There is a Japanese folk tale about the power of giving and it exemplifies how we can get the most wonderful of gifts when we’re gifting things to others and are positive about what we have already got.

This is the folk tale.

A long time ago, there lived a penniless young farmer. Nothing that he did turned out to be profitable. He was completely impoverished without any money, without anyone to help and nothing to eat. One night, totally at his wit’s end, he went to a shrine and sat near the altar and pleaded to Gods to show him what to do.

“I have always been sincere and industrious, but all my industriousness never became beneficial to me. Where have I gone wrong?”

He fell asleep near the altar just after he put the question. When he woke up in the morning, he saw in front of him one of the Gods he had seen in his dream, with a bright golden light around him. The God’s voice reverberated in his mind.

“After you wake up in the morning, value that which you have in your hand and keep giving it fully to others as you move forward,” the God told him.

The farmer woke up. He still had many questions jumping through his mind but he lifted himself up and tried to shake off the strangely vivid dream he just had. To his surprise, he saw a piece of straw in his hand. Maybe it was on his clothes after the long day of fieldwork.

He almost threw it away, but stopped short of doing it recollecting what God had said about it. He seated himself again and stared at the straw in his hand.

He sat for a long while wondering what that meant. He had no idea how a broken bit of a straw can be of any use to him. Suddenly he saw a wasp buzzing around. The wasp soon alighted on the tip of the straw. He caught hold of the wasp and bound it to the straw with a piece of string from his dress. Thus with a piece of straw with a wasp at one end, he proceeded.

He had gone a little way when he found a small boy and his mother coming towards him from the other end of the road. The boy was weeping. When he said hello to the boy, the child noticed the straw that the man had with a wasp at one end. He stopped his weeping and wanted to have the straw. The farmer was hesitant to give it but then he remembered that God had asked him to value what we owned and also give it to others profusely. So he gave the straw to the boy. The mother was relieved as the boy stopped crying when he got the straw and the wasp. In return she gave the man three tangerines.

The farmer continued on. And as he walked, he began feeling a little hungry. He thought of eating the tangerines but he reminded himself it was about giving the gift to others, not to himself.

He had to climb a steep hill and there he saw a trader sitting on the earth under a tree. Near the man was a wooden box. The farmer wished the trader who seemed to be very tired. The trader saw the tangerines the farmer had and asked if he could have them. The trader said he was very thirsty.

The farmer was as thirsty as the trader as he had been walking for long on that hot day. Nevertheless, he offered the tangerines to the trader, who then ate all the three tangerines and felt recharged. He felt very happy about the help rendered to him and opened the wooden box that was by his side. Inside the box were rolls of silk that was dyed with hand. The merchant gifted the farmer one roll and proceeded on his way.

So off the farmer went again following the path. He found a stream along the way and he took a deep drink making him feel totally refreshed. Life seemed to be easier and was flowing now.

The farmer walked and walked not seeing anyone for a long time. He started to think that maybe this was it – his fortune. So, he decided to go to the nearby town to sell the fabric.

But just as he went around the corner, he saw in front of him a band of fighters. One of the fighters who looked liked the head of the band stood near a horse that was lying on the earth. The farmer heard the leader talking to his men.

“This horse is not likely to live long. We will have to abandon it here. Just look after it and follow me.” Saying this, he climbed on to another horse and rode off and disappeared.

The remaining soldiers were left discussing what to do about it. They were reluctant to kill the animal but they did not have much of a choice. At last one of them took out a sword.

The farmer quickly ran over to them and asked them to stop. He said he would like to look after the horse. He also offered the silk fabric to the warriors. They jumped at the offer and took off very quickly.

The farmer stood there with the horse that was in its death throes. He felt he might have got it all wrong and that he was not destined to be wealthy. Then he thought of the river that he had come across on the way.

He turned back and went to the river, removed his shirt and immersed it in the river to get water for the horse. He went back to the animal lying on the earth and pressed the water out of the shirt gently into its mouth. As the water went inside drop by drop, the animal slowly got recharged and finally the farmer was able to help it stand up.

The horse finally stood up on its legs so the farmer could take the horse to the stream. As the horse took more water and ate some fresh green grass around the stream, it soon began to regain strength.

So now the farmer owned the horse! The man and the animal traveled together, and the farmer had to run as the horse led the way. They traveled together for miles. Finally, as the sun was setting, the horse came to a halt in front of a big house. The animal pushed the farmer towards the gate when he finally drew level with it.

As the farmer made his way to the gate, all of a sudden the gate opened and an old man was standing there. The man looked drawn and he was hastening out onto the road. The old man took notice of the farmer as well as the animal standing nearby.

The old man asked the farmer what he was doing. The farmer said he was looking for a place to stay the night. The old man said he was going to the town for an urgent matter. He asked the farmer if he minded looking after his house until he returned. He said he might not be able to come back for a little while.

As the old man seemed to be in a hurry, the farmer offered him the horse. The old man appreciated the generous offer and took off with the horse. As he was leaving, he said something peculiar to the farmer.

“If I do not return within three years, this house is yours.”

As you possibly deduced, the old man did not come back.

The farmer stayed in the big house for the remainder of his life with a land that yielded a rich harvest and had friendly neighbours. And he always remembered to give away whatever he had.

Thank you for going through this story. And what is the message that it contains?

Maybe there is a key to something. When we can turn our ‘getting game’ into a ‘giving game’, our life often flows bringing more abundance. But it is not always easy to practice the old wisdom in our real life.

Given below are the remarkable factors that we can glean from the story:

* When we give the things that others want, they usually value it more than we value it while when we are trying to ‘sell’ something (because fundamentally, we want to get something from the deal), they compare the value with our asking price and try to pay less.

* When there is no lasting attachment to the things we own, we will see that we have wider chances since we are able to free ourselves from what we have.

* When we are down and out with the problems of life, instead of worrying about the negativities if we kept focus more on giving others and caring for them, life would surely bring glad tidings later.

* If we try to turn into cash what we have accumulated, because of the conviction that “this is all it would get” thinking that if we do not encash it, we will lose, our life will stand still. Instead, why don’t we keep on giving more and more irrespective of what we have or whether we are actually rich or not.

Giving is part of many successful people’s lives. When we give first, we have more chance of living a life of magnificence, ease and expansion.

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Every one of us has dreams. But every one does not have faith in themselves to have and live those dreams in their own lifetime. In reality, the secret of having such assurance is simple. The reason for our doubting it so much is also clear.

We can now start by asking ourselves the first question..

Why do we not do the things we want to do?

Often, our thinking stops our actions. Often the more we think about it, the less we usually are committed to achieve what we originally wanted to do. Often the more we think about something, we come up with a greater number of reasons for not doing it.

Then is it possible that one can be certain that one will definitely accomplish what one wants to do in his life?

Sure, absolutely! To start with, let us look at the power of habits

If we are scheduled to go to a meeting tomorrow night, we wouldn’t spend lots of time thinking whether we can get there or not. We wouldn’t be concerned about the chance of having a car accident and missing the appointment. Just like when we are walking to the bathroom, we wouldn’t worry that the toilet might be broken!

We have so much more certainty about these types of ‘normal’ actions we take every day. They’re habits.

But, we doubt our dreams

Most interestingly, there are plenty of things we are not equally sure about. Particularly the things that we really want to in life – our Dreams!

So, what is the secret for the assurance that we will realize our dreams?

First: Simply make it a daily habit!

We can begin with being more assured about our actions to fulfil our desires – the type of dreams that really nurtures our life.

As for example, if your dream is to be a factor in improving society, and it is an important desire in your life, it will be possible for you to play that role and contribute to society. It can easily be made one of your daily habits.

Second: Make it as important (and as easy) as brushing our teeth

Making a dream come true can be just like cleaning the teeth. It gives a very uncomfortable feeling if teeth are not brushed for a long time, isn’t it? Nobody spends hours thinking which brand of toothpaste to use or postpone brushing till there is some specific need to show clean teeth. We feel ill at ease with teeth that are not clean. So we just clean them. It is as simple as that.

Back to our example, if giving is our utmost desire, then we need to ask ourselves these questions: What if giving actually was as important as brushing our teeth? What if it makes us feel good? And what if it kept our life healthy?

No matter whether we have a lot or very little just now, we can definitely start giving it and sharing it with others today. No matter how seemingly unbelievable it is to fulfil our dreams, we can start proceeding towards them today. We should view it as something crucial, a priority issue that we should practice every day! Then we would feel unhappy if we don’t do it. Just like brushing our teeth.

and Third: Give first, then we will get

When we start giving before we even have what we hope to get – that which we dream of – we are sending out a powerful message to ourselves which tells us, ‘there is enough, and more will come.’ It allows us to feel the joy today – the joy of giving.

If you want to be rich, be generous. And you’ll be blessed with abundance. If you want to be superbly intelligent, don’t be afraid to teach others. And you’ll know more. If you want to give, just give selflessly. Do not attach any expectation of return. Just let go. And joy will automatically be rewarded to you. The simple joy of giving.

So do not be afraid to share and give what you have, for it will not hinder you from achieving your purpose, whatever it is. It will only make you achieve your dreams quicker. And your journey there will be full of joy.

But are not habits smaller, in comparison with our BIG dreams?

Just do it, don’t worry about the ‘scale’

Because anything can take place in life. We might get started in a pretty simple way. And these simple things might lead us to another act, and form there to another. Our confidence in our simple actions and executing them one by one constantly takes us forward. But if we feel that it is unfeasible to do something now because it is simply unachievable, it is unlikely to ever happen.

The secret to achieve your dreams has always been here, and will always be here. The people who create miracles, inspirations, and the real sense of joy, already know this. They are always using it.

Visions and miracles do not happen accidentally. We choose to create them.

So, would you probably start going towards your dreams today?

Contents are excerpted with minor modification from ONE, a book written by Masami Sato. To get a free copy of ONE, visit www.B1G1.com and start sharing the joy of giving. Feel free to use or republish the content of the above article, fully or partially, as long as it is preserved in its original content, with proper attribution to Masami Sato and www.B1G1.com.

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Use of Credit Cards

If you have a credit card, use it, but don’t forget to pay the entire sum, not the minimum amount, at the end of the month. Use your credit card wisely.

Rule of Thumb

Household expenses should be lower than 33% of household income. If it is higher, think of cutting down your expenses. Below are useful tips to cut down your household expenses.

1. Always clean your air-conditioners.

2. Wash your laundry on full load.

3. Put thimbles on your taps

Assign Book Keeping Duties to Your Kids

If you have kids, share them a simple task in book keeping, like data-entry. This will make them understand basic financial principles. It will also teach them to become responsible and promote good financial practice.

Organize Your Financial Statements

Take note of your finances. Compile them in a notebook or ledger. If you have an access to a computer, organize the physical bills and statements by putting everything into a spreadsheet. You don’t even have to pay up cash for a spreadsheet.

The following tips will help you organize your financial statements.

1. Keep soft copies of bills and statements, if available. This will save time from entering data.

2. Back-up all your files, save them into CD-R or thumb drive. Then keep them in a secure place.

Financial Planning

If you have a little source of income, and there is only one person working in your family, think of getting an insurance plan for the breadwinner. Financial worries are not something your family should cope with in the event the sole breadwinner is incapacitated.

Make It a Routine

The more you postpone, the more it piles up. Give at least half an hour each week to analyze your finances.

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Your once-in-a-life-time special day should be stress free. But if you want to experience this then you will need to plan very well. There is always so much to do on your actual wedding day so planning will make it flow better.

There is so much to do on your actual wedding day that a day in a busy office would be like taking a day off compared to your wedding day. Asking for support from everyone that you can will make your special day more special.

Your wedding day will be full for sure but stress can be avoided as long as you get lots of support and plan well. Remember your wedding professionals are there to take the stress from you and if have planned well a few of your close friends will be there to catch any problems for you and solve them.

Around ten years ago pre-wedding photography came into its own in Singapore as a way to have a more enjoyable actual wedding day. Today it is very popular. With Singapore having a lot of traditional Asian style weddings doing a lot of the main photography before the wedding is often essential. Traditional weddings are involving and detailed and involve usually a large number of people. Getting the main photos done ahead of time is essential.

Switched on bridal photographers started to offer pre-bridal photography packages so that not only could the stress be removed from the actual day, any risk with bad weather was removed and also then a wedding album was available at the reception.

Pre wedding packages vary from photographer to photographer so you will have to shop around. Most packages will include outdoor as well as studio shots. Getting a variety of shots will guarantee an interesting album. Ask your photographer what is included in their packages.

As well as making sure you get a great set of photos for your album, pre-bridal photos mean that you have something special to show at your actual wedding to your guests, which is always nice.

Like all good ideas, pre-wedding photography has caught on around the world. It may not be called pre-bridal photography but the idea still exists. Just ask your professional bridal photographer about including this option when they give you a price.

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Is your anniversary coming up? Your local florist can help you to come up with the perfect bouquet to celebrate your jubilee. You can personalise it to make it look as your wife’s flower arrangement that she had when she walked along the aisle or you can simply pick to integrate your wedding colours in the arrangement.

Is someone celebrating a new birth or another social event? A customized bouquet of flowers to the occasion may be the perfect flower delivery gift. Whether it is celebrating a new job, new condo, or a new baby, you will realize that flower bouquets can tell it all with great way and elegance.

Apologies are often tricky to say in person, nonetheless with roses, it is made effortless. Flower Bouquets may be the ideal manner for you to say ” I’m sorry” From a colorful floral arrangement to a dozen roses, you will discover that flowers can give you the perfect apology for almost every situation.

Do you need to proclaim your devotion to someone? The ideal style to do that is with flowers. If you select to express your undying love with red roses or other floral arrangement, expression ” I love you” is made even more beautiful with a flower delivery.

Is someone down in the dumps or having a tough day? Getting flower bouquets ” just because” may right away lift the spirits of that girlfriend or family member and provide them a new view on life. Flower stores can help you to find just the proper floral gift for this occasion to assist you to brighten the day of that special someone.

Are you having a terrible day or wish a pick me up? You may send flower bouquets to yourself. You deserve a treat from time to time. This helps you to pick precisely the type of roses that you wish and have them delivered to assist light up your business office, your house, and your life.

Flowers can be an excellent present for men and women alike. While the belief is that only women enjoy them, a man will enjoy a floral arrangement as well, especially if it includes few candy or cookies. Your local florist ought to be able to assist you to select floral gift for your man with very little trouble.

If you pick to purchase green plants or flower arrangements, you will discover that a flower delivery may tell so much to the receiver. A simple card and flower arrangements can speak volumes to the person that gets them. No matter what you want to tell, a flower delivery can assist you to announce it concisely and clearly.

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The first thing that you need to look into before planning for a marriage is the budget. Though marriages are grand affairs that require a lot of money, there are some means that can be of valuable help in lessening the expenses. For example, the decoration part of the wedding venue can be entrusted to a relative who has a natural skill for it. The job is relatively simple to perform and can save funds that you otherwise would have spent on a professional decorator. In addition, instead of buying flowers from the market, you can scout your garden for wild flowers that can make fabulous bouquets, without you having to spend anything on them.

The venue is perhaps the most important aspect of a wedding. You must put in significant effort in ensuring that you are picking the correct venue. Some of the key elements to consider are the capacity of the venue, its location, and the provisions that it offers.

Photography is another aspect that you need to be cautious about while planning a marriage. The exhilarating moments of your wedding day must be captured by the pictures and they should stay as images that will spark off all your fond memories when you see them after many years of married life.

You must select a cameraman only if you are comfortable with his style. If you are preparing for a wedding in Singapore, the job must be quite easy. To find a good Singapore wedding photographer, all you have to do is a quick search by going to any search engine that targets Singapore results using the keyword ‘photographer wedding’. Moreover, on the internet it must also be quite easy to find an attractive deal for the purpose.

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There are certain things to keep in mind while hiring a photographer to cover your wedding. Every photographer possesses an individual style. It takes some research from your side to decide who you want to photograph your wedding. It is recommended to start looking for the right photographer well ahead of time. Look into your photographers creative side more then the business side when hiring a wedding photographer. One shouldn’t be concerned about comparing various package details or the number of prints he is going to get. Once you have chosen a photographer for the job, take care of all minute details then and there so that the photographer you hired is not preoccupied about with thoughts of collecting his payment, on the wedding day.

Don’t boss your photographer around all the time. Nobody wants to be pushed around, not even your photographer so ask your guests to be polite as well. No photographer likes to be directed as to what to shoot and how to do it. The photographer will become less creative if there is lots of third party interaction. Sometimes the relatives and friends are so preoccupied in instructing the photographer that they almost miss the entire wedding.

Trust is a key on the wedding day with your photographer. If you trust them and show this to them, you will allow them to feel so much more relaxed and thus produce better results. It doesn’t matter how experienced a photographer is – they’re only human and they have a big job on the day. So trust them and let them do their work. You will benefit from the results.

Don’t forget to feed your photographer. No matter how professional the photographer is, he needs to eat. He would be the last person you want to starve. Do not give your photographer long lists of things to do. This would distract him from what you actually hired him to do.

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The fact that you will be sharing your home with another person should be examined closely. Make sure that your whole household agrees to the idea. The first thing that you have to think of is to find a live in maid whom you can completely trust. Opening your home to a complete stranger is just half the risk. Sharing your home with that person is the other half.

In implementing your standards, you can use several ways. You should get them ready before you start your search for a live in maid for hire. To make it much easier for you, you can list down all the qualities that you are looking for in a maid.

In creating your standards, your number one priority should be the safety of your family. Therefore, it will serve you best if you will first observe the applicant and determine how you feel about her. You should also ask her about her skills and work experience. If the civil status of the maid is important to you, you should also ask about it.

You can ask her to provide you with a list of her previous employers. Discuss with her your rules and see if she would be willing to comply with them. Afterwards, you can talk about the salary, benefits and certain bonuses that you will give her. However, if you are using an agency to search for a maid, you should discuss these things with the one in charge and the company will use them as their basis.

When you are in search of a live in maid for hire, you need to have your standards in place, so as to find the people most suitable for the job.

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One great alternative to your closet door situation that you may wish to consider in order to help allow you access to your closet in a confined space is by fitting sliding doors to it.

Sliding closet doors come in many different types. You have the traditional wooden sliding closet door that gives the whole closet a warm look. Different types of wood or wood laminate with all the different combinations of wood color and grains, will give different effects to a room.

There are a wide range of sliding closet doors now available and ultimately the one you eventually decide upon will depend upon your own personal taste. Plus you will need to choose a style of sliding closet door that sits comfortably in with the decor of your room already. Some sliding doors now even have mirrors fitted to them which can help to make the space in a small room look much more than it actually is.

Also, I love the ease in moving these doors so that I can get in to the closet. This matters because I developed arthritis a few years ago and the simplest of things became obstacles for me. There were going to be enough battles for me to overcome in the years ahead, ones that I would not be able to control so easily as selecting the type of closet doors I have in my home.

Instead of mirrors, you can opt for glass sliding closet doors. These glass doors will give an open look to your closet and could give the room a more open feel. You have to keep your closet organized though or else the glass sliding doors would be counter-productive.

My husband and I have spoken about converting the basement for use as a Day Spa. We could have sliding closet doors installed in recessed runners. This way, artificial walls could be created of varying dimensions, based on the particular needs of clientele.

By far the best thing you can do when looking for a good sliding closet door is to shop around and do not be afraid to ask the shop assistants which are the best types to buy.

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I wanted to write great music. Watching the movie Star Wars when I was a kid, reading Lord of the Rings, etc. inspired me as well. There are lots of non musical things that have been inspiring to me.

These are questions you should ask yourself. The two biggest practicing mistakes I have seen in students (besides not practicing enough) are: 1. Practicing is not goal orientated. 2. Not understanding the difference between playing one’s guitar and practicing one’s guitar. If you are having any difficulties with practicing, talk to your teacher about it. He/she should be able to help you.

If self expression is the pinnacle of art (or if you at least agree it is very important) and if you desire (and attempt) to express yourself in art (music), you are an artist. In the past, I would not have used the label “Artist” to describe anyone that was not already great at creating genuine art. I typically reserved the words, art, artist and musician for only the highest levels of excellence. But as a teacher of music composition, songwriting, and self expression I have changed my use of these terms for the benefit of all students.

You need to be totally self reliant. If this is not a normal part of your personality, fortunately there is help for you. Only you can stop yourself from procrastinating. Take the initiative now to go forward.

I remember when I first learned them. It was the “tough” school, the school of hard knocks. The school of “here is where to put your fingers, I know it feels impossible, you’re not getting most of the notes out, but if you stay with it long enough, you’ll be able to do it.”

In fact, it makes learning things like bar chords an orderly, if still somewhat demanding process. And the result is a very comfortable feeling while doing them, and the proper basis for more advanced techniques, such as keeping a bar down while the other fingers do all sorts of things that demand great control.

For instance, the process may go like this: I notice I have trouble with a fast scale passage in a piece I am playing. I notice a particular note starts disappearing when I reach a certain speed. The note is being missed. I notice the finger responsible for playing that note is the third finger. It is not getting to the note because it is going up in the air in reaction to the second finger being used right before it in that particular scale passage. In other words, it is tensing in reaction to the movement of it’s neighboring finger, and I have not been paying attention to it. I realize this is a bad habit that pervades my playing, a third finger that tenses up in reaction to the use of the second finger.

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