Self Investment - Find the Greatest Treasure in YOU

I had a brief discussion with Eric about self investment a few days ago.

Eric: I'm going to do a presentation about self investment. A working person invest in self development through attending part-time courses, which can be for work or personal interests.

Me: I see. Instead of the commonly known financial investment, we invest in ourselves for a better future.

Eric: (busy applying face cream) Yeah.

Me: That's exactly what you're doing. Invest in face cream for a nice complexion!

Eric: (making a face) That's not exactly what I mean!

Me: It's a good example though. Haha...

Anyway, I spent some time putting my thoughts together. Enjoy reading!

Why do we invest? What's the purpose of making an investment? For most of us, financial investment is the first thing that comes into mind when someone mentions about the term "investment." Here is the definition of "invest" from the online FreeDictionary that fits into this context: to commit (money or capital) in order to gain a financial return. More often than not, investments are made to ensure a secured life and a brighter future. We invest in the stock markets, mutual funds, bonds, properties etc. The ultimate goal is simply a rewarding return (the higher the merrier) in the future. We reap the benefits of investments and hopefully, have a comfortable life when we retire.

Despite the advantages of financial investment, how many of us actually thought of self investment? Well, we did it for education since young. We spent time, energy, and money in getting a good education. Then what? We should look at self investment as an act of investing in oneself for a life-long personal development. Here is another definition of the word "invest": to spend or devote for future benefits.

Self investment is a long term investment. We understand that a long-term investment in the share market takes advantage of market rebounds and generally results in superior returns. Likewise, education is not the end of the story for self investment; instead, we should develop special interests in various fields for our physical, mental, and spiritual growths, as well as to discover our inner talents.

Why do you think parents want their children to get involved in different activities, such as skating, drawing, playing piano, and swimming? It gives children the opportunities to master special skills, be it technical, social, or even management. We realized the significance of being an all-rounder and it'll only make sense that we make it happen.

What are the ways to do it? Below are a few examples:

(1) Attend part-time courses to allow personal growth. Qualification is the fundamental of a job requirement. Personal development and experience are perhaps something that would distinct between you and your co-workers. Attend various courses, seminars, and workshops. Be initiative, innovative, and creative, in order to stand out from the crowd.

(2) Reading. Invest some money and time in good reading materials, whether they're for general interests, study, or work-related. Reading is a great way for self-enhancement. It stimulates new ideas and build new perspectives that we can put into practice in life.

(3) Sports. Staying active is an excellent way to promote physical health and wellness. Brisk walking, biking, skiing, hiking etc. You name it! Get involved in your favourite sports.

(4) Traveling. It helps to broaden our horizons and allows relaxation.

(5) Build a social network. Spend quality time with family and friends. Strong relationships offer strong support in our endeavours. Share experiences in life and learn from others' mistakes. A mistake made is a lesson learned.

Basically, it can be anything beneficial that we enjoy doing. Learning a new language, knitting, cross-stitching, designing and much more. Getting ourselves involved in activities other than studies and work. We need a variety of learning experience to stay upbeat and keep up with the changes in everyday life.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

~ Romans 12:2 a & b (NIV)

Decision is in our hands. Be motivated to invest in ourselves as the harvest is bountiful. It's never too late to start investing now. Invest in yourself, and find the greatest treasure in you that brings forth a fulfilling future. Below is a famous quote about investment in knowledge:

"If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Blood Donation - It's in You to GIVE

What's your reaction to a needle-pricking pain? How about leaving a needle in your arm for 10 minutes? Shocking? Scary? Ridiculous? Impossible??

I'm grateful that my healthy body is fit for blood donation. If the needle-pricking pain is your problem, think about this: would you ever give up a chance to live on, if one day you happen to experience blood lost and blood transfusion is the only way to save your day? Would you then refuse to accept blood, just because you're afraid of needles? Not a CHANCE!!! By the same token, why not be a generous donor and share with others the goodness of life? It's in you to give! What do you have to lose?

At a young age, I envied those who're over 18 of age and are able to donate blood. Why would someone who used to afraid of swallowing pills and needle-pricking like me be brave enough to go for blood donation? I believe in overcoming fears in life, especially if it's unnecessary fears. If you want to stay healthy, simply swallow the prescribed pills; if there's something else you develop a greater fear of (which surely you do), just go for blood donation!

I was really excited for my first blood donation in 2005, at the blood donor clinic on the university campus. I've to admit that one of the motivations was the bonus point from my Biochem. lab professor who encouraged students in her class to participate in blood donation ;) I had bad experience donating blood the first couple of times. I've slow blood flow due to my tiny veins, and nurses had to give up after a while before they could gather the desired amount of blood from me! I pray hard every time I go for blood donation that my blood would flow freely and let it fill up the bag. My prayer was answered at last, when I started using my right arm (even though I used it before and it didn't work)! Apparently, I've larger veins on my right arm and twice so far, that it worked perfectly! Nevertheless, I spent 14 minutes instead of an average of 10 minutes for most people. The nurse was worried at some point that I might not be able to make it through and had to adjust the needle's position... Ha... I proved him wrong :P

I'm surprised to find out my blood type (B+) is rather rare in Canada, about 7.6% of all blood types. O+ is the most common (39%), followed by A+ (36%), O- (7%), A- (6%), AB+ (2.5%), B- (1.5%), and O- (0.5%).

Do you know?
1. Each blood donation can save up to three individuals. One unit of whole blood can be separated into red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
2. On average, a hip replacement requires one unit of blood, a cardiac bypass needs 2 units, a heart transplant 2 units, and a liver transplant 10 units!
3. Blood cannot be manufactured. It can only be given as a gift from people.
4. Blood donors can donate as frequent as every 56 days.
5. One unit of blood is ~450 mls for each donation.
6. The process of blood donation, from start to finish, takes only one hour! Hemoglobin (iron) testing, answering donor questionnaire, blood pressure & body temperature reading, blood donation, and 5 minutes of rest.
7. A blood sample from the donation is taken for testing transmissible diseases, prior to usage.
8. You burn about 650 calories for each pint (~ 473 mls) of blood donated.

What are you waiting for? Call the Canadian Blood Services today to make an appointment (1 888 2 DONATE)! Remember, it's in you to give! Be the ONE who makes a difference in someone else's life *v*

Daylight Saving Time

One of the few things that I've to get used to living in Canada is to remember about the time switching in the spring and fall. "Spring forward, fall backward" implies the change of time in the spring (an hour ahead), and in the fall (an hour behind). In other words, you lose an hour in the spring but gain an hour in the fall. What does that mean? It means I've just got an extra hour of sleep! The change of time takes place on the first Sunday in November and second Sunday in March, both at 2:00 a.m. It used to be on the last Sunday in October and first Sunday in April at one point. It amuses me how the clock system works on electronic gadgets, e.g. computers and cell phones. According to the time zone it's set for, the clock will automatically turn back time, it strikes 1:00 a.m. from 1:59 a.m. when it really supposed to be 2:00 a.m. I'm really impressed...

What's the point of Daylight Saving Time? This idea was first introduced in the early 20th century and has been adopted by most of the western countries. It's meant to provide more daylight hours in the afternoon for various activities. Furthermore, it contributes towards energy savings, i.e. more daylight hours during working hours leads to energy efficiency. It's even shown a drop in accident rate, i.e. driving to work at 7 a.m. in the dark is more prone to accident than in the light.

I thought it was bazaar when I first realized that I've to switch my clock back and forward! If you're not paying attention, you may show up an hour early for an appointment in the fall and an hour late for your test in the spring! Therefore, it's important to take note of your calender, or simply still, make sure you've the right time zone selected on your computer and it does the miracle :)

Something to keep in mind though, majority of Saskatchewan and parts of northeastern British Columbia, as well as some places in the USA (Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico etc.) obey the standard time all year long.

The importance of time standardization reminds me of the synchronization of time zone between the East and West Malaysia in 1981. Under the premiership of Dr. Mahathir, West Malaysians moved their clocks ahead by 30 minutes to match the time zone used in East Malaysia (8 hours ahead of GMT). Singapore followed suit the following year, to ease the trades across the causeway. This explains why the dawn is observed sooner (6 a.m.) in East Malaysia than the West (6:30 a.m.)! It simply because the West Malaysians have moved their clocks forward.

Time, time, time... how fascinating it is!

The Latte Factor

"A latte spurned is a fortune earned"

~ People Magazine

What's a latte factor?! I first came across with this term while reading "The Automatic Millionaire" by David Bach. Every one's latte factor varies, it can be lotto ticket, Starbucks coffee, cigarettes etc. It's something than we invest in, on a regular basis; and yet, we don't realize the large amount we end up putting into it. Why?? It simply because we feel like it's costing nearly nothing when we spend on the purchase!

Lotto tickets? $8 a week. A cup of Starbucks latte? Oh well, it's only $5 a day. But do the math:

Lotto ticket
One week: $8
One month: $32
One year: $416
Ten years: $4,160!

Coffee

One week: $35

One month: $140

One year: $1,820

Ten years: $18,200!

It turns out to be a staggering number! Let's save up this amount and see what happens...

Assuming 3% interest per annum, compounded monthly over 10 years. Using the monthly compound interest formula, you'll end up with a value of more than $700 (lotto ticket) and $3,000 (coffee) from the interest alone! Well, perhaps you're not convinced... you question about inflation: what's the point of saving up? At the end of the day, it may not mean much after all.... And I don't mean to boycott the Lotto 6/49 or Starbucks, the message I'm trying to get across is to identify your latte factor and realize how much you can do by avoiding it!

Think about this: the above example is merely a 3% interest p.a., if you invest that amount in something that has a higher return rate, i.e. mutual funds, stock market etc., you're looking at a return of double or even triple of the above figures. Please bear in mind that lotto ticket or coffee is just an insignificant expenditure in our daily life. Imagine how big an impact would be when you sum up all your latte factors over the years... It's a stunning figure, I can assure you!

Then you may ask: why are we making life so difficult by saving up? Shouldn't we enjoy life while we can? Well, it's important to enjoy life, but do it in a responsible way and sensible manner. Do you know that 18,000 children die everyday because of hunger and malnutrition and 850 million of people go to bed every night with empty stomachs (Statistics from the United Nations, 2007)? We could have used that money to benefit others and spread the love of God!

To be rich, it's not about how much you earn; but how much you save and how much you're willing to give. I always admire those who live a joyful and contented live. They may not have the best thing in the world and a lavish lifestyle, but they're able to savour the goodness of life by avoiding the spendthrift attitude. It's never too early to start saving for old age, or any financial crisis down the road. Better still, if we can share it with people who are in need.

Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is.

"For the love of money is root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

~ 1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)

It's never easy to cultivate a desciplined life, especially when it involves finance. It's just like teaching a newborn child, it requires lots of efforts and patience. Once the child is disciplined, the temperament is going to stay for good for the rest of his/her days. Likewise, we shall make an impact on our future and change the world, as the calling is within us, if you ever pay attention to the small voice deep down the soul...