Which is Easier-Enlightenment or Riches?

Enlightenment is available to all. All that you have to do is open yourself to life and train your mind to observe. This requires sustained practice. When your inner gaze is steady and undeviating to passing attractions, you see the Truth of yourself as it is. However, few people seek enlightenment.

Worldly riches, on the other hand, are sought by vast numbers of the human population. Here the prevailing beliefs are that the toughest competitors, the ones who can blow their trumpets the loudest, win the trophies. This triggers a sort of unhealthy rat race as can be seen in web sites' trying to gain no1 Google search rank by loading themselves with key words. This sometimes can create content unusable to human beings.

This is also what advertisements are continually prompting us to do. However, this form of success is short lived and does not give satisfaction. Enduring success can be built through honest and hard work.

After all, worldly success is not a permanent companion. Your mental training and character are.
The point is, it is more worthwhile to strive for permanent benefits (spiritual development) while at the same time, make a living by providing honest service. It is sure to become a lasting support for you. You will build up your reputation and success with peace of mind, enjoying your work, while at the same time you develop yourself spiritually.
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They Gave and Got Rich: Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon, had such riches that he offered the people of Philippines $20 million, if they wished to buy their freedom from the United States. This was the price for which the United States bought the island nation from the Spanish.

His net worth was estimated at $290 billion. He spent more than $350 million in charitable works.

Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic works:

• Established 3,000 public libraries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Fiji.
• Donated £50,000 to set up the University of Birmingham
• Ardently supported the Spelling reform movement to promote the English language
• Founded the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT), Pittsburgh (now part of the Carnegie Mellon University)
• Founded the Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C.
• Set up the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
• Set up the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust
• Established pension funds for his employees at Homestead
• Pension funds for college professors in the U.S.
• Funded 7,000 church organs in the US..
• Built the Carnegie Hall in New York City
• Was a large benefactor of the Tuskegee Institute for African-American education
• Helped Booker T. Washington create the National Negro Business League.
• Founded the Carnegie Hero Fund for the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. It recognizes deeds of heroism in these countries.
• Contributed $1.5 million for the Peace Palace, The Hague
• Donated $150,000 for a Pan-American Palace in Washington for the International Bureau of American Republics.

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They Gave and Got Rich: Rockefeller

We start with arguably the wealthiest man in recent history: John_D._Rockefeller.

Rockefeller accumulated about $1.4 billion by the time he died in 1937. This was 1.5% of the GDP of the United States ($92 billion) at that time.

Rockefeller founded Standard Oil which became ExxonMobil, the petroleum giant.

From the beginning of his career as an assistant bookkeeper at age 16, he used to tithe regularly: 6% of his income to charity. Later he increased this to 10%. His salary was 50 cents a day at the time.

He was a staunch believer in the motto " gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can" (attributed to John Wesley, Christian theologian). Rockefeller believed his staunch belief in God and philanthropy were the sources of his success.

Rockefeller's Contributions:

• The University of Chicago
• The Rockefeller University, New York (earlier named the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. 23 Nobel laureates are associated with it )
• Major funding for the Spelman College, Atlanta (America's first college for African-American women)
• Founded the General education Board, for providing education at all levels in the U.S.
• Financial support to the Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar Universities
• Founded the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (research conducted here eradicated the hookworm disease that plagued Africa)
• Assisted in developing the Peking Union Medical College (now known as the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences )
• Provided World War I relief

Rockefeller gave away a total of $550 million in his life time.

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The Real Secret of Getting Rich: Giving

Online statistics reveal that there are at least 5 million queries every month, globally, about making money quick. Searchers also want to know how to become a millionaire, billionaire, trillionaire etc. Obviously, people are after money in a big way.

However, there is a quirky turn to the science of getting rich. It is a characteristic shared by many rich people-they did just the opposite of getting riches: they gave away riches. In the rush of getting rich fast, this facet has been largely ignored: giving to others.

Inspiration Bonanza features a list of people who gave and got rich: They gave and got rich.

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How to Increase Your Sales Easily

As a salesperson, you are focused on achieving your target. Just as important as target oriented thinking, or even more, is putting yourself in the customer's shoes. If you do this, you will be quickly able to identify their needs. That can create a win-win situation for both of you.

The following story is about how a visit to a sports shop turned into an important lesson on improving sales.

I needed a toy ball for the stray puppies that visited our home for food. They needed some exercise.
There was a sports shop nearby and I visited them.

There were two people in the shop. One appeared to be the manager or owner. The other was the salesman. It seemed as if he was free, so I went up to him and asked if they had small footballs or handballs.

No answer. In fact, he looked away.

I repeated the question, to make sure he heard.

He showed the least interest, and did not bother to answer.

I felt very small-there was another customer now who was talking with the owner. Generally it is better to be indifferent to such things, and I was about to take my leave quietly, making a mental note never to visit that shop again.

I turned towards the door and saw the owner. He seemed approachable. Delhi was a big metro and sometimes getting things as simple as a ball could involve traveling a long distance-this also motivated me to ask!

I repeated my question to him. He made sure that he had understood correctly, and produced a football of the normal size.

It was big and heavy. The little puppies would not be able to move it. A smaller, lighter one would be better. He showed another sample. But it cost 350 bucks. It was possible to get a ball like that at a much cheaper price elsewhere. Also the need was for a light weight plastic or rubber toy ball.

This shop was for real sports goods, not toys.

OK, he said, without any sign of irritation. The salesman was watching the incident, and looked at the owner, like ‘I told you so.’ This guy will just keep asking questions, and not buy anything. Waste of time.

I did feel a bit small. However, there was no need to buy something just to make myself big in their eyes.

Just then, something that had been at the back of my mind, popped up. I had wanted a board of magnetic darts, some time back.

But there was slim chance this shop would have it, small that it was. I took a chance and dared to ask.

"Why yes. It sells here. I even might have one right now” said the owner and pulled a long black cylinder off the rack.

It was a magnetic darts board.

He opened it for me to see. He patiently answered my questions; and let me test its magnetism. Good.

The look on the face of the young salesman when I paid the bill and had it packed was incredulous. Too bad for him.

There are other factors also at work here: I had already thought of buying a dart board. But, who would have bothered to ask if the manager had not shown interest ?

Point: Be considerate and value your customers as you would like to be valued. The manager did not go overboard to please; he just listened, and patiently answered queries.

Result: a sale in 5 minutes!

Afterthought: Perhaps the salesperson may not have received his pay, or maybe he had some other gripe. Sure, but a customer is not a doctor!

Clients and customers can behave unreasonably. But their feedback is vital to your business. Salesmen need to find mature ways to resolve their issues.

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Experiences with The Secret

Here is a gift :

Click on the title of this post and you can read through the real experiences of people who have used The Secret.

The Secret does not say anything new. But it expresses the Law of Attraction and other principles of Abundant Living in a most effective manner, so that it is indelibly printed in our minds.

I had read the Science of Getting Rich(from which Rhonda Byrne gathered the inspiration for The Secret) years ago, but it did not click in my mind. Now
when I watch the Secret, it all appears so easy and possible.

Overcoming the recession and changing it into an upturn

The recession has been in for quite a while now. It has become a reality to people who have lost their jobs. Let's see if a change of perspective can do any good in overcoming it. If it does on an individual scale, it definitely can help in overcoming on an international level also. It's not possible to wish it away. Yet, it does seem to be man-made for a large part. I remember a real incident narrated by Norman Vincent Peale in one of his books.

It was the Great depression of the 1930s. In a remote American village an old man ran a hotel. His business was good, he had a plentiful clientele, for he was a cheerful person, always happy to serve. His cafe was always bustling with people.It was a meeting point for the villagers to catch up on the latest developments in town.

His son was educated, and worked in an office in one of the big cities.When the recession struck, his firm was one of the first to close. He came home.

Things were not as he had expected to be at the village. He did not see glum faces, he did not hear grim discussions of tumbling markets and closing businesses. On the contrary, everyone was having a good time, and his father's hotel was always full with merry villagers.

This cannot be, he thought. Perhaps they had not heard of the recession, and he felt he should inform them.

So he told his father about it and how it was playing havoc in the country. We had better be careful, it can pounce on us anytime.

The father listened. His son was college educated and must be having better sense. He thought it would be prudent to go by what he said. In time the customers too heard and came to believe the tale of the recession.

Gone were the days of cheer and merry business. Everyone started preparing for the recession. Few people now came to the hotel.

It wore a desolate look. In no time, it closed down.

The recession had finally arrived at the village (!)

Note : Although you may argue this point, a recent incident in the Indian stock market supports this theory. It is about the Reliance group which is owned by the Ambanis, one of the richest families in the world. Before they split, the Reliance group stocks were booming. Then the brothers Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani parted ways to establish their own empires. Immediately the Reliance stocks came tumbling down. It had nothing to do with reality. It was the news that caused the panic, as in the above story. So a little faith can work wonders, and boost up your personal success. Many individual successes can revive the economy of a nation!

Creating what you want

Which is the most effective solution for creating all the wealth that you need? Saying Affirmations? Writing them down? Giving away money?

Invest in the Share market? Writing books?

Whatever the job/business you take up to increase your wealth, it is essential that you change your mental mind set first. An impoverished mind set can drive away wealth, or for that matter, all good things.

This is funny but true-“To him who has, shall be given (more)”.The thing in question is Faith. The more you search for something, the more it recedes. This holds true in every scenario-wealth, relationships, employment …and finally enlightenment.

That’s right, your own Self experience. Note, it is a capital “S”.