Are You Rich in Internal Assets

I found this nice article from a personal finance website, and would like to share it here.

Are You Rich in Internal Assets?

As each of you gets busy working and finding ways on how to increase your net worth, remember to pay attention to the assets that make you a unique person. I am referring to your ‘internal assets’. Your internal assets refer to your intelligence, creativity, generosity, persistence, patience, vision, compassion and all the other good qualities. Let us not forget your other skills like organizational skills, time management skills, persuasion skills, team work, etc. However, you must discard any ‘internal liabilities’ that you are carrying within you. For example, anger, laziness, selfishness, small-mindedness, etc. These negative qualities will drag you down preventing you from achieving your life’s goals.

Your children’s assets

Developing your internal assets is important. As a parent watching my young children grow, I want them to have an abundance of good internal assets. I do not tell them that I wish they would grow up to be a wealthy person with lots of money and material things. I am sure that is not what you tell your children either.
As parents, we concentrate on building our children’s character and internal assets which will ensure that they grow up to be successful and happy people. You can call this important process as building the foundation of their true wealth.
Do you agree that being wealthy also means being rich on the inside? It is not enough to be wealthy by having lots of money, properties or material things and poor in terms of internal assets. I call this having superficial wealth only. I believe we also need to be rich in internal assets to be a happy and well-rounded person.
If you know the story of “Scrooge”, then he is a perfect example of someone who is rich but totally lacking in internal assets.
So, do you want to be like Scrooge?
Read other articles by Jacquelyn at WParent.com on parenting matters and Tips4Everyone.com on solving marriage problems.
This article is posted at: KCLau's Money Tips

The Mayonnaise Jar

I just received this email from my friend, and I like the words, post and share here, and wish whoever read this like it too~!

When things in your life seem , almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class

And had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,

He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly.

The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,

'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - family, children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –

Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,

'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,

You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play With your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --

The things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,

there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'