Weekend Fever : Prince William and Kate Middleton exchange vows

29 Apr 2011, Friday : The Royal Wedding day.

Royalty. Born Prince William Arthur Philip Louis Windsor, on June 21, 1982, the eldest son of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Charles, Prince of Wales. His official title is His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales.



William attended Mrs. Mynor's Nursery school in West London (1985-87), Wetherby School in Kensington, London (1987-90), and Ludgrove School in Wokingham (1990-95). In 1995, at the urging of his grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William (nicknamed "Wills") entered Eton College, one of England's most prestigious secondary schools. A serious student with excellent grades, he also excelled in sports at Eton, particularly swimming. With his father and brother, he enjoys outdoor sports including riding, skiing, shooting and fishing.


As he is directly in line to the British throne after his father, Charles, he spends a good deal of time at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth, who is very concerned with his upbringing and career development.


Affected by both his parents' divorce in 1996 and his mother's tragic death in 1997, the tall and handsome young William publicly stated his dislike for the press, and expressed discomfort with the growing attention he received from love-struck adolescent girls. William gives the impression of being a well-mannered, responsible and mature young man who shows a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the royal family, fully aware of the role he is to play in the future as the King of England.


Upon his graduation from Eton, William took a break from his studies to visit South America and Africa. He then attended Scotland's St Andrew's University, where he received a degree in geography in 2005. Following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Prince Harry, William joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as a military cadet and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry in December 2006. In 2008, he was appointed to be a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. He is now training to be a search and rescue pilot with the Royal Air Force.


Along with his military career, William supports numerous charities, including serving as patron to Centrepoint, an organization for homeless youth, and the Tusk Trust, which is dedicated to the preservation of African wildlife. In 2007, William and his brother Harry hosted a special concert to celebrate their late mother and raise funds for charities that Princess Diana supported during her life as well as charities supported by the princes.


As the future king of England, William's personal life has been the subject of much media attention. He had been romantically linked to Kate Middleton; the couple met while attending St. Andrew's University. Rumors of a possible engagement swirled around the pair for months, but to the surprise of royal watchers, the couple announced that they were splitting up in April 2007. However, in the time since that announcement, Middleton had attended several public and official events, as well as traveled on vacation with Prince William. Speculation about a wedding engagement between Prince William and Kate Middleton continued to swell.

Kate Middleton Biography

Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Middleton (born 9 January 1982) married to Prince William of Wales, elder son of Prince Charles, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.



After her marriage, the official title of Miss Catherine Middleton is - Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

Early life Kate Middleton






Born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, England, Middleton is the elder daughter of self-made millionaire Michael Middleton (born 1949), who was an airline officer at the time of her birth, and his wife, the former Carole Goldsmith, who was an air hostess. Her parents now own Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells children's party paraphernalia. She has a younger sister, Philippa ("Pippa") and a younger brother, James.






Middleton was raised in Bucklebury, Berkshire, in the south of England. She went to St Andrew's School, Pangbourne until she was 13 and then attended the public school Marlborough College (the same school William's cousin Princess Eugenie of York attends), where she passed eleven GCSEs and three A-level exams. Like the Prince, Middleton was a student at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. She graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 (Upper Second-Class) MA (Hons) degree in History of Art.






In early 2006, it was rumoured that Middleton intended to found her own mail order company, selling high-end children's clothes. After a key investor stepped down, however, she decided to hold off on this plan. In November 2006, she accepted a position as an accessories buyer assistant with the British clothing chain Jigsaw.






Kate Middleton and Prince William

While attending the University of St Andrews in 2001, Middleton met Prince William of Wales. At the time, Middleton was already in her second year at St Andrews. Since around Christmas of 2003 she and Prince William have been involved in a relationship that has been subjected to intense media attention. The couple were first seen publicly on a ski trip in Klosters in April 2004. During 2005, the British media began speculating that the Prince and Middleton would eventually become engaged.






Middleton's status as the girlfriend of Prince William brought widespread media coverage in the UK and abroad, and was often photographed on her daily outings. On 17 October 2005, she complained through her lawyer about harassment from the media, stating that, she had done nothing to court publicity. In December 2005, the German magazine Das Nee published photos of the exterior of Middleton's London flat, revealing its location in London. This prompted a security review by police amidst concerns for her safety and a report in the London Evening Standard that Prince William was considering going to the European Court of Human Rights over concerns for Middleton's and his own privacy.






In February 2006, it was announced that Middleton would receive her own 24-hour security detail supplied by the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department. This fuelled further speculation that she and Prince William would soon be engaged, since she would not, otherwise, be entitled to this service. No engagement occurred, and Middleton was not granted an allowance to fund this security. In 2007, the couple briefly split after struggling to find time as Prince William pursued his army career. However, they soon came back together.






Engagement of Kate Middleton and Prince William

On 16th November, 2010, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their plans to marry in the new year.Announcing their engagement Prince William said: "The timing is right now, we are both very, very happy." Miss Middleton added that joining the Royal Family was a "daunting prospect" but said: "Hopefully I'll take it in my stride."






Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William

Kate Middleton and Prince William were married on Friday 29th April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, London. Catherine Middleton wore a dress designed by Sarah Burton. The dress was ivory gown with lace applique floral detail and an intricate train measuring two metres 70 centimetres. Her tiara was a little known 1936 Cartier "halo". It was loaned to her by the present Queen, a tradition for Royal Weddings.






On the morning of the wedding, the Queen gave a new title to her son, Prince William - The Duke of Cambridge. They have also been given the Scottish titles of Earl and Countess of Strathearn. The couples third title is a Northern Irish one, Baron and Baroness Carrickfergus.


The official title for Miss Catherine Middleton on her marriage is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. After the wedding, the couple intend to continue residing on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, where Prince William is based as an RAF Search and Rescue pilot.

Warren Buffett Biography

Warren Buffett is Born

Warren Edward Buffett was born on August 30, 1930 to his father Howard, a stockbroker-turned-Congressman. The only boy, he was the second of three children, and displayed an amazing aptitude for both money and business at a very early age. Acquaintances recount his uncanny ability to calculate columns of numbers off the top of his head - a feat Warren still amazes business colleagues with today.

At only six years old, Buffett purchased 6-packs of Coca Cola from his grandfather's grocery store for twenty five cents and resold each of the bottles for a nickel, pocketing a five cent profit. While other children his age were playing hopscotch and jacks, Warren was making money. Five years later, Buffett took his step into the world of high finance. At eleven years old, he purchased three shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38 per share for both himself and his older sister, Doris. Shortly after buying the stock, it fell to just over $27 per share. A frightened but resilient Warren held his shares until they rebounded to $40. He promptly sold them - a mistake he would soon come to regret. Cities Service shot up to $200. The experience taught him one of the basic lessons of investing: patience is a virtue.

Warren Buffett's Education



In 1947, a seventeen year old Warren Buffett graduated from High School. It was never his intention to go to college; he had already made $5,000 delivering newspapers (this is equal to $42,610.81 in 2000). His father had other plans, and urged his son to attend the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. Buffett stayed two years, complaining that he knew more than his professors. When Howard was defeated in the 1948 Congressional race, Warren returned home to Omaha and transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Working full-time, he managed to graduate in only three years.


Warren Buffett approached graduate studies with the same resistance he displayed a few years earlier. He was finally persuaded to apply to Harvard Business School, which, in the worst admission decision in history, rejected him as "too young". Slighted, Warren applied to Columbia where famed investors Ben Graham and David Dodd taught - an experience that would forever change his life.


Ben Graham - Buffett's Mentor



Ben Graham had become well known during the 1920's. At a time when the rest of the world was approaching the investment arena as a giant game of roulette, he searched for stocks that were so inexpensive they were almost completely devoid of risk. One of his best known calls was the Northern Pipe Line, an oil transportation company managed by the Rockefellers. The stock was trading at $65 a share, but after studying the balance sheet, Graham realized that the company had bond holdings worth $95 for every share. The value investor tried to convince management to sell the portfolio, but they refused. Shortly thereafter, he waged a proxy war and secured a spot on the Board of Directors. The company sold its bonds and paid a dividend in the amount of $70 per share.
 
When he was 40 years old, Ben Graham published Security Analysis, one of the greatest works ever penned on the stock market. At the time, it was risky; investing in equities had become a joke (the Dow Jones had fallen from 381.17 to 41.22 over the course of three to four short years following the crash of 1929). It was around this time that Graham came up with the principle of "intrinsic" business value - a measure of a business's true worth that was completely and totally independent of the stock price. Using intrinsic value, investors could decide what a company was worth and make investment decisions accordingly. His subsequent book, The Intelligent Investor, which Warren celebrates as "the greatest book on investing ever written", introduced the world to Mr. Market - the best investment analogy in history.
 
Through his simple yet profound investment principles, Ben Graham became an idyllic figure to the twenty-one year old Warren Buffett. Reading an old edition of Who's Who, Warren discovered his mentor was the Chairman of a small, unknown insurance company named GEICO. He hopped a train to Washington D.C. one Saturday morning to find the headquarters. When he got there, the doors were locked. Not to be stopped, Buffett relentlessly pounded on the door until a janitor came to open it for him. He asked if there was anyone in the building. As luck (or fate) would have it, there was. It turns out that there was a man still working on the sixth floor. Warren was escorted up to meet him and immediately began asking him questions about the company and its business practices; a conversation that stretched on for four hours. The man was none other than Lorimer Davidson, the Financial Vice President. The experience would be something that stayed with Buffett for the rest of his life. He eventually acquired the entire GEICO company through his corporation, Berkshire Hathaway.

Date a Girl Who Runs

Date a girl who chooses to move than to let the world pass her by. She will cover the roads with you while talking about the mundane to the profound without gasping for air. She will notice and appreciate the little things: the extra cushioning of her shoes, the softness of the pavement vs concrete, or how much cooler it is to run 30 minutes earlier in summer. Take her to a race and be there with her 30 minutes before gun start. You will watch her fret over her gels, and her hydration, and the portalets. You will laugh because she gives so much importance to running as if it was her entire life. But, you will learn later on, that it only shows how passionate she can be about what is important for her. Hold her jittery hands before you enter the assembly area. She hopes to break her PR at the half marathon, but do not wish her luck; she doesn’t need it after all the speed work and tempo runs. Instead, show her a reassuring smile that she’ll be fine and you will be proud of her whether she finishes first or 50th. Let her know that you’ll be waiting at the finish line—or at least you’ll show up there in case she finishes several minutes before you do. If you find a girl who runs, never let her go; register for a marathon and train together. Be her best friend on the road. When she talks, listen to the joys of her first 5k, the pains of her recurring Plantar Fasciitis, and the 1,001 reasons why she loves to run while pretending that you can keep up with her “easy” pace. In between stories, allow her to take a sip from your water bottle or remind her when it’s time to take a gel. Watch her glow when she talks about running; she is in her element. She is running by your side. She is happiest on Sundays, the day when she can run long with you. She loves to sweat, and the sore legs, and, of course, the hefty breakfast along with the good conversations that follow each run. Always have a cold, wet towel in the cooler waiting for her. Surprise her with her favorite post-recovery drink, low fat chocolate milk, and if she ran an extra 5km, spike it with her favorite coffee from Starbucks. In her simple joys, you will find an abundance of happiness. Propose after your first marathon abroad. Or drop the ring in her hydration bottle. Or run the trails together and end with a proposal at sunset. When you marry a girl who runs, the only time you will see her slow down is when she walks down the aisle towards you. She’ll be a picture of beauty and strength in a gown with her running shoes upon her feet and all you will be able to think of is the thousands of.

From the album: Positive & Happy Sharing. ( ^o^ ) By Run HappyFeet

The little wave

The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air – until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore. “My God, this terrible”,the wave says. “Look what's going to happen to me!”


Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him: “Why do you look so sad?” The first wave says: “You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?”


The second wave says: “No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.”






Source: “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom

The secret of happiness

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.


Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention.


The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.


"Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something", said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. "As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill".


The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.


"Well", asked the wise man, "Did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?"


The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.


"Then go back and observe the marvels of my world", said the wise man. "You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house".


Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.


"But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?" asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.


"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you", said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon".






Author: Paul Coelho in "The Alchemist"

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it's cute & creative

" feel free to fly " is the favourite quote  :)

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Oh my gosh! I am still new & still learning..

Believe what you feel

On this day, Morrie says that he has an exercise for us to try. We are to stand, facing away from our classmates, and fall backward, relying on another student to catch us. Most of us are uncomfortable with this, and we cannot let go for more than a few inches before stopping ourselves. We laugh in embarrassment.


Finally, one student, a thin, quiet, dark-haired girl whom I notice almost always wears bulky, white fisherman sweaters, crosses her arms over her chest, closes her eyes, leans back, and does not flinch, like one of those Lipton tea commercials where the model splashes into the pool..


For a moment, I am sure she is going to thump on the floor. At the last instant, her assigned partner grabs her head and shoulders and yanks her up harshly.
“Whoa!” several students yell. Some clap. Morrie finally smiles. “You see”, he says to the girl, “you closed your eyes, That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them too – even when you're in the dark. Even when you're falling".







Source: “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom

Formula no 1. ( 1 drpd 11 Formula Kejayaan! )

Keinginan..

Desire..

 

Burning desire....

....upon your GOAL! Hidup ini lebih bermakna dgn adalah matlamat hidup.
Ask yourself today, ask yourself now..what is your GOAL?
What is your ultimate goal?
Everytime you wake up in the morning, what are you thinking?
Where are you heading your life?
You may have everything you want in life. Think again..
What exactly the purpose of your life?
PURPOSE OF LIFE ?
GOAL IN LIFE? In your entire life.

What your purpose made you in the next 7 days? A month ? A year ? the next 5 years ?
Think again. This is your life ?


What if you life till the age of 100 years.
How will you benefit that age ?
How will you benefits others

Identify your goal.
See your goal.
See it like THE EYES OF THE TIGER.




"The one who ready will receive."


So let us together...made our life more meaningful than yesterday.


Allah, please us all.
Help us achieving our goals.






11 Formula Kejayaan!
oleh: Irfan Khairi
http://www.facebook.com/irfankhairi.fb



1: Keinginan


Pertama sekali di dalam formula kejayaan adalah keinginan. Untuk mencapai apa jua matlamat yang anda impikan, anda perlu mempunyai keinginan untuk mencapai matlamat tersebut. Lagi mendalam keinginan anda, lagi mudah untuk anda mencapai matlamat tersebut.




Keinginan seumpama api yang membakar. Lagi besar api tersebut, lagi hangat ia akan membakar keinginan jiwa anda dalam mencapai apa jua cita-cita yang anda letakkan untuk diri anda sendiri.




Punca utama seseorang itu tidak dapat mencapai matlamatnya adalah takut kepada kegagalan. Sekiranya anda takut kepada kegagalan, maka, anda tidak akan mengambil langkah pertama untuk mencapai apa jua matlamat. Keinginan akan membawa anda untuk mengambil langkah pertama tersebut.

Tanpa keinginan, matlamat tidak akan tercapai.




2: Keyakinan


Lagu yang sering bermain di kepala saya sejak dulu sehingga kini “Jika kau fikirkan kau boleh, kau boleh melakukan. Jika kau fikirkan ragu-ragu, usaha mu tidak menentu”

 Lagu yang popular pada 80-an. Ya, bunyi nya amat cliché, tetapi lagu yang simple ini mengandungi mesej yang amat besar!

Dalam usaha untuk mencapai apa jua cita-cita anda, anda perlu mempunyai keyakinan di dalam hati bahawa cita-cita tersebut akan dicapai! Dengan keyakinan yang tinggi, ia akan menjadi penggerak kepada anda untuk tidak menoleh kebelakang lagi.


Keyakinan bukan bermaksud untuk menjadi bongkak dan taksub… anda tidak perlu meyakinkan orang ramai. Anda hanya perlu meyakinkan diri anda sendiri sahaja. Usah risau dalam meyakinkan orang ramai… anda perlu tunjuk bahawa cita-cita anda tercapai- itu sahaja yang akan meyakinkan orang ramai.


Dalam menetapkan matlamat anda, anda perlu realistik. Matlamat yang realistik akan membantu dan motivasikan anda untuk memberi keyakinan. Sebagai contoh, matlamat untuk mendapat kenaikan gaji 2 kali ganda dalam masa setahun mungkin tidak realistik. Tetapi, matlamat untuk menaikkan gaji anda sebanyak 20% dalam masa setahun adalah lebih realistik!

 Matlamat yang tidak realistik hanya akan melemahkan motivasi diri anda apabila ianya tidak tercapai.


3: Tulis matlamat anda


Ini AMAT penting. Sejak saya menulis di ruang motivasi MASKULIN, entah berapa kali saya mengulangi petua ini. Di dunia, hanya 2% daripada golongan dewasa yang menulis matlamat mereka tersendiri. Baki 98% yang lain mungkin tidak mempunyai matlamat hidup, ataupun, sekiranya ada, tidak menulisnya.


Menulis matlamat anda adalah seperti anda membuat perjanjian dengan diri anda sendiri. Matlamat tersebut akan tersemat di fikiran anda dan sentiasa mengingati anda secara sedar, ataupun separa-sedar untuk anda mencapaikannya.


Matlamat yang tidak tertulis adalah seumpama angan-angan sahaja. Apabila anda menulis matlamat anda, ia menjadi sesuatu yang nyata- boleh di sentuh. Anda telah membawa matlamat di imaginasi kepada bentuk yang anda dapat mengenggamkannya!




4: Senaraikan kebaikan yang anda akan kecapi


Apa yang anda akan dapat sekiranya matlamat anda tercapai? Senaraikan segala-galanya. Lagi panjang senarai anda, lagi bagus. Ini adalah kerana anda menyenaraikan motivasi-motivasi yang akan mebakar semangat anda untuk terus berusaha dan mencapai kebaikan tersebut.


Manusia adalah insan yang beremosi. Dengan memikirkan kebaikan yang anda akan kecapi, ia akan memandukan anda ke arah mencapai matlamat tersebut. Berikan sebab-sebab mengapa anda mahukan matlamat anda tercapai, apakah pulangan yang anda akan terima, serta bagaimanakah tahap kepuasan anda sekiranya matlamat itu tercapai- ini akan menyemarakkan lagi semangat anda untuk mencapaikannya.




5: Cermin kan diri sendiri


Di mana anda berada ketika ini? (bukan di bangku atau di sofa!). Pada ketika ini, apakah keadaan anda. Anda perlu ketahui di mana anda berada kini untuk mencapai matlamat yang anda telah tetapkan.


Pastikan anda ketahui di mana anda berada kini oleh kerana itu adalah titik permulaan perjalanan anda. Lebih jelas anda dapat fahami keadaan anda kini, lebih jelas anda dapat melihat jalan ke arah pencapaian matlamat.

 Sebagai contoh, sekiranya anda inginkan bebas kewangan, duduk dan ambil masa untuk melihat keadaan kewangan anda kini secara jujur. Sekiranya matlamat anda adalah untuk menurunkan berat badan, anda perlu ketahui berat badan anda kini sebagai titik permulaan.


Nantikan Revolusi Perniagaan akan datang pada 29 & 30 Oktober 2011
9pagi - 6 petang









6: Tetapkan deadline


Matlamat tanpa deadline adalah tidak lengkap. Apa jua matlamat yang ditetapkan, tetapkan sama deadline untuk mencapainya. Bila kah deadline yang terbaik? 6 bulan? 1 tahun? 3 tahun? 5 tahun? Atau 10 tahun?

 Kebanyakan orang tidak deadline untuk menetapkan matlamat oleh kerana takut, matlamat tersebut tidak dapat tercapai sebelum deadline! Sekiranya tidak tercapai, ia akan mengurangkan motivasi sendiri… oleh itu, mereka biarkan tarikh untuk mencapai matlamat tersebut terbuka- bila-bila masa sahaja!


Itu adalah pemikiran yang salah. Dengan menetapkan deadline untuk matlamat anda, anda memberi satu sasaran yang jitu. Apa akan terjadi sekiranya anda tidak berjaya mencapai matlamat sebelum tarikh deadline? Senang sahaja… berikan satu tarikh deadline yang baru! Ia hanya akan mengajar anda untuk lebih berusaha dan lebih realistik dalam mencapai matlamat.




7: Ketahui rintangan


Dalam mencapai apa jua yang berbaloi, sudah pasti akan terdapat rintangan di hadapan anda. Lagi besar matlamat anda, lagi besar rintangan yang anda perlu lalui. Ketahui rintangan-rintangan tersebut dan pelajari cara untuk menempuhinya terlebih dahulu.


Anggap usaha anda dalam mencapai matlamat adalah satu perjalanan mencari ilmu. Setiap rintangan yang anda temui walaupun sekecil manapun akan memperbaiki diri anda untuk rintangan-rintangan yang lebih besar di masa hadapan. Ini menjelaskan bahawa, mereka yang berjaya didunia adalah tergolong daripada mereka yang berpengalaman menghadapi rintangan-rintangan tersebut.


Kejayaan yang cemerlang akan hadir apabila anda berjaya menguasai segala rintangan. Oleh itu, lakukan perancangan terlebih dahulu. Senaraikan apakah rintangan-rintangan yang akan muncul.

8: Ilmu tambahan

Ketahui Ilmu tambahan yang perlu anda lengkapkan pada diri anda untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut. Manusia diberi anugerah akal fikiran yang merupakan anugerah yang paling istemewa sekali.

 

Bina satu senarai- apakah ilmu tambahan yang anda perlu ketahui untuk mencapai matlamat anda? Apakah kebolehan tambahan yang anda perlukan? Apakah pengalaman yang anda perlukan? Bolehkah anda mendapat bantuan orang lain sekiranya anda tidak mempunyai sesuatu kebolehan itu? Apakah maklumat yang paling penting atau kebolehan yang paling penting untuk andapunyai dalam mencapai matlamat anda?

 

Tanggungjawab anda adalah untuk mempelajari apa jua yang anda perlu tahu dalam mencapai matlamat anda.

 

9: Perancangan

Kata pakar motivasi “Gagal untuk merancang adalah merancang untuk gagal”

 

Jangan biarkan nasib menentukan arah tuju anda. Buat perancangan yang rapi- seperti kontraktor memerlukan plan untuk membina bangunan yang gagah berdiri. Anda juga perlu plan untuk mencapai menara gading.

 

Rancang langkah-langkah anda dengan terperinci- dalam masa 1 bulan, apa yang anda perlu buat? Sekiranya ia tidak menjadi, apakah alternatif yang lain?

 

Hukum alam mengatakan, apa yang anda beri dan taburkan, ianya akan menjadi hasil. Sekiranya anda merancang untuk taburkan sedikit usaha, maka, sedikitlah pulangan anda. Sekiranya anda merancang untuk menaburkan bergunung-gunung usaha, maka, hebatlah pulangan yang anda akan terima.

 

Anda tidak boleh melanggar hukum ini. Mereka yang melanggar hukum ini adalah mereka yang sering ditpu dengan skim-skim piramid, skim cepat kaya, SCAM dan pelaburan yang hanya akan meleburkan wang sendiri.

10: Bina gambaran

“A picture paints a thousand words”. Beri gambaran yang jelas di fikiran anda bahawa matlamat anda telah tercapai. Gambarkan diri anda 1 tahun dari sekarang. Atau, 10 tahun dari sekarang.

 

Dengan berimiginasi gambaran anda berjaya di masa hadapan, ia juga akan membakar semangat anda untuk mencapai gambaran tersebut. Fikiran manusia dipenuhi dengan gambaran-gambaran dan bukannya perkataan. Penuhi fikiran anda dengan gambaran kejayaan anda di masa hadapan.

 

Berhati-hati, terlalu banyak mimpi di siang hari tanpa usaha dan perancangan, anda tidak jauh berbeza dengan angan-angan Mat Jenin!

11: Janji pada diri sendiri…

Janji pada diri anda sendiri, tidak kira apa rintangan yang akan datang. Tidak kira apa jua kegagalan yang anda hadapi, jangan- JANGAN- JANGAN sekali-kali putus asa! Sekrianya anda terjumpa dengan sahabat karib kejayaan, iaitu kegagalan- usah risau. Kejayaan adalah perintis untuk mencapai apa jua kejayaan- oleh sebab itulah saya gelarkannya sahabat karib.

 

Amat jarang sekali sesuatu kejayaan di capai tanpa kegagalan. Lagi banyak kegagalan anda temui, ianya bermaksud lagi hampir kejayaan kepada anda. Jangan putus asa oleh kerana kejayaan mungkin sedang menunggu disebalik kegagalan itu.

 

Berita baiknya adalah, menempuhi kegagalan adalah menambahkan pengalaman sendiri. Lebih banyak kegagalan yang anda jumpai, maka, lebih banyak anda dapat pelajari. Anda akan mempelajari lebih banyak dari sesuatu kegagalan. Sekiranya anda menjumpai kegagalan, ubah cara anda- jangan pula ikut cara yang sama oleh kerana cara yang sama akan membawa kegagalan seterusnya!

 

Kesimpulan

Kesemua formula kejayaan ini perlu di implementasikan setiap satu. Ini adalah “blue print” orang-orang yang berjaya di dunia. Ia menjadi formula kejayaan saya sendiri sehingga hari ini. Tiap-tiap kali saya mempunyai matlamat baru, saya akan rujuk kembali formula ini untuk memastikan matlamat saya tercapai.

 

Tidak sampai setahun lalu saya menetapkan matlamat saya, dan kini, dengan mengikuti formula yang diberikan, alhamdulillah saya mencapainya.

 

Kini, anda juga mempunyai formula kejayaan. Implimentasikannya kepada matlamat anda, dan saya yakin anda juga akan mencapai kejayaan dalam apa jua bidang!

*****************

Pakar perniagaan Internet, personaliti TV & radio, Irfan Khairi mendedahkan kaedah sebenar memulakan perniagaan Internet dari rumah di acara 2-hari Revolusi Perniagaan Internet. Sertai Revolusi Perniagaan Internet bersama Irfan Khairi dan ketahui bagaimana anda boleh menjalankan perniagaan Internet yang berjaya. Klik di sini untuk maklumat lanjut.

 

The two wolves

A Native American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one. The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one." The grandson asked him, "Which wolf will win the fight in your heart?" The grandfather answered: "The one I feed."

Robert Kiyosaki Biography

On April 8th, 1947, Robert Kiyosaki was born Robert Toru Kiyosaki on the island of Hilo in Hawaii. Robert Kiyosaki is a fourth generation Japanese American. Much of Robert Kiyosaki’s success is based on the idea of having two fathers, one rich and one poor and the whole concept of how the rich and poor educate their children is based on this. The question of whether this idea is entirely an allegory or if these two dads do exist and that they are truth, has remained debated for some time now, without any conclusive evidence of who is indeed the rich dad, is often thought about. Robert Kiyosaki has claimed that these two fathers are in fact a true story, but he has also questioned interviewers on whether or not it matters at all and if fictional characters can have the same power to influence. Despite all the debate and uncertainty, Robert Kiyosaki’s real dad is without question the late educator Mr.Ralph H. Kiyosaki. Ralph H. Kiyosaki was born in 1919 and died in 1991. Ralph H. Kiyosaki earned a Ph.D. through many scholarships and was head of education on the Big Island in Hawaii, which in turn enabled Robert Kiyosaki to attend better schools with predominately richer classmates. Ralph H. Kiyosaki was a very intelligent man, a great educator, who ended up becoming state superintendent for education, but he was also Robert Kiyosaki’s poor dad. Although Ralph H. Kiyosaki was able to put Robert Kiyosaki in the right environment to learn what it meant to succeed. It was at Hilo High School where Robert Kiyosaki met his rich dad, the father of a fellow classmate and friend. The rich dad was an entrepreneur with very little education, and was capitalist minded, in contrast with his socialist minded, intellectual father.



After graduating from Hilo High School on the Big Island of Hawaii, Robert Kiyosaki registered for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy`s prestige is that it is one of the five United States service academies, specializing in marine transport of civilian owned, non-military, merchant ships. Requisites to become a student of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy include a nomination by a United States representative or Senator, along with other recommendations, along with high scores on the SATs and a strong GPA, which Robert Kiyosaki accomplished flawlessly. Robert Kiyosaki graduated from U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the class of 1969.


Fresh from graduating the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1969, Robert Kiyosaki began doing what he went to school to learn, that is he worked on and traveled on merchant ships. The experience of traveling the world had a profound effect on him, and once experienced it made it difficult for Robert Kiyosaki to return back to Hawaii. The voyages on these merchant ships would take him all over the world. He would be exposed to new cultures, new ways of life and extreme forms of poverty that can not be found back in the United States of America. This taste of the world and experience of different cultures would lead him to a new path. Perhaps of giving back to his country for the opportunity to experience what he did or perhaps for the world he discovered and his belief that everyone deserves democracy and the chance to choose, and make something out of oneself, whatever the reason may be Robert Kiyosaki was eventually drawn to join the United States Marine Corps and was sent to Vietnam.


Robert Kiyosaki served as a helicopter gunship pilot in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. His service and dedication to his country during the Vietnam War was rewarded. Robert Kiyosaki was awarded with the Air Medal. The Air Medal is awarded to anyone who while serving in any capacity in or with the Armed Forces of the United States of America has proved themselves distinguishable through participating in meritorious acts during aerial flights. The Air medal can be earned by a single, heroic, meritorious act or for overall meritorious service to the Armed Forces of the United States of America in some aerial capacity. Towards the end of the Vietnam War, in 1974, Robert Kiyosaki left the Marine Corps and entered the civilian world once again.


Upon returning to the United States of America, Robert Kiyosaki was exposed to a whole new world. Instead of returning to Hawaii, Robert Kiyosaki instead chose to go back to New York. Once there, he quickly began working for the Xerox Corporation which specializes in printing and photocopying. Robert Kiyosaki worked in the sales department of the Xerox Corporation and was assigned the position of salesman. This would prove to be a short lived opportunity because a couple of years later, perhaps with some kind of substantial savings saved up, or enough anyways, Robert Kiyosaki started up his own business for the first time.


In 1977, Robert Kiyosaki started his first business and his business was focused around one product, a new concept of wallet which used Velcro and nylon and is often referred to as a surfer wallet. As Robert Kiyosaki invested in this idea when it was only originating, he made a moderate profit. It was Robert Kiyosaki’s first venture in the business world and as an entrepreneur, he made some mistakes, the same ones a rookie would make when being called up to the big league. Still, Robert Kiyosaki acknowledges that there were things that he was not aware about like patents and trademarks that hampered the degree of his success. The surfer wallets would eventually end up becoming a multi-million dollar product and Robert Kiyosaki would receive his first real taste of what being an entrepreneur is all about. Not only just that but Robert Kiyosaki learnt what being financially successful is about and the knowledge that it could be obtained. Even more so, Robert Kiyosaki was so very close to hitting a home run off his first at bat.


So his first venture in business was not as successful as only one could hope and dream, but none the less, experience is valuable, as the knowledge derived from it can be the deciding factor the next time around. And so Robert Kiyosaki continued his journey of an entrepreneur, continuing to venture off in new businesses and investment opportunities.


The next business was almost similar in nature due to the targeted consumer as Robert Kiyosaki’s attention shifted from Surfers and their wallets, to Rockers and their favourite heavy metal band t-shirts. For a while, as Robert Kiyosaki stated in an interview with www.thestreet.com, his heavy metal and hardcore band t-shirt licensing business was highly successful. Robert Kiyosaki experienced financial success in the mid nineteen eighties with his second business venture in the rock music merchandise licensing. But with a change of trends, like a wave reclining back into the ocean, the mainstream turned away from the heavy metal and hardcore bands and began listening to different, softer music. So as Robert Kiyosaki admits in the same interview with www.thestreet.com, his heavy metal t-shirt licensing business went “belly up” in 1985. This left him broke, bankrupt and definitely in a bad place as it even left him homeless.


Although, something else was happening at the time to cause such a downfall as leaving Robert Kiyosaki homeless, something more than just his business going bankrupt. While his heavy metal t-shirt business was doing well, Robert Kiyosaki was also investing in different real estate projects, as well as playing the stock market. It is estimated that he owed approximately $850 000 to the banks. As Robert Kiyosaki once said, and told well for that matter, “Obviously, you can’t pay that kind of money back by getting a job”. That proved to be rock bottom for Robert Kiyosaki because he would never sink so low again. In fact he would crawl out of the dimly lit pit of bankruptcy with enough knowledge and experience to make sure that he would not be found down in another one. Furthermore, Robert Kiyosaki would go on to help people and educate them on how to completely avoid the pit of bankruptcy, and even achieve financial success.


How could somebody who is not rich themselves teach others how to become financially successful? Simply by teaching them how not to become poor and make poor financial decisions. Robert Kiyosaki experienced moderate success up until this point but he also experienced the terrible affects that a couple of bad choices, and decisions could have. He was ready for what was about to become, and that was true financial success.

Robert Kiyosaki began working as a motivational speaker for a personal growth seminar called Money and You. Money and You was started by Marshall Thurber who became a highly successful man, and the seminars focused on the teachings and works of Buckminster Fuller.


Now, Buckminster Fuller was an American visionary who was born in 1895 and died in 1983. He was also a philosopher and he did have many before his time views of the world and society and mankind’s affect on nature. He also wrote over twenty five books. Buckminster Fuller coined the term ephemeralization, which means to use technological advance to achieve more with less. This term foreshadows some of the future beliefs and teachings of Robert Kiyosaki.


Robert Kiyosaki would get married during this time to Kim Kiyosaki, in 1984. Kim Kiyosaki was also an entrepreneur and would prove to be quite valuable in many ways. Not only being the love of Robert Kiyosaki’s life, a partner for life, she would also become a business partner.


In the year 1985, Marshall Thurber wanted out of the seminar business Money and You, so Robert Kiyosaki with Marshall Thurber’s former partner, D.C. Cordova took over. They continued the seminars as before, using the teachings and works of Buckminster Fuller, as well as the concepts of win/win situations and personal responsibility for one’s own wealth. Together, Robert Kiyosaki and D.C. Cordova ran this education company, teaching students at their three day seminars all around the world. In the beginning it was predominantly in Canada and the United States of America, but then the business became very popular in Australia and New Zealand.


The success this time around was substantial, so much in fact that in 1994 Robert Kiyosaki decided to retire. Robert Kiyosaki was only 47 at the time but experienced such growth that in only nine years he became a multi millionaire. Although during his retirement, Robert Kiyosaki was more then active in his pursuit to gain wealth. Not giving up the practice of investing in real estate and playing the stock market, Robert Kiyosaki continued his business endeavors. Although, now Robert Kiyosaki had much more time on his hands and he began to write during his time off. Feeling like he new a secret and a talent to share knowledge, Robert Kiyosaki continued his path as an educator, following the foot steps of his poor dad, as he also followed the advice and guidance of his rich dad in becoming financially successful. Robert Kiyosaki found a way, a medium to fuse them both together, both talents learnt from both his rich dad and poor dad, for the benefit of people around the world.


This is when Robert Kiyosaki began exploring his ideas and concepts, synthesizing his knowledge and life experiences and began working on the writing of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. Although, Robert Kiyosaki did not write alone, he teamed up with Sharon Lechter and together they co-wrote the first Rich Dad, Poor Dad book. That book would later go on to sell more then ten million books and become a bestseller. But all this success did not come right away or easily.


Before getting Rich Dad, Poor Dad published, Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter were trying to sell it to publishers. After being dismissed much, they published it on their own. Together with Kim Kiyosaki, the three of them founded Cashflow Technologies, Inc. Under this title many companies would come to be formed bellow it and the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series would become a brand that brought about much success.

Ask our mind, where it heading us to?

DEFINITE PURPOSE.( life without purpose is nothing )



What is your life purpose?

What is your definite purpose ?

Did you adopt your Definite Purpose, and stand by that purpose until it had time to become an all-consuming obsession ?

Do you have the bulldog determination, his persistence in standing back of a single desire, was destined to mow all opposition, and bring him the opportunity he was seeking.


What do you need to do today is ..

know what you wanted, and the determination to stand by that desire until you realized it!

Have the initiative, faith and the will to win live with your definite purpose.

And you will win !

 

Use Positive Thinking

We all have our fears in life. But the biggest of all fears is the fear of failing. Sometimes, one of the great battles we face in life is destined to pressure us to fail. The challenges will light up the negative thoughts that will start to attack our mind.


When this moment is with you, think about everything that makes a victory. Try to stay relaxed. Gain strength from the pressure to face and defy the moments that life has set to ultimately try to bring you down. Start fighting with a prepared positive mindset. With this attitude, it helps to put you in a better position before the going gets tough.


A lot of people waste a lot of their energy stressing about the outcome. Do the best of your ability and never doubt what you can do. Push beyond ability if you must and you will have a good experience, maybe even a breakthrough.


Always fight with your heart and mind; fight till you can't lift your hands and fight till you can't lift your legs anymore. Even when you are on your knees, crawl and keep on fighting. It's never easy to achieve anything but with sacrifice, the limits that you feel or see can be broken; your Will can take you a step closer to your goal.

Be sober from doubt, weakness and fear so when the going gets tough, that's when the battle of triumph or defeat begins and it's important to have an arsenal of positive thoughts ready to help you.


Gather your will and reflect on your purpose and endure the challenges that life has prepared for you. With this mentality, you can bring to life the positive feelings when they're needed and use them effectively towards your purpose.


Use positive thinking to live your life and win your battles. Positive thinking is your power to break all limits, overcome all challenges and move all obstacles. A positive mindset strategy can be effective even if the ultimate goal is not achieved.




--- Copyright © 2011 Kiplimo Chemirmir

The majority of the time when God gives me something to write, it is because I need the encouragement. I just pass it along to help others stay enlightened. Be sure to visit Kip's blog

Visionaries Imagine The Future

We are living in the era of advent of technology and we are familiar with internet, satellite television and mobile phones. Like everyone in the world, Indians have also played a very, very big role in inventing and innovating technology at regular intervals in India and their omnipresence is visible across the globe. Presently, we cannot think anything without the help of modern technologies.


50 years ago IBM was the front runner in computer technology. Their then chairman, Thomas Watson, opined in 1943 about the future opportunities of computers in the market: "Now, in the world market, there is a scope for selling a maximum of 5 computers, that's all". He said this because at that time the computers IBM produced were gigantic machines and the cost of each computer was unaffordable, even to millionaires. This means even Thomas Watson could not foresee the scope of computers.


In 1949 "Popular Mechanics", the US magazine, wrote about the computer in one of the editions: "We think the future computer may be not much bigger than 1.5 tons". Now even our 5 year kids play with the palmtop, just like operating a TV or a mobile, but a renowned science magazine like Popular Mechanics could not predict such an advent of technology at that time.


In 1968, when the microchip was invented, one of the senior officers at IBM commented, "How will the microchip will help us? And it is useless".


Later the advent of technology made people think about home computers and Ken Olson, the then chairman of American Digital Equipment Corporation, said in 1977: "I don't see any scope of computer in our homes".


These renowned people like Watson, Olson were very much associated with the business for decades, however their ability to visualize and imaginations were very confined to vagueness, and they could not forecast the scopes of computer in the future.


Western Union was the pioneer in communications with the telegraph. When the telephone was invented, the management of Western Union commented that "the telephone is not a good machine for communication. It has limitations and we do not see any value of using it in our business".


Later on Western Union Management was able to realize their mistake, although initially they failed to see the innumerable value of telephone. Too late, the competitors outperformed Western Union to form a monopoly in telephone communications.


Similarly, the president of the Royal Society of England said about the aero plane in a meeting that "Nobody can invent a machine that could fly", but in 8 years the Wright brothers made history by flying the first automated aeroplane. On hearing this, the Military Strategist of France, Marshal Ferdinand said, "Maybe aeroplanes are good, but they are no better than a toy".


Even Bill Gates could not foresee a computer with speed more than his 640 K, which he developed in the 1970s. He could not foresee the abundant scope of a computer in future, though he was considered to be a visionary in the field. He was later able to modify his views and he made history with his imagination and vision. This made a wonderful transformation of the world of computers and his company, Microsoft, became the pioneer today in relentlessly innovating and creating new avenues of imagination and it is no wonder his company has the edge on other corporations.


Though we may not be wizards in visualizing the future like Bill Gates, we can also imagine and innovate to see the future positively and believe in ourselves to create a better future for the coming generations. We should not limit ourselves saying that enough is enough and nothing more, but the fact is that we have to travel many roads to reach destiny.






--- Copyright © 2011 Satish Nair

Who we are?

We have choices to make in our life.
Make a good choice & you will ended in a good way.
It's all up to you.

There comes a time

When we head a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all


We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make a change
We are all a part of
God's great big family
And the truth, you know love is all we need


[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me


Send them your heart
So they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us by turning stone to bread
So we all must lend a helping hand


[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That a change will only come
When we stand together as one

[Chorus]
We are the world
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me

YES, I am success!!!

When I think success
I see it comes
When i dream success
I see it comes
When i touch success
It fates away
Success success
My hope

I'll find success
Embrace success
When i hold success
I'll keep it save
When I have success
I'll share it
Success success
My world

I'll rule
Yes, I'll influence
Thought, Oh thought
My Success Success
I'll keep,
I see
Success a life
Success my hope
Success my world

-Fiefa Bruce

Religions & Spirituality : GOD

Fifteen Things God Won’t Ask

God won’t ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.


God won’t ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.


God won’t ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.


God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed.


God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.


God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.


God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.


God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.


God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed your job to the best of your ability.


God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.


God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.


God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.


God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.


God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t.

ATTITUDE : Personal Empowerment

Use Empowering Words When You Talk to Yourself


(whether you are speaking out loud or silently)
How do you talk to yourself?


Do you use the words "can't", "won't", "don't need to", "why try"?
Many people do.
Do you find that what you say to yourself turns out to be true?
Why is this?


You see your brain is like a computer that you feed each day. It doesn't know always know what's real or not unless you tell it.


Example: If someone you love has hurt you, you may tell yourself that all people who love you will probably hurt you too.


Your brain just files this information for reference, it's data, little zeroes and ones and no column that asks "true or not true?" Now your brain thinks, based on what you told it, that everyone you'll ever love will hurt you.


How do you think you will respond the next time you get hurt?
Right!!
Now, what if we instead told our brain:


"Okay this person ripped my heart out - but that's only one person. I'm lovable and have many loving people in my life who are not out to hurt me. I know that the right people are coming into my life all the time. If someone hurts me, I will forgive them and bless them on their way."




Words can be empowering.


I can
I love to
I want to
I will
I must
I am




We can reach a new level of living, if we feed ourselves empowering words and practice saying them until they become a habit.


I know first hand that it takes time.
And I also know that it's worth it.
Try it for a week.


Catch yourself saying, "I can't", when you don't really mean it and instead try, "I can", and see how you think and feel about yourself.


Remember, the words you use to empower yourself will have a lasting effect, only if you practice them and they become a habit (an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary).


They say it takes at least 28 days to develop a habit. After a week, you will see that it becomes easier. It's a mindset and you can control your thoughts. Be proactive and not reactive - give yourself some good words.


Dream big and empower yourself! Believe you can and you will.

LIFE : A Luxurious Presence

When we planned a weekend away together, we were seeking to find a place where we could escape from the business of our day-to-day lives. We needed to go to a place that would allow us to put things back into proper perspective, focus on our lives as a couple and to examine our priorities.



After we checked in, our first interaction with another guest was our encounter with the man and his fancy car in the circular driveway in front of the Mansion. He was blocking the narrow driveway, car parked, door wide opened. We could have easily continued along, if only he would have closed the door to his car.


The concierge ran up to our car window with a sense of urgency and a hint of authority uttering that was something wrong with the hydraulics system of the car. We quietly sat in our car, observing the man with his broken down, door wide opened Jaguar.


My husband is a skilled auto technician with a good heart who has worked on the finest of cars. I knew that my husband was fully present in our quest to create space where we could focus on our lives together when he chose not to engage in the stranger's situation or try to rescue him.


Several minutes passed before the car owner approached us with an apology. He explained that the car was inoperable and that he could not close his door, as his hands had gotten dirty so he could not touch his car door to close it to allow us to get by.


The man with the broken down Jaguar's reality was clear to us, the cleanliness of his car door should take priority over our ability to exit the driveway at this time.


My husband's reaction was calm. He went to his toolbox in the back of our car, pulled out a clean rag, handed it to the man and suggested that it could be used to close the door so that we could be on our way. The man seemed a bit hesitant to accept such a simple solution to what seemed to be a very difficult situation for him, but he accepted the rag, closed his door and watched with a rather puzzled look on his face as we drove away.


We arrived at the building where we would stay for night and agreed to head out for a walk and some lunch after dropping off our bags. Our room was on the lower level of the building. It was well appointed with amenities, spacious and bit dark as it lacked the capacity to allow natural light to come in.


We noticed the note card on the bed almost immediately. It said that the resort as environmentally conscience and would only wash sheets every other day, unless otherwise requested, in an effort to conserve water.


We both agreed that we were happy to be in such and environmentally conscience place, as conservation was something we both are compassionate about.


We held hands as we walked and discussed the lessons of Eckhart Tolle that we had engaged in earlier as we set out to explore the place of luxury.


We checked out the spa, to see what it offered as a means of "getting away from it all." It was a busy place, filled with people dressed in fancy white bathrobes and black plastic slippers where fresh towels abound. "So this is what luxury looks like", I found myself thinking. I refilled my reusable water bottle while were there and we were on our way.


After observing the spa, we found an outside café that seemed like a great spot to stop for some lunch. While we waited for our salads, we talked about how we were both surprised that the same facility which washed sheets every other day rather than every day in an effort to be environmentally conscience, did not have a place to recycle all those plastic cups in the spa.


As we looked out over the golf course, we wondered if they kept the greens looking so lovely without the use of chemicals. Our shared effort to live with as little impact to our planet as possible was the topic of conversation during our lunch together.


We examined the options available in order to make the best choice possible with regards to the enormous amounts of left over salad on our plates when we were done eating. Our waitress explained that people complained if large quantities of food were not served. She also explained that almost no one finishes those large quantities.


We asked if they composted. We found out they do not. We discussed how using the restaurant's disposable container to take the leftovers with us would create additional waste beyond what we already were looking at. We resolved to not take the leftovers and to bring our own reusable container from now on when we go out to eat.


We made the most of the rest of our trip to the luxury spa. We used their facilities, dined at their restaurants and did our best to hold true to our own beliefs along the way. We learned that one man's luxury differs greatly from another's. The amenities at the spa that were placed there for our comfort in the first place, were the same things that made us uncomfortable. We do not like to support, create or contribute to avoidable waste. We did not give careful thought to what we were doing when we arranged to come to the luxury resort. We focused only on finding a place that we could rest comfortably and be together. When we came across the luxury spa's website, it seemed perfect at the time.


Would we go back to the luxury spa? Absolutely not, but not because they did not provide everything they promised. We will not go back because when we slowed down to think about it, if we were really present when we sought to find the perfect "getaway" spot, we would have recognized that the luxury spa was not a place we would want to support. This was a place that would put any environmentally conscience person outside of their comfort zone, us included.


We did however get exactly what were seeking in the first place. What we sought, we did not find by the golf course, in a fancy white robe or even inside the resort's swanky castle. What we got, was our return to presence, something we possessed all along and had lost sight of. We learned from our experience at the resort and left with a new appreciation for what comfort and luxury really mean to us.


Most importantly we will remember that the only place we will ever need to go to experience what we sought in the first place, is within.