinks he has eliminated risk is just fooling himself. Risk in its most basic form means possibility of losing some or all of the original investment.

From the prespective of an investor risk takes three basic forms and investments should be choosen to balance aganist each of these risks.
1. Market Risk: Volatility of your investments. Your investments could go down in value just when you need them. Stocks have high market risk, bonds have low market risk and bank savings accounts have zero market risk.
2. Inflation Risk: Inflation reduces the purchasing power and over the long term could severely reduce the value of your assets. Seemingly safe savings in bank accounts have a high inflation risk.
3. Currency Risk: The currency of your investments might lose its value.

2. Setting Goals

Before you start any investments you need to have a clear understanding of what your financial goals are.

The first step in this process is to list all your assets and liabilities. Then calculate your net worth and your net liquid assets (cash, stock, bonds).

The second step is to create a list of your goals along with estimates of how much is needed for each and when you plan to reach them. Examples of goals are downpayment for a house or car, kids college tution, retirement, etc.

3. Establishing an Emergency Fund

The main reason to set up an emergency fund is to help you to meet your monthly expenses in case you lose your job. So how much you save in the emergency fund is primarily determined by how long you expect to be able to find a new job. Three to six month of living expenses should be set aside for this purpose. It would be a good idea to have a separate account from your regular bank account for this purpose so you would not be tempted to use this money for other needs. This should be in a taxable account as you would not be able to withdraw money quickly from a tax sheltered account like an IRA or a 401K.

A money market account would be an excellent choice. Personally I would recommend Vanguard Prime Money Market fund. A key factor in this selection is your access to this money. You should have instant access to this money since you would be using this primarily for emergencies. Other slightly more aggressive options include using a short term bond fund like Vanguard Short Term Corporate or an I Bond. Choose the one you are comfortable with, there is no one right way for this.

4. Funding Short Term Goals

Identify your short term goals like saving for a house, a car down payment or money you plan to take back to India within a short term. These are goals for which you expect to spend money within the next 2-10 years. If you do not have any such goals you can skip the rest of the section.

Calculate how much you need for all of your short term needs. Determine how much you need to save each month to reach your goal. Then choose how you need to invest based on the following table.

Criteria for Choosing Asset Classes
Time Frame	If you goal is more than 5 years away you can consider investing 20-40% in stocks. For less than 5 years you should be in CD/Short Term Bonds/I-Bonds/EE-Bonds.
How flexible are you regarding time frame.	If you willing to be postpone your goal by a few years in case of investment looses you can consider investing in stocks.
Need to take risk	If your goal can be achieved without any need to take risk then you can avoid investing in stocks. The difficult case is you are planning to build a dream house and more often then not you can always use a little extra money. In this case you can invest a small portion in stocks (20%).
Relative size of the goal compared to long term portfolio.	If your short term goal is only a small fraction of your retirement goal you can take more risk. If you do suffer loses you can use money from retirement goal for the short term goal and avoid selling the losing investment in the short term goal.

If you do decide to invest in a portion in stocks, invest the very first few years into stocks and then invest the remaining in bonds. This would give the money invested in stocks to work longer for you. Choose the following for short term goals in increasing order of risk/reward. The only exception to this is I/EE Bonds which should be the preferred choice as they defer taxes.

1. I/EE Bonds
2. Vanguard Short Term Corporate or Vanguard Ltd-Term Tax-Exempt for 28% tax bracket and above
3. Vanguard Total Bond Market Index or Vanguard Ltd-Term Tax-Exempt for 28% tax bracket and above
4. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index
5. Vanguard Total International Stock Market Index

Start reducing your stock holdings 1-2 years before you plan to withdraw. The same steps as in the next section apply if you plan to hold stocks.

5. Asset Allocation Plan for Long Term Goals

Asset allocation is the strategy of dividing up your assets based on a tradeoff of risk and return. This is a central tenet of Modern Portfolio Theory which attempts to maximize your return for a given level of risk. Several studies have concluded that the most important determinant of a portfolio's return is its asset allocation. However asset allocation is still an art rather a science and it involves making personal choices to balance risk and reward

By combining assets with different characteristics in a portfolio an investor can achieve higher returns with lower risk over the long term. Adding high risk asset classes and investments to a conservative portfolio may seem risky but its effect will be to both increase returns and lower the overall risk of the portfolio. Each asset class has a different exposure to each specific type of risk. Dividing you investments into different asset classes reduces risk by balancing aganist each type of risk. Diversification is the investors primary defense against risk in their portfolio.

Investors should use as few funds as possible in their portfolio to simplify management. A simply well diversified portfolio could be developed with as few as three funds representing US stocks, International stocks and bonds. Such a portfolio would by definition beat the returns of the average investor and over the long run can be relied on to beat 90% of the investors.

Developing an Asset Allocation Plan

An asset allocation plan should be chosen based on three criteria:
1. Need to Take Risk: The basic idea is that if your goal can be met without taking any risk then there is no need to take risk. Hence in this case we would choose a portfolio with very low risk. But for the majority of the investors there is a need to take risk as they would not be able to save sufficient money for retirement without some growth of principal.
2. Ability to Take Risk: A long investment horizon means you have greater ability to take risk. Investment horizon means how long you are planning to hold on to the investment. Suppose you plan to take money back to India in three years when you go back, your investment horizon is only three years. Even thought you might plan to use it to fund a long term goal in India its invesement horizon in US is still three years (short term goal). Hence it should be invested as a short term goal. When you have a very stable job with high earning potential your ability to take risk is high but if you have no source of income ability to take risk would be low.
3. Willingness to Take Risk: Your tolerance for risk. Basically your ability to sleep well at night with the level of risk. A conservative person would be less willing to take risk and hence should have lower percentage of stock. Your risk tolerance is not static, it will change as your age.

For a Non Resident Indian (NRI) planning to go back to India it would be a good idea to keep a portion of the investments in US. In this case you should consider only the portion that you plan to hold in US for the long term (10+ years) as long term investments in US. If you plan to go back to India in less than 5 years and do not plan on holding investments in US you should not hold any stocks.

Take Advantage of NRI Benefits

After you return back to India for good you are treated as a Returned but Not Ordinary Resident (RNOR) for a period of 2 years. During this time all your foreign income is exempt from taxes in India. Once you return back to India and become a Non Resident Alien as per US IRS regulations you can also avail of several tax benefits of US. The most important of which are the 0% capital gains on stocks and mutual funds. You pay 25% on dividends.

This provides an ideal opportunity to convert all your retirement money (from 401K and IRA) into a taxable account. A suggested approach is to convert your 401K into a rollover IRA before you go back to India. Once in India you can withdraw this money (paying 10% penality for early withdrawal) and pay tax in a lower tax bracket. Depending on the the amount you have in your retirement account you can choose to withdraw this money in 1-2 years to avoid paying any tax to India. Thus it is a good idea to contribute to a 401K even if you plan to return to India in the near future.

For an average conservative investor one suggested way to allocate is to have a 50/50 stock/bond mix. Based on your ability, willingness and need to take risk you can increase or decrease the stock percentage in your portfolio. Within the stock portfolio it is better to allocate between 30-40% of the stock portion into international stocks. This is especially important for investors who might be spending the money finally in Rupees. Having atleast 15-20% of one's long term assets in international stocks provides good hedge against any dollar depreciation. Thus the final suggested portfolio is 35/15/50 US/International/Bond.

If you invested $10,000 in 1970 in 35/15/50 in US/Int/Bond mix it would be worth $264,000 as of December 2002.
This is an annualized return of 10.44% with 11.71% standard deviation. The best return in any year was 53.28% and the worst loss in any year was -23.57%.

You should be very careful in selecting your asset allocation. If you are not capable of handling a 50% loss of your stock investments you should reduce it to the level that you would be comfortable with. The time to decide your risk tolerance is before you make your first investment. Once you choose an asset allocation you should not change it unless need, ability or willingness has changed. But resist the temptation to change your asset allocation in an attempt to market time.

Dangers of Market Timing

A study conducted by Dalbar found that between 1984-2000 the average mutual fund investor gained 141% while S&P 500 gained 1201% in the same time frame. Money market funds returned 161% during the same time frame. The study found that investors did not get the entire return because of failed attempts at market timing.

While asset allocation has determined the majority of the returns in theory (and would hold in practice if buy and hold is followed), in reality investor behavior is a much more important determinant of returns.

The idea behind market timing is to buy stock when prices are low, hold onto your investment until the market peaks, and then sell your stock investments moving into cash until the market hits bottom. It does sounds simple enough. But as shown above the consequences have been disastrous to investors. So resist the seductive call of market timing. You will be severely tested during bear markets when you would you distinctly get the feeling of flushing your hard earned money down the toilet. You should fight the impluse to rush into safe investments during bear markets.

It is important to look at the performance of the whole portfolio rather than focus on individual holdings. At any point of time some asset would be under performing and you should resist the temptation to sell the under performing asset in an attempt to buy it back later. Dont let short-term volatility drive your long-term investment planning. Your best defense against a fluctuating market is a well diversified portfolio and a disciplined program of periodic investments.

Consider any stock/bond investments in India also as part of the total portfolio. Any type of retirement fund in India like Public Provident Fund should be treated as a bond holding in your portfolio. Any pension plans or annuities either in India or US should also be treated as bond holdings. Avoid holding large percentage (25% or more) of your total assets in Indian stocks. India does not yet offer the necessary level of investor protection nor quick recourse to legal remedies in case of outright fruad. However stock/bond markets in India provide attractive investment opportunities for the careful investor. Stick to large mutual fund companies with large asset base and keep a close watch on expense ratios when investing in India.

Once you decide on an asset allocation write it down and sleep on it for a week. This would give you time to think and understand your risk tolerance. Most investors would realize their true risk tolerance only during severe bear markets. Many overestimate their true risk tolerance as it is difficult for anyone to accept that they are not daring risk takers. Financial planning is not an arena where you can bluff yourself.

Implementing your Asset Allocation Plan

Once an asset allocation decision has been made you can proceed with the mechanics of implementing your plan. Here we need to consider asset location and expenses for implementing the plan. Asset location simply means allocating your stocks and bonds between retirement accounts and taxable accounts. The optimal tax strategy is to allocate all your bond holdings in tax deferred accounts (IRA and 401K) and stock holdings in taxable accounts.

You can implement this plan at Vanguard by using these three funds
1. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index (35%)
2. Vanguard Total International Stock Market Index (15%)
3. Vanguard Short Term Corporate (50%) or I/EE bonds in taxable account

Why Vanguard?

The Vanguard Group is owned entirely by its fund shareholder - not by a separate company looking for profits. Vanguard's profits accrue to the owners of Vanguard portfolios. This unique structure enables it to offer mutual funds with the lowest expense ratios in the industry. In addition Vanguard offers a wide selection of index funds with low minimum investment requirements. For these reasons Vanguard should be the fund group of choice for all investors.

During the height of the Technology boom as almost every mutual fund company brought out new technology based funds Vanguard refused to follow suit. This is one example of its high ethical standards.

You can hold your investments in Vanguard after you go back to India. You need to fill out a change of address and a W-8 form before you leave.

Follow these steps to implement you asset allocation plan
1. If you have an IRA or 401K invest your bond portion in these accounts. Select an any available short or intermediate bond fund.
2. If you do not have a tax deferred account or do not have a bond fund in your tax deferred account or you need to invest more money than you can fit into your tax deferred account, invest in I/EE bonds (or Vanguard Short Term Corporate if you do not want to invest in I/EE bonds or have maxed both I/EE bonds).
3. If you can invest more in your tax deferred account even after allocating the bond potion then invest in an index fund. Most plans have an S&P500 index fund and you can use this as a substitute for the Total Stock Market Index fund.
4. Invest the remaining amount with Vanguard in Total Stock Market Index and Total International Index fund.
5. Allocate your monthly investments in the same 35/15/50 ratio.

6. Maintaining Your Asset Allocation

Your asset mix should be periodically reviewed and rebalanced to in order for asset allocation to work best. Market fluctuation can easily throw your carefully planned asset mix out of balance. For example, if stocks outperform your other investments they may eventually represent far more than the original target percentage that you set up, which in turn could expose you to more risk than you would like. To bring your portfolio back in balance in this situation, you might choose to sell stock and reinvest in cash equivalents or bonds.

Set a specific day each year when you would review your portfolio against your asset allocation plan. Since rebalancing involves transaction fees and potentially taxes it should only be done with new investment funds are available or if your allocation differs by more than 5% from your target allocation. Say you have $100K with 50K stock and 50K bonds and the next year it becomes 45K/55K stock/bond then you should sell 5K worth of bonds and invest the 5K in stock. But if you are going to invest new money of 15K in the next year you can invest the first 10K into stocks only to make it 55K/55K and then invest the remaining 5K in 50/50 ratio between stock/bond. This rebalancing is more important between stocks and bonds than between different stock classes i.e. between US stocks and international stocks.

Sticking with an investment plan sounds easier than it really is. It is pretty simple to stick with your investing strategy when your financial and emotional life is happy and stable. However, it's the challenging times that you need to think about. An investment plan is successful only if you are able to stick with it through good times and bad. Altering your investment plan should never be done on a whim.

7. Common Investor Mistakes

Keep the following things in mind as you invest as these are some common mistakes new investors make.

Avoid sector funds, even if you think a particular sector would do well in future. A sector can have a very bright future yet deliver poor long term returns.
Avoid active funds at all costs. Active funds are much more expensive than their expense ratio indicates. Active funds add more than 1% in hidden expenses that can only be calculated by analyzing its financial statements.
Be wary of financial advisors. If you want to hire a financial planner read up on investing before going to the planner. Choose only a fixed fee planner.
Avoid the temptation to tweak your portfolio or alter your plan.
Avoid investing in individual stocks. Individual stocks have company specific risk that can be diversified away and thus there is no additional reward for taking this type of risk. While risk and reward are related, you are not rewarded for taking all types of risk.
Ignore advice of mainstream financial press. They are in the business of selling interesting and captivating news not providing sound financial advice.
Watch the fees you are paying for funds. You should not be paying more than 0.5% in total fees as expense ratio, brokerage costs or annual fees per year.
Do not postpone investments because you are afraid of market volatility. There will always be some event that is a cause for concern and if you allow this to delay your investment plan you will never be able to get started in investing. You will forever be waiting for the perfect time to invest.

Understand the Effect of Expenses on Returns

At first glance it would seem that a 1% additional expense for a financial planner or a active mutual fund is not a big deal. But even a small additional expense has a huge impact on final returns and comes as a shock to new investors. Say you invest $10,000 in an active mutual fund that has an expense ratio of 1% higher than an index fund or you pay this to an advisor. After 30 years your return would be $81,000 (at 7% return). The same amount without the additional expense would return $109,000, fully $28,000 more than the high cost fund. Note that this amount is much larger than your initial investment. Expenses are one of the few things under your control and you should strive to reduce them as much as possible.

Yahoo! FareChase - Search multiple travel sites in one click.

2005-10-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

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Facts To Make Every Person Of Indian Heritage Proud

2005-10-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

Facts To Make Every Person Of Indian Heritage Proud

Who is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems?

Vinod Khosla.

Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the today's computers run on it) ?

Vinod Dahm.

Who is the third richest man on the world ?

According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Aziz Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6th position now.

Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program) ?

Sabeer Bhatia.

Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few) ?

Arun Netravalli.

Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard ?

Rajiv Gupta.

Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems ?

Sanjay Tejwrika.

Who is the founder of Bose Speakers, USA ?

Amar Bose.

Who are the Chief Executives of City Bank, Mckensey & Standard Chartered ?

Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.

We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population) YET,

38% of doctors in USA are Indians.

12% scientists in USA are Indians.

36% of NASA scientists are Indians.

34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.

28% of IBM employees are Indians.

17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.

13% of XEROX employees are Indians.

Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with World History Facts About India.

India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.

India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.

Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty stricken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.

The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word "Navigation" is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.

The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.

Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 1053.

According to the Gemologica Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.

USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.

The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.

Chess was invented in India.

Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India.

When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus
Valley Civilization).

The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.

Quotes on India.

We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made. - Albert Einstein.

India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grand mother of tradition.
- Mark Twain.

If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India. - French scholar Romain Rolland.

India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. - Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA).

India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. - Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA).

All Of The Above Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg, The List Could Be Endless.

BUT, if we don't see even a glimpse of that great India in the India that we see today, it clearly means that we are not working up to our potential; and that if we do, we could once again be an ever shining and inspiring country setting a bright path for rest of the world to follow

Vipassana Meditation

2005-10-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone seeks peace and harmony, because these are what we lack in our lives. From time to time we all experience agitation, irritation, disharmony, suffering; and when one suffers from agitation, one does not keep this misery limited to oneself. One keeps distributing it to others as well. The agitation permeates the atmosphere around the miserable person. Everyone who comes into contact with him also becomes irritated, agitated. Certainly this is not the proper way to live.

Continue this article here -> http://www.dhamma.org/art.htm

Power of Compounding

2005-10-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

Power of Compounding

Inflation can steadily erode the value of your income. However, long-term investing can provide returns thatoutpace inflation-through the power of compounding.

Year after year, any money that you invest may earn interest, dividends, or capital gains. When you reinvestthose earnings, they help generate additional earnings; those additional earnings help generate more earnings, and so on. This is called compounding.

For example, if an investment returns 8% per year and its earnings are reinvested annually:

After one year, your total return will be 8%.
After five years, your cumulative total return will be 47%.
After 10 years, your cumulative total return will be 116%.
Best of all, the sooner you begin investing, the greater the compounding effect.

Consider the example of Sarah and Mark, both 65 years old. They worked for the same company for 35 years and both invested in the same managed fund.

Sarah started investing at age 30. She invested $1,000 each year for ten years and earned 8% per year.Then she stopped contributing. Her investment continued to earn an 8% annual return. When she reachedage 65, her $10,000 had grown to $107,148.* Mark didn't start investing until age 40 and then invested $1,000 each year for 25 years. He also earned 8% per year. At the end of the period, his $25,000 investment was worth $78,954.*

Wealth Tips!The earlier you start the sooner your money can begin to earn more money. Starting early means you have to save less out of your pay packet to reach your financial goal. Even starting with a small amount is better than not saving at all. Make compounding work for you by reinvesting your interest, dividends and distributions.,,

Water Therapy

2005-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Water Therapy

The most logical, natural and simple medicine for all diseases

Diseases healed by Water Therapy
It is impossible to be listed completely. It heals a number of ailments. These are some of the benefits that we experienced and also reported by our friends and from other sources about water therapy.

Constipation, Headache, Anemia, Rheumatism, organ failures, General Paralysis, over weight, Arthritis, improved sexual performance, Sinusitis, Tachycardia, Giddiness, Cough, morning sickness, Asthma, Bronchitis, Meningitis, Kidney stones, gall stones, Dysentery, Leukemia, hot flashes Hyper acidity, Gastro-enteritis, Eye diseases, wrinkles in skin, Diabetes, Laryngitis, Breast cancer, prostrate cancer, colon cancer, esophagus cancer, Uterine cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, pre-cancerous oral lesions, ovarian cyst, high cholesterol levels, Ophthalmic Hemorrhage & Opthalmia (reddish eye), Irregular Menstruation , Rectal prolapse , Urogenital diseases , Blood Pressure/Hyper Tension , Pulmonary, Tuberculosis (TB).

Remember, most of these diseases are healed not just with water therapy alone but in combination with the earth therapy (Diet).

Water, The Vital Component

Water is the most abundant element of our body. 72% of our body is made of water. Water in our body serves many purposes in the body. Apart from circulating nutrients and hormones both within and between body cells, water distributes heat in the body. It is the vital medium in which chemical reactions occur. All the processes of our body occur due to enzymatic reactions. The zillion's of reactions that occur in our body every second is promoted by water.

Kidney, The Garbage Cleaner

There are two million nephrons, the micro-chips of kidney. These nephrons filter about 2000 liters of blood every day. Working with kidneys, water helps to flush out toxic substances and waste materials from the body. It also helps the kidneys to produce sufficient urine to keep the body's inner chemistry (pH) in balance. If the chemistry (pH) is disturbed the reactions are blocked which manifests as diseases. Hence to the body to be healthy water should be abundant. This is the key to this therapy.

Every day zillions of chemicals reach the kidney to be flushed out through urine. They include the metabolic waste (like urea (high protein diet causes high urea production), uric acids, break down products of hormones, vitamins, salts (sodium, potassium etc). These are all natural which the kidneys are accustomed for thousands of years. The modern man's kidney is however challenged with zillions of man made toxic chemicals that enter into the body through various ways. The sources include food (coloring agents, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, hormonal substance and anti-biotics from diary products), cosmetics (tooth paste, shaving creams, sprays, dyes, lip stick, eye lashes, nail polishes and removers), environmental pollutants both indoors, out doors. Thus the body is choked with chemicals and the burden goes to liver and kidneys. Liver converts the fat soluble toxic chemicals into water soluble chemicals and thereby help the kidneys to flush the toxins through urine. However with the limited water supply, kidney cannot completely flush out metabolic and foreign waste. Therefore metabolic waste accumulate and cause diseases like cancer, allergies, hypertension, Parkinson's, kidney stones, gall stones, kidney failures etc. Accumulation of foreign chemicals accelerate the cause of the above diseases and also trigger other ailments. Water alone can help the body to get rid of these wastes.

Simple things works

All the therapies (especially alternative) are directed in cleansing the toxic chemicals out of the body. They might use exercises, herbs, drugs, etc. Since water being the most abundant component of the body and also being the safest and most economical and natural cleansing agent, Pancha bhoota works very well. Many friends have experienced dramatic changes in their disease symptoms within a couple of days. Read the testimonials.

Nature of human mind is that it believes in complex things but not in simple natural ways.

The very nature of man's mind is to go for complex ways to solve simple problems. In health issues too, we use very complicated drugs and procedures. We are not against modern medicines or practices. Instead they can be used as a last resort and in emergency cases. The truth is that they may never be needed at all if one maintains good health.

Water therapy is the safest supplement

It is an irony that we think of the tiniest chemicals that are needed for our body. Hence we give much importance to vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones etc. We calculate calories of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, we forget water is the major ingredient that our body requires the most. It is this ignorance that causes many diseases. Water is the safest supplement one can use everyday to cure and prevent diseases. If this water supplement is taken regularly perfect health can be achieved.

How to do water therapy ?

All these simple natural ways has been given by the ancient medicinal systems of the world. Ayurveda is one of those ancient medical systems that use a holistic and logical approach to treat diseases. This Pancha-bhoota is based on the roots of Ayurveda.

"Usha Kaala Chikitsa" is the Sanskrit coinage for water therapy. According to this ancient system, 1.5 liters of water should be drunk without even brushing the teeth. You may wash your face thereafter. It is very essential to note that no drinks (like tea, coffee, and milk) or any form of solid food should be taken within half an hour to one hour before and after drinking 1.5 liters of water. Using any form of alcoholic drink in the previous night is strictly prohibited.

What are the different ways to do this water therapy?
Brush teeth and do the therapy.

Take one and a half liter bottle fill with water and start drinking directly from the bottle. Keep drinking as much as you can. If you cannot empty it all at once give a 5 minutes gap and drink rest of the water. Again if some water left give a gap of another 5 minutes and empty the bottle. Keep doing this everyday you notice that in a few day you can empty the bottle all at once. This is the best trick to do the water therapy.

Taste of water satiates the tongue. Therefore pouring water directly to the throat avoiding contact with the tongue, one can drink one and a half liters of water with ease. Care should be taken not the choke you while doing direct drinking. This is another way.

Measure 1.5 liters in cups and drink cup after cup. This is another way however some feel satiating sense soon.

Why is it necessary to drink 1.5 liters of water in the morning before brushing and not after? Brushing of teeth could introduce the chemicals of tooth powder and paste into to the stomach which would be absorbed very strongly. Probably this could be one of the reason why its better to drink water before brushing.

If I drink 1.5 liters water before brushing in the morning when should i brush does it need any time?
After 5 minutes of drinking water you could brush your teeth.

Should it be drunk, all at once? Why not split the water and drink throughout the day?
To clean the body one has to take a shower. One cannot keep pouring little water throughout the day to clean the body; instead showering only can help. Similarly one cannot argue that water can do its cleaning action by drinking several cups of water throughout the day. To clean you have to shower the internal body with 1.5 liters of water in the morning. Drinking water throughout the day is for thirst. Water therapy is not for thirst but for flushing all the toxins out of body and regain good health.

Drinking 1.5 l of water is like swimming in an ocean
Everything in life is a practice. When we start swimming in a swimming pool, we would fear that we would drown and die. But everyday practice will help us to keep us in a balance. Once we learn the art of swimming in a pool, then we can swim in a might ocean too. This is the same with water therapy. They are all notions and fear and our own conclusions that make us not to attempt this wonderful way of maintaining health.

I Will Throw Up
Initially you will feel slight uncomfortness in gulping 1.5 liters. Some may feel that they will throw up. Therefore measure the amount in cups (Seven glasses makes 1.5 liters). Start with one glass for the first day. Next increase to two glasses and then to three and so on till you can drink nine glasses. You may also drink four glasses first and the balance three glasses after a gap of two minutes. However the bottle method is the best. (see below for flavoring water to avoid nauseating feelings).

Flavored water

Can I use flavored water?

The basic purpose is to clean the body hence pure water with no other additives is the best. However if one does not like the taste of raw water, you can mildly flavor water and drink.

How to flavor water?
Boil 1.5 liters of water with the following for 5 to ten minutes and allow to cool overnight. Next day morning drink the flavored water.

Boil water with 3 or 4 cumin seeds
Boil water with ginger (half the size of peanut)
One basil leaf
One mint leaf
Three or four fennel seeds
Three or four fenugreek seed
A tiny bit of camphor (half the size of a mustard seed)
A pinch of turmeric powder
One or two coriander seeds
One seed of cardamom (not one pod)
A piece of orange peel (tiny bit is enough)
Keep alternating with the different flavors and enjoy water therapy. You can choose seven favors and have fixed one for each day. Or you can have them changes once in every ten days.

In fact adding flavors might bring some additional benefits. These flavorings have medicinal values apart from imparting taste to water. Ginger cumin and mint rectify indigestion problems. Ginger cures nausea and vomiting. For heart ailments one could use basil or cumin seeds too. Basil is rich in anti-oxidant chemicals. Most of these flavor have many potent phytochemicals and so protect the body from many diseases. These natural chemicals have been proved anti- cancerous and anti-oxidants by many scientific studies. However these additions should be to the very minimum amounts. We would like you to consult us in this regard for more details or for specific problems.

Dhanu's picture

2005-10-20T18:40:00.000-07:00