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Wisdom (7)

Is it really true that integrity doesn’t sell in Nigeria?

Posted by Dan WebNutritionist/Motivator on November 25, 2011 at 2:05pm

12166325264?profile=originalI am sure you’ve heard people say stuff like this. I hear it every day; people saying you can’t make it in Nigeria unless you are a crook. “Integrity doesn’t sell”, they claim.

People who say such things aren’t really thinking about what they are saying. Because if they did, they’d realize their words have no truth in it.

Why would I say such a thing when Nigeria is without a doubt, one of the most corrupt nations in the world? Well contrary to popular belief, integrity sells more in a corrupt society because it’s scarce. Even the corrupt are willing to pay a higher price for the services of trustworthy men/women.

Let me paint a couple of scenarios to prove my point:

Imagine a corrupt politician who embezzles lots of public funds. What bank do you think he’d put that money; the one that mismanages funds or the one with a reputation for honest management?

Which mechanic do people patronize the most; the one who steals engine parts or the one who is dependable?

What pharmacy do we all patronize; the one that sells fake drugs or the one that sells authentic drugs?

Who do you lend money to; the one who never repays a loan or the one whose word is his bond?

Who would you hire as a security guard: a thief or a saint?

Who would you choose as a prospective spouse; a potential cheat or faithful partner?

Which company would you rather invest in; the one that pays proper dividends or the one that is known for ripping off investors?

So you see, even though we have embraced corruption as a nation, we really can’t do without integrity. It’s an essential ingredient for survival. We crave the trust and peace of mind others bring with it even if we are not prepared to travel the high road ourselves. The scarcer it is the more people are willing to pay for it (with the exception of a few who’d always want something for nothing). Of course there is much to lose by being honest. Every good thing comes with a sacrifice. But one things for sure, you’re certain to be in high demand in and out of season.

So the next time people someone tells you “integrity doesn’t pay in Nigeria”, you’ll know you’re hearing the words of a bone-head.

- Nigerian Philosopher


 

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Is it really true that integrity doesn’t sell in Nigeria?

Posted by Dan WebNutritionist/Motivator on November 25, 2011 at 2:04pm

12166325264?profile=originalI am sure you’ve heard people say stuff like this. I hear it every day; people saying you can’t make it in Nigeria unless you are a crook. “Integrity doesn’t sell”, they claim.

People who say such things aren’t really thinking about what they are saying. Because if they did, they’d realize their words have no truth in it.

Why would I say such a thing when Nigeria is without a doubt, one of the most corrupt nations in the world? Well contrary to popular belief, integrity sells more in a corrupt society because it’s scarce. Even the corrupt are willing to pay a higher price for the services of trustworthy men/women.

Let me paint a couple of scenarios to prove my point:

Imagine a corrupt politician who embezzles lots of public funds. What bank do you think he’d put that money; the one that mismanages funds or the one with a reputation for honest management?

Which mechanic do people patronize the most; the one who steals engine parts or the one who is dependable?

What pharmacy do we all patronize; the one that sells fake drugs or the one that sells authentic drugs?

Who do you lend money to; the one who never repays a loan or the one whose word is his bond?

Who would you hire as a security guard: a thief or a saint?

Who would you choose as a prospective spouse; a potential cheat or faithful partner?

Which company would you rather invest in; the one that pays proper dividends or the one that is known for ripping off investors?

So you see, even though we have embraced corruption as a nation, we really can’t do without integrity. It’s an essential ingredient for survival. We crave the trust and peace of mind others bring with it even if we are not prepared to travel the high road ourselves. The scarcer it is the more people are willing to pay for it (with the exception of a few who’d always want something for nothing). Of course there is much to lose by being honest. Every good thing comes with a sacrifice. But one things for sure, you’re certain to be in high demand in and out of season.

So the next time people someone tells you “integrity doesn’t pay in Nigeria”, you’ll know you’re hearing the words of a bone-head.

- Nigerian Philosopher


 

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There’s a tide in the affairs of men…..

Posted by Dan WebNutritionist/Motivator on November 24, 2011 at 3:30pm

 

time-and-season.jpg?w=474&h=316

I had a conversation with my dad recently. And somewhere n the middle of the conversation, he told me of  a former collegue of  his who is now in his 60′s, and retired. He said he met the old man on his way to pick up his toddler kids from school.  ”At a time when this old man should be resting”, said my old man, “he is punishing himself with school-runs”. My dad felt so sorry for the old man.

He told me how this man had chased away his wife of over 15 years and remarried a young woman. Of course you know most women are never secure in a marriage until they have a child for their husband. It’s usually a way to guarantee a portion of the man’s inheritance in his death. So the old man pleased his wife by agreeing to have kids from her in his old age. But that came with a huge price; working extra hard to pay fees, chasing little kids around, dropping them off at school- the whole works!

My dad concluded by saying, ” there is time for everything in this life o! There are some things that are meant to be done in your youth. Once that time passes, it becomes a huge struggle”.

I thought back on that statement and realized how true it was and suddenly I  had a flashback to a scene in a supermarket years ago. LL Cool J was rapping on the radio,”it’s never too late to chase your dreams”. I said yeah , you’re right “LL”!  The guy beside me said, “wrong my brother,It can be too late to chase your dream”. I said, how do you mean? He says,” if you have a dream to build masts, I’d like to see you climb one in your old age”. That’s true, I thought.That makes sense! There is really a limit to what we can do at a certain age.

Being a “talented” latecomer in everything, that really hit me hard. I realized I had missed out on a lot of stuff I should have done 5 to 10 years ago. I keep wondering what I had done with all those years. I still can’t account for them. It’s almost like I had been in a coma for that length of time. I now find I don’t have the energy that I used to have and I am probably not as daring as I used to be. Truly, there is a time and a season for everything.

Shakespeare says in Julius Caesar,

” there is a tide in the affairs of men.Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat and we must take the current when it serves,or lose our ventures.” 

 We must seize the moment and do what we ought to do at the right time so that life becomes less of a burden. We must never be like the man who begins to have children in his old age, or the man who starts to chase his dreams when he is too old, or the mature lady by the side of the road who tries to recapture her wasted youth by dressing up like a teenager with the hope of enticing a prospective husband. A season lost can never be regained.

A word is enough for the wise!

 

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Olu Jacobs Interview:, A True Igwe at heart talks about life,Pete Edochie with wisdom and sincerity

Posted by NollywoodMohits on September 21, 2010 at 3:38am
I am Faithful to Joke my wife

He’s a renowned and consummate actor who plays all kinds of roles effortlessly and with finesse within and outside the shores of Nigeria. In the 80s, he featured in the hilarious sitcom Mind your language. It was a distinctive statement of his acumen and stagecraft. Jacobs’ passion for acting started quite a long time ago.
In the days of Hubert Ogunde. There’s another side to Olu Jacobs which is noted by all and sundry. It’s his devotion to his family which has survived all kinds of situations through the immense capacity of both him and his wife to love. Jacobs, indisputably is a good husband and father.

He doesn’t have any scandals haunting or trailing him for instance. In this interview with Samuel Olatunji, Jacobs lays it all bare revealing how he handles female fans who sometimes call him when he’s in bed with his wife.Excerpts:

You seem to maintain your ‘evergreeness’. What’s the secret?
I’m what I have always been. I enjoy the company of people. I like to make people feel welcome . It’s much more enjoyable to be honest with your feelings about people. That’s why, when I’m angry, people know it easily but when I’m happy they know as well and for me, that is what life is all about. You can’t hang on being miserable all the time or trying to hide your feelings.

What’s it like when Uncle Olu is angry?
Watch some of the parts I’ve played.

What is it with you and the masterpiece of acting?
Well, thank you for putting it that way. All our lives, we were told that men should not shed tears and that is usually why men should not shed tears in public. Nobody can say that men don’t shed tears in private. So, that’s what the public sees. When they are outside dealing with people, they are strong. They are different from what they play in the movies. They feel very strong but at the same time, they do not show their emotions in public but we get it mixed up when we’re watching them in movies.

We assume that we are watching them in public, but we are not watching them in public at all. So, a man can allow himself to feel like any other human being and that’s why it is easier when you understand that they can go through whatever the script says very well. I believe in total commitment. I don’t like to do things half way. Once I understand what a play is about, because I hardly read a play twice, I read it once and I do some work on it and then fine-tuning continues until it is recorded.

I enjoy the work, I find it interesting. There are some that are quite obvious and you don’t need to do any research, because they are too obvious, but there are intricate ones that you have to research . You have to dig for them , because they really put the icing on the cake. I try as much as possible to put new experience in every play and also try not to underestimate any play.

Even at this stage, with all the plays you’ve done?
I know they say that the reputation of an actor makes his performance almost automatic. The more you do something, the better you become. That is why some things are automatically understood. Once I see them, I can understand them, but there are intricacies to each part .

You must respect that , if you want to get the truth in that play and I try as much as possible not to lie to my audience. I don’t cheat, not with a role. I go as honestly as possible with the role to portray what has to be portrayed. If it’s something I think I won’t be able to espouse, then I will tell the producer I can’t take the part. But once I take a part, I read it and it’s what I want, then I’ll do it.

But people are saying that Uncle Olu appears in almost every movie and perhaps, you want to make all the money?
(Laughs) How much money is he making that he wants to make all the money now? I don’t know who these people are. I don’t know their reason for saying that. If they want to know, let them go and ask the producer how much they are paying and they’ll know whether I am collecting all the money. No, it’s not that. It is the job that we have in hand and I always try as much as possible to give it the best shot within the circumstances that I find myself.

I don’t pretend to be doing what I am not doing. When a part is given to me, I look at it honestly and scrutinize it thoroughly so that when I come out, I know what I am feeling for the role. I know where the character is coming from and where he wants to land. Now, how he lands there, for the two of us may be something different. You may think he lands this way, while I’m thinking he lands that way. It doesn’t matter, he’s still going to land.

So we must be professional enough to look at our different opinions. If they just assume and do things the way they want, then I don’t have time for them. I don’t have time for anyone who does that or thinks that way or say that about me. Without boasting, I think I am the best manipulator of words as far as this industry is concerned. I believe strongly that each line must mean something; each word must mean something; each paragraph must mean something; each theme must mean something. So, until I find out what the entire play means, I may not proceed and I think I am the best at that.

I honestly and sincerely believe that this doesn’t stop me from working harder. When it comes to manipulating words, analyzing situations, I still think that most people are not getting it right. For most people, their experience is limited. Some on the other hand are lazy, while some cheat. I try not to cheat when it comes to looking at a character, looking at the play, looking at what he’s saying and why he’s saying what he’s saying and with whom. All these things I put together when I get a script and I do it for every single production that comes my way.

What has kept you in this game that you seem to be the only one left to play the Igwe, head of family or an elder’s role despite the fact that some of your colleagues that you started with are not seen anywhere near the screen anymore. What’s your staying power?
Hmmm, well, this is something I find very difficult sometimes. After all these years, I suppose I’m calm enough to understand why you are asking these questions but before I go further to answer this question, I would like to let you know that there’s always a character for the father, mother, brother, uncle, and a cousin. They are there and they will always be there.

They have to be filled. Do we get them filled by the young stars or do we get them filled by people of the right age. I have noticed in some productions that they use somebody who’s hardly thirty (30) playing an old man of sixty (60).That should not be allowed professionally . There are enough roles for husbands, for uncles, for brothers and sisters and friends to play; for men and women without having to play the role of fathers when they are still young. Though, they can play young parents but they want to add the grandfather role and thereby getting it all mixed up. I think that’s ridiculous, that’s not natural.
If God wants it that way, He would have created it that way. A father is father and that’s what we are and that’s what we must remain and we have to be seen as such. When you say father, you must respect a father, believe a father. I get calls all the time. People are saying, Uncle Olu, you are like my daddy, some will say, I want you to be my daddy. All these things are involved in the play that one is doing and they think, one should become their biological father. It’s very moving when you hear them talking about such issue.

A young man and I wanted to act and I was lucky that somebody like Hubert Ogunde was alive then. I saw him at the Olonde in Kano. I was born in Kano actually and I was excited to see the singing and the dancing at that event and I went home with so much joy . Ogunde was organizing a concert party, so I told my mother that my brother and I wanted to go there and act.

She said she would think about it. She gave us some work to do and we finished everything so they had to take us to the concert. When we got there, it was wonderful. The atmosphere was absolutely electrifying. To see a hall meant for a thousand people or thereabouts jam-packed with over three thousand people was amazing and people were sweating.

The show had not even started. But they didn’t mind, they wanted to sweat. Then, the curtain was lifted and Ogunde showed up and they sang and people were crying. Somehow, I was able to get away from the crowd and I was watching them from outside and I saw the total joy of these people. By now, I was in tears and I said to myself at that time, that’s the job that I am going to do.

Has acting put food on your table?
Well, we thank God. It’s not easy. It’s been hard. You have to get to a certain stage. For example in England, every city has its own theater subsidized by the UK government. So, you can imagine how many theaters they have. They all have shows every night. So, they employ electricians, actors, stage men, cameramen and so on. So, you can’t compare that with Nigeria.

We don’t have that here. It’s about communicating, bringing children together, talking to them at a very tender age, going to schools, creating awareness within the school where the children can understand, use and learn from all these things so that they can have a wider experience of life instead of one-line thoughts. So, for me, I don’t see it any other way.

When I saw what was happening in England, it got to a stage where I was only attending interviews, not auditions per se and I was not given anything challenging. All I was asked to do was to support a white actor who may not be as good as expected. So, I said well, I can do better here and there is much to be done. If at the end of the day I leave the stage and I am able to help people build structure and make them stars, then it will be worth it.

Is it true that you must be from a particular tribe before you can play a character from that tribe in a movie?
No. As long as you can do it well, there’s no problem and don’t forget that there is a director and a producer and it’s their decision regarding who plays what role. At any point, they can always change the person if they think they have made a mistake.

So, I don’t think you have to be a Yoruba man before you can play the role of Oba in a movie, as long as you can interpret and play the role as expected, I don’t think there is anything wrong with it at all. I have played Emir and other roles in other tribes, but I am a Yoruba man. I am from Abeokuta.

Pete Edochie once said you destroy the Igbo culture the way you act the Igwe in movies?
I’m surprised Peter can say that. Olu Jacobs is an actor; he’s a fine actor, he’s the best analyzer of character and the best manipulator of words. If some people, for whatever reason, say that the hundreds or thousands of fans who phone and come to applaud me everyday don’t not know what they are saying, that they don’t know what they are doing… I’m talking about real Igwes who meet me, not in their palaces but at airports, outside and they call me to tell me how much they appreciate what I am doing.

This happens everyday, even today. Do you want to tell me that those people don’t know what they are doing? Do you want to tell me that it’s only Pete who knows what he’s saying? What about the producers who commissioned this story, do they not know whom they want for what role? Is he saying that those producers don’t know what they are doing? Whatever he says about me, he must say about them because I didn’t write the script myself, it wasn’t my film. I want to end this topic by saying, I, Olu Jacobs respect and admire our way of life and I will do anything to propagate it, honestly and sincerely.

Our children watch us, what we present to them, what they thought they never had. Our children thought they didn’t have a past, we are the ones letting them know that we had a glorious past. We may have our hiccups at the moment but our present is as good, if not better than our past. We don’t live on trees. We live where every normal human lives and we shall continue to work hard. I want to tell you that Pete is my younger brotherbrother, forget the red cap.

If we meet outside he must show respect. He can think whatever he likes, he has every right to his own opinion but I don’t have to agree with him. In this case, I totally disagree with him. I believe that in this case, he should have re-educated himself well enough before making any comments. I don’t know what’s behind what he has said, but I know he’s not being honest.
When you use extreme words like destroy, it’s a sign of desperation. Is there anything that Peter is desperate about that we don’t know? I don’t know why he should go to such length to talk about me. When he went to play Oduduwa, did it sell, did they make their money back? What did they achieve there, nothing. The story of Oduduwa, we all know.

Someone said there is a feud between two of you. Is this true?As far as I am concerned, I don’t have anything against Peter. His two children are my children and we’ve being working together. We both have a working relationship. He called me some three weeks ago; somebody wanted an interview and he wanted me to grant the interview and I did. I don’t have anything to hide and I see no reason why I should . I would rather advice that his questions be directed to the marketers who bought and commissioned the play.

Some even said, perhaps it’s because you get the Igwe role more than he does?
(Chuckles) I think that question should be directed to the owners of the movie. I don’t know what’s at the back of their mind. All I know is that, I get called to do movies , I do them to my best. Maybe Peter knows something I don’t know.

Why are marriages breaking down these days?
Our country has been through a lot and so have our children. Our children did not get the kind of support they should have gotten because we parents don’t even have the support, the confidence that a child needs. So, what you discover is a few families that are doing business and have succeeded. They were trying to show off, they wanted to use their money to buy what they could have been able to by themselves. You’ll find that a lot of poor people who got married are still happily married but majority of the rich people who got married are no longer married.

Are you saying that money is a culprit sir?
Of course. They were using money to cover those areas they should have touched by themselves . They could have educated, guided and loved their children. Instead, they spent that time trying to amass wealth. The driver was the person who knew where they needed to go to. The housemaid knew everything else. If there were three housemaids, the children knew what to do. The mentality of a child at that age will be the mentality of a housemaid or a driver. Even when you speak to your children, they’ll seek approval from the housemaid before they could say yes to anything you say. Then, you should know you’ve lost it.

So, the reason why we have broken marriages is because most of these children were raised by housemaids?
Yes, because we tried to buy them with our money but they were not brought up with that money. Later, you’ll hear the father sobbing and saying, “after all I have done, after all I have worked for”. What have you worked for? Nothing! Nothing to do with the children, it’s all about you. You were trying to justify yourself. That is what our problem is.

So, what has kept your marriage intact?
Well, to God be the glory. I have been married for about twenty-five years now and I am married to this girl, Joke. (Laughs). She’s so troublesome, she’s so wonderful, ah that girl, she’s my best friend and you know that when you have a friend like her, you talk, you play and if you need to quarrel, you quarrel a bit and that is the same way we have brought up our children too.

We are very close to them. As a matter of fact, our youngest boy just started to live in boarding school. Joke and I were very lonely at home. We were learning that we have to release them and they must get used to being released so they can be on their own. Not relying on us all the time; but when they look back, we are always there. Even without looking back, they should be able to say we are there and that is the kind of life that we are trying to have with them. It’s not easy but we thank God.

Is it hard for men to ever be faithful, especially when they are famous?
Well it is true, believe you me it is true. Recently at 2:00 am , I got a call like I always do but this one was from a female I have never met in my life, who wants to talk to me, who needs my help. It’s true one tries as much as possible, like I said they call you anytime they are watching a film anytime from 11:00, 12:00, 1:00, 3:00, 4:00. They are watching your film, they want to be with you, they want to know you. You should know them, you will find them very interesting, you will find them very attractive, they are beautiful. .

Well at my age, what I try to do is I don’t dump them, I don’t scold them. That ability to show interest must not be killed because they are going to need it for the rest of their lives. What they have done to me is wrong, knowing that I am married. I say to them “ do you know me and my family are in bed right now?....Sorry, thank you it’s all right, I appreciate this thing you are doing, you calling, thank you. Please don’t ring this late, ring early, when you and I can talk, easy without being aggressive, what am I being aggressive for…, gbogbo wa ko la sewo ni?.

But they say, if you don’t go after men, they will still go after women.That’s their nature. What’s your take on that?
That is the law of nature. It is normal. Men are hunters and polygamous by nature. Apart from anything else, that’s why our forefathers married so many. Eyokan o to. We are changing our thinking, we are trying to reduce all these things; we are doing them because we have a society we have to relate to and we are trying our darn best to relate to them . Otherwise I will say it will be very difficult. Going back to the question you asked before, it’s one of the reasons why marriages fail. Some men don’t know how to cope with it , because when they get to that point, they need someone else. Their wives at home is perfectly alright, there’s nothing wrong but they need someone else.
But for a man, something doesn’t need to be wrong with the woman at all.

Let me put you on the spot sir. For 25 years, have you been totally faithful?
Yes. Once you are married, you are together. We learnt a lot together, then I traveled. I didn’t travel for long, three weeks, two weeks, ba se n travel ni yen (that’s the way we’ve been traveling)

But some men will be men whether in or out?
I didn’t marry young , so I didn’t experience that.

Tell us when things weren’t so easy
That one plenty. (both laughed). When we were down, with very little to eat, we explained to our children. This is what we have and this is what we are going to eat, and they ate and they were so exited because it tasted nice. But if we had not told them, we would have felt guilty that we were keeping things away from them. So, it was good, everybody was open and we ate what we had. I never thought that we were the kind of people that should be keeping things away from our children.

People say these days marriages fail , because women are demanding more independence. Is that true?
What I don’t understand is the mentality of men. We had a situation where men went out, the women stayed at home and looked after the children. The scenario now is that men and women go out to work and you have to employ somebody to look after the children and you still want the wife to play a subservient role in the house. So what does she go out to do?

Why does she need to go out at all? The idea of her going out is for the family to get enough funds to look after the children, to look after the family together. If the husband earns enough, he would have been able to convince his wife to stay at home or to stay as close to home as possible but obviously he doesn’t. So, if she has to come in, she is earning something and whatever she is earning is helping the family. So, if that’s the case, you expect her to get home at 9:00pm and go straight into the kitchen and the husband who is coming home around the same time, what right has he got to expect that? She has probably worked more than the man at work.

The mindset of men is the major problem?
No . The mindset of the family. It’s the mindset of the family. If you like, the husband’s family but some of the wife’s family too. They are equally guilty. You know they have forgotten that their children went out to work to sustain the family. I mean we all know, when the grand ma is coming lati wa ba won to omo (to take care of the children) she was going to be there may be for six months, may be for three months. Ewa lo ma je o ma ba won wa, isu, oma ba won wa, elubo, o ma ba won wa, eja gbigbe lo ma je, o ma ba won wa. Epo, ororo, everything oma ba won wa. So that family will not need to worry about anything to ba je area ounje…..

That is no longer there, because these family ties viz the mother, the aunties, they are not usually wanted anymore because they are thought to be poke-nosing into the affairs that don’t concern them. What do we want to do? Do we really want a nuclear family or we really want to import our own family? The ones we are going to pay for… the housemaid, the houseboy, drivers… is that the ones that we want, is that what we want?

So, it’s not because women are demanding more freedom?
They are not demanding freedom, they are demanding equality. They are saying they can make us be at ease, that we don’t have to struggle as much as they are doing.

You know men cannot accept that they are equal with women?
It makes it easier for us to enjoy working hard. We enjoy working hard; it makes us enjoy even better when we know that our wives are not right on top of us. They even appreciate us now more than ever before.

But how can men accept that things have changed?
They should open their eyes and their minds and realize that our wives are now with us and that they have a mind, a mind that is as chilled as our own and that we have a job to do and if they are able to do it, why do we deny them? We have to think and justify why we should deny somebody who is capable. Why? Is it because of our ego?
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Just One Thing that one bit of hard-learned wisdom

Posted by businessday9jabook on September 26, 2010 at 1:40am
In Just One Thing, author John Mauldin offers an incomparable shortcut to prosperity: the personal guidance of an outstanding group of recognized financial experts, each offering the single most useful piece of advice garnered from years of investing. Conversational rather than technical in tone, each contributor’s personal principle for success is illustrated with entertaining and illuminating real-life stories.
I got 11 of my friends to give me that one idea, that one bit of hard-learned wisdom, added my own chapter and put it all in my brand new book called Just One Thing. You can get it for free email freebooks@systemini.net courtesy of the 9jabook Educational Foundation

One of the great things about working in my world is that I get to run around with some very smart, very successful people, who also happen to be very good investors. I get to pick their brains and learn from the best. If you could get a chance to sit down with Richard Russell or a Gartman or Kessler or Gilder (or Shilling or Arnott or the rest of the writers featured in my new book) most of us would leap at the chance. What is one idea worth, if it helps us become better investors, or saves us fro m the pain of losses?

The authors of these chapters have all learned a lot along the way. "Why not," I thought, "ask them to share the wealth of their wisdom?" And so I did. The rules of the book were pretty few. I told them to write me a chapter on a subject in which they had expertise and thought was one of the special insights they had picked up in their time. I gave them no minimum or maximum word length — just make the chapter long enough to cover the topic. As you will notice, some chapters are quite short and oth ers are feature length. .

"Make it readable and understandable to the average person," I told them. "Nothing is more frustrating to me than a great idea you can't understand. I want something you are passionate about. Make it something that will give my readers an 'aha' moment. It will probably be something you have worked on for a long time. Maybe you already have the basic outline or material done. Just share it with us."

Now, I could guess what a few of them would write about before I asked. Mark Finn was going to write about the problems of past performance. He is absolutely brilliant on that (and a lot of other things), which is why he gets big institutions to keep coming back for his consulting. And you knew that Dennis Gartman would write on his Rules of Trading. Gartman has forgotten more about trading than most of us will ever know. Which, he would tell you, is why he writes his rules down so he can remember them and follow them! You break these rules, you are gonna lose. If you want to trade, you need these near your desk.

But a lot of the others had me curious as to what they would contribute. Many of them could have done several chapters or even books (and most of them have!). But to cut it down to Just One Thing? That was hard.

OK, Andy Kessler gives us two. But when you turn $100 million into a cool $1 billion, and get out at the top, two ideas are a good thing. Kessler shows how investing in what everyone already knows is how to get average returns (or less!). Better, he says, to invest like you are walking in a fog. This chapter is so compelling and well written, I guarantee you cannot put it down once you have started.

Gary Shilling shows us the value of one really good idea. It made his career. George Gilder tells us that in fact inside information is the best information. I leave it to you to read why. Bill Bonner tells us that we need to first start with a principle if we want to succeed and then shows us his idea as to what that is. Mike Masterson looks at the same thought, but comes away with an entirely different take.

Want to average almost 3% a year better on your funds? Rob Arnott writes compellingly that the way index (and many mutual) funds are currently constructed is inefficient and offers a new way to invest. This powerful analysis could be worth a lot to you. My side prediction? The revolutionary new indexing method that Arnott lays out will be the dominant index investing style within ten years. Arnott will go from running almost $10 billion today to several hundred billion in a few years and within ten will eclipse the large index funds like the Vanguard S&P 500. A bold reckless prediction? Not at all when you understand what Rob has done. Rob has found a way to put fundamental value into index investing. It is worth an extra 3% a year. Now THAT is a chapter you will want to read.

James Montier gives us a very thorough overview of the latest research on the human foibles in investing. He is an expert on the psychology of investing, having literally written the book. In fact, his book is one of the textbooks used to teach the subject. I got him to give us a very easy to read summary. This is one you will want to read and re-read and come back to often.

Richard Russell, who has been writing The Dow Theory Letter since 1958 and is the dean of economic writers, gives us his thoughts on time, hope and the power of compounding. Anytime Richard talks, we should listen.

My good friend Ed Easterling shows us that risk is not a knob. "The first step toward making money is not losing it," he writes, and shows us how to avoid unnecessary risk while making it our friend when we do encounter it. Isn't that something we all want to do? Ed shows us how.

And finally, I weigh in with a few thoughts on the power of change in our future. The pace of change is accelerating, and we not only need to know what is changing but how to take advantage of it. The best investments of the next 20 years will be those that are a part of the process of change. I call my chapter The Millennium Wave. I have been working and thinking on this topic more than any other for the last ten years.

I am proud of this book and the work my friends have done to bring you their one best idea. I believe you will find many nuggets you can use in your own life and investing. As to the order of the chapters, it was just too much to decide who should be first and then second and so on. Each chapter is a "lead" chapter. So I let the way they were organized in my inbox be the prime factor. So, start at the beginning or in the middle or the end, but read them all.

And Just One More Thing. There are a lot of great ideas in the few hundred pages of this book. So as you read, think about how you will put the principles, tips and ideas to use in your personal life. And that will make this book be a very good thing.

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Wisdom Tips Part 1 Revised Edition

Posted by 9jabook.com on January 30, 2009 at 9:30am
These tips are for everyone be it moslem,christian or atheist etc .. it is because i am christian I am using my own beliefs to write this .So no haters wanted ! thanks you can make your comments at the bottom of the article . Hi guys, How many know about WISDOM and the peculiar persons you will interact with daily ?.You need this wisdom ! The principal thing is Wisdom so get it ! Get IT and get it Again ! ` Read on and be blessed of God as He increases His wisdom in you. Never complain to God about what you permit. - Seek his Grace, get his strength. His grace is sufficient. GOD HATES COMPLAINERS !always come to the throne of GRACE in time of need. The problem that infuriates you the most is the problem that God has assigned you to solve. - Learn to choose what you will call your problems then rename them CHALLENGES. Then surmount them! Those that unlock your compassion are those to whom you have been assigned. I LOVE YOU AND I LIKE YOU ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. So get I LOVE YOU and know it. See 2 Corinthians chapter 13. What you are willing to walk away from determines what God will bring to you. - Never do a Craig David and walk away from troubles. Those that be for you are more than those that are against you. Ask God to let you know this. Open your EYES The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine. - Work smart, become a SPIRITUALHOLIC! Walk in the SPIRIT! Your rewards in life are determined by the problems you solve for others. - Help out your enemies not just your Friends! TRY IT OUT AND SEE. BE GOD LIKE! When you want something you have never had, you have got to do something you have never done. - SOW SOW SOW YOUR FRUITS!! SOW SOW SOW YOUR FIRST FRUITS!! All men fall. The great ones get back up. - There is no crime in getting UP. The crime is in STAYING DOWN. SO GET UP. See Peter and Judas Phenomena. Intolerance of your present creates your future. - HATE YOUR PRESENT IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT .CREATE A FUTURE YOU LOVE. THEN COVET IT. Those who cannot increase you will inevitably decrease you. � Don�t even doubt this! INEVITABLY THEY WILL. The keyword here is �inevitably�. You will never leave where you are, until you decide where you would rather be. You will only have significant success with something that is an obsession. - Get OBSESSED with the HOLY SPIRIT. Give another what he cannot find anywhere else and he will keep returning. - ANOTHER can mean your Job, your Boss, your Spouse, or even your dog. MOST OF ALL GIVE GOD! And He will keep coming back to bless you even though there are countless more qualified folks around you. Yet YOU WILL GET ALL THE INCREASES AND THE PROMOTIONS! Your assignment is not your decision, but your discovery. When fatigue walks in, faith walks out. - BELIEVE THIS, FAITH IS NEVER POWER, NEVER STRENGTH! Just Believe. Simple! If what you hold in your hand is not enough to be your harvest, make it your seed. You will never change what you believe until your belief system cannot produce something you want. - IN JESUS NAME CANCER GO! Even if a die hard ATHIEST hears this and he gets healed, that same day his belief will change, AMEN! You will only be pursued for the problems you solve. - Always look at �Solutions, Solutions, SOLUTIONS!� Never problems! SEE THE SOLUTION! I can do ALL things. Champions are willing to do things they hate so create something they love and you will become a champion compliant guy or gurl !. You will never possess what you are unwilling to pursue.It reminds me of the Old Wild West POSSE, so get the bad guys JOIN THE POSSE, THE VIOLENT TAKE IT BY FORCE ! The only reason men fail is broken focus. - Sorry! BROKEN FOCUS CAN NEVER BE FOCUS! Stop looking at where you have been and start looking at where you can be. This is why man has Stereo Vision so always be forward looking. You will only be remembered for 2 things: the problems you solve or the ones you create. - And problems you create have a longer memory SPAN! Those who transfer knowledge are also capable of transferring error. - Be Sure of your Mentors. Be clear on them. Mine are God the Father, God the son JESUS, God the Holy Spirit. Next one is me ! then the rest of the them Pastors, preachers etc The bible says we are gods; we have the mind of Christ. So choose all ! Your seed is the only influence you have over your future. - Financial Seed, Intellectual seed, Spiritual Seed. GET SEEDS NOW. Loneliness is not the absence of affection, but the absence of direction. - Being alone does not mean you are lonely. Become a magnet; let the word be a LIGHT ONTO YOUR FEET and lo! loneliness will flee. You will never outgrow Spiritual warfare. You must simply learn to fight. - For we BATTLE not Against FLESH AND BLOOD but against principalities etc! Put on your WHOLE armour NOW AND FIGHT FOR YOU HAVE ALREADY WON!
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An elderly ijebu woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a

Posted by Akin Osunlaja WebLagosian on September 14, 2008 at 8:46pm
An elderly ijebu woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water, at the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house." thinking about it ? about yourself your failures ? Think again !
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