Thursday, February 26, 2009

Let's Become Wiser Said Warren Buffet...!!!

Hello Friends.

Welcome to Anbusivam's Blog Page.

I talked about simplifying our lives in my previous post, Voluntary Simplicity.

One of my friends shared some wonderful thoughts from the great investor of our times Warren Buffet and I am sharing that with you all. I am sure this is nothing new, as he says its all the wisdom of our elders that will make us financially wiser.

Hard work: All hard work brings profit; but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.

Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income.

Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.

Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.

Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender's slave.

Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.

Auditing: Beware of little expenses; a small leak can sink a large ship.

Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet.

Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
I'm sure that those who have been practicing these principles will remain in good financial health.

Let us become wiser and lead a happy, healthy, prosperous and peaceful life.

Thanks for visiting my page.

With Love,
Anbusivam

Friday, February 20, 2009

Life of Voluntary Simplicity

Hello Friends,

Welcome to Anbusivam’s blog page.

Phew…!!! Job loss every where. I am literally seeing frowning faces every where....and the questions they ask are "How is it going in your company...?, any lay offs ...?".

Organisations are into cost cutting mode. Managers are looking for reducing the operating costs in each and every corner, even to the extent of buying low cost toilet tissues. For individuals, I believe this is the right time to come out of consumerism. which many are blindly falling prey to. In this time of global economic melt down, leading a simple life means a lot for survival.

Only way we individuals can cope with these kinds of situations is with “Voluntary Simplicity”. Voluntary simplicity comes from within. It is the only way of more sustainable human existence in this world. Voluntary simplicity is a matter of personal responsibility and conscious awareness of how we live on the planet. It means identifying the difference between our needs and our wants. Needs are those things that are necessary for our survival - food, clothing, and shelter. Wants are all the other things we desire and to a large extent are driven by media advertising. Simplicity as a life-style is the identifiable difference between needs and wants, and the awareness.

We must live simply, so that others may simply live. - Gandhi

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. - Hans Hofmann.


Practical Steps to Simplifying Our Life:

  1. Get yourself with what you really need and not what you want.

  1. Limit your buying habits. If we can escape materialism, we can easily get into the habit of buying less. And that will mean less stuff, less spending, less frustration.

  1. Limit your media consumption, media advertisements dominates most of our buying decisions. Simplify your life and your information consumption by limiting it.

  1. Learn to live frugally. Living frugally means buying less, wanting less, and leaving less of a footprint on the earth. It’s directly related to simplicity.

  1. Before you buy something, write the item down on a note and if you still want it after a month, purchase it then.

  1. Have a Buy Nothing Day.

  1. Walk down or take out your bicycle to round the corner shopping.

  1. Decide what is really working in your life and let go of that which no longer serves you.

  1. Brew your own coffee at home instead of spending time and money in that posh café corner.

  1. Find friends who know the glass is half-full or in other words, find friends who share the same value system as you do.

After all the above,

Always ask: Will this simplify my life? If the answer is no, reconsider.

Thanks for visiting my page.

With Love
Anbusivam

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Counselor Chalisa...!!!

Hello Friends,

Welcome to Anbusivam's Blog Page.

Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindi poem on Lord Hanuman written by Shri.Tulsidas, which is recited as a prayer by Hindus. The moment I came across an excellent poem on Counselors , I shared it with my DCS ( Diploma in Counseling Skills) classmates of Banjara Academy. I would say nothing else in this world can depict what counseling and counselors are all about as perfectly as this one poem does. I am really really grateful for the person who had written this wonderful poem. Its simply amazing combination of words together that makes a huge impact. And yes, we as counselors decided to recite this day in and day out. We named it "Counselor Chalisa".

Here it goes:

"Counselor Chalisa"

I can't give solutions to all of
life's problems, doubts, or fears.
But I can listen to you and
together we will search for answers.


I can't change your past with all it's heartache and pain,
nor the future with it's untold stories.
But I can be there now when you need me to care.


I can't keep your
feet from stumbling.
I can only offer my hand
that you may grasp it
and not fall.


Your joys, triumphs, success,
and happiness are not mine;
Yet I can share in your laughter.


Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge;
I can only support you, encourage you,
and help you when you ask.


I can't prevent you from

falling away from friendship,

from your values, from me.

I can only pray for you,

talk to you, and wait for you.


I can't give you boundaries which I have determined for you,
But I can give you the room to change, room to grow,
room to be yourself.


I can't keep your heart from breaking and hurting,
But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces
and put them back in place.


I can't tell you who you are,

I can only love you and be your friend.


Thanks for visiting my page.

With Love,
Anbusivam