Save & Be Happy: Ant vs Grass-hopper

Save & Be Happy: Ant vs Grass-hopper

You must have all heard the story of the Ant and the Grass-hopper. The grass-hopper would eat-drink and make merry / enjoy during summer time. The ant would pain-stakingly gather and save every bit of food that he could find. The grass-hopper would mock the ant for being so forward thinking and not enjoying the moment. The smart ant, enjoyed the moment and also saved for rainy days. During monsoon, the grass-hopper did not have anything to eat and hence was miserable. On the other hand the small, tiny ant could have proper meals throughout the day and even in times of difficulty could stay happy.

How many of us are willing to undergo small difficulties in the present so that our future is happy?

We all are here to be happy? Not to be miserable and sad. Yet many a times we get swayed so much by happy times that we forget that “There is nothing permanent in life”. Good / Comfortable times or Bad / Difficult times do not last forever. And it is also true that difficult times actually put so many burdens on us that for a long time we are kept away from happiness and enjoyment. We forget to laugh and be happy. Every small barrier seems like a mountain, coz we do not have the needed resources.

By saving, small amounts we can ensure difficult times do not last for long. We can build reserves. We can ensure that even in difficult times, we are not troubled; or at least face minimum troubles. Having a back-up has never put anybody at loss. On the contrary it has mostly helped book profits and progress. It has helped continuity. It has helped growth. It has helped attain peace of mind.

So SABH: Save And Be Happy!

Save judiciously. First save in financial instruments that give you assured returns.  Then play a little. Take a little risk and save your money in equities, debt funds, commodities market, gold, etc. Also keep some hard cash / money (3 to 6 months income) with self to be used for contingencies.

Remember that the top-most purpose of saving money is to ensure continuity of money; and hence continued happiness for self and family. Money cannot buy you happiness. Money smartly saved and invested can multiply your wealth and can give you avenues, situations to be happy.

SABH: Save And Be Happy!

Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416   
 

Are Top Sales Reps arrogant?

Articel by Shamus, Sales guru --

Are Top Sales Reps arrogant?

The short answer is "It depends".

It depends on who's answering the question.

If you ask this of the satisfied customers of the Top Sales Rep, the answer will probably be No. His customers most certainly like and respect him.

One thing that Top Sales Reps figure out how to do is to talk and think like their target market. They are able to talk, think, dress, and act like the decision-makers that they sell to.

What do you call someone who talks, thinks, dresses, and acts somewhat like you? I call that person my friend. Such things are the basis of unconscious rapport you see.

And I never think of my friends as arrogant.

Do you?

I mean your friends that you like, not ones that you just tolerate.

Now if you ask the people who didn't buy from the Top Sales Rep, is he arrogant? The answer may (or may not) be Yes.

The people who didn't buy from the Top Sales Rep may sometimes be upset at how he handled them.

They'll be upset if they expected free demonstrations, advice, proposals, etc., etc. and the Top Sales Rep didn't give it to him.

Instead he qualified them.

He qualified them hard.

He asked tough questions about how much bux they had to spend, why they were even in the market right now, would they really buy something or was this just a fishing expedition.

Some prospects (not all, but some) would find these questions annoying.

They want to be catered to.

They expect the salesman to "serve" him. After all service is what they get when they go out to eat or go shopping at Nordstrom.

And when the professional salesman, the Top Sale Rep, declines to give blind, free service without getting something in return, he may get called arrogant.

So what.

It doesn't really matter.

Because true business people understand why you ask hard questions. True business people appreciate the hard questions, because it shows you know something about business, and it shows that you are trying to understand
their business, and it shows that you are interested in and capable of helping them.

So to the best prospects, and the real decision makers in power that matter, the Top Sales Rep is never seen as arrogant.

He's a business partner.

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Think +ve, Be +ve.  Save & Be Happy

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

Your Best is Nothing

An article by Robin Sharma (The Monk who sold his Ferrari) --

Daily Kickstart: Your Best is Nothing. Ok--before you say that i'm being hard on you or that i'm encouraging people not to celebrate their gifts+talents+progress, pls allow me to explain. This morning I worked out. Hard. I was doing squat jumps and jumping jacks and all sorts of strange manoeuvers with my trainer. Then we got to the pushups. "Go to failure," she instructed. "I don't do anything to failure," i said--only half-joking. And then i got down on my hands. And gave it my best. I pushed out maybe 40 pushups and then stopped. It's like my chest and arms just froze up as i reached the edge of my strength. "Now go for more," she said. And guess what. I gave 15 more.

So here's the point that I'm messily trying to make: often, we push to our best and fall into the trap of thinking this is all we have within us. But the truth is: that's just our mental limits at play. We have more. We can do more. We can pushout more. And we can become more. Your best is nothing. So today, play big. Or go home. Your fan, Robin

Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

Some +ve thoughts

1.      Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain. But most of the happiness and growth occurs
while you are climbing it.

2.      Though there are millions of people in this world, why were you born?
The reason is – God is expecting something from you which is not possible by millions.

3.      Always look for what’s wrong before looking for who is wrong. Read it once again and keep your relations safe and strong…

4.      A butterfly lives only 14 days, but still it flies joyfully capturing many hearts while collecting nectar in its path. Each moment in life is precious – Live it and Win it…
 
5.      Destiny depends on the strength of your desire. If you cry at trouble, it grows Double. And if you laugh at trouble it disappears like a Bubble.

6.      Aap ka khush rahana hi, aap ka bura chahane walon kae liye sabse badi sazaa hai. So be Happy always.

7.      A successful relation doesn’t depend on how good understanding we have; rather it depends more on how better we avoid mis-understandings…

8.      Start your day with this belief – As long as there is someone in the sky to protect me, there is no one on earth who can break me…

9.      Don’t leave any work unfinished even by a small margin. Because  even “99” doesn’t have the power and glamour of a “Century” 

10.  Attraction is temporary love. Love is permanent attraction! Just a play of words, but makes a lot of difference in life . . .

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Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach

Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

10 Questions That Create Success

 Want help focusing on what really matters? Ask yourself these on a daily basis.

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Think that success means making lots of money? Think again.

Pictures of dead presidents have never made anybody happy. And how can you be successful if you're not happy? And buying things with that all money isn't much better. A new car, for instance, might tickle your fancy for a day or two–but pride of ownership is temporary.

Real success comes from

"the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day".

That's where these 10 questions come in.

Ask them at the end of each day and I absolutely guarantee that you'll become more successful. Here they are:

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?

3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?

4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?

5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?

6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?

7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?

8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?

9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?

10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

Here's the thing. The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.

These questions force you to focus on what's really important. Take heed of them and rest of your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.

{Reference inc.com from an article by Geoffrey James}
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Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

 

Some facts on Old age

1.    Growing old is tough because it means coming to terms with gradual decay and debilitation. As we grow old we have fewer real friends. Instead we get ailments to keep us company.

2.    John Updike in his novel “The Widows of Eastwick –
a.    “Old age is a penalty for living longer than our cave-dwelling ancestors”.
b.    We get doddering characters with hands “repulsively emaciated and veined, their arthritic joints shiny with painful swelling” 
c.     Bladders get moody “sometimes not a drop though you know you have to go, and at other times you laugh or sneeze and there go the underpants”

3.    Diana Athill in her novel “Somewhere towards the end” –

a.    “Growing old is simply what one has to pay for what one has enjoyed”.

4.    As per Registrar General of India:
a.    Average Life Expectancy in India jumped by 4.6 years in the decade up to year 2008.
b.    64.6 years for Men
c.     67.7 years for women

5.    7% (81 million i.e. 8 Crores 10 lakhs) of the 1.1 billion Indian population today is aged 60+ years.

6.    As per UN estimates, by the year 2025 there will be about 1,200 million people aged 65 years +

(Reference – an article by Prasenjit Chowdhury in Hindustan Times, Mumbai 9 Oct. 2012)

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Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

Be assertive rather than aggressive

Some people get angry because they don't assert themselves. They find it hard to speak up or to make their point, so they tend to keep quiet. But their anger is likely to simmer until they get to boiling point and they become furious - and everyone knows it.

If this sounds like you, it will help to learn to speak up for yourself sooner rather than later. You need to calmly make your point using the word 'I'. For example: 'I would like you to help me with the shopping.' Or 'I'd like you to explain what you need.'

By being assertive, you avoid becoming aggressive later. A good book to read is Assert Yourself by Gael Lindenfield.

Wear an elastic band around your wrist

Try using a diversionary tactic. Some people use imagery such as picturing a tranquil lake to reduce anger levels.

Another technique is to wear an elastic band around your wrist. When you feel yourself losing control, twang the elastic band hard against your skin. It will sting and hopefully stop you in your tracks, buying you a moment or two before you 'explode'.

If you pause, think and take a deep breath, the chances are you can avoid an outburst.

Don't argue after 9pm

There is no doubt that arguments can get out of hand late in the evening - particularly when couples are tired or a bit boozed. What often happens is something trivial develops into a major row. If this keeps happening in your house, agree a curfew on difficult conversations. You will find that any important issues are better talked about in the daylight hours, when people are fresh and sober.

Get more leisure

Many people work crazy hours these days. And many of these individuals seek help from therapists because they are constantly irritable and angry. Some admit to smashing keyboards or throwing things round the office. This is not normal behaviour.

Anger and irritation can be reduced by finding more time for you. So, try to delegate more and to leave the office earlier. Take a lunch hour or at least get out of the office for a walk - even if it's just for 20 minutes. Above all get more sleep.

All work and no play no longer makes Jack dull - these days it makes him angry, dysfunctional and sometimes mentally or physically ill.

Take plenty of exercise

Exercise is an excellent stress-buster - and if you reduce stress, you reduce irritability and anger. Everything from a brisk walk to a circuit at the gym or a game of squash raises the level of endorphins (happy chemicals) in your brain. Exercise also soaks up stress and enables us to work off our frustrations.

Have a laugh

Laughter is a great antidote to anger - particularly if you can laugh at yourself. It's almost impossible to stay furious if you find the funny side of the situation and can let off steam this way.

It can also be helpful to watch some comedy. If you can laugh and chill out a bit in the evening, you can go to bed feeling upbeat but tranquil. So, whether your taste is for Alan Carr or Dad's Army, try to watch your favourite show at least twice a week.

Drink less alcohol

Many people with anger problems find alcohol makes things worse. After a couple of glasses of wine, they find they simply have to make their point or put someone right. Often this leads to huge rows or violence. And it's common for the angry person to feel guilty or ashamed the next day.

It's not easy to drink sensibly if your friends are getting drunk all around you. But if you want to stop getting so angry, you might want to try drinking less or even cutting out alcohol altogether.

Drink more water

Various experiments have been done in schools to see if encouraging pupils to drink more water might improve concentration and have a calming effect on behaviour. And in some schools, it's appeared to work. Certainly, people tend to feel irritated if they are dehydrated.

If you are someone who gets angry easily, but doesn't drink much liquid, try drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day. It's quite possible this will help to stabilise your moods.

Remember four letters

When you get into such a fury you're in danger of doing or saying something you're going to regret, whisper the letters SGCB to yourself. These stand for:

• Step back
• Grab hold of something
• Count to ten
• Breathe deeply

When we're furious, we always move forwards and may well be in danger of hitting someone. By stepping back and then grabbing hold of something and counting and breathing, we stop that momentum and gain control of ourselves.

Eat regularly

In our rushed lifestyles, it's common for people to miss breakfast or be too busy for lunch. But our bodies and minds need regular fuel. If you go too long without food, you'll become irritable and there is an increased risk you'll become angry. Try to eat a balanced diet and eat regularly. You will feel better and calmer if you do.

Understand you have a problem

Everyone gets angry. And sometimes anger can be a good thing, for example when it motivates us to do something about social injustice. But if your anger is out of control and threatening to damage friendships, romance or your career, you need to take action.

A good book on anger is Overcoming Anger - When Anger Helps and When it Hurts by Professor Windy Dryden. Dryden uses cognitive behaviour techniques to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy anger and demonstrates how angry moods can be changed.

Try an anger management course

Free anger management courses are very thin on the ground, but cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a good treatment for anger because it examines and challenges negative thoughts and beliefs.

(courtesy / reference: inc.com)
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Think +ve, Be +ve

Ajit Vidyadharan

Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Certified Trainer, Certified Leadership & Performance Coach
Sabhav Wealth Management Services
+919664966416

Is Life Insurance Worth it?

Life insurance is a worthwhile investment for many reasons. The ultimate purpose of a life insurance policy is to give families the financial means to live on after the death of a loved one. Acquiring a life insurance policy also grants the main financial contributor of a family peace of mind knowing that if he or she were to pass away, the family would have a financial cushion waiting. In other words, buying life insurance is an effective way for a person, especially one who provides the financial support for a family, to prepare their dependents for the possibility of a sad event.

Life insurance contributes to providing a stable financial situation for the remaining members of a family. A family who experiences the death of its main financial contributor, is left to face the responsibility of debts as well as everyday expenses. Some examples of large debts may include a home loan, car payments and perhaps school fees. In addition, a family may need assistance with the costs of a funeral for their loved one. Taking a little time to obtain a life insurance plan can be the first crucial step in arranging the continued welfare of a family. Furthermore, it's important for a family to determine what its financial needs would be if it lost its main supporter. A family would then be able to select and buy life insurance that would suit its particular needs.

Insurance proves worthwhile and useful for yet another reason. Insurance gives peace of mind to both the family as well as to the person who is insured. Imagine one scenario. A family with several young children is dependent upon one person for financial support. If that person were to die without life insurance, the loss of the person's income would most likely be devastating to the family. Chances are, they would be left with several debts and other significant expenses to cover. By acquiring affordable life insurance a family is taking action to prepare for that possibility with a financial back-up plan. The sad loss of a family member shouldn't have to be accompanied by a unstable / insecure / precarious financial situation.

There is another practical aspect to buying life insurance. It allows the person who assumes the financial support of the family the opportunity to further his or her education, begin a career, or acquire a new skill. The individual would have the financial resources to better prepare for the role of supporting the family financially. An irreplaceable quality possessed by the best life insurance is that it grants people the time and freedom to make choices that will ultimately benefit their family.

A person who chooses a suitable life insurance policy with reasonable life insurance rates is helping to alleviate the possibility of financial uncertainty for their family due to a member's death. The simple act of getting an affordable life insurance policy quote can start a person on the road to providing for their family in a time of need.                                                                                                                             (Source: aarogya.com)


Ajit Vidyadharan
Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Call: 9664966416

Protection of Wealth is more important than Creation of Wealth

Anybody can create wealth.
Anybody can become rich and wealthy.
Sometimes as a result of hard-work, sometimes smart-work, sometimes due to inheritance, sometimes due to luck...
Most of the times, most of the individuals whom we consider wealthy have become so because of their VISION.
When Swami Vivekananda was asked by a visually challenged person, "What is worse than being blind?"
Swamiji responded, "Not having a vision".
Vision is a destination, a long term imagination -- thinking beyond what the naked eye can ever see.

In terms of Wealth Creation and Protection, only a peson who has vision can truly protect his /her wealth.
When we have lot of wealth, the general tendency is to disregard it, blow it off as it there is no tomorrow. Paying little heed to savings, let alone investments and financial planning.

Yet, the rich and wealthy who continue to be rich and wealthy are the ones who had the vision to save and invest their wealth safely so that they could use it when needed and it could be passed on to generations in legacy...

Wealth that is not protected and invested for safety and ontinued returns and safety, is mostly lost in thin air.

Protecting wealth is a cumbersome procedure. It involves lot of R&D. It involves lot of planning. Lot of permutations / combinations. It involves lot of knowledge of the different savings / investment instruments, their related risks and returns, gestation period, charges involved, tax applications (pre & post), etc.

Over and above all these, Protection of Wealth involves "Knowledge of Self".

Financial Planning is a lot more about planning your life than planning your money.

To know more about your money and how to protect it, you need to know yourself -- Your life-style.
Your risk-appetite. Your current wants and needs. Your family's wants and needs. Your future wants and needs. The time-frame needed for your returns. Your aspirations. Your security. Your VISION.

And we all know, that although we are our best judges, we seldom know ourself fully and truly.

Thus, Protection of Our Own Wealth becomes even more difficult than earning the wealth.

Per global stats {Source: Scorpio Partnership - article in Hindustan Times 19 Sept. 2012, Mumbai}, the global wealth management industry is now paying $8 to generate every $10 of income.

So, if trained, specialist professional Wealth Managers take so much to manage your wealth, the writing is clear on the wall  -- Protecting Wealth is more difficult than Creating Wealth.

More in the next blogs on how to start knowing yourself to protect your own wealth ,,,

Ajit Vidyadharan
Certified Wealth Manager / Financial Advisor
Call: 9664966416