Monday 14 April 2008

Black or white?


I found this black and white graffiti while running through a small tunnel one weekend. To me it's an amazing work of art. While drawing comes so easily to some people, others struggle even when asked to draw stick figures. I'm not gifted at drawing but CH thinks my sense of whimsy is very strong, so even my stick drawings are endearing. I think he just doesn't want me to beat him with a stick.
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In life, nothing is really black or white. I don't know what I'm driving at today but when I flip through the papers every morning, I read about how the escalating food prices is affecting the poor and how the world is running out of food.
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There are also dreadful news about how 54 illegal Myanmar migrants, most of them women, suffocated as they were smuggled into Thailand in a cramped seafood container. These were hard-pressed people risking their lives for a better future.
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And here I am, talking about our shiny new laptop and other culinary pursuits. Last night, my bedtime reading was 'Secrets of the Millionaire Mind' and this morning, I was surfing around in search of my next travel destination, thinking like a millionaire again.
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Do I worry about my future or feel sorry about the plight of the poor? Sure I do, but I have also learned that many people subconsciously sabotage their chance of being wealthy. Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others are destined for a life of financial struggle?
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Well, rich people focus on opportunities while poor people focus on obstacles. The author says that "Poverty begins, or rather, is allowed to continue, in one's imagination first, with actual material life becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy." To that end, he counsels for admiration and against resentment, for positivity, self-promotion and thinking big and against wallowing, self-abnegation and small-mindedness.
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Many people resent the wealthy. Why the bitterness? Most people don't realise how humble or altruistic the wealthy folks can be. The world needs more philanthropists. Sure, we have those who flaunt their wealth, but what about the others who quietly go about their life and business. They are probably the most trustworthy people because would you invest in a person you can't trust? Probably not.
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While I may not become wealthy from reading, such books do dish out nuggets of wisdom (alot of which is commonsense) which you can use in real life. Duh! If a $10 book can make one a millionaire, then the streets will be filled with millionaires! There I go again, sabotaging my own chance of being wealthy.
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I really should touch my head and say "I have a millionaire mind!"

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

good subject there Blur...but a difficult one... in short...we should just be thankful to be in the position that we are in right at this moment.

Nick Phillips (15/03/1967 - 04/11/2022) said...

Well, rich people focus on opportunities while poor people focus on obstacles.

You know, I never looked at it that way. Now I know why I'm never ever going to get rich. I see things as obstacles to overcome instead of opportunities to grab!

Great post, BT!

Blur Ting said...

Yes, JY. I agree.

Nick, this book compares the rich to the poor with these assertions:
1. Rich people believe "I create my life." Poor people believe, "Life happens to me."
2. Rich people play the money game to win. Poor people
play the money game to not lose.
3. Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people
want to be rich.
4. Rich people think big. Poor people think small.
5. Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus
on obstacles.
6. Rich people admire other rich and successful people.
Poor people resent rich and successful people.
7. Rich people associate with positive, successful
people. Poor people associate with negative or
unsuccessful people.
8. Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their
value. Poor people think negatively about selling and
promotion.
9. Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor
people are smaller than their problems.
10. Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are
poor receivers.
11. Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor
people choose to get paid based on time.
12. Rich people think "both." Poor people
think "either/or."
13. Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people
focus on their working income.
14. Rich people manage their money well. Poor people
mismanage their money well.
15. Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor
people work hard for their money.
16. Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear
stop them.
17. Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people
think they already know.

PS: I lifted these 17 pts from Amazon

SOUL said...

hmmmm...
your last little mini post in the comments only compounded your first post "outside the box"

you may not have a millionaire mind" blur-- i really don't know-- maybe you do.

but you do have a brilliant mind.. that i CAN see in every post you put here. very very insightful woman you are.
and intelligent. and witty.

and if i wanted to i could think a little harder and throw a few more up here-- but actually, that's pretty good for me.. because maybe you have noticed-- i'm not really one to compliment people on such things-- even if i do feel that way.

anyhow-- you got me thinking here. you do that a lot btw. but , well i wouldn't say that i have ever been rich per say-- but i have been poor, and i have been "comfortable".
and you have made me aware of how i really do or have thought at times. and maybe how i can change that.
not to become rich-- because honestly-- in my life position, it's just realistic not possible.. but i can be a more positive person. in this area.. ya know.

thanks for posting this.

have a great day-

have you decided where you're going? :))

ps 2-- you just left me a message on my blog-- how ironic ! :)) im gonna go read it

WaterLearner said...

This post sets me thinking.

A millionaire who is never content is in fact a pauper. A poor family struggling to make things meet but manage to fill the home with laughter, love and support for one another are, to me, the richest of them all.

Amel said...

Ahhhh...quite a subject today! Well, I believe that in life balance is one of the hardest things to achieve.

We do have to try to reach for the stars, but we also need to remember to "stand on the ground". Having much money is a privilege and can be useful for many people, but it doesn't equal happiness. It's essential to have many dreams and goals, but you've gotta be able to enjoy the present as well and cherish the moments.

I believe that the more you have, the more responsibilities you have to handle or take care of. I'm not sure I want to handle many more responsibilities.

But I also think that you don't need to be rich to help other people, right?

Now I'm rambling he he he...time for my nap!!!! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

Blur Ting said...

Water & Amel - Everyone measures wealth differently and to be wealthy without happiness is indeed worse than being a pauper.

A poor family struggling to make ends meet but is happy is commendable but they could be happier if they don't have to worry about money all the time. What if someone suddenly falls ill? The stress of raising money would be there. The parents may have to put in extra hours of work to earn more money which means less time for the family.

To me, wealth is having enough for my family so that we never have to worry too much about the future. I have been through a rough period with an uncertainties and with 2 kids in tow, it is not fun. In fact, very worrying and stressful.

Now that I am running a business, I am also taking care of our company's success and staff's welfare, so it falls on my shoulders to make the business work. That is the reason why I am always so keen to learn about other people's success.

sOme people asked about how wealth can make people evil. The author said it will only magnify the person's true personality. If he is generous and compassionate by nature, he will use his wealth to help the poor, but if he is an evil person to start with, wealth will only make him worse.

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